Pork and Beans Braise, a dinner idea!

Cooking almost every meal we eat, is my usual kitchen style. Often requiring a bit of creative license to use what we have on hand in the pantry. When eating dinner, my husband will often turn to me and say, "are you going to blog this?” That is how a dinner idea came to be...not always a recipe, but too good, not to share.

Today we are sharing Pork and Beans Braise, not only a fun play on words, but a delicious skillet dinner of pork chops and green beans!

Pork and Bean Bread, aka The Van Camps loaf!

My own mom started making this bread 40+ years ago. It was always gone in a flash, even though the recipe makes two loaves. She used to chuckle when she would (literally) spill the beans on what the secret ingredient was...come and take a look at Pork and Bean Bread, AKA the VanCamps loaf! Another delicious recipe from my mom's kitchen and mine!

The roasted nuts on top, are delicious!

Christmas Special Senior Salon Pit Stop! Week #2

Welcome! The Christmas Special Senior Salon Pit Stop is now open! 

We invite you to come and take a look at all the wonderful recipes, craft and upcycling ideas in the line up. Along with thrifting treasures and great family friendly articles also being shared today. I can guarantee that, you will be pleasantly surprised, with all the good stuff you are about to find…so I invite you to come and take a look. And while you are here to visit, I hope you have brought along some ideas of your own to share!

 

Savory Black Eyed Peas with Bacon and Red Wine Vinegar

I love having a collection of convenient side dish recipes that call for basic pantry ingredients. And this recipe for Savory Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Red Wine Vinegar is just that sort of recipe! Plus it tastes delicious! For those who think they don't like Black-Eyed Peas, this is the recipe to try!

Weekend Traffic Jam Weekend 12.26.2025

 Hello and welcome to another great weekend! 

And what better way to enjoy it, in full, than with a visit to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! for December 26, 2025.

What makes this link-up special is that we encourage you to link up not only your current posts and good ideas, but also the great stuff in your archives! Yes, let's all show some love for those great posts resting in the archives, until you share them again.

My Favorite Top 5 Posts from 2025

Blogging is an interesting way to express and or demonstrate what individual and families do or eat or care about. And while I have been blogging for over 20 years, I find that what I write about, must have a thread of myself or it doesn't ring true to the project or recipe being presented. Which is why Creativity and heart come together to highlight My Favorite Top 5 Posts of 2025!  

Come and take a peek...

Reader's Choice Top 10 for 2025

The top 10 Reader's Choice posts for 2025, shows a clear path to a do it yourself lifestyle and a return to scratch cooked food for family meals. I am grateful for all the visits to Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household, because they not only bring a smile to my face, but keep me inspired to create, blog, and live this homestead life I have come to enjoy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! And now, the Top 10 Reader's Choice posts for 2025...

Stockings from the heart, for Homestead Sunday #14

Welcome to Homestead Sunday, where we share what we have learned, what we do on a regular basis, and what projects we are building, rebuilding or working on. Who are we? We are a three generation family living on six acres in South Eastern Texas. 

And while we have only been in Texas a short time, we have had the homestead mentality and lifestyle for quite a few years. Starting out with our time living in Montana. And, although we are not experts in any way, I hope that what we share with you with this series is helpful, as well as inspirational for you and your own homestead journey. Or even with your own home and yard in the suburbs. Because to homestead is an much an action as it is a lifestyle.

Easy to Make Toffee, no candy thermometer needed!

Do you want to make candy? But think that making candy is really hard? Well, so did I until I found this recipe for Easy to Make Toffee! You will love it, and so will everyone you share it with! And sometimes, we just need a bite of candy to make our day! So, let's make Toffee, shall we?

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot. 12.19.2025

Hello and welcome to another great weekend! 

And what better way to enjoy it, in full, than with a visit to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! for December 19, 2025.

What makes this link-up special is that we encourage you to link up not only your current posts and good ideas, but also the great stuff in your archives! Yes, let's all show some love for those great posts resting in the archives, until you share them again.

Chocolate Crusted Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars.

It was time to develop a bar cookie recipe that would check all the boxes on the flavor scale my husband has shown, that he loves. Cheesecake, check! Chocolate, check! And how about delicious, check! And yes, Chocolate Crusted Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars are as delicious as the name is long! 

Cherry Raisin Welsh Tea Cake, with a walnut crown

This Cherry Raisin Welsh Tea Cake is a simple riff on the traditional Welsh Tea Cake that I have grown to love. Made with dried cherries and raisins, the flavors all come together to play off each other as well as the delicious mix of spices! You are going to love this one!

Welcome to the Senior Salon Pit Stop #391

Welcome! The Senior Salon Pit Stop is now open! 

We invite you to come and take a look at all the wonderful recipes, craft and upcycling ideas in the line up. Along with thrifting treasures and great family friendly articles also being shared today. I can guarantee that, you will be pleasantly surprised, with all the good stuff you are about to find…so I invite you to come and take a look. And while you are here to visit, I hope you have brought along some ideas of your own to share!

 

What's in your crisper drawer? Let's talk carrots...

We keep a bag of carrots around, all the time. Well most of the time, because the reality is, carrots like any other vegetable must be stored correctly or they will go to waste. Come and take a look at our easy way to store carrots for long term storage and some great suggestions on ways to use this delicious vegetable!

Salad Dressings to please the whole family!

If there is one easy way to buy less food at the grocery store it is by making your own salad dressing. And while I could also mention the cost savings, let's just concentrate on the flavor and the ease of having a variety of salad dressing recipes, both creamy and vinaigrette style, at the ready...plus you already know the ingredient list. Because each ingredient came from your own, well stocked pantry!

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot 12.12.2025

Hello and welcome to another great weekend! 

And what better way to enjoy it, in full, than with a visit to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! for December 12, 2025.

What makes this link-up special is that we encourage you to link up not only your current posts and good ideas, but also the great stuff in your archives! Yes, let's all show some love for those great posts resting in the archives, until you share them again.

Cheesecake and Chocolate for Celebrating!

Every holiday enjoyed and family gathering celebrated just might be a call for cheesecake or something chocolate! And we have come up with a very tasty and looked forward to, list! Cheesecake and Chocolate for Celebrating! is offered to help you celebrate that special day or event (no matter the celebration!) in good taste. So you can offer something delicious from your kitchen, to those you love and care about!

Welcome to the Senior Salon Pit Stop #390

Welcome! The Senior Salon Pit Stop is now open! 

We invite you to come and take a look at all the wonderful recipes, craft and upcycling ideas in the line up. Along with thrifting treasures and great family friendly articles also being shared today. I can guarantee that, you will be pleasantly surprised, with all the good stuff you are about to find…so I invite you to come and take a look. And while you are here to visit, I hope you have brought along some ideas of your own to share!

 

Gingerbread and Pear Pudding Cake.

Pears, spices and whipped cream! They all come together beautifully when you serve up Gingerbread and Pear Pudding Cake! This dessert is rich and dreamy, you are going to want to make this again, and again!

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot 12.05.2025

Hello and welcome to another great weekend! 

And what better way to enjoy it, in full, than with a visit to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! for December 05, 2025.

What makes this link-up special is that we encourage you to link up not only your current posts and good ideas, but also the great stuff in your archives! Yes, let's all show some love for those great posts resting in the archives, until you share them again.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Meat Loaf, a slow cooker recipe

Everyone needs a delicious, family-favorite meatloaf recipe, they can turn to when there is more to do, than time to do it in! Melt-in-Your-Mouth-Meat Loaf is easily that meatloaf! You will probably want to keep this recipe handy...you know, just in case you have a busy day ahead of you. 

What Did You Read This Month, Book Review Linky #17, for December 2025

Welcome to the What Did You Read This Month, Book Review Linky Party, a monthly sharing link-up for books! We are so happy that books are once again, back in fashion! And a great way to keep them front and center is to share a review of what you have read, if and how you enjoyed it and if you would recommend that book to a friend! Oh and a story or two of how you came to own or stumbled upon the book would also be fun...because books are for everyone, so let's all enjoy them once again!

In my Homestead Kitchen December. Looking back on November 2025

November, where did you go? Wait, did I say that last month also? Probably, November was not a very exciting month around here. What with so many tasks and chores that needed to be done for the land and on the land. Largely the garden was put to rest for winter, and leaves ( oh my gosh, lots of leaf raking!) are being bagged and saved for spring garden beds. But food? Not real exciting except the potatoes, and sweet potatoes for our Thanksgiving dinner. They were harvested from our garden. That and other tales of life around here as we join Sherry for In My Kitchen. 

Welcome to The Senior Salon Pit Stop #389

Welcome! The Senior Salon Pit Stop is now open! 

We invite you to come and take a look at all the wonderful recipes, craft and upcycling ideas in the line up. Along with thrifting treasures and great family friendly articles also being shared today. I can guarantee that, you will be pleasantly surprised, with all the good stuff you are about to find…so I invite you to come and take a look. And while you are here to visit, I hope you have brought along some ideas of your own to share!