FRiED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICHES

FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICHES

These things are truly the best sandwiches ever!!!

 You will need a pack of bacon, texas toast, provolone cheese, green tomatoes (of course fresh green tomatoes are best but here we used canned green tomatoes), ranch dressing and lettuce to make these bad boys!!

If you are using canned green tomatoes you will need to drain them.  Then you just flour both sides of the tomato and fry them with a little grease (you can use the grease from the bacon)

 We use a griddle to fry the tomatoes.  Once your tomatoes are done, wipe off the grease with a paper towel then butter one side of your texas toast and brown on the griddle. 

Place one slice of Provolone cheese on the unbuttered side while you are still toasting the other side so that it kind of melts your cheese to the bread.

I could eat all of these fried green tomatoes just like this!!!  Not much better than fried green tomatoes!!












On top of your toast and Provolone cheese, place your fried green tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, and then drizzle with ranch dressing and top with another peace of bread.











Now doesn't that look AWESOME!!!!  They are the best!!!!!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies!!!!

I know everyone probably has a recipe to this but I'm just trying out blogging and seeing how hard this task is!  I read somewhere that oats increase Breast Milk Production, so what better way to increase my supply!! LOL, hopefully Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Count!!!

What You Will Need:

Quaker Instant Oats, Sugar, Cocoa, Crisco, Milk, Vanilla, Peanut Butter and Wax Paper.

 Add 2 Cups Sugar and 4 tsp. cocoa to a pan- stir these together and get all of the lumps out.  Add 1/2 cup crisco and 1/2 cup milk.  Turn stove on high heat and bring to boil.  Let Boil for 1 minute, then add 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/3 cup peanut butter and 3 cups instant oats. Mix Well.

 Spoon out cookies onto wax paper and let them sit.  

Pretty sure it doesn't get much easier than that!!!  And they are delish!!  I have many fond memories of my mother making these for me as a kid.  One of my absolute favorite desserts!  And of course, no one can make these better than my Mummy!!!

Spicy Roasted Chicken *Clean Eating*

Spicy Roasted Chicken

This is a quick and easy recipe, and it is something a little different from our "go-to" quick meals!



Chicken Breast
1 Stick of butter
Juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 Degrees.

In a saucepan, melt butter.  Lower heat.  Add the minced garlic and juice of lemon (I used a stainer over the saucepan to keep from getting seeds in mixture).  Stir in salt, pepper, and cayenne. 

**I have issues with raw chicken, so at this time I reserve a little of the sauce so I can baste the chicken halfway through cooking!

Dunk chicken in saucepan and coat well.  Set the chicken breast on foil lined baking sheet. 

Bake for 30 minutes (turning chicken and brushing with reserved sauce at 15 minutes)

This makes a small batch- enough for a family of two or three.  If you need to make more sauce just double recipe!!

Enjoy!!  :)

Bacon Beans

Bacon Beans

This bean recipe  is REALLY good!  The hubby LOVES it!  I use my oval dutch oven pot to cook these...it makes a pretty good bit!


*Soak your pinto beans over night or for several hours before you start to cook.  Drain before adding to dutch oven or pan.

5 strips of bacon- cut up
1 onion minced
1 green bell pepper minced
4 cups dried pinto beans
Water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup mustard
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste




Saute bacon until almost done, then add your onion, pepper and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add pinto beans to pot, then add enough water that it is about 1 inch over beans.  Add ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste.  Mix well and bring to a boil.  Once boiling good, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are tender.  Stir frequently so beans do not stick to bottom.  You may need to add water if it gets to low and beans look parched.

These are sooo good that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before we ate them all!!! LOL

Canned Hot Peppers

Canned Hot Peppers

The juice from these canned hot peppers taste great on lots of things.  You just can't eat greens without this on them!!! And it's super easy to do this!

To Can: (this is for 1 pint jar- if you have enough peppers to make more just double to how many pint jars you have)

Pint Jar

Hot Peppers

Small Green Tomatoes

1 Cup Vinegar

1/2 cup water

Bring your vinegar and water to boil in a small saucepan.  While waiting for you vinegar mixture to boil, start boiling your lids in another small saucepan.

*make sure you sit your glass jars on a towel and not a cold surface (like your countertop)

Wash and stuff your peppers and small green tomatoes into the jar.  After your vinegar mixture has come to a boil,  pour into pint jar, covering your peppers.  Take your canning lids that you have been boiling, dry them off and tighten onto your jar, cover with another towel and let sit overnight so that jar will seal.  The next day press the lid and if it doesn't move it has sealed.  

God has an Agenda for My Life

"God has an agenda for my life...BUT so does the devil"

Think about that one, I mean really think about it...are you sure you know the difference in what is based on God's agenda for your life and what is the works of the devil? Do you think the devil's agenda is going to be in plain sight? Are you unintentionally eagerly falling into the hands of the devils plan?

Another favorite bible verse of mine is:

So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. Galatians 6:9

This one hangs up on my desk at work, because Lord knows I need that verse often during the day!!!

I feel like the devil has been full force in my life lately. And I have wanted to give up more than a few times.  I've had a lot of tears an pain this year and last year.  I have given the devil the opportunity to slip in and he is taking full advantage.  The devil will always be knocking at the door...he wants to destroy us, destroy our family, our relationships.  

"the more we hide our sins, the more Satan has a hold on us"

I have an analytical mind, and lately I have wanted to learn more about Christianity.  I want to know why we believe. I want to know how and why..and you know what? I'm not getting good answers from "Christians"...People these days just believe and do not dig deeper.  They hear something and take that as truth! More often than not the answer to my question are- that's just the way it is...Am i in the select few category of wanting to know why?  Or is my questioning giving the devil ample opportunity to pull me away?? Am I sinning because I want to have a better understanding?  

Okay, so getting back to scripture...Job lost practically everything: his loved ones- all of his children, at once no less, his wealth and his health.  And what did he do?  He didn't give up!  I will often be the first to wander what good will come out of something bad that is going on in my life, but you know what...I have NEVER lost practically everything I had like Job did, and so if he didn't give up I don't think I have the right to for much less!  Are my problems big burdens to bear? Yes they are, but do I have it as bad as some people? Not by a long shot.  Although it is easy to forget in the "me, me, me" world we live in, someone is always fighting a harder battle than you are.  

God will work our pain- ALL of our pain- for perfection.  He does have a perfect plan for us.  I will reap at His fitting moment in time!!

Not What I Expected

I've had a rough day today, it's been one of those days where I just really wanted to cry.  Sometimes i just get to thinking about things from my past that really upset me...and this question has haunted me all day!

Has your life turned out the way you imagined it would?

My absolute favorite verse in the Bible is Proverbs 16:9
"in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps"

My life just has completely and utterly not turned out the way I expected.  As a child, I imagined being a nurse when i grew up.  I never imagined that I would have lived through a tornado and lose my childhood home, and I have lost friends and family members that I never would have imagined loosing...

It's been a rough road.  Don't get me wrong, I know I am extremely BLESSED and I am VERY thankful, but I never imagined I would walk through some of the troubles that I have been faced with.

I think my biggest problem in my life is friendships/family I lost that I feel i should not have- (but I'm trying to keep in mind God has a purpose for everything).

Blake and I have lost a LOT of friends since we found out we were pregnant.  It's like they all just dropped off the face of the Earth.  I am truly hurt over some I have lost, and I can't help but to wander why they didn't value our friendship more.  I just have to remember, God crossed our paths- even if I can't figure out why then ended, (but at least it helps me to cherish the friends that did stick around, and the new friendships we have started)

Anyway, the reason for this post is to say thank you to the people that have been an important part of my life, even if you are not currently in it...you know who you are, thanks for making my life worth living, and giving me special memories that make me who I am.  Thank you for the laughs, the helping hands, and the tears.  I appreciate the big and small things in life that I look back on and realize the importance of.

I am sure my life will continue to surprise me!!  I have no doubt that what I envision for my life may not be God's plan...so I guess I will just suck it up and go on!! :)  I trust God will give me a beautiful life and one day I will understand all the struggles!

"One of the simplest ways to stay happy is...letting go of the things that make you sad."  if it were only that simple!!!

And Then There Were Three

"take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:4

The Isom's are now a family of three!!!  I married the love of my life, and my best friend on June 6, 2009.  Our lil Peanut, Jourdan, was born on May 14, 2013 and now that life is getting back to normal, I  have decided to start blogging about our little adventures in life!!! Blake and I want to show Jourdan the world!! We love watching him grow and change (time is flying by so fast), and soon we will be able to teach him and show him what this amazing life has to offer!

 I have always loved cooking and trying new things, but a full time job kind of hindered me from cooking nice meals.  While on maternity leave I have been cooking again and I have loved it, so I made a promise to myself that I would continue that lil venture!

I decided to start this blog more for myself and my complete randomness...We love to travel and experience everything that we possibly can in life and what better way to keep track of it???