Pork Lo Mein | Recipes

Here is another recipe that is in good rotation here at the Hill household.  Actually it’s in good rotation at my sister’s house too.  Here’s how it goes down….

Me: “I’m making Pork Lo Mein for dinner tonight.”

Kelly:  “Ummm, I love Pork Lo Mein.”

Kelly the following week: “I’m making Pork Lo Mein for dinner tonight.”

Me:   “Ummm, I love Pork Lo Mein.”

And the cycle continues.

This is delish, easy, and great leftover.  Kelly and I agree that it is really good cold right out of the fridge.

Here’s what you need…recipe follows.

Pork tenderloin, (we normally always have one in the freezer, Harris teeter will often have bogo sales on their tenderloin), soy sauce, sugar, chicken broth, mushrooms (optional) green onions, snow peas, and spaghetti.

We sometimes use our wok, but as long as you have a big pan/skillet you are fine.

Here you go…

I cannot explain how good this is.

Yes, those are chop sticks.  Kevin is much better at the sticks than I am, therefore, in the privacy of our own home I will practice.  I always end up with a fork.

(Recipe courtesy of CD Kitchen)

Ingredients:
16 ounces spaghetti
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 pounds pork tenderloins — thinly sliced
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound snow peas — trimmed

Directions:
Prepare spaghetti according to package directions; drain and keep warm in a large serving bowl. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar; mix well. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add pork and continue to cook until no longer pink, stirring constantly. Add green onions, mushrooms, snow peas and the chicken broth mixture.

Stir-fry 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Toss with spaghetti and serve.

 

Mona | Random

Warning.

You are about to see thousands of pictures of our pup Mona.

If you don’t have the patience, or care to read about our bulldog, well, I don’t know what to tell you. But just know that I’m going to start from the beginning.

Three years Kevin and I decided to get a dog. Long story short, we decided we wanted an American Bulldog. You know, one of the dogs in the movie Homeward Bound. (If you haven’t seen it, maybe my niece Phoebe will let you borrow it). Anyway, she was so small when we brought her home. (compared to her size now)

Oh, and she didn’t have a name for about 3 days. We finally decided on Mona. It fits her.

She grew fast. Before we knew it we had this.

She hasn’t had an easy 3 years. We almost lost Mona after only 1 short year. One May afternoon, Kevin and I took Mona to the greenway for a jog. She had a heatstroke. We knew instantly something was terribly wrong. Another long story short, we got her to the emergency vet. Her temperature was too high to measure. It wasn’t looking good. She was in bad shape, and there was nothing we could do but leave her there. After a week of bad phone calls telling us bad news, and after many blood transfusions, and after many long hours sitting at the emergency vet, she finally turned a corner. She sat up and barked, it’s Mona’s signature bark, yelp, noise that is so her. If you know Mo you know what I mean. So we were finally able to bring her home, and she has been perfectly healthy.

I wanted to show some pictures that would show her personality. She is an amazing dog and we obviously love her!

She will sit in front of the mirror and look at herself. She also watches TV.

Do you see her? She does this on her own, by the way.

There she is…

Her paws are huge.

And she sometimes has crazy eyes.

She loves to snuggle, and I love it too.

Like me, she loves the sun.

Even if it is just a little bit of sun…

She uses a pillow…

And does this weird thing with her leg.

She also loves the fireplace, will let me get in her face with the camera, knows when it’s 6:00 and time for her to eat, goes crazy when Kevin gets home, has a mean bark when she wants to, loves kids, and snores really loud.

Thanks for reading all that. We love our girl.

Wishes fulfilled | Wish List

I haven’t posted a wish list lately, but I always want things.  That’s bad huh?  Well, anyway, I wanted to show you all some of my recent purchases that I love.

This dress from New York and Company.

I wore this to a wedding, and Kevin looked great in a gray suit and pink tie that matched me.

And this dress from New York and Company.

I wear this to work.

I love them both.

Kevin got some Reebok Zigs and loves them.  He loved them so much he bought me a pair.  I love them too.

I have started working out again so these are great!

That picture is huge.

Vanessa discovered the next one, and I bought one too.  It is an eyeshadow palette from Nyx.  It was only $10.00, and the colors are great.  I’m a fan.

 

So those are some of my recent purchases.  What have you bought recently that you love?

PS. Still on the wish list is a pair of Frye boots.  Maybe Christmas?

 

Rehab | Style

I didn’t want to ever have to come clean about this, but I have been in rehab for a little over a year now.

Brow rehab.

And it has not been fun.

I have rules to follow.

I have to see someone about this every 4-5 weeks depending on the need.

I cannot touch a pair of tweezers.

So now you know.  If you have seen me and wondered what is up with my brows, I am trying to let them grow in a bit.  I have made the mistake of running into “waxing” places where it is dark in the room, they talk to each other (probably about me) and I am out of there in 5 minutes. With thin brows.  Never again, they have ruined me.

Before my wedding last year my esthetician started shaping my brows.  They’re making progress, but slowly.  She has gotten a nice arch, but they grow slowly in the middle.  It kinda just looks like I am forgetting to tweeze.  Plus one brow grows slower than the other.  Figures.

I hate to tweeze so I haven’t had an issue leaving them alone.  So now if you have talked to me close up in week 3 or 4 you know why I look a bit scary hairy.

In the meantime I have a great product to tell you about.  I love it and wanted to share with you in case you have brow issues like me.  It is called Brow Zing by Benefit.  My esthetician told me about it, and she also uses it, so I naturally went to Ulta. She said to fill in brows you should never use a pencil, so I will pass that along to you.  I didn’t want to look like some elderly people I know with obviously artistic brows, and she assured me that this kit would work.  It is a wax and shadow-y powder combo.  She also suggested I go medium brown, and I read that you should go a shade lighter than your brow color so she was right.

Here is the Brow Zing.  It lasts forever btw.

And here are some brow pics.  It is really difficult to  a) take close up pictures of your brows, and  b) share close up pictures of yourself on your blog so please ignore flaws, and be kind.

Here are the brows in all their glory.  Still gotta work on the middle growth.

Here is a picture of the brows one with Brow Zing and one without.  See the difference? (I hope so).

It just fills it in a bit and adds fullness.

And now we have both brows zinged.

So now when you see me you all know my secret.

And also know that I almost waited to post this until Vanessa could take pics of my brows.  I have a feeling it wouldn’t be quite so scary.

Here is a not so close up look.  A self taken photo obviously….

I officially like pictures taken further away….And I got all fixed up for you too, gee…

So how are your brows?  What is your brow routine?  Do you tweeze, wax, go get a wax, or leave em?

 

Cowboy Casserole | Recipes

Once again thanks to Pinterest, I found an amazing, not so good for you but who cares, casserole.  I love a good casserole.  They are comforting, easy, and you always have leftovers.  Last Sunday, Kevin was heading back to town from his tournament in Charleston.  As always he is pretty tired, and ready to be home to spend time with his girls (Mo and me).  I wanted to have something easy and good ready for dinner, and I had pinned this casserole a while back.  It was time to try it.  As always detailed recipe follows, but for now all you need to know is ground beef, tater tots, and cheese.  Sold yet?

I didn’t take pictures as I was making this, but here is your finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, ground beef, tater tots, and cheese.  Oh and corn, so maybe it is healthier than I thought??

Cowboy Casserole
adapted from a recipe at Taste of Home
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (15.25oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 bag (30 oz) frozen tater tots (I used Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns)

Before I got ready to make this casserole, I let the Crispy Crowns sit on the counter to defrost for an hour or so. The original recipe used still frozen tater tots, but I felt they wouldn’t cook as well if they were still frozen solid.
In a large skillet cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to hamburger mixture and stir to combine. Add corn and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Gently mix to combine.

Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the Crispy Crowns on the bottom, pour the hamburger mixture over the top and then layer with the other half of the Crispy Crowns. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

This really was good, and be honest, there are just some times you crave something hearty like chili, or spaghetti.  This will be another recipe to crave. It was a hit at my house.

 

 

Canvas | DIY

So you all know I am addicted to Pinterest.  Most people I know are.  You can check out my boards and pins, and if you haven’t been introduced to Pinterest let me know so I can invite you.

I have quite a few DIY items I want to get around to, well, DIYing, most of which I will do once we are in our new house.  I saw this print and loved it.

It says a lot.  I decided to make one for myself.

I went to Michaels and got the goods.

I only needed to get the letters and the canvas. The canvas came in a pack of 2 (yay for a future project) and was on sale.  I had the paint, and brushes, on hand. I just got myself ready by turning on some Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and got to it.

This is very easy, by the way, in case you want to make one for yourself.  First just put the letters on the canvas where you want them…I just eyeballed it, but feel free to measure.

Now paint.  I liked the sponge brush for this, and it took no time at all.  I didn’t want a perfect finish, and wanted it to look like the one I saw on Pinterest, so I knew I didn’t have to be a perfectionist.

You have to let this dry, otherwise when you take the letters off you will have your fingerprints and what not near the letters.  Don’t worry, it doesn’t take long.  Once dry gently peel off the letters.

I was very happy with the result.  Kevin liked it too. I think it looks very similar to the original one I pinned.

And here is the breakdown of this project.

Canvas (remember there were 2 in the pack) $5.99                                                     Letters (I used 2 inch, and I needed 2 packs) $5.99 each

Plus I had a 20% off everything coupon for a total of 14.71!  And I scored a 40% off coupon for my next visit.

I think I know what I’m going to do with the other canvas so stay tuned!

What have you seen on Pinterest that you have made?  Please share!!

 

 

October Birchbox | Style

It’s the small things in life, but I get super excited to get my Birchbox in the mail.  You must go sign up so you can receive your box of beauty products each month. It’s only 10 bucks, and to me, so worth it.

I save my boxes.  For me, they are great for storage in the bathroom, jewelry, etc, and there was a blog post dedicated to Birchbox overhauls that I saw a while back.

Included this month:  Ahava cleansing cream.  I have tried it and it is gentle and gets the job done.

Befine lip serum.  Tried it and it make your lips feel good and shiny.

Laura Geller Spackle tinted under makeup primer.  I haven’t tried this yet, it looks pretty dark, and I am pretty pale right now.  (Kara pale, as my friends like to say)

Orofluido beauty elixir.  This is for your hair.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I am excited to!  I love how it smells, and I love to try hair products.

And finally The Laundress Delicate wash.  I am not one to wash my “delicates” seperate, so when I make the decision to do so, I will use this and let you know.

So how are you enjoying your Birchbox?  If you haven’t signed up then why not?  Do you wash delicates separately? Is that too personal?

 

Ruth’s Chris Barbecued Shrimp | Recipes

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I LOVE Ruth’s Chris.  Love the food, and love the memories Kevin and I have made there.  We will go, and have a 2 hour dinner, relaxing, talking, and just enjoying each other.  Ruth’s Chris introduced us to our favorite cocktail, Hendricks Gin and grapefruit.  We love the one in Savannah and visit each time we are there.

So anyway, one thing we always order is the Barbecued Shrimp appetizer.  The wait staff will, from time to time, give you recipe cards of something you ordered.  We have made this recipe a few times, it’s really easy, and we have also done this with chicken.

Friday night Kevin and I finally got to relax a bit, cook dinner, listen to music and enjoy some wine.  Okay, Kevin cooked, and I sat and chatted with him…

First the ingredients…

Well, okay not ingredients, but how we begin every meal.  My favorite wine btw.

Here we have shrimp, green onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, salted butter, canola oil, white wine, Tabasco, paprika, and Worcestershire.

Detailed directions are below, but you will cook the shrimp first and remove.  Next, add the ingredients and cook, add the butter slowly, and add the shrimp.  It is seriously easy.

He’s so amazing.

She’s pretty amazing too.  She likes to lay like this with her legs on the couch. It’s kinda weird.

We served this over rice.  At Ruth’s Chris they serve it with bread.  Either way you get to soak up all that delicious sauce.

I loved it.  Ate it all.

Ingredients

Shrimp (We always stock up on the frozen shrimp from the store) we use about half a bag.

2 Tbls Green Onion

1 tsp Chopped Garlic

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

8 oz Salted Butter

1 oz Canola Oil

2 oz White Wine

1 tsp Tabasco

1/2 tsp paprika

4 Tbls Worcestershire

Place a large skillet on a burner and heat over high heat.  Add oil and cook peeled shrimp until they are done.  Remove shrimp and set aside.  Add green onions and cook for 1 minute.  Add white wine and reduce the volume by half.  Once reduced add the garlic, Worcestershire, Tabasco, cayenne pepper and paprika.  Shake the pan well.  Cook for 1 minute then reduce heat to low.  Cut butter into small chucks and slowly add to pan.  Add shrimp back to pan and toss well to coat and heat the shrimp.

Enjoy and as always let me know if you try it!

 

 

 

Weekend in Asheville | Random

I have the best friends.

As you know, it has been a rough few weeks for us.  We couldn’t have gotten through it without our friends and family.  We are lucky.  My friends decided it would be healing (and fun) to have a relaxing weekend together in Asheville.  Mistie’s Mom has a beautiful house with a beautiful view.  They were out-of-town so we were lucky to stay there while they were away.  I got a few pictures that I want to share, but jump on over to Vanessa’s blog where you can see more pictures of our weekend.

Vanessa and Amanda picked me up last Friday evening.  We chatted and laughed the whole way. That’s the thing about us, we all like to talk, and I love it.  We made it there fine after pulling in 2 different driveways.  You had to be there, it really was hilarious.  Plus, we have all been there before but still had trouble. Kelly and Mistie had gotten there before us and after hugs we ate dinner and retired to the porch for a while.  It was so relaxing.  So relaxing.

Saturday morning the relaxation continued.  (Until Mistie attacked V with cotton balls). We enjoyed coffee and bagels, got dressed and went for a little retail therapy.  Thanks girls for the retail therapy you all participated in…

We debated going out for dinner, but we really wanted to see the sunset, and get back out on the porch.  You would have too if you were there.  Saturday night was wonderful, with a ton of laughs and lots of girl talk.  (And a little furniture moving).

None of us wanted to leave Sunday.  It was the most amazing weekend and we did nothing but spend time together.

Kelly, Mistie, Amanda, and Vanessa, I love you girls.  Thank you for deciding right away that we all needed to get away together.  It was just what I needed.  I look forward to the next event!

And now a few pictures.

This was taken with the timer on my camera.  Shortly after this we were in yoga pants and sweatshirts.

Our view.  Seriously.

Twins.

Amanda.  And a bear.

Vanessa with me .

Vanessa at work.  Remember go check out her pictures.  They are better than mine…

Until next time friends…

Our Healing Hearts

At 13 weeks I had a small baby bump.  At 13 weeks I was feeling great.  At 13 weeks I was excited to begin my 2nd Trimester.  At 13 weeks we lost our baby.

Kevin and I talked about writing this blog post, and both decided that I should.  Since I have started my blog I have shared a lot, and most recently shared the news of our pregnancy.  It was important for me to share the news of our loss and our healing.

Thursday September 23rd Kevin and I returned home from a walk.  It was then I had the pregnancy scare that sent me into tears.  We called the Doctor who didn’t seem too worried but wanted to see me the next morning.  I calmed down, as I felt confident that everything would be okay.  The next morning it was raining so hard.  I was nervous but felt confident still.  When they weighed me I had lost weight.  My Doctor came in and began to examine me.  When she couldn’t find the heartbeat with the Doppler we became nervous.  We then went in for the ultrasound where she confirmed our worst fears.  At that moment we felt what heartbroken really was.  Our Doctor was wonderful.  She assured us that it was nothing we did, and gave us the compassion we needed.  She discussed our options and we agreed that we would have the D&C.  That weekend was the worst we have had, however it was so memorable for us as a couple.  We had the support of each other, family and friends.  We couldn’t have gotten through it without our supports.  We spent the entire weekend together crying, hugging, talking, and supporting each other.  Monday night before the procedure was hard.  I went to bed that night with tears and woke up Tuesday morning feeling sad.

I was ready for the procedure. We both felt that we could begin to move on after it was done.  I had the most wonderful surgical nurse who hugged me when I broke down and cried prior to the procedure.  She gave me the IV, gave me some medicine and after I kissed Kevin, rolled me back to the operating room.  The last thing I remember was seeing the strap to strap me down.  I woke up to the surgical team around me.  Someone told me the procedure went well, but that I had lost a lot of blood.  Kevin was allowed to come back and sit with me in recovery.  My nurse told me that I may have to go to the hospital to get blood.  That was confirmed a few minutes later when my hemoglobin count was too low.  As soon as the ambulance got there I was off to CMC Main. While waiting for the ambulance to get there we found out that I lost half the blood in my body.  I know I worried Kevin.  He was so educated on my blood pressure, temperature, and pulse, and he  took care of me. He told me I was beautiful.   Luckily I was stable the entire time.  We got to the hospital and eventually the blood transfusion began.  Wednesday morning I was released from the hospital.  I shouldn’t have been.  Wednesday night and into Thursday morning I had a severe headache and felt very weak.  My Doctor wanted to see me again along with  a hematologist.  Together they confirmed I shouldn’t have been released, and that I didn’t get enough blood.  (She was not the Doctor who released me, and said she wouldn’t have).  Back to the hospital for me.  So after a total of 4 blood transfusions, and a CT scan for good measure,  I am beginning to feel better.  It is great to be home.

You would think that after all of this we would ask God Why?  Oh we have, but after a lot of praying, conversations with each other, and reading, we have been comforted.  We both continue to be sad, but we know there are brighter days ahead, and we are blessed with many things, mainly each other.  I am not working this week and this allows me to continue to heal.  My heart and mind needs to heal as well as my body.    We know we will see our baby one day, and we are comforted by that.  Our baby was loved, and our baby brought us so much joy and excitement for 13 weeks.

To our family and friends, we couldn’t have gotten through this without you.  We felt the love and sadness you shared, as this was a loss for you too.  We love you all.

Kevin, I am more in love with you that ever before.  You have healed me.  Thank you for the hugs, sharing in my tears, and talking about our baby.  Thank you for holding me and knowing what to say.  Thank you for the gentle kisses. Thank you for telling me I am beautiful everyday.  You have confirmed that you and I can get through anything.  We know God has a plan for us, and a part of his plan is our relationship with each other.  We have been strengthened by this trial, and I am thankful for that.  I know you are hurting, and you also continue to heal.  I promise to be by your side and support you as you have done for me.  You have taken care of me physically as well.  You are my advocate and I am thankful to have you by my side everyday.

All my love,

Kara