Cooking the Tyson Pot Roast with Vegetables from Aldi
November 19, 2021 • Cooking
We are all busy these days, and most of us wish we had a chef on staff at home, I know I do. Well, since that currently is not in my cards, the next closest thing is a crock pot. I love my crock pot. I think I love the fact of putting food in it before I leave for work, and coming home and the house smelling amazing. I cook for a living, so cooking after work is not my idea of a good time. It's easy to use and safe to leave all day.
I have been trying some different foods at Aldi. The prices are way more affordable, and I have found some new favorites.
About a week ago, I was slowly cruising the aisles at my local Aldi and I found this Tyson slow cooker kit featuring pork roast with vegetables. The package says the weight is 2lb 12 oz.
It looked really tasty and I think it was about $8. The kit came
with a small pork roast, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and a seasoning packet.
I put it in my crock pot in the morning and in about 8 hrs it was perfect. I did cut the onion and potatoes up into bite size pieces.
My house smelled amazing by dinner time.
I added some "love" as I call it, aka seasoning because I wanted some more garlic and onion powder.
So, would I buy it again? Yes, definitely! Because it was affordable but, also delicious. It really isn't enough for many people but, I only fed two on this meal and it was plenty.
I don't think you could buy each of the items in the kit separately for $8, so that is why I think it is a good deal.
Do you shop at Aldi?
Share in the comments some of your favorite Aldi finds.
Cheers!
Coffee & Conversation
November 16, 2021 • Lifestyle
Good Morning! It has been a minute since I've hosted a coffee and conversation so, here we go!
It's mid November and a lot has been happening with me turning 53 and celebrating my bestie turning 50, we were just talking about how when we were in our 20's 50 seemed so old, but here we are just killing it.
Our Friday nights have been filled football, food and friends, until our beloved Blue Devils got kicked out of the playoffs, can't wait to see them next season.
Oh, and I almost forgot, we participated in the Cooper River Bridge run and it didn't kill me, but almost. Can't wait to do it again next year.
Ella and I have been to Raleigh and Atlanta recently to see Harry Styles in concert, that has been a blast.
I don't think I told y'all about the trip Gary and I took to WV in late August and we stayed in this adorable camp site that overlooked the river.
While in WV we visited Frostop. It was so yummy.
 |
| Frostop in Huntington |
School is going good for Ella, except a recent tragedy that I pray that Ella, her school and our community recovers from soon.
Austin left today for 2 weeks in NJ. When he comes home he will be 23 yrs old. Hard to believe my sweet baby is getting older.
We also celebrated Tessa turning one recently and let me tell you she is a cutie.
Other than the day to day stuff I think that is about it.
I have started a little Christmas shopping.
Have you started or are you finished?
I put my tree up in my office today and I love it so much. I've got 2 more trees until done.
But, I'll pump the breaks on them until after Thanksgiving.
Coming up, we have a surprise trip planned over a weekend and I'm so excited.
I think that about does it for now.
Until next time,
Fried Apple Pies
July 18, 2021 • Cooking
Sometimes, after you make biscuits you have some left over dough. Don't throw it out, make fried pies.
You can get the biscuit recipe here.
I had never made fried pies before, so I was up for the challenge.I looked online at a few recipes, and then I just went with it.
I like apple pie, so that is the one I am making.
You can use any of your favorites, and I am sure they will be delicious.
In straight up Dana style, I took the easy way out and bought a can of pie filling at the store.
Mash the apples up a little before using in these pies. The slices come a tad to large.
Trust me, these are eaten up so fast, no one will ask where the apples came from.
 |
| Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface |
Roll the dough out to about 1/8th of an inch. You can use a cookie cutter for a round perfect shape, but I kinda like mine looking rustic.
 |
| Cut dough into sections |
 |
| Using a small scoop, add apple pie filling to dough |
After you seal the edges, fold the dough over the apples and crimp closed with a fork.
Fry in oil until toasty, turning once. I only do one in the pan at a time. I am going to try baking these next time, and I am sure they will be just as yummy.
Pair these with ice cream, for the perfect dessert.
Love,
Mom's Recipes- Buttermilk Biscuits
July 12, 2021 • Cooking
My Momma told me if you know how to make biscuits then you can wing it from there to, add jelly, ham, gravy. She said that people thought making biscuits was hard, but then she would grin in her special way, and say it's not that hard. Growing up Saturday mornings were a big breakfast day in our house. I'm talking Sausage, grits, red eye gravy over biscuits. I made my Mom's biscuits many times while she was alive and let me say, they looked like hers but, never tasted like hers.
So, good luck if you are following the recipes at home.
 |
| I found this picture of my Mom making biscuits. This was in here later stages, but she still loved cooking. |
One more piece of Mom advice, she would say, "Just act like everything is fine, and people around you will not know any different". This advice was in reference to things like Sunday dinner & life, she would have food for 10 people, but 15 would show up. She would send me to the freezer and like a magic box, she always had something in there that could be thrown together for a meal, and she never missed a beat. I am glad that I got that skill from her.
I don't know where this recipe came from but, she made them this way as long as I can remember. And, if my memory serves me correct, this was my Grandma Grace's recipe too.
 |
| 3 Easy Ingredients to Delicious Buttermilk Biscuits |
 |
| Dough Ball |
 |
| Cut Biscuits |
 |
| Make sure to use a well greased pan |
_________________________________________________
Buttermilk Biscuits
4 Cups Self Rising Flour + some to flour counter
1/4 Cup Crisco Shortening + a tad for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
Preheat oven to 500
Sift your flour first.
Add flour to mixing bowl. Make a little nest in your bowl.
Add the crisco to the hole.
Slowly add buttermilk.
With your hand, gently mix the buttermilk and crisco together, do not over mix.
Keep mixing until you have a nice dough ball.
Flour counter space where you are patting out dough.
Pat to about 1/2 inch.Cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter, or any drinking glass out of your cabinet.
Place biscuits on well greased pan and cook until golden brown
Hit them with some butter as soon as they come out of the oven
Enjoy!
_______________________________________________________
TIPS
Do not use a roller
Make sure you sift the flour
The slower you cook your biscuits, the dryer they will be.
All ovens are different and watch your biscuits until they are golden brown.
My mom would brush the biscuits with softened butter when they came out of the oven. The whole house smelled so good when she was making biscuits, and that is the smell I want when I make them now.
I hope you and your family enjoy!
Please leave comments below, I would love to hear from you if you make these biscuits.
Love,
Moms Recipes- Honoring her memory, and making some of her best dishes.
July 2, 2021 • Cooking
Hello Again. Today, I want to introduce you to a new journey that I am going to push my way thru. I am going to complete, some of my Moms favorite family favorites.
My Mom, Carol passed away on May 26, 2017, and I have barely been able to crack open her cookbooks, much less, make anything.
My Mom was an amazing cook, and everything was always so delicious. She taught me to cook from a very young age, and I love being in the kitchen. I know the recipes that I will be making will not taste the same, she added an extra dash of love to everything she touched.
I will share tips and tricks from her cookbooks, little side notes she made and all the sources, if available.
Some recipes she printed out but, many are in her very own handwriting.
Some I wrote at her kitchen table, as she told me the recipe by heart. She was old school and use words like a pinch of this, and a dash of that, as measurements.
Here are just a few of the dishes I will be making over the next month or so, in no certain order.
Peach Cobbler
Pound Cake
Broccoli Casserole
Chicken Casserole
Buttermilk Biscuits
Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Salmon Patties
Pot Roast
I know these are nothing fancy to most people, but me working my way thru her recipes is my own process of honoring her and her memory. It will also be a healing process for me. Yes, it has been years, but the pain is so fresh sometimes I can't breath
I keep this picture of my Mom on a shelf in my kitchen so she can always be with me, and hopefully share just a tad of her cooking & life wisdom with me.
 |
| Carol Mae Lyles December 10, 1935-May 26, 2017 |
 |
| My Momma loved working at Winn Dixie in the deli. Families with kids named her the cookie lady cause she loved giving the kids cookies. FYI-It is in Winn Dixie, where she met Sonny. |
So, please join this journey and if you live close, please come help me eat some of this food.
Look for the first recipe to be posted next week.
Love,
Monster Mini Golf Charlotte
June 1, 2021 • Lifestyle
I just want to share a little surprise we found in the Harris Blvd area of Charlotte. It is Monster Mini Golf, and man did we have fun.
We all had the day off, and were looking for something fun to do.
 |
| Monster Mini Golf has a very fun golf course |
Trust me when I say, this place is so much more than just mini golf. It has mini bowling with fun ways to customize your self into characters, a laser maze room(hard than it sounds), and an arcade. It is just a good time.
They sell soft drinks and waters at check in, and the facilities are so clean and comfortable.
The private haunted mansion room is a really cool feature, I'm thinking of having my birthday party in it.
The walls tell a story of NC history featuring Andy Griffith, Dale Earnhardt to Hunger Games.
 |
| Andy Griffith mural on the mini golf course |
230 East W.T. Harris Blvd C-4
Charlotte, NC 28262
(704)980-246-8896
Day Out in Hillsborough, NC-Our Top 5 Things to See & Do!
• Travel
Are you looking to get out of the house this summer, of course you are. Check out Hillsborough, NC. This small town has a population of about 7,115 residents. The downtown historic districts, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features more than 100 homes, churches and buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Occoneechee Speedway Trail is a walking trail through natural and cultural history. The original track was a half-mile horse track built by Julian S. Carr for Occoneechee Farms. It was later expanded and used by NASCAR. This 44-acre site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 2002. Four miles of trail take you along the banks of the Eno River where you’ll walk around the only surviving dirt speedway from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season. The 1-mile oval Occoneechee/Orange Speedway was active from 1948-68, attracting the best stock car drivers and thousands of spectators.
Hillsborough BBQ Company offers pork BBQ, chicken, ribs, fixins and sides. While whole hog bbq is its specialty, all of its meats, appetizers, sides, vegetarian options, soups, and pies are made from scratch with the best ingredients available.
Come along as we explore Hillsborough, NC
Our Top 5 List
----------------------------------------------------------
#1
 |
| Ayr Mount |
 |
| Garden at Ayr Mount |
 |
| Back of the house at Ayr Mount |
Ayr Mount is a Federal-era plantation house built in 1815 in Hillsorough, North Carolina by William Kirkland. Kirkland, named the house in honor of his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland. Unlike the other houses in the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust collection, Ayr Mount looks deceptively simple, even austere on the outside. There are no soaring columns proclaiming its classicism. On the other hand, Ayr Mount is far grander – especially in the interior – than one might expect from a first look at the exterior. The ceiling height of 14 feet is unusual for this period as is the elaborate Federal period woodwork and plasterwork found throughout the house.
Visit Ayr Mount for more info.
#2
 |
| Flag Stand |
 |
| Grandstands |
 |
| Walking Trail |
Occoneechee Speedway Trail is a walking trail through natural and cultural history. The original track was a half-mile horse track built by Julian S. Carr for Occoneechee Farms. It was later expanded and used by NASCAR. This 44-acre site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 2002. Four miles of trail take you along the banks of the Eno River where you’ll walk around the only surviving dirt speedway from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season. The 1-mile oval Occoneechee/Orange Speedway was active from 1948-68, attracting the best stock car drivers and thousands of spectators.
Race over here to plan your day at the track
#3
 |
| St. Matthew's Episcopal Church The first St. Matthew’s Church was built circa 1768 at Tryon and Churton Streets. Although it was damaged during the Revolutionary War, it served as the site of the NC Constitutional Convention of 1788 and as the site of Hillsborough Academy, but by 1800 had disappeared either by fire or demolition. The church was reorganized in 1824, and in 1825 the present building was erected on land donated by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Ruffin (1787-1870). More info can be found here #4  We brought our bikes along and enjoyed a beautiful ride on Riverwalk. It is a paved, ADA accessible, urban greenway along the Eno River that stretches nearly 2 miles from Dimmocks Mill Road/Gold Park through West Hillsborough and Downtown over to the Occoneechee Speedway property trails. Plan your bike ride or walk Riverwalk #5   |
Feed your hunger here
We are sure you will love Hillsborough, just as much as we did.
Get out and explore.
📸Gary Nash
Happy Adventuring!
A Taste of Supperland
May 7, 2021 • #Supperland, Foodie Friday
How's everyone doing? Are you ok? I sure hope so. Life has been really tough lately, but I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Things are going to look up, we have to have faith and hope.
Today, I want to talk about something near and dear to my little heart, delicious food. I love it all, well most of it(not a fan of lettuce or liver) and, then I have list of other quirky food things I have to have like, my bacon extra crispy, no raw food, unless its sushi. I like, what I like!
For several months now, I have been watching the transformation of a 1952 historic church building located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte, NC and it has been nothing short of amazing.
Supperland had been tweaking their menu, and training staff and they decided to allow tickets to be sold to a private event for some plate samplings. I jumped at the chance.
It's been a minute since Gary & I enjoyed a fantastic evening, and beyond amazing food & drinks at Supperland, but it is never too late for sharing how wonderful it was.
 |
| Smoked Oysters |
 |
| Porridge Bread |
 |
| Inside of Supperland |
 |
| Fillet |
 |
| Cheers to A Taste of Superland |
 |
| Supperland has a custom line of dishes you can purchase here |
 |
| What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't check out the bathroom. It is a cutie! |
If you are looking for a special dinner night, Supperland is perfect.
We really enjoyed our night and even if you are not up for dinner, they have an adjacent bar that is first come, first serve and a beautiful patio area.
*Reservations are needed
Supperland
1212 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Visit them on the web @supper.land
Cheers!
 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
