Well it is weigh-in Friday and I did; with a whopping zero loss. I am telling you my scales do not function past where they are. I have not had these scales very long so I really have no proof they go any lower. Thought about asking roomie to weigh, but I didn’t for obvious reasons. Okay, exercise this week was weak. (Hope you got that.) But I am a glass half full person, so I am glad there was no gain. Times are rough here around the waist.
I have been reading a lot, probably too much, about enzymes and probiotics. Not sure how I feel about them yet, but it is very interesting. I am sure all the processed food does get the body out of kilter. This will need some more research after I finish my power point on Hand & Power Tools. (Be jealous I get to work with a great group of water and wastewater operators I can teach fun stuff to.)
Do you think you talk with an accent? I never really give it much thought until I travel and people ask me to “talk again”; weird. Yesterday I received a phone call from a gentleman in South Dakota. When I answered the phone in my very professional voice, “This is Rose”, all I heard was, “….. Davis”, more mumbling “South Dakota”, more mumbling and “your information”. So from that I gathered either his first or last name was Davis, he was from South Dakota (really how many people can live there so it should be easy to find him if needed), and he had some information about or from me. I politely asked, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t catch your name”, mumbling and “Davis”. Good gravy, I could not ask a third time. Fortunately I was home so I grabbed my notebook with all the Executive Directors of a national nonprofit I do a good bit of work for, flipped to South Dakota, and hoped it was Dennis Davis on the phone. This all took about 10 seconds so I hoped he didn’t hear pages flipping. When we were both on the same page, I begin to fill him in on the program, how it worked, his part, my part, etc. All of a sudden he said, and I do not kid, “Slow down there little lady with that heavy accent of yours I can only catch every couple of words. I am working hard on my end at listening.” Really, I could not even understand your name, and you are talking about an accent I don’t have. I asked around and nobody around here thinks I have an accent. Too funny because I forget when I travel if I think they have an accent, then they more than likely think I have an accent. Our conversation went smooth after the “language” barrier was taken into account. However after I hung up I began to wonder if I do go there to teach, should I charge more than usual, because as slow as I will have to talk it will take me 12 hours to deliver the 10 hour class?
The recipe below will be in my crockpot first thing in the morning. Roomie and I will eat off it tomorrow evening then several more times until it is gone next week. He is in exams beginning Monday (one more year and he will be finished, another degree), so he will be in and out and this works perfect. I am not a big sandwich person but he will make sandwiches for school next week, and tomorrow night I am planning on using it on Tex Mex Cobb Salad for dinner.
Crockpot Cuban Pork
1 (6-9 lb.) bone-in pork shoulder, make sure it will fit into your crockpot, trimmed of fat
1 large naval orange
1/3 cup lime juice, fresh or bottled
1 Tab olive oil
8 peeled garlic cloves
1 Tab. ground cumin
1 Tab. dry oregano
1 Tab. ground pepper
2 tsp. sea salt or kosher
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Stems from cilantro (If you have some cilantro in the refrigerator, cut 2 or 3 of the stems off and drop in the pot. The leaves, they will become bitter if they are used.
Put olive oil in bottom of crockpot then put the pork in and turn several times until coated in olive oil. Slice the orange and squeeze the juice, straining the seeds, if any, then drop the squeezed halves into the crockpot. Add all other ingredients.
- Cook on high until the meat literally falls from the bones, about 6-8 hours.
- Discard orange peels, remove meat, and shred with forks.
- If making sandwiches, mix some of the broth in the meat using.
- Wrap leftover meat in plastic wrap then seal in a plastic or glass bowl. This keeps it moist. Pour juices from crockpot into another bowl, seal, and refrigerate separately. The next day remove all fat that has congealed from the juices with a spoon and mix the meat and juices together to store.
Just because it is Friday and the strawberries are so good, here is an extra recipe weekend worthy.
Strawberry Mojito
I have an abundant amount of spearmint in my yard. It jumped the pot many years ago and I literally cannot kill it, kind of like the ivy. I don’t do peppermint but I love this in mojitos. This recipe says it makes 8 servings, but I don’t think so……..I am going to work on making them this weekend with stevia. Update later.
2 large limes, quartered
Large handful mint
¾ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup white rum
2 cups Perrier Citron lemon/lime
Make sugar water by dissolving the sugar in the water over low heat. Let cool. I used to store this in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator. (Now that I have cut out sugar I am going to have to play with it a bit.)
- Squeeze limes into a large glass pitcher. Toss in mint leaves and muddle until the mint releases its juices, then add strawberries and muddle again to crush berries. Add in sugar water, rum, and Perrier. Stir well.
- Serve over ice cubes.
198 (Geez falling fast) days and still 24.12 lbs till Disney Food & Wine.
Food & Wine Minus 30 