All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Today's recipe is what I'm actually making for dinner tonight. Usually the day before payday we're low on food and I go for the quickest and easiest using whatever is left in the pantry and freezer.

Next week's Slow Cooking Thursday will be a themed one......BREAKFAST. So bring out your best oatmeals and casseroles or anything else that is breakfast related. You don't HAVE to stick to the theme, obviously if you don't have any breakfast recipes you're more than welcome to post whatever you wish but if you do have some to share, we would LOVE to see them :)

I don't have a photo of the saucy hamburgers yet, so I just put this one up, this is of the Sirloin Burgers I made last week.


1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, sliced into rings
1 c. ketchup
1/2 to 3/4 c. water
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. sugarg
salt and pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns, split

Form ground beef into 6 patties. Brown in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Combine remaining ingredients except buns in a slow cooker; stir to blend. Add hamburgers; cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours. Serve on buns. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Have you ever wondered what it's like living on an Air Force Base? I mean do you ever wonder what we see, what we hear, what we do? I thought today I would share a little of our daily noise around here, just so you can understand how powerful these Jets are, because they are clear on the other side of the base, actually on the other side of the street. Here let me show you how far we are from the flight line.

As you can see we are quite a ways away from the Flight Line so you would think when the Jets were taking off or being worked on, we wouldn't even hear right? Right? WRONG! LOL


Good thing is that you get used to the sound even at night when you're trying to sleep and all you hear is this thundering boom all over.

And right about the time you hear that you usually see this in the sky....I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing the F16's so close, the kids just love them.

Now look at the sky in that pic above, that's directly in front of my house, across the street.......see how it looks greyish......now if you walk to the back yard, then you get THIS kind of sky.

You know it's so easy to get caught up on the computer and internet and blogging....let's face it, nowadays everything is done online, at least for me. Banking and paying bills, watching movies, buying things, learning things.....everything, you name it, you can find it online.

But it also takes away from what is around you, so this week I've made it a point to distance myself from the computer. I get on in the morning, check my email, do any bills or banking or whatever that has to be done, write my blog post and visit my readers and that's IT. I step out the rest of the day and do what has to be done around the house, and contrary to belief, I don't shrivel away in a corner or go crazy because I can't be online. It's as they say "everything in good measure".

I've found that instead of leaving my computer time to chance, I've scheduled it into my routine so that I know during those 2 hours that is my time and whatever I don't get to that day, will just have to wait until the morning.

The reason I'm even mentioning this is because I didn't realize how much around me I was missing out on, even just a simple thing as seeing the grass starting to peek through the stones outside in my front yard. Usually I would just step right on over on my way in and out of the house and not even notice.


The past few days I've really gotten into photographing the sky, there's just something about the way the clouds are displayed, sometimes fluffy huge ones, other times dark grey wisps stretching across the sky. So don't be surprised if you see daily sky photos here on my blog, at least until I'm over this current obsession :)

These two were taken last night as I took the dogs out, there was the threat of rain again and this is what it looked like:

See how the green leaves are starting to appear on this tree? Isn't it amazing.....a huge tree with nothing but bare branches and then a few scattered green leaves here and there.

Then this morning I got up and we have clear dark blue skies. They remind me a lot of the skies back home in South Africa so it makes me smile and then I had to snap this picture because I can't get over the huge palm tree in my front yard. It's HUGE and I'm always staring up at it with a mix of awe and fear LOL
I keep praying it's strong enough to withstand strong winds....LOL

Now moving on.........like I said, I'm taking time away from the computer and getting things done around here.

Remember this fabric?


I was having a hard time figuring out what to make with it, but I've finally made a choice. You're looking at my new comforter for my bed, I have enough to make it and I can't wait to see it finished, I'll show you the pictures once it's ready. If I have any scraps over, I'll probably use them together with some white fabric to make some patchwork pillows to match.

Yesterday afternoon, I had a ton of laundry, I literally dumped all my laundry baskets on my bed and brought out the ironing board. I turned on Lifetime Channel and while I ironed, folded and put the clothes away, I watched "Plain Truth", which is actually a movie made from Jodi Picoult's book about an Amish community and a young teenage girl that gets pregnant, hides the pregnancy from the family and community and then has the baby. The baby dies and her lawyer played by Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order) has to become her guardian and live in the community to try and prove her innocence.

As you know I'm also reading "Christy" right now, it's funny to read a book after you've seen the movie, there's scenes in there that never made it on screen and I feel should have, there's others that happen ONE way in the book and have been changed for the movie. I'm really enjoying the book though I have to say the only little thing bothering me so far is the way that David Grantland is being portrayed in the book, it's just not coinciding with the movie for me. Guess I'll have to see how I feel once I'm done.

Well, I'm going to sweep and mop my floors and make some more progress on my Comforter. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday.


Feeling - Inspired

Drinking - Water (Trying to loose weight and going for the 8 glasses a day goal)

Writing - Grocery lists and menus for the week to come

Thinking - that I can't wait to read the next pages in the "Christy" book

Contemplating - A sandwich or a salad for lunch

Knowing - that in about 3 months I'll be in South Africa

Listening - to Martha Stewart on the TV

Jumping - everytime the phone rings, it doesn't ring often so when it does it comes as surprise

Savoring - The Jane Austen Masterpiece Theatre movies

Resisting - The temptation to eat a candy bar

Eating - Nothing right now

Hiding - My worry over everything that has to be done for our trip

Feeling - amazed by the beauty in nature around us

Good Morning everyone....I know I know, it's actually afternoon but I'm kinda slow today, dragging myself around the house and not really wanting to do anything. Problem is if I don't, then who does???

After a full weekend of rain NON.STOP....this morning we woke up to a beautiful sky, no rain and just a wonderful breeze. It feels wonderful outside and just look at these pictures? There's something magical about the sun's early light, it casts all these wonderful colors and shadows on the sky.



So last night after the kids were asleep, I crept into bed and got nice and comfy to watch "Mansfield Park". I LOVE Jane Austen, and no matter how many times I watch her movies or read her books, I just can't get enough, I end up falling in love with the characters all over again.



Since I had missed "Northanger Abbey" last sunday I was able to actually find it on youtube and watched it yesterday afternoon. To say that I was running on pure Jane Austen adrenaline is an understatement. For those of you that missed Mansfield Park, I did record it on my computer and have a full copy of the movie if you're interested, just let me know and I'll split it up and upload it online for you.

Meanwhile, here is Northanger Abbey on YouTube.......just go to Scampostrini's Videos and you will find the whole movie from part 1 to 16.

I'm drawing a blank today, you ever have those days when you feel like you have so much to say but nothing comes to mind? Because that's how I feel, so I think instead of talking I'll just give you some linky love to what's going on in blog land.

Kelli at "There is no Place Like Home" just posted a bunch of great links and recipes for everyone from her Seasonal Delights magazine. Go on over and take a look.

The Pioneer Woman posted a great recipe for the Superbowl....Quesadilla Party. Again as always YUMMY is all I have to say to her blog.

If you look on my sidebar I've added a new section for Homesteading Blogs. You might want to take a look at those, they are amazing and I'm learning such great things from them on budgetting, making your own stuff and living a simple life.

That's it, I have to get on the phone with Social Security and the IRS and have laundry to put away as well. Have a great monday.
Btw, my Menu Plan is posted on my food blog, so don't forget to give it a look and if you're interested in joining in, just head to Laura's Blog.

We hardly get rain over here, it's usually dry and hot, so when the rain comes I welcome it with open arms and quickly become the mom sitting on the couch with the blanket and the book in her hand, the cup of hot tea at my side and a silly grin on my face.


Last night at around 6pm, we were all sitting around doing the usual things, some playing games on computers, others watching tv, me about to blog and Jasmine was in her bedroom, her door closed and her tv on. She was watching cartoons while drawing. She's always had a love for crayons and drawing and coloring so she's perfectly happy sitting on the floor in her room surrounded by paper and colors.

I had just finished taking my shower, my towel was still wrapped around my hair and I sat at the computer desk....."I'll check on my bloglines and maybe visit some blogs"......the minute I touched the mouse POOF. There was a power outtage all over the base. Jasmine is screaming her head off in her bedroom, poor thing had the blinds and curtains closed AND her door closed so she was terrified (though I'm sorry but I still laugh about it LOL). I slowly make my way to her bedroom......and I mean SLOWLY because you could not see a hand in front of your face, it's the most petrifying feeling in the world.

I reached her and she clung to me as we made our way back to the living room. One good thing about knowing where everything is, I was able to reach the display cases that hold all my candles and had left the lighter on there too, I started lighting them and our house became this glow of candlelit lights. It was comfy and cozy.


I took one of the candles to my bedroom and removed the towel from my hair, brushed it out and threw on some sweat pants to go outside. When I say it was pitch black, I am NOT joking. The whole base was like a scene from one of those movies about the end of the world?


People slowly emerging from their homes, talking in hushed tones, people running to their cars looking for batteries and others like us, with flashlights in hand, staring around, trying to figure out what the problem was. My mind of course went straight to "I Am Legend", I had just seen the movie last week and now I wished I dug a hole in the backyard and filled it with extra food LOL


While outside, the kids of course enjoyed using the flashlights to make scary faces and to play, while I simply marveled at the beautiful stars, the sky a soft pinkish hue from the big cloud just behind us and the rest, dark, black, menacing with tiny little spots of lights spread out, visible nebulas and clusters of stars. You know me, before we even left the house, the camera was in hand.......while the rest of the family is saying "wow, we have a black out", I'm running to the door saying "come on, hurry up, this is my blog post for tomorrow" LOL
Don't even try to deny it, I KNOW most of you bloggers out there do the same!



Here's a picture I took of the night sky, I LOVE astronomy photos as a matter of fact, if you've been reading my blog for a while you know that we are avid Star Gazers and Amateur Astrophotographers.

I am just in awe and so fascinated by this one. I can't figure out what the heck it is. All I've done to the photo is lighten it and then duplicated the original and did a "Dodge" on it, which pretty much just makes any light source brighter. If you can figure out what the heck is on the photo, please let me know LOL


We sat in the backyard for a good 30 to 45 minutes, in the dark, flashlights turned off and just the light of the stars and the night......Jasmine enjoyed sitting on the swing, softly pumping her legs and enjoying the fresh air, she even said "this is so nice, we never get to do this". And it's true, we don't!

Funny thing, after we had been outside we all came back in and sat around, it showed me and again reminded me that nowadays people are SO dependent on technology for entertainment that when faced with a power outage they have no clue what to do. We even had a good laugh when Curt turned to us and said "Man, I guess we have to talk to each other now" LOL

All in all it was a good night, we sat around by candle light, we talked, we laughed and it was deadly quiet all around. Something I actually enjoyed......usually there's so much noise in the house, there's kids and us and tv's and computers and radios, there's noise outside and neighbors cars driving by with the music blaring. But last night for those few hours we had no electricity.....NOTHING, just quiet and calm. Thank you Lord, thank you for giving us a reprieve from the craziness of everyday life and noise, I enjoyed it and I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and thankful for everything that I have in my life.

I remembered the pioneer days and the fact that they made do without running water and power, there was no show on television or game on the computer or even music on the radio, they just lived with what they had and even though there were struggles, they still managed to be happy. How envious I am at times.

The rain is still pouring outside, so I'm going to try and get some reading done, but before I leave, I want to remind those of you who are Jane Austen Fans.....PBS is doing a Masterpiece Theatre of Jane Austen's Movies and tonight they're showing Mansfield Park.

Here's the list of upcoming ones:

Have a blessed Sunday everyone :)

Why? Why would you end it just like that? Was I not good enough for you or is this the whole "It's not you it's ME" conversation?


So Friday afternoon I got the mail and low and behold the Netflix people had really stopped all they were doing to send me my movies. (Not really, they've always been fast, but I'm just choosing to believe it's due to my shout out LOL). I literally run home, kids in my trail waving their arms to get through the dust cloud I left in my path. *I am exaggerating but whatever*

Jasmine went off to a friends house for an hour and Nicholas wanted to be left alone with his Yoshi. He and that cuddly toy enjoy spending an hour in front of the tv, jumping through hoops and smashing their heads on little cubes that drop down shells that you can use to slam in the face of a big balloon head. Don't ask!!! It's his video game and it's very confusing to me. Anyway, I don't have a DVD player in my computer so I went over to Curt's....one of the perks of having multiple computers in the house, one of them is bound to have what you need.

I popped in the first DVD. Oh but wait *hahahahahahahahaha* you are just going to think I'm pathetic when I tell you what I did. When I got the first 2 Series DVD's in, I put in the first one and watched the 3 episodes then became slightly annoyed because I could have sworn the cover said "3 hours" yet, I watched the whole thing in about 1 hour. *shrug*
I reached for the second one and started it and about 10 minutes into the first episode I get this overwhelming feeling of stupidity. I just told myself to please check the DVD cover again and what do you know......there's a side A and a side B. LOL

Boy did I feel dumb. So out goes the second DVD and back goes the first, newly flipped over to side B. I don't know why I'm telling you this stuff, chances are you're probably sitting there laughing at my expense, I guess I felt that I should mention this in case anyone else is about to watch Christy. LOL


Anyway, going back to my story....there is one I promise. I pop it into Curt's computer and quickly run around the house doing the laundry, the dishes and sweeping and everything else I had to do that morning. I didn't want to sit down to watch it and then get interrupted by the dryer or the dishwasher etc. I had a lapse of memory for a minute because I had forgotten how terribly addictive this series is, I kept watching and watching, pausing to help the kids with whatever they needed and then again to start dinner. By nighttime, after dinner and doing the dishes, I took my shower and handed the kids over to hubby, he gladly took them for the rest of the night so I could finish my movies, and that is what I did.

I watched all the DVD's and finished the series. I loved it, absolutely LOVED it....but.....and there is a BUT......what the heck was with the ending????
Aren't things supposed to end in a way that explains what is going on or gives you some closure or something? I'm no ENDING expert but from my experience watching movies and tv shows....I thought the ending was just that. You walked away knowing who was with who, or who went where, what they're doing etc. NOTHING.......Christy abandoned me, just like that.

SPOILER:::::::: (If you want to watch it and don't want to know anything about it, don't read this spoiler....I'm warning you LOL)

The Reverend David who I absolutely adored, asked Christy to marry him and next thing I know here comes the doctor on a horse. She stops between them both and does the crying teary thing, looks to one and to the other, much like I do between donuts when I'm trying to figure out if I should have the plain maple or the boston creme filling.......and that's it. It's over. No choosing of anyone, not even a hint. Again I say WHAT THE HECK? LOL

I went to bed frustrated and woke up this morning determined to find out what happened. I made a trip to the library for some books and right in between those is Christy by Catherine Marshall. Yeah she thought she could get away with not filling in the blanks for me, but guess what, I got her number.

Oh and for another stupid stunt on my part..........don't ever flip to the back of the book to see the ending LOL I could just slap myself for it, what can I say, in my defense it's all Christy's fault, she just left me without a second thought.

Anyway, these are the books I picked up:

Beverly Lewis - The Postcard
Peter Ho Davies - The Welsh Girl
Catherine Marshall - Christy
Phillipa Gregory - The Boleyn Inheritance
Eloisa James - Enchanting Pleasures
Eloisa James - Midnight Pleasures

I still have 3 books at home to read....what can I say I'm either a fast reader or love to be surrounded by books. There's something about having a FULL TBR shelf that makes me happy.

In the middle of all this reading and movie watching there's also real life and craziness. Please say a prayer that I can get all my paperwork and stuff done for our trip to Africa, right now it seems we take one step forward and 2 steps back. I can't claim EIC on my tax return because I don't have a social security number, at first they said we could because I'm a Legal Resident but now they say no. So it's been put on hold until I get my Social Security Number, which will take 14 days. In the meantime I've got mine and the kids passports to get, tickets to buy, money to save and I don't know......more stuff to do? I know there's lot more things going on, but I see the time just slipping away and we're now almost 3 months away from the trip.

With that I'm leaving, I have an urging to go drown myself in Hot Tea and start the Christy Book. Dinner tonight is leftovers, we had a late lunch so no one is hungry.....it's fine by me :)
But lookie at the burgers we had last night for dinner? YUMMY.....Sirloin Burger with caramelized onions. Help yourself!

Do you remember my Greatest Places on Earth posts??? Last year I used to do them every friday, it was a way for me to learn about new places but also share them with you all and not to mention my kids LOVED these posts.

Because I haven't done them in soooo long, I thought I would start up again, hey, at least I don't have to sit and wrack my brain for something to blog about.

Before I pack my bags to leave though, here are the other Greatest Places Posts if you're interested:

Switzerland
Scotland
Greek Islands
Port Elizabeth
Egypt
Machu Picchu

So where are we going today you wonder? Well how about Dartmoor in England!

I have always been fascinated with the beautiful English countryside and Dartmoor is one of those places I wish I could visit. So come with me, let's go on a trip.



Over the past 12,000 years man has hunted, farmed, mined, quarried and lived on and around Dartmoor. From the early Mesolithic hunter gatherers to the modern day 'moorman', humans have left their marks on its landscape. Dartmoor has been described as the 'last wilderness' and sometimes when walking deep in that 'wilderness' it is not hard to believe that you are the first to set foot on its virgin soil. Don't even go there, just stop and have a good look and it's guaranteed that within eyesight will be the mark of someone being there before you. It may be a solitary standing stone on the horizon, built by the 'Men of Bronze' or it may be a small heap of stones left there by the old tinners, but somewhere there will be something. Every tor, mire, stream, gully, wood or valley will have a name, granted many of them won't appear on the modern map and lots have been forgotten in the mists of time but they will all have a name showing evidence of the presence of man. Therefore if man has been associated with the area for so long it is inevitable that there has been a wealth of tradition, archaeology, history, folklore and legend left for us to explore today.

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in the centre of the English county of Devon. Protected by National Park status, it covers 953 km² (368 square miles).

The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops (known as tors), providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The highest point is High Willhays, 621 m above sea level. The entire area is rich in antiquities.

Dartmoor is managed by the National Park Authority whose 26 members are drawn from Devon County Council, local District Councils and Government.

Parts of Dartmoor have been used as a military firing range for over 200 years. The public enjoy extensive access rights to the rest of Dartmoor, and it is a popular tourist destination.

Dartmoor is known for its tors — large hills, topped with outcrops of bedrock, which in granite country such as this are usually rounded boulder-like formations. There are over 160 tors on Dartmoor. They are the focus of an annual event known as the Ten Tors Challenge, when over a thousand people, aged between 14 and 21, walk for distances of 35, 45 or 55 miles over 10 tors on many differing routes. While many of the hills of Dartmoor have the word "Tor" in them quite a number do not, however this does not appear to relate to whether there is an outcrop of rock on their summit.

The highest points on Dartmoor are High Willhays and Yes Tor on the northern moor. Eylesbarrow and Ryder's Hill are the highest points on the southern moor. Probably the best known tor on Dartmoor is Haytor .

High Willhays


Yes Tor


Eylesbarrow


Ryder's Hill


Haytor




Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor



Dartmoor An Inspirational Place



Dartmoor Ponies








Ingredients:

25g/1oz Butter

1 Onion, chopped

450g/1lb Cooked Potatoes, mashed

225g/8oz Cooked Cabbage, chopped

4-6 sliced cooked Beef chopped

Salt and Pepper



Instructions


1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and sauté gently for 5-6 minutes until soft, stirring from time to time.

2. Raise the heat to medium hot, add the potatoes, cabbage, beef, salt and pepper and continue to fry for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until browned and crispy. The crispy bits should be mixed throughout. Serve immediately.




Ingredients:

6 slices well buttered Bread

50g/2oz Sultanas

4 Eggs

25g/1oz Sugar

600ml/20fl.oz. Milk

A little extra Sugar



Instructions


1. Preheat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3. Grease a 7.5cm/3 inch deep ovenproof dish.

2. Remove the crusts from the buttered bread and cut into quarters (triangles or squares). Reserve 4 quarters for the top and arrange the rest in layers in the dish, sprinkling the sultanas between each layer. Top with the reserved quarters.

3. In a saucepan, heat the milk to hot but not boiling. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar then add the hot milk, stirring well.

4. Slowly strain over the bread and fruit, being careful not to dislodge the top layer of bread. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned and crispy.