I’m at Indiana/Michigan State Line! #oregonorbust On Our Way Across Country to Oregon
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Cross Country Road Trip 2014
I can’t sleep. I’m blogging from my phone hoping that by seeing the ridiculous amounts of miles we intend to cover tomorrow, it will persuade me to shut down and sleep. I’m just as excited as the kids, but they’re asleep. What gives? We all decided that the goal was to be one the road by 0600. Alarm set for “Oh my God that’s early…” Oregon, here we come. I guess what I didn’t realize is that we did this drive in August 2012. I thought we did it last year. Oh well. Maybe that’s another reason that you blog, so that you can remember things. That’s all for tonight. On the road in the morning. Next stop… Omaha, Nebraska.
Spiced Pork and Butternut Squash with Sage
Spiced Pork and Butternut Squash with Sage
Ingredients
- You can mix the spices together yourself, or to save time just use Pumpkin Pie spice blend from the store. Once seasoned, the pork simmers in broth for a half hour or so until tender. That same broth is mixed with coconut milk and quickly reduced into a savory sauce.
- Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (1.25 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (1.25 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (1.25 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (1.25 ml)
- 2-3 pounds of boneless country style pork ribs or pork shoulder cut into 1-inch chunks (900-1350 g)
- 1 butternut squash or pumpkin, weighing about 3 pounds (1350 g)
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil (90 ml)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (5 ml)
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth (250 ml)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, or more to taste (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons butter (30 g)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (15 ml)
Directions
- Peel the squash or pumpkin.
- To peel and cut a butternut squash or pumpkin: Cut the top stem off. Cut a little bit off the bottom too, so it sits flat on a cutting board. Using a sturdy vegetable peeler, peel off the skin. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds/stringy parts with a spoon. Cut the halves into slices then into chunks of the same size, about 1-inch square.
- Spread the cut pieces out in a large rimmed baking pan and coat with half of the coconut oil/olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin and a little bit of salt.
- Roast for at least 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pieces are lightly browned and soft. Depending on the size of the pieces and how soft and browned you want them to be, you might keep them in the oven for an hour or slightly more. Put the cooked squash in a large serving dish.
- While the squash/pumpkin is roasting, heat a pot over medium-high on the stove then add the remaining oil. Let the oil heat for a minute then add the pork.
- Cook for 5 minutes without turning the pork pieces so they brown, then stir the pieces and cook 3 minutes more. Add the broth and bring to a boil. There should be just enough liquid to cover the meat, if not, add a little water. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The meat should be tender when it’s done.
- Remove the lid and add the coconut milk. Raise the heat to high so the liquid boils and reduces a bit. After 5 minutes, turn the heat off and pour the pork and sauce over the roasted squash.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sage. Fry the sage for 3-4 minutes, until it’s slightly crisp and the butter is browned. Drizzle over the pork and squash.
Road Trip Day 1 :: Oregon or Bust
The kids and I are off for an adventure today. I’m fueling up for the journey, currently sitting at Starbucks, and I am very excited. The kids have known for a while that we were going to Oregon, sometime during this two week stretch, but they had assumed that we were flying. It should be a great time. Today, we head West to Des Moines, Iowa along route I-80/90.
Hiking Trip in Oregon
Austin and his class are on a 5-day hiking trip in Southern Oregon, so we decided to join them… We hiked in for about 90 minutes, hung out with the group, and then hiked out, just before it started to pour down rain. We made it out in time, but we’re not sure how well they faired, since he won’t back back until Friday. Here are some pictures from the trip:
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- Katie & Jason BEFORE the hike started
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- Austin’s Class Before the Trip Started
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- Austin Before the Hike Started… Lots of Energy!
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- View Along the Hike
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- Austin 90 Minutes Into Hike… Not As Much Energy!
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- View Along the Hike
South Beach
We had the most amazing trip to South Beach, but the highlight of our trip was driving to the Florida Keys. We had an amazing lunch is Islamorada. This picture tries to capture the beauty, of Katie and the Keys, but it doesn’t do either justice. It was truly amazing. There was even a love singer who was playing some island songs as well as some happy classics like “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. It was picturesque.
Weight loss…
Jason and I have been working our booties off, literally, eating better and are feeling great! It is paying off! We have posted our weight loss tickers to keep everyone up to date! (Jason won’t be happy that I am attaching a pic, but he looks so cute!)
Katie, Austin, Brady & Lily Gussied Up
Austin & Lily’s piano teacher, Kim, had both of them participate in her wedding. Austin was a ring bearer and Lily was a flower girl. It was a beautiful ceremony.
Our Story
Jason and I went to high school together. We were just friends but always liked each other. After high school we hung out a few times when he was home from college but lost touch after that. In walks Facebook…isn’t this how all single parents find their new partners? I had been divorced for 5 years, Jason for a few months. We started send long messages filled with the very personal details of our divorces, the pain and realizations. At this point I should mention that we live 2410 miles away from each other. We started talking on the phone daily and texting like we were 15. Honestly, I was intrigued by everything but I still thought there was no way that this would turn into a relationship. How silly would that be to have a long distance relationship 3 hours away (which I had done) let alone across the country! Well, here we are 18 months later. We often say there are people that live in the same house and don’t talk as much as we do. I have lost track of how many days we have spent in the actual presence each other. For the most part we have seen each other every month or so. It can be hard at times and it is the most amazing experience of my life! I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I knew when I laid eyes on him for the “first” time last June that this was it. I like the perspective it gives me on what is important. When we are together we notice everything and don’t take each other for granted. It is a kind of love that I haven’t know until now. Maybe someday we will live in the same house together but for now we are enjoying our journey together, long distance.