Friday & Saturday Musings...

It's a funny thing about sleep, you never know the last good night of sleep you will get before it all hits the skids. And then because you didn't know it was the last one, you can't remember it. As I've mentioned before I'm not sleeping well.

We are having a very blustery day. I've felt like Piglet and Pooh all day. The winds are so strong they were buffeting my car as I was driving. One lady I met today, a very petite lady, was describing the wind pinning her behind the car door as she was trying to get out. Now that's windy.

I'm working on a new project for my Etsy shop. It has the wheels turning and I'm excited to show you. Like Forrest, that's all I have to say about that.

I watched a short tutorial on lighting things for photography and man was it helpful. I believe I'm on the way to figuring out why the scarves don't photograph as well as I would like.

I was in a store today and noticed a young woman (college age) wearing cream colored sweater tights with a orange sherbet colored summer weight fabric  dress and cream colored jacket. I think the fabric was gauze or lawn, but I didn't touch it so I'm not sure, but it was definitely gauze-y, summery. Here's my question... Is it in style to wear a summer dress with sweater tights or is it her style? She looked nice, really cute actually but that's not the point. I'm curious about the sweater tights with such a light and airy dress. Since I know very little about what is trendy, I'm just putting it out there in the universe hoping for an answer.

Well, turns out I forgot to publish this blog yesterday. A few months ago we started cooking a pork loin once or twice a month, which we keep in the fridge and slice for sandwiches or salads or whatever and I left to put that in the oven and then never returned...  Hmmmm...  The pork loin turned out delicious. I coated it very well in a spicy steak seasoning mix on all sides, then roasted it in the oven until it was crispy on the outside. Mmmm Mmmmm!  I've tried a lot of different seasoning on the outside and I really don't think you can go wrong. Here are a couple of my favorites:  Whiskey & Peppery Brown Sugar. Zesty Lemon and Spicy Steak.

By the way, if you don't already, try making your own seasoning mixes. I started by making a taco seasoning and have added others now. The reason I make my own taco seasoning is that commercial mixes come in those packets, which I think are too much for one pound of meat and there are many times when I use less than a pound. Plus, I was forever adding cumin to whatever I was making because the ratio in the commercial mix didn't have enough. In the end it does become way cheaper to make and use your own versus the packets. Yes, you will need to buy the spices, and if you think you'll never use everything you buy, then go in with friends and family members. You split the costs and end up with a good mix that is tailored to your tastes. What I also learned as I was researching is that those little packets contain additives. Making your own means your food only contains things you want it to contain. I started growing my own spices, which I dry and put into canning jars. I also put my seasoning mixes into canning jars, too.

I think I posted about the taco seasoning before, but I can't for the life of me find it, so I'm going to share it, possibly again:

My own mix :)

1 T. Chili Powder
1 T. Cumin
1 t. Onion Powder
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Paprika
1 t. Black Pepper
1 t. Sea Salt
1 t. Oregano
1 t. Cayenne

Measure it directly in the jar, put the lid on and shake! You can also add one teaspoon of corn starch if you want your mix to thicken as well as season. I don't, but if you are used to using packets, they contain corn starch, so you may miss the thickening without knowing why.

When I'm cooking, I start with a tablespoon, taste and add more as needed. You can also put this on chicken or steak you are going to grill. It's delicious to dice or slice for fajitas or taco salad or nachos. 

I'll publish some of my other mixes soon! 

Happy Saturday folks!