Everyday Adventures {Week 18}

Last week we took a break from Everyday Adventures to talk crock pots. After receiving several comments and emails about how much some of you loved the casserole crock pot I mentioned last week, I knew I would love it too. I bought one and have now used it twice. Once for pork chops and once for enchiladas. So far I really like it, although I am still figuring out how long to cook things. I want to use it a few more times before I give it a full review, but so far I am impressed with it.

This is how I spent one evening last week. I am not much of a board game player, but I do love Blokus. It is my favorite game for game night. My family has been playing this game for years. I bought it years ago before it was a popular game and we have played is so many times since then.

What I love about this game is that everyone can play. My kids started playing this at about 5. They loved it then and they still love it. This is one of those games that a wide age range can play and still have a lot of fun. And this is a fun game, but it still makes you think. I think those are the best kind of games.

We had these oat cakes this week for breakfast and my family loved them. I will share the recipe Monday for my Cooking Through My Collection Series. 

Cooking jowls means only one thing at my house and that is cleaning out the freezer to make room for this years pork. For those that don’t know we raise hogs. And we are talking small scale, eight or so hogs a year, type raising them. We are not hog farmers. It is a part time small scale farming thing for us.

Jowls are not my favorite part of the hog. I can easily live without ever eating jowls again. Most of my family on the other hand loves them. We only get a few packages a year, which I think works out well because my family gets their jowls, but I only have to cook them once or twice a year.

I will admit though that I only end up cooking them when it is time to clean out the freezer and I am reminded that I need to cook them before the new pork arrives. I don’t randomly choose to cook them for breakfast. Really I don’t like the taste, texture, or smell of jowls. Bacon however I love!

What are your thoughts on jowls? Do you love them or hate them? And if you don’t know what jowls are here is a post I did on them a few years ago. 

Time to make vanilla! Once or twice a year I make vanilla. It is one of those homemade things that is so easy to make and so much better than what I can buy. I have written a few posts on making my own vanilla for those interested. And I usually buy my beans from OliveNation through Amazon.

Homemade Vanilla Extract 

Homemade Vanilla Update

I am making vanilla, really I am 

And here is a really bad selfie for you. 🙂

I have been getting ready to run in a 5k race tomorrow. Last Saturday it was in cool and rainy. It was actually more of a drizzle than a rain, but I really wanted to run. And you know what, this Oregon girl loved that run in the rain. Yes, I did.

And if I was going to run in cool rainy weather it only seemed right to wear my Oregon shirt and Crater Lake hat while running. By the time I was finished running and took that picture I was soaking wet, but it was a great run. Let’s hope the run Saturday goes just as well!

I hope you all have a great weekend!