Sage and Sour Cream Pork Chops

The other night I told Bradley we were having pork chops for dinner, and wanted some input on how to make them.  After a few moments, he said, "Oh, my mom used to make these sage, cream pork chops.  Could you make those?"  So, I gave my mother-in-law a call and made this yummy recipe.  It's perfect served over rice or egg noodles, whichever you prefer or happen to have on hand.  A wonderful comfort food.

Sage and Sour Cream Pork Chops
Printable Version

3 boneless pork chops
3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup beef broth
1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon flour

In a small bowl, combine sage, salt and pepper.  Rub into both sides of each pork chop.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet.  Place pork chops in skillet and cook on each side, just until slightly browned.  Remove excess oil from pan.

Return pork chops to pan, along with onion and broth.  Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, or until pork chops are cooked through.

 Combine flour and sour cream, and add to mixture in pan, stirring to combine.

Simmer, do not cook on a higher heat than this, for 10 minutes to heat the cream.  If you cook it on a higher heat setting, the sour cream will separate from the broth and not produce the appropriate sauce.

Serve pork chops with sauce, over rice or egg noodles.

source: my mother-in-law

Slowly Getting Organized, Project #1

We've lived in our home now for almost a year, and I'm sad to say that there are many areas that have been neglected in the area of organization.  Right after we moved in last January, life sort of snowballed with various circumstances, and left me feeling behind for the remainder of the year.  Now, with a baby coming in April, I decided it's about time to get 'caught up' and organize so that life will be a bit smoother with three little ones.

My first project was pretty simple, but has made my life so much better!  There has been a drawer in my kitchen that has held gadgets, measuring cups, cookie cutters, etc., and it really looked like I just emptied a box while unpacking and dumped everything in.  It took forever to find anything in there, and drove me NUTS!  My mom was here over Thanksgiving and I suppose I was lamenting about it to her, because she very kindly gave me a drawer organizer for Christmas!  Along with the shower head from my husband, these gifts have made me a happy woman.

My husband must have been just as eager to have an organized drawer because he emptied it before I had a chance to take a picture of the mess.  So, here's what everything looked like once it was on top of the counter.

And, here is the finished product:

Many of us are cleaning out and organizing various spaces in our homes at the beginning of this new year.  Don't let it overwhelm you!  If you have many areas to organize {like me}, just take it a little bit at a time, like one drawer at a time, and you'll find that those new tidy little spaces will inspire you to keep going to the next project.

What spaces are you planning to tackle soon?

Chicken and Barley Soup

I thought I would begin my 2012 posts with a healthy recipe for you to enjoy this winter.  We love barley at our house, but until the other day I only had one way of cooking it {Beef and Barley Stew}.  Now, I've added another barley soup to my recipe index, and it was a hit!  This recipe comes from my sister's mother-in-law, and it did not disappoint.  It comes together quickly and if you serve it with some Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you'll have a fantastic meal!

Chicken and Barley Soup


1 1/2 cups chicken broth {or a 14.5 oz can of broth}
3 cups water
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 jar of salsa
1 cup barley
3 cups cooked chicken
small bag of frozen corn kernels, optional
14.5 oz can of black beans, optional

In a large pot, heat broth, water, tomatoes, salsa and barley to boiling.  Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.  When the barley is almost tender, add chicken, frozen corn and beans {if desired}.  Cook for 10 minutes more, until barley is completely tender.  Serve warm.  {I ate one bowl garnished with sour cream and it tasted yummy like that}.

Birth Story of Daughter #1

Yesterday marked a special day in our family:  our oldest turned 3 years old!  She has been such a blessing in our family and I thought I would take a few minutes to share with you the story of her entry into the world.  Most women {which I think most of you readers are} love a good birth story, and I've never before shared this on my blog, so what better time than now?  In fact, three years ago today I was sitting in a hospital bed writing down the story in my journal.  Come back with me a few years as I remember the day I became a mother...

May 8, 2008:
That morning I took a pregnancy test and my suspicions were confirmed that I indeed was pregnant!  We were thrilled!  My first trimester wasn't horrible, and I was working from home at the time, so it was easy to nap whenever I wanted, eat whatever was in sight {which I did} and enjoy having my husband home.  The due date was set for January 6, 2009.

July 21, 2008:
My husband left for training with the Navy, and I moved from our home in SC, to live with my parents in VA. Life was a bit uncertain at this point, not knowing when we would be together again, where we would live next, and whether or not Bradley would be with me for the birth of our first baby.  But, we trusted that the Lord would take care of it all and there was no need to fear.

December 20, 2008:
I finally picked Bradley up from the airport for our 2 week time together before he officially moved to San Diego to report for duty.  I was hugely pregnant, he was exhausted, and we were hoping and praying that our little baby would arrive early so he could be present when she was born.  We enjoyed a few days before Christmas with both of our families, and then settled in to wait for things to start happening.

December 26, 2008:
I had contractions ALL day long, about 3 minutes apart, so we finally went to the hospital in the afternoon, bags packed, ready to meet our baby.  After walking the hospital halls for a couple of hours, my contractions weren't getting any more intense, so they sent me home.  Ugh!  Anyone else who has had false labor knows that is one of the most discouraging things to hear!  Thankfully, I had dilated to 3 centimeters, so something was happening, just not enough.

December 28, 2008:
Around 10AM, Bradley and I were getting ready for church when I felt my water break.  Yes!  I had been told to come to the hospital if that happened, and I knew that once my water broke they'd have to get the baby out within 24 hours.  God had answered our prayers, and Bradley would be with me for the delivery!!

Checked in and waiting for things to start picking up.

We arrived at the hospital, got settled into our room, and the midwife finally showed up to completely break my water, and once she did the contractions started coming.  Around 5PM. the contractions began to pick up and I was pretty uncomfortable.  My goal was to have a natural delivery, no drugs, mostly because I HATE needles, and couldn't stand the thought of having a long needle in my spine.  My husband, and my parents, were fantastic labor coaches and got me through the long hours of contractions until about 10PM, when I was finally at 9 centimeters and ready to push.  This is when it got difficult.

Don't you just love those hospital gowns?  

I pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and nothing really happened.  After about 3.5 hours, the midwife finally called a DR to come because they were going to have to vacuum out the baby {I guess a midwife is unable to do that}.  I was exhausted, sweaty, and just ready to get that child out of me!  After about 30 minutes, including one point when my husband thought the baby's head had been ripped off from the vacuum, we finally met our sweet baby GIRL, Isabella Claire, at 1:51AM, December 29.

Moments after birth

Holding her for the first time

Daddy and his little girl

My parents, aka Nini and Granddad

Family of 3

Never have I felt such amazing relief and joy than I did in that moment.  Immediately I began crying because I was so thankful that Bradley had been with me to meet our precious girl for the first time.  God's faithfulness to us was incredible, and I will never take that for granted.  Isabella Claire was 8 days early, and just as perfect and beautiful as ever.  She weighed in at 7lb. 14 oz., and 20 1/2 inches long {I think; not sure about the length}.

I finally asked to look in a mirror and almost didn't recognize my face.  After pushing for 4 hours, my entire face had swelled, and I had burst multiple blood vessels in my face and eyes.  Not the way you picture looking for those first photos with your new baby.  But, oh well!

My parents and siblings had all waited long hours to meet our baby, and they came in soon after to delivery to see our sweet girl.  

We spent 2 full days in the hospital and then went back to my parents' house where we enjoyed another three days before Bradley left for San Diego.  That was a difficult day, especially for him, but we were still so thankful that he had been able to be there for Isabella's birth.  {We were reunited 3 weeks later when Isabella and I moved to San Diego to join him}.

Feeling better the next day

Heading home

Saying Goodbye for 3 weeks

Isabella has brought us such joy over the years and we are proud to call her our daughter.  Our biggest prayer for her is that she will grow to know and love Jesus, and desire to follow Him with wholehearted devotion.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Isabella!

Top Ten Posts of 2011

As we approach the close of 2011, I thought it would be fun to look back on my posts from this year and see which ones made the 'top ten' list.  These posts are ones that have received the most views from readers, so you all have generated this list!  Some of my personal favorites didn't make the cut, but that's okay; hope you enjoy looking back with me on my 'Posts in Review'.


#10:  Crockpot Breakfast Casserole.  This recipe is so easy and people that have eaten it love it!

#9: Christmas Tablescapes.  This is a collection of tablescapes from our church's Christmas dinner a few weeks ago.  I was inspired by the creativity of the women from our church.

#8: Slipcovered Parsons Chairs  This is one of my favorite projects that I've ever done!  I always wanted upholstered dining chairs and when I found this set on Craigslist I bought them right away.  We love eating in our comfortable dining chairs.

#7: $6 Knock-off Pottery Barn Chandelier  Our builder grade chandelier got a quick makeover with some new shades and burlap.

#6: Holiday Entertaining: Out of Town Guests  We had tons of company over the past month so I came up with some tips on how to best prepare for out of town guests.  It doesn't just apply to the holidays, so if you're getting ready to host company soon, this post is for you.

#5: Anthro-Inspired T-Shirt Refashion  I haven't sewed a lot of clothes this year, more just items for our home, but this was one item that I did complete.

#4: Cheddar Bay Biscuits  These are the. best. biscuits. ever.  If you're making soup this winter, you MUST add this to your menu.  Your people will eat them up.  Every week I get several hits on this post from google searches.  Trust me, they're awesome.

#3: Meal Planning Part 2: Grocery Shopping  I started a series over the summer, per the request of a reader, about meal planning.  Truth is, I never actually wrote the Part 3: Planning Meals!  That will come soon, I promise!  I got pregnant in the middle of the series and my meal planning sort of went out the window.  I wasn't able, in good conscience, to write a post about planning meals when I wasn't doing it.  I've been getting better so I'll finish that series in 2012.

#2: Butterscotch Monkey Bread  This is actually one of the few recipes on my blog that isn't from scratch, but it really is awesome!  Faith, over at thekitchn, was kind enough to feature it in a roundup of 15 Monkey Bread recipes, so I've received quite a bit of traffic from that.  Thanks, Faith!

#1: Easy Drapery Panels  I shared a tutorial on how to make simple panels; mine are hanging in the Dining Room.  Confession:  I decided they are too short, so I'll be adding some fabric to them soon to give them a bit of length.  Some projects just never seem to be complete...

There you have it, my year in review!  Thanks to all of you for reading my blog!  It has been a fun journey for me to document my work in my home on this blog.  You encourage me by reading my blog, commenting on the projects, and sending me sweet messages about how you enjoy what I write.  I'm looking forward to some more great projects in 2012 and hope you'll join me for another year!

Linking to

Asparagus Bites: Quick 3 Ingredient Appetizer

"What are ya doin' New Year's, New Year's Eve?"

Do you know this song?  That's the only part I know, and I remember my dad singing it almost every year, about this time, as we discussed our plans for New Year's Eve.  At this point, I don't have any plans, and that's OK with me.  If something comes up, great, but if not, I'll probably be in bed at my usual 9:30 bedtime, reading a good book, enjoying the peace and quiet.  For those of you who have a party to attend, this is one of the easiest appetizers to make!  With just three ingredients, you can put it together in about 20 minutes, and everyone will love it.  {My 2 year old devoured these!}

Asparagus Bites

16 oz. packaged deli ham {the rectangular kind works best}

8 oz. cream cheese {not cream cheese spread}

can of asparagus {you could try fresh asparagus too}

In a microwaveable bowl, soften the cream cheese so that it is easy to spread.  Lay ham out on a clean work space.  Spread with a layer of cream cheese. Place one asparagus spear on one end of the ham and roll up.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until cream cheese hardens again.  Place rolled up ham slices on cutting board, and slice with a serrated knife into bite size pieces.  Arrange on platter and serve chilled.

source: my sweet mother-in-law {she made these for us when she was here a few weeks ago}

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas!  May you be reminded of the greatest gift ever given in the birth of Jesus, this Christmas season.  Our hearts are full as we celebrate the life we've been given through Christ.  

Love, 

Lauren