Mama's Hamburger Steak and Gravy

Hamburger steak, whipped potatoes, and gravy. The very mention of this meal brings me memories of my mama standing at the stove over a sizzling skillet while I hug the wall next to her soaking up every single moment of her cooking. She never used recipes unless she baked. Boxed dinners didn't happen either, everything was home cooked and mouth watering. That's where I learned to love cooking, propped on the wall beside my mama watching every move she made. She always made our plates, too. I've always thought there was something so endearing about her plating our food for us. It's just one of those mama things that makes your heart feel warm. That's also the reason I make my husband's and son's plates every night. Because that's the way my mama did it.

I don't use recipes either, I don't like the feeling of having to follow the plan. I am forgetful by nature, and I would constantly forget to buy ingredients when shopping if I was supposed to follow an ingredients list for every meal. I usually just buy a variety of meats, some carb-y sides like potatoes or rice, and some random veggies when I shop; my meal plan for the week is mostly just a list of random ingredients that I pull from each day until the ingredients are gone. I made a crazy good lasagna one night for a bible study, and my friend since kindergarten said, "I need this recipe, but you didn't follow one, did you?" I sheepishly offered to jot down what I did, hopefully I could remember! 

Now I just blog about my meals, so they're all written down. Tonight's plate was full of the hamburger steak, whipped potatoes, and gravy that had me reminiscing about my mama's cooking. I still don't think I have her whipped potatoes mastered, but the hamburger steak is definitely delicious.

Ingredients:

Hamburger Steak

1 lb ground chuck

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2-1 tsp ground garlic (or garlic powder)

Gravy

reserved pan drippings

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups beef broth (or beef bouillon cubes dissolved in water)

Whipped Potatoes

3lbs red skin potatoes

1/4 cup milk 

1/2 stick butter 

2 Tbsp sour cream (optional but oh, I love the creaminess it gives!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and cube potatoes. Boil in a large pot while you prepare the steaks. 

Crumble the ground chuck into a large bowl. Add the seasonings and loosely work them into the meat. Be careful not to work the meat too much as that will cause the steaks to be tough. Section the meat into four equal parts and pat out your steaks. Add the steaks to the cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 6 minutes per side. 

Check your potatoes to see if they are "fork tender", but mine really weren't ready until after I made the gravy. 

When the juices run clear, remove your steaks from the pan to rest. Reduce heat to medium low and add the flour to the pan drippings from your hamburger steaks. Whisk the flour into the drippings for about 2 minutes for the flour to cook down, then slowly add the beef broth while whisking briskly. As the gravy comes together, reduce heat to low and add the steaks back into the pan to heat through. 

By now, the potatoes are ready to whip. Drain and return to pot. Add salt, pepper, butter, milk, and sour cream. Whip with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. So easy and so good! 

Of course, you'll want to add a veggie of some kind on the side. We ended up with whole kernel sweet corn tonight since my boys don't love anything green, but I would have loved some steamed broccoli to balance out the heaviness of the gravy and potatoes. 

I hope you try this cast iron skillet meal one night soon. Maybe your husband will do the dishes like mine did! 

Eat up, 

Emily

Lemon Pepper Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops

Everyone on my news feed is talking about their Instant Pot recipes, but I'm still over here cooking every meal in my cast iron skillet. My newest creation are these Lemon Pepper Pork Chops. I love to bake most of my meals because it ends up being like a set it and forget it sort of process, and the cast iron skillet has become my best friend when it comes to roasted meats. Plus, every home probably already has an oven and cook-top, so no new fancy gadgets needed to cook this meal. 

Tonight will be the coldest night of the year in south Alabama (or at least I hope it doesn't get any colder than this), and I needed some good comfort food to make me feel better about all the ice and possible snow coming our way in the morning. Our inability to handle this kind of weather is so bad, the schools are closed all day tomorrow. The rest of the country is probably laughing at Alabamians right now, but we're ill-equipped to handle icy or even snowy roads. We only see snow about once every decade and we're excited...or scared depending on who you ask. Give us a break. I know one little boy who has prayed for snow since Christmas, and I am excited to see his reaction to the white stuff. J actually thought that it was supposed to snow on Christmas morning; I don't really know where he got that idea. He ran outside to check the ground before he ran to the Christmas tree to check his presents. His sweet little face was so confused when all he saw was brown grass. I am hoping we get a light dusting to make up for that moment of disappointment. 

We've also been battling colds all weekend in this house. Heading out for supper just wasn't an option, but an easy meal was necessary. So baked pork chops and rice it is! 

Ingredients:

4 center cut pork chops

1 lemon

2-3 cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper

3 tbsps of butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°  and place your cast iron skillet in the over to heat. Do not put a cold skillet into a hot oven. 

Salt and pepper your pork chops. Prepare the garlic cloves and slice the lemon in half. It helps to loosen the juices if you'll press and roll the lemon across the counter before you slice it. 

When your oven preheats, remove the skillet and place your seasoned pork chops evenly spaced around the skillet. Be sure not to crowd the meat; this way each chop will cook evenly. Squeeze each half of the lemon over the chops and then throw the lemon half in the pan, too. Slide your skillet back into the oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of your porkchops. I have the thick sliced, and it took closer to 45 minutes for mine. About ten minutes before the pork chops are done, toss a few tablespoons of butter into the skillet to melt and spoon it over the chops as they finish. 

Remove your skillet and place chops on a platter to rest for at least ten minutes before serving.

I served these with rice, gravy, and a quick tossed salad. 

I cooked the rice in our rice cooker...so easy! We use our rice cooker at least once a week. And the gravy was quick and easy in the same pan the pork chops were cooked in. Use the juices from the pork chops, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place over medium-high heat and sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Whisk until all of the lumps of flour are gone and the roux simmers and "separates" in the bottom of the pan when stirred (picture below). When your roux is smooth and the flour has had a chance to cook down, about three minutes, lower the heat to medium-low and pour about 2 cups of chicken stock while whisking the mixture briskly. If the gravy seems too thick, add chicken stock until you reach the consistency you want.

Cast iron skillet cleaning used to be a scary task for me. I knew enough to know that doing it incorrectly would end up causing your skillet to stick, but I didn't actually know what the correct way to wash it was. I am also terrible at admitting that I don't know something that I should know, so rather than ask someone I just avoided my skillet at all costs. I didn't actually start using it until this year, and that is because I finally just asked my Memaw how to wash it. We were washing her dishes after our annual, obligatory, and very Southern New Year's Day meal. I got to the skillet and realized I had no idea how to clean it, so I asked her. Easy breezy.

All you need is a scrub cloth and hot water, if the food is too stuck for just a scrub cloth you can make a paste of salt and hot water. Don't use soap or steel wool as it will remove the pan's seasoning. I'll post about seasoning your pan later, but for now I am going to enjoy some after supper puzzle time with my J. 

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After supper, we treated ourselves with the ice cream we made this past Sunday night. You can see that recipe here. I know y'all might think we're crazy to begin the coldest night of the year with ice cream, but this precious baby I am pregnant with has caused me to crave ice cream for weeks. And what baby wants, baby gets! 

I hope you enjoy the pork chops, but mostly I hope you enjoy the time eating it together around the table with your family. There is something so special about that time for us, and I hope to help make that time special for you guys too! 

Eat up, 

Emily 

The Blank Basket: It'll Still Hold Eggs

I had a familiar feeling come over me yesterday while driving to my sister's house. As I crossed the 'four-lane' (as we southerners like to call it), I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to get J's Easter basket monogrammed like I had totally planned to for weeks. I even bought his basket in February so that I could take it to my monogrammer in plenty of time for Easter. In the middle of my pity party for myself and my forgetful brain, I had another startling realization -- I forgot to get Jasper an Easter outfit, too! I had even had whole conversations with coworkers and friends about Easter outfits for our children. After this realization, I had an avalanche of unchecked To-Do's flooding my brain, and I got very overwhelmed with life.

When I finally got to my sister's house, she mentioned that she'd be going shopping later that day and asked if I needed anything. I asked her to pretty please pick up something for J to wear to church, and we began a conversation about all of the stuff that I forgot to take care of for Easter. I told her in my best whiny, poor me voice that (gasp!) I forgot to get Jasper's basket monogrammed. In a way that only she can do, she looked at me with what I can only describe as "loving disgust" and told me in no uncertain terms that I was being ridiculous. She said, "But guess what?! It'll still hold eggs."

I laughed in response and went on my way, but her comment started me thinking. Okay, so yes, between raising a little boy, building a house, nurturing a marriage, rocking my full-time career as well as my new part-time job, and trying my best to walk with the Lord every day, I guess that I forgot to do and buy all of the 'stuff' that I've been brainwashed to think I need to have for Easter. But does any of it matter? Yes, those adorable knee socks and a darling little heirloom Easter basket would make for some precious pictures, but does it really matter? No.

Do you know what does matter? The fact that I asked my two-year-old if he knew why we were going to church this morning, and he responded, "Jesus!" No, he doesn't yet understand that Jesus died for our sins; he doesn't yet understand that he died and on the third day arose from the dead; and he doesn't yet understand that Jesus' resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity...but he will. And that's what really matters. 

So, yeah, I'm the mama who picked her child's Easter basket goodies at the very last minute. I'm the mama who, because of a very busy schedule and slightly poor planning, had to stay up late to get Easter goodies ready. We're the family walking in to church ten minutes late because we had to turn around twice for forgotten things. We're the family surreptitiously pulling tags off of new clothes in the middle of a sermon because we didn't buy said clothes until the last minute and are always so rushed on Sunday mornings that we forgot to pull the tags off. I'm the mama who is just as likely to forgot the basket at home and force her son to hunt eggs with a grocery bag. 

But we're also a family that is overwhelmingly thankful that God hold us to a standard of Grace. And we will do our best to make sure that our son understands that Easter is less about your Sunday best and hunting eggs and more about a celebration of God's Unending Love and Amazing Grace.

By the way, we did hunt eggs using that blank Easter basket, and my sister was right...it did still hold eggs! 

6 Ways to Fly With Time

You hear it all the time. Mothers telling about their baby's newly reached milestone followed by pleading for Time to 'please slow down'. I'm pretty sure I've asked Time to take a more leisurely pace more than once since The Nugget was born, but I don't want to be at the mercy of Time anymore. Not when it comes to my baby.

Time may fly, but I'm going to do my best to not let it fly by me. I'm going to fly with it. Since I'm a list maker, I thought I'd jot down a few suggestions that I plan on following to help me keep up with J as he grows.

Photo Credit: http://www.freerangekids.com/free-ranging-under-the-clock-of-fate/clock/

1) Put down the camera/phone. Be in the moment. Don't be a spectator. Sure, it's nice to have your smartphone at your side at all times so you can catch the first smile, first roll over, or first steps on video, but I'd rather not be the mother who only gets pictures of annoyed children because they are tired of having a camera shoved in their faces. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it takes away from the moment all too often these days. I will do my best to capture memories without letting it take me out of the moment, and I will trust my family and friends to capture the moments that I am too wrapped up in to worry about a photograph or video. Memories are no good if you are not part of them.

2) Stop worrying. Easier said than done, right?! I know better than most that worry can be a poison. It can poison your marriage, your career, and worst of all it can poison your time with your children. I recently posted about how I resolve to 'give it all to God' this year and in the year's to come. I cannot tell you how much of a stress reliever that has been in just the past few days. It is not a cure-all. You cannot go on a shopping spree and say, "It'll be okay! God will make sure my bills are paid!". But, you can do your best with what is given to you and have faith that the rest is in His hands.

3) Stop with obsessing over everything. Do you know what is going to happen if your child gets chocolate ice cream all over that specially made monogrammed Valentine's Day outfit that you bought her? Nothing. Do you know what is going to happen it you don't get to take your baby through his exact bedtime routine and the exact same time every night? Nothing. Do you know what is going to happen if you forget to put the breast milk you pumped today at work in the freezer before it goes bad? Nothing. This one actually happened to me. I went into hysterics (worry much?!), but J was fine. Your child will not remember how cute her clothes were; she will remember how nervous you made her by fussing over her every move. You child will not be harmed by a deviation in his routine. He may actually learn a little flexibility and patience. Your child will be fine if he has to have a little formula because you made a mistake. Really, plenty of babies thrive on formula. Note to self: stop being so crazy.

4) Your house can wait, but your children can't. If you are too worried about a messy house to let your children play freely, see #3. You could pick up all of the toys that are all over the living room, but they're just going to dump them all back out again. Sure, keep the floor clean so the toddler doesn't pick up some unidentified object and decide to see how it tastes; . I'm not saying don't clean; I'm saying to do what is necessary, but never let it come before your child or your child's happiness. I will keep my house as clean as possible without taking time from J. I will teach J how to clean, but I will never break his spirit to get a spotless house.

5) Comparison is a thief of joy. It is a famous quote for a reason; it's true. Stop rushing your child's next milestone because your best friend's baby (of the same age) reached the same milestone week's ago. All children are different. My friend's baby started sleeping through the night very early; J still doesn't sleep through the night. My friend's baby started crawling at 5 months; J has no intentions of crawling...ever. I'm not comparing him to anyone. He is his own person, and I plan on treating him that way. I will enjoy each and every milestone, no matter how big or small, but I will never rush him to reach the next one. He will get there in his own time.

6) They are children; treat them (love them) like children. They are not clocks. Small children have no concept of time. Stop with the scheduling already. When the baby is hungry, feed him. When the child is sleepy, lay him down for a nap. Don't worry about whether it is time for a feeding or for a nap. Routines are great...schedules are not. Babies also need love. It is a need just like food or air. Pick them up, rock them, let them sleep in your arms. You will not spoil them, but you will teach them that you are a safe place and that they can always depend on you. All of this worrying about whether your baby is eating enough or whether he slept too long for his last nap is stealing time that you could be enjoying with your baby. (My mother and grandmother have been telling me this for, I don't know, 8 months! Apparently, I'm a slow learner. Ha!)

Babies grow. It's what they're supposed to do. Growing and reaching milestones are things that should be celebrated, not mourned. Time will pass. There is no slowing it, stopping it, or rewinding it, but what we can do is use the time we've been given in a more powerful way. Stop wasting it on the things that don't really matter and start enjoying it with the people who do! 

Now, go love on those babies! Be blessed!

The 112 Hour Workweek

So I'm scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. I see a single girl post about how she just finished working a 12 hour shift, and she is "too tired." I remember those days. Those days when I thought I knew what tired was...I had no idea.

I'm working from the moment I get out of the bed in the morning to the moment that I fall into the bed at night. I should be working as I type this post, actually. Let me give you an example of my day.

I get up earlier than anyone else in the house. Take a shower, fix my makeup, fix my hair. I wake The Nugget and Big G up so we can get ready for the day. One of us gets J dressed (I can't pretend like I do it all around here, Big G is a lot of help...most of the time), nurse him (that's ALL me :)), and get his food packed into his diaper bag. Then, we are all ready to leave the house. I'm lucky enough to have Big G take J to his grandmother's house most days, so I go straight to the school. I get  into my classroom around 7:30 and get ready for the day. I write my daily objectives, BDAs (before, during, and after), and weekly assignments on my agenda board, I change the date, and I get the Bell Ringers ready.

The bell rings and my students file in. "Can I use the restroom?" "I need to go back to my locker!?" "I couldn't do my homework last night because...""I need to go to the nurse...girl problems!" As I answer all of these questions, I have to make sure that everyone is starting on their Bell Ringer while simultaneously marking tardies, checking dress code, and welcoming students with a smile at my door. I'm super human, don't ya know!? All before 8am.

As the day goes on, kids file in an file out. I am in charge of loving them, teaching them, welcoming them, checking dress code, marking attendance, counting tardies, and watching for signs of abuse, drugs, alcohol, anger, etc., and making sure that they are learning something. (I know. I said teaching them...then I said I had to make sure they are learning something. These are two very different things. I'll explain that in its own post later.) All the while, I am trying to find a few minutes in the day to pump for J in privacy. I'm not even going to try to explain my pumping schedule. It's pretty much pump when you can and don't worry about it if you can't. At 1:51 I get my PLANNING PERIOD! Some people call this your 'free period'...these people are not teachers. Teachers know that your planning period is your daily time out from students and the fastest 50 minutes of the whole day. I usually spend my planning period trying to catch up on the things I am required to do. Many of these things are completely ridiculous, and I believe that they have nothing to do with actually helping my students learn (I update you on this in a later post as well!). Then the bell rings. We all get to go home. Our day is done...except its not.

If you are a mother, you know what I'm talking about. When I leave school I go get my baby. I don't know who is more excited when we finally get reunited! I take him home and we play. That doesn't sound like work to many people, but it really is. As enjoyable as it may be...it is a very tiring job! He is learning new things every day, and it is my job to give him to opportunities to learn and things to explore. We read, we sing, we play, we walk through the yard. We keep ourselves entertained until naptime. After I get J down for a little nap around 4:00, I run through the house trying to clean and straighten everything that I can before he wakes up. I have to wash my breast pump bottles, get supper started (if it's not in the slow cooker...more on that later, too!), wash, dry, and fold clothes, sweep the floor, you get the picture! I never finish what I start before J is finished with his nap.

Usually Big G is home by the time J wakes up. While I am finishing supper, Big G usually gets to his daily playtime in with The Nugget. Then we eat, we clean the kitchen, and we start our bedtime routine. Most nights we bathe, put on our pajamas, read a book, nurse, and lay down in the bed to go to sleep. This whole routine is usually over around 8:00, and J is down for the night. You'd think I'd be able to rest a little after I lay the boy down, but I don't. I start getting ready for the next day. I get his bottles/cups ready, his food ready (he eats homemade baby food...yep, more on that later, too!), and his diaper bag ready to be packed. I also try to finish what I started when J was napping earlier. By the time I finish cleaning up and getting ready for tomorrow, it is time to go to bed.

Whew! That wore me out just typing it, and that is just one day. Imagine the entire week!

I am not by any means saying that I have a difficult life. I love my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have a wonderful husband who (usually) does his best to help. I am sure there are many people who have it a lot more difficult than me. I just know what my life used to be...boy, I had it easy.