Peach BBQ Sauce

Sometime mid last week as I was doing a mental inventory trying to decide what to cook on Sunday I suddenly got a craving for BBQ ribs (we had ribs) but I have a love/hate relationship with store bought BBQ sauce. Thankfully I was eating peach and inspiration hit, I had made peach bbq sauce a few years ago but like with most of my spur of the moment cooking I didn't have a recipe.

Pinterest and google only yielded recipes for huge amounts which I didn't need so like I do for a few of my other spur of the moment cooking I took note of ingredients, ratios and the like and decided to do my own thing but this time write down the recipe (that was the hard part).

Many recipes called for tomato sauce, I had diced tomatoes. Some called for mustard I had a honey Dijon. All called for vinegar, some said apple cider, a few white, a couple red wine, I used apple cider. Of course the peaches.

I usually keep tomato sauce and diced tomatoes on hand but I was low on tomato sauce and I didn't want to have to buy anything. I highly advice using an apron when making this, splatter is not avoidable.

Peal and dice the peaches (blanching for a few seconds can make that easier), I used both peaches minus any lost due to quality testing. Put the peaches with the diced tomatoes into a blender and blend well. Pour into a good sized pot, go a size bigger than you think you will need (learn from my mistake).
Add about a half cup of water and put on a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to start and stir gently. Add mustard (1 tablespoon), seasonings (I used a little ground ginger and all purpose seasoning), I didn't add salt but if your other ingredients are salt free I suggest adding a little. Half cup of apple cider vinegar (use 3/4 cup if your like your sauce a little tangier) Stir to incorporate ingredients and allow to come to a boil.

Here is where you take your first taste, if you like a sweeter sauce add a tablespoon or more of brown sugar (remember you can always add but you can't take out so go slowly). Want it tangier add the apple cider vinegar by the tablespoon from now on do not add more that a quarter cup. Stir and allow some time between additions.

Add about 4 tablespoons of ketchup, this will help thicken your sauce and add and extra tomato flavour. Stir and bring to a violent boil. Reduce heat and allow to continue cooking for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you are bottling it for later use, or using now allow to cool a little and then enjoy. Can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator if you can keep from using it all up before then.

I got about 4 cups worth. I used some on my ribs as well as some for pouring. The remainder I bottled for later use.

I need to learn how to can now so I can start making big batches to store.

Recipe

1  14.5 oz tin diced tomatoes
2   Peaches (peeled)
2   tbl sp brown sugar
1/2  cup water
1   tsp mustard
1?4   cup apple cider vinegar
4    tblsp ketchup
seasonings of choice to taste

Blend the tomatoes and peaches and pour into an appropriate sized pot. Add water and put on a medium heat, add brown sugar and stir gently. Add mustard, seasonings, apple cider vinegar. Stir to incorporate ingredients and allow to come to a boil.

Add more brown sugar or apple cider vinegar to taste by the tablespoon. Add ketchup and stir completely, bring to a violent boil then reduce heat to low. Cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes, remove from heat, allow to cool, use as desired.


I'm linking up with Bobbi over at Revolution of Love for her Pinterest Party and Link-up, head on over and check it out.

7 Quick Takes Friday #42

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This has been a short work week for me which I love. Tuesday was a holiday and today Friday is half day because of a work function. Yet it has still been a hectic busy week, I'm hoping to stop off at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on my way home but I have to deal with my car insurance so hopefully that goes quickly.

--- 2 ---

I made peach BBQ sauce on Sunday to go with my ribs and I have been trying to write and post the recipe since then. I suck at writing the recipes I use cause I don't measure or remember quantities but I did this time so I am hoping to post that tomorrow.

--- 3 ---

I discovered socially awkward penguins on pinterest this week, they describe me just a little too well but it's kind of cool to be a bird that doesn't fly.

--- 4 ---

I have been hearing God speaking to me so clearly this week, well not really. I have been hearing Him but I didn't really pay attention to it being Him until Thursday evening as I was reading and studying one of my devotionals. I have found a scripture verses everyday for whatever I was dealing with that day. Thursday after a not very good day at work I prayed "God speak to me" and put on some music cause that usually calms me and picks up my mood but my speakers decided to be wonky so I said okay you don't want to speak to me there and turned it off but the silence was not doing anything for me either. Then when I was reading I finally heard Him and I realised He had been speaking there all this time. God is so good.

--- 5 ---

For The Not Alone Series this week we discussed our NFP experiences as single ladies. Check out who charts, who doesn't and why, as well as some thoughts on the topic of NFP itself.

--- 6 ---

Finding priests who are available to give confession at a retreat on a Saturday is exhausting, they do so much and are super busy. The priest that I got to say a tentative yes already has a full schedule but is trying to move a few things around to be there for us. Appreciate your priests and always be praying for them.

--- 7 ---

A song to end the week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
 

Not Alone Series: NFP Baby

So, who's begun charting?! How is it going? What advice do you have/what method do you use? If you haven't, is something holding you back? Are you considering starting up?

I do chart, I started about two and a half to three years ago. I didn't really know about chart, NFP or any of that stuff before that. I mean there were always ads in the Catholic News (our weekly Catholic paper) for the engaged to come learn Billings et al but since I have never been engaged I just passed over it. Then I stumbled on a conversation in a forum where a few people were discussing NFP in their marriage (best method and all that) and whether a single person could really practice NFP, there was a single there claiming that she did (it was not pretty for her). That was seriously my start into charting. I started learning about what exactly NFP was and what it entailed and can a single person chart.


I discovered fertility friend for all my charting needs, they also have a phone app so I always have easy access to it. I get up every morning at the same time or around, take my temperature and then input that, the time and any other relevant info into my chart. Super easy. I find that I get very accurate results. My cycle is very regular and very much not 28 days.


Charting has helped me monitor my whole me not just my fertility. At a certain point in my cycle I get seriously dehydrated and my whole body goes dry, skin, hair, mouth, etc but if I start drinking extra liquids a few days before and work at staying extra cool I can usually stay on top of that little problem. Making a few tweaks to my personal care also helps. I am also able to adjust my diet as needed without giving up things I love for good just when I need to, like salty snacks for about 4 days and reduce sweets for a week.


Now I haven't been formally trained because here you can only start to learn after you get engaged and the couple attends together to learn all about mucus and finding your cervix, neither of which I know how nor feel prepared to do at this time.


For me the benefits of charting have been very good, because charting forced me in a way to pay closer attention to my body and what was going on in it. My twice a month acne is greatly reduced and sometimes non-existent, cramping virtually a thing of the past, dry skin is being handled. I am still learning me, how I work and what makes me not work properly.


Do you or don't you? Find out what everyone else is or isn't check out Morgan for the link up.

When I Pray the Rosary

I take Mary's hand. I ask her to pray with me and for me. I ask her to lead me to her Son. I ask her to take my petitions, prayers, worries and fears to Jesus for me.

I ask her to journey with me as I remember His joys that became her joys, His ordinary that was extraordinary, His sorrows that pierced her heart and His glory in which she shared.

I know I do not pray alone. I know my prayers are heard. I know my prayers are answered in ways that I cannot even conceived.

When I pray the Rosary I find peace.

7 Quick Takes Friday #41

--- 1 ---

Wednesday when I got home from work this was waiting for me

A friend of mine sent from South Carolina sent it to me, she knitted me a bookmark in purple because it is my favourite colour.

--- 2 ---

I am really excited about this book

and as I was looking at the back who should I notice has endorsed it but the host of these here quicktakes, Jennifer Fulwiler. I got nerdy excited because someone I "knew" liked the book, especially since I had already liked the book.

--- 3 ---

My desktop computer died this week, I knew it would happen eventually, it's old but it was still a shock. I'm debating getting a tablet. I've wanted one for a while but could not make up my mind which one to get. The kindle fire was at the top of my list before but I am thinking I should get an ipad since I have an android phone and a windows 8 laptop so I should get something apple to be well rounded.

--- 4 ---

For some reason I cannot reply to comments in a few of my posts, how this is just a temporary problem, a glitch or some that is more long term. I am not technically savvy when it comes to this, nor do I have the time right now to try to be.

--- 5 ---

For The Not Alone Series this week we talked about our fave mom blogs. There were quite a few blogs that were new to me as well as some that I already knew and loved. Check out who everyone likes, maybe you discover some new blogs or notice you got a shout out.

--- 6 ---

Retreat planning is back on track and going well, I am spending a lot of time checking and sending emails, reviewing notes. My phone and I are practically best friends these days.

--- 7 ---

A song to end the week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
 

Not Alone Series: Favourite Mom Blogs

"Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children" Titus 2: 3-4. This week we are looking at our fave mom blogs because although we can't always relate to them, we can learn a TON! Plus, we want them to know how much we love them, too!

I have quite a few blogs that I follow and I really cannot put them all down here so I am going to just give a few that I like for various reasons and a few just honourable mentions.  I don't want to play favourites (ha) or make anyone feel left out so I am going to say I love you all plus there are probably some of you that I have never read but may learn about you from someone else.

Bobbi over at Revolution of Love - I started reading this blog even before I even knew there was such a thing as a mom blog. I like her down-to-earth style, I like that her home is not always the most picked up (I am not neat and organised now I don't expect to be as a mom though I will try) but she is always working at it. I love her kids Matthew is adorable and John-Paul is always has a book like me.

Team Whitaker - I love how organised she is and those parties. When I was about 15 I went all out for my cousin's first birthday party (with her father's money of course) even made a pinata with a balloon, paper and glue (instructions from the internet). This lady does it better all while loving the Lord, her husband and her five kids.

Michelle at Endless Strength - I love how she discusses the individual relationship she has with each of her five children, no cookie cutter parenting here. I love seeing the relationship with the older kids and the younger kids, I pray that my kids love each other and get along as well.

Martin Family Moments - Pregnant with number 6. I had already loved this family and then I recently read a post about naming a baby and thought that is just so me. I want my kids to have unique names (there were 9 people with my name in my year in primary school I was referred to by my last name for years).

Barefoot and Sometimes Pregnant - Five kids in under 5 years, I want a lot of kids so I can totally see myself here so it's good to know it is survivable. P.s she's Bobbi at Revolution of Love's sister. She home-schools and makes a number of things from scratch, did I mention she has 5 kids five and under. I'll slip in Camp Patton here - 3 kids under 3 years and a writing style and sense of style that I love.

Houseofwoyaks - This mama pregnant with #3 has two of the most adorable little boys (#3 is also a boy) and they get along so well. I love seeing how she fosters such a great relationship between her kids while trying to instil some order to a home as the lone female.

Savor His Goodness as well as Catholic and Crunchy are both still in the process of "baking" their first babies but I love their blogs and look forward to the mama years.

There are many others but I can't name everyone so I'll cut it here so you can check out who everyone else is loving on. Visit Morgan for the link up.

7 Quick Takes Friday #40

--- 1 ---

Wednesday was 9/11, I am amazed by how clearly I still remember the events of that day. There are some fuzzy parts like I cannot remember why my uncle drove me home that day but I can remember in great details things that I cannot even remember from last year.

--- 2 ---

It's Thursday night and I am watching some kind of lightning storm through the curtains, not a drop of rain. I have never seen one before, it's pretty from inside my safe house.

--- 3 ---

I love the smell of bread baking. I had a meeting tonight so I am getting a late start to my weekly bread baking so I am up late (not that I am usually asleep at this time) getting this done but the reward is so worth it.

--- 4 ---

I was out and about minding my own business when I ran into this guy

then we were both running or at least trying to get away from the other, except we were both going in the same direction. I had no choice in the matter, not sure what his excuse was though.

--- 5 ---

For The Not Alone Series this week we discussed should/can a woman pursue a man. There were quite a few different opinion, views and takes on the topics. Check out what everyone had to say.

--- 6 ---

A retreat that I am on the planning committee for has been postponed until the weekend of October 25th due to some unforeseen problems we could use some prayers that everything comes off well, with no more major hiccups.

--- 7 ---

A song to end the week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
 

Not Alone Series: In Pursuit of Men

Can/Should a woman pursue a man. This is a topic I think most females discussed at one time or another with their friends, at least I have.

When we were kids and would ask my grandmother if we "can" do something like go outside and play she would always say of course you can, so when we though everything was good, getting ready to go out she would then say you may not. There was no physical limitation to us going outside but we were not allowed to at that time.

As women of course we can pursue men we have no physical limitation to us doing so, however that does not mean we should.

We women of the 21st century are taught it is okay to go after what we want, take the bull by the horns and all that. Well I want the man I eventually marry to pursue me, I want to know without a doubt that he wants me and is willing to put action to words.

Let's go all the way back to Adam, before God made woman He told Adam to choose a mate from all He had already created (even then man was pursuing woman) but he found no suitable helper so God created woman. Adam was happy, ecstatic exclaiming "This last one is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh".

Juliet wasn't the one under the tower calling "Romeo, Romeo whereforth art thy Romeo." Man was made to pursue the heart of the woman he loves and a woman's heart was made to be pursue by man.

Now we don't just sit there letting the man do all the work with no action on our part. We are to encourage guys in their pursuit, if we are interested in the pursuit, this isn't about playing games to see how many guys we can get chasing us. Just because a guy was made to pursue means that it is easy for them, we ladies are fascinating, formidable and exciting creatures aka terrifying to a man in or on the verge of love so let's help them out. Help...not do the work for them.

There is no one way to how this help might look but an easy one is to make yourself less inaccessible. Smile more, say hello or good morning when you pass people during your day. Try not to be constantly knee deep in female friends, it's great to spend time with friends but sometimes it's better to be out with just 1 or 2 of them.

I am a shy so it is very unlikely for me to initially pursue a guy but I know when one shows interest and starts the pursuit I can get impatient if I think he is moving too slowly but I know I prefer to allow him to take the lead.

You can check out Jen for the link up to see what everyone else had to say and leave your own thoughts on the topic.

7 Quick Takes Friday #39

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You know those ads for medications that give you a long list of side effects that make you think it would be better just to remain sick and be done with the whole thing. I can now personally say it is better just to stay sick. Monday I took something for a minor problem, said minor problem was relieved unfortunately the side effects which I knew nothing about in the first place left me feeling worse than I did to begin with.

--- 2 ---

Pope Francis has called for tomorrow, Saturday 7th September to be a day of Pray and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the whole world.

--- 3 ---

I been taking a mid-night nap this week and then getting back up to finish do dishes and cleanup before heading to bed for real. It started out accidentally in that I fell asleep and then when I got back up it was a decent enough hour and I wanted to cleanup so Iw ouldn't have to do it the next morning in the midst of everything else.

--- 4 ---

Sunday 8th is our Blessed Mother's birthday, it is also my earthly mother's birthday. That was actually the coolest thing I ever learnt while attending Catholic Primary School, I leant it then and never forgot it. The seed for my strong devotion to Mary was planted although it wouldn't bare fruit for a few years.

--- 5 ---

For The Not Alone Series this week we spoke about what brought us peace. Check out what everyone had to say.

--- 6 ---

Can you believe it is September already. I keep getting Christmas countdown calendars sent to me. I'm not ready to start counting down to Christmas yet.

--- 7 ---

A song to end the week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
 

Not Alone Series: Peace

"Beside restful waters he leads me." This week we are looking at "What brings you peace? Are you able to do those things? If not, what's preventing you?" inspired by Jen's post on following the peace.

A couple years ago I was at work when I found out my grandfather had died, I was very upset practically inconsolable. I remember my boss (he's Catholic) telling me to find my peace in my Faith. I remember spending everyday of my leave in front of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass including the morning of the funeral. There were days that I had nothing really to say I just sat there knowing that it was okay. I found peace just sitting in the Presence of my Lord.

I try to get to confession at least once a month, there are times I miss because of traffic after work and I just don't feel like asking Father after Mass or I don't want to come back the next day so I wait a week. Sometimes even at the 3 week mark I get restless and irritable. There is nothing like hearing "I absolve you from your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" to bring back my feeling of peace.

I also find peace in writing. I have never been much of a talker and as a child I internalized everything, I had a hard time letting myself get angry or upset even though the feelings stayed. I do not remember who it was that got me writing but it definitely helps me get my thoughts and emotions out and I can take a look at it if I need too though most times I just need the outlet to help me feel at peace again..

Prayer also helps me find peace. Talking to God, talking at Him, talking with Him, I sometimes I do all three in one sitting and in any order. Eventually I will get to the point where I can give it up to Him knowing it will all be okay, find my peace. This past Friday as I was driving, stuck in traffic feeling very unsettled (only slightly due to the traffic) and I suddenly found myself praying, well first I started out negotiating but eventually I found peace with something that has been on my mind for over a week.

I will also say music because Friday started because of a song I heard in the car and everything just took off from there. There has definitely been other times when music has lead to me finding peace.

If I let myself, peace is not usually hard to find and I know where to find it. However I can be stubborn and hold on where I know I should let go so at times it can take a while.

Check out what everyone else has to say about finding peace, visit Morgan for the link up