German Pancakes

German Pancakes (or "Dutch Babies" as our family calls them)

from my sister-in-law Kimberly

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt
Preheat oven at 400 degrees

Blend all the ingredients in the blender.  Grease 9 x 13 baking pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.  Now they are ready for toppings. I love syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit. You could even use fresh jam. 

Kimberly has also done these in muffin pans to make mini pancakes.  

I made two pans of this.  They are always so fun to watch puff up!  The boys were thanking me all day for this treat!  

Husband rating:  4.5 stars

Boys says:  thumbs way up!

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice and Stir-Fry Veggies

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice and Stir-Fry Veggies

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 container water chestnuts
1 package snow peas or sugar snap peas
1 c chopped broccoli
1 cup favorite teriyaki sauce

Cook chicken.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.  With a tablespoon of water cook carrots for five minutes over med-high heat stirring often.  Then add remaining vegetables.  Once cooked through add chicken to pan and around 1 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce.  You may need more.  Serve over rice.

This is an easy, healthy meal we have regularly.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Ribs, Salad and Bread

Ribs, Salad and Bread

1 package of seasoned ribs, baked or grilled according to package instructions
green salad
1 loaf of your favorite bread

I was walking around Costco looking for something that didn't require a lot of work and that's when I found these ribs sitting there calling my name!  Ribs are expensive and they are fatty, but every now and then our family gives them a try.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  split vote-some actually thought the ribs were too messy for them!  I can't win.  When I let them eat with their fingers then they don't want to!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup
allrecipes.com submitted by MARYVM, with a few changes suggested by reviewers

1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 cup sliced carrots 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth 1-2 cups shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups egg noodles 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion, garlic, carrots and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and vegetable broth (I've used only chicken broth and it was just as good).  Stir in chicken, noodles, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

This is a recipe you can freeze if you wait to add noodles until you're ready to eat.  This is easy comfort food!

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Scrambled Omelette Breakfast

Scrambled Omelette Breakfast

by Melanie

6 eggs

6 egg whites

2-3 deli slices of ham or less of thicker sliced dinner ham, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp dry onions

1 tbsp butter

1/4-1/3 c shredded cheese

1 c baby spinach, cut into smaller pieces

salt and pepper

Scramble eggs and egg whites.  Put butter in heated skillet.  Add ham and onions.  Cook, stirring often for a couple of minutes.  Add eggs.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add spinach and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  

This is my favorite way to do eggs.  Everyone in our family loves it.  When was the last time you started your day with spinach?!  

Every Sunday we have brunch before heading off to church.  I always look forward to it because I don't have time for a fancy breakfast during the week.  And this isn't really even fancy.  It only takes a few minutes!

Husband rating:  4.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up!

Lemon Zuch Chicken

Lemon Zuch Chicken
my friend Alissa

4 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 c butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cornstarch
1-2 zucchinis (mushrooms or capers could be used if you don't have zucchinis)
1 box fussilli or bow tie pasta

In a skillet combine butter, lemon juice, salt, garlic, pepper, cornstarch and zucchini.  Cook over medium heat until boiling.  Add chicken to the skillet.  Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender, turning frequently.  Cook the pasta and toss with the sauce.

Serve with a green salad and you're set!

Husband rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream Salsa
Mindy

Breaded tilapia
1 bag of shredded coleslaw
grated cheese
fresh flour tortillas

Chipotle Cream Salsa
1/2 c sour cream
2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1/2 lime juice
pinch of sugar
salt

Cook tilapia (shred, if desired) and place in warm tortilla with coleslaw and grated cheese, pour cream sauce over the top.

I was in a dinner group for two years with friends from my neighborhood.  This recipe comes from the family cook book of one of the ladies in the group.  We all loved the fish tacos.  If you're in a hurry just buy a chipotle dressing in the salad dressing section!

If you've never heard of a dinner group this is how ours worked:  We had four families of similar size.  One night a week one family would make a dinner entrée for all the families and take it each home.  I had Tuesday and would make food every Tuesday for all the families, but then Monday, Wednesday and Thursday someone was bringing food to us.  We used a certain size plastic, oven safe container to take the food each time to make it easy and kept passing that around each day.  Our group didn't usually do sides and dessert but because we sat down and planned a few months at a time we knew what was coming so we could have something to our taste to go with the entrée.  It was nice to see a good friend each day and not have to make a full meal each night.  If you do this, planning a few months ahead is smart so you don't all do pasta or chicken every night one week.  You might also want to discuss allergies and health goals.  It might seem expensive, but it saves you from having to go to the store for dinner food all the other nights and you can buy in bulk, which may actually save you money.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry
my friend Anna

3 pounds chicken
2 med onions, chopped
16 thin slices fresh ginger
8 cloves garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
2 c coconut milk
20 oz frozen peas
cashews (optional)
cilantro (optional)

Place chicken in slow cooker with all but the last four ingredients.  Cover and cook on high until chicken is fork tender - about 4 hours.  Stir in coconut milk and peas.  Cover and cook until peas are heated through-about 20 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a large bowl and shred.  Return to pot and toss with sauce.  To serve, garnish with cashews and cilantro leaves, if desired.  Serve over rice.  I like jasmine rice with this.

I started this in the morning and cooked on low all day.  I shredded the chicken and then added the coconut milk and peas.  I also made only half this recipe and we had plenty for our family of six.

I had a hard time finding coconut milk.  Anna says it can be found in the Asian food section of the grocery store.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  the boys were divided-some thumbs up, some down

Chili and Cornbread

Ella

2 cans (27 oz each) dark red kidney beans, drained
2 lbs ground beef, browned, drain fat
2 cans (16 oz each) stewed tomatoes (I like to pour entire can in blender and chop for a few seconds)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 green pepper, chopped
1-2 onions, chopped
2-3 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin

Put all ingredients in slow cooker and mix.  Cook on low all day.  Serve with chopped onions and grated cheese.

This is my grandmother's recipe.  I love cooking something my mother and grandmother have cooked.

Marie Calendar's Cornbread

2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 cube (1/2 c) soft butter
2 c bisquick
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray.  Mix the first three ingredients together then add the next four ingredients.  Pour mix into pan.  Bake for 30.

This is best served with honey butter.  Mix 2-3 tbsp (or more to taste) of honey into a 1/2 c softened butter.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Happy Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day here is a quote I've kept for a long time:

"I'm just a common man with common thoughts, and I feel I've lived a pretty common life...but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."  -Charles Akes

Amen, Charles, Amen!

Pancakes with Divine Syrup, Eggs and Berries

For Sunday dinner we had friends over and made two soups, salad and homemade bread sticks.  But I forgot to take a picture!  I do happen to have a picture of our brunch and I thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit and give you a breakfast treat.  

I'm not a big fan of plain pancakes.  I like to add apples and cinnamon if I'm using a mix like Krusteaz.  My favorite pancakes are Buttermilk Cornmeal pancakes and I'll share that with you in the future.  Yesterday, because I was focused on getting my bread sticks made, this is what we had-plain old pancakes-but I made them great with my sister-in-law's syrup recipe that is heavenly.

Joy's Divine Syrup

one stick of butter (1/2 cup)
one cup heavy whipping cream
one cup granulated sugar

Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan over heat until the butter is melted. No need to boil it.

Try it-you won't go back to anything out of a bottle ever again!

Husband Rating:  4.5 stars
Boys say:  two thumbs way up!

Marinated Pork Chops, Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

Marinated Pork Chops

from allrecipes.com submitted by Jean Neitzel

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 (1 inch thick) pork chops
• 
  
• Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add pork and turn to coat. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium coals, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Jean Neitzel-if you ever read this-THANK YOU!!!  This is one of my favorite recipes.  

Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole

from allrecipes.com submitted by Tina B

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups sweet potato, cubed 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.	In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown. I don't really like sweet potatoes.  I've tried them different ways and they've never hit the spot.  But for some reason I tried this recipe and it is one of my favorites.  I think it's because after all the sweet things you add to this it tastes more like a dessert than a vegetable, but so be it!  We call them the cookie sweet potatoes because the topping does taste like cookies.  Yum! Husband Rating:  4.5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Orange Chicken with Snow Peas

Orange Chicken

from Costco

Some nights I don't have a lot of time to cook.  And sometimes I don't remember to throw something in the crock pot in the morning for a busy day.  So, it's always nice to have a short cut in the freezer.  I like the Orange Chicken from Costco.  It's easy to heat up and put on rice.  And it costs less time and money than taking a family of six to Panda Express.  Just getting four boys in the car takes 20 minutes and they might not all have their shoes or they'll be fighting over who sits where.  I'd much rather save myself that head ache and feed my family for around $10!  

I added snow peas to this.  I briefly cooked them in boiling water.  After draining the peas I added a little extra virgin olive oil, lemon pepper and kosher salt.

Husband Rating:  3 stars

Boys says:  thumbs up

King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken

from my friend Stacey 

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 small onion, chopped

12 corn tortillas, cut into strips

2 c shredded cheddar or colby cheese

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 can rotel

1/2 can of chicken broth

Mix soups, rotel (go easy on the rotel if you don’t want it too spicy) and broth with wire whisk to create sauce.  In a 9x13 pan layer:  half of the sauce, half of the chicken, half of the tortillas, half of the onion and half of the cheese.  Repeat.  Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 1 hour.

I cook the onions with the chicken.  I also think it would be a good idea to reverse the order so the tortillas aren't hard on the top layer.  I plan to try that next time.  One time saving trick I often use is dried onions.  Then I don't have to deal with the teary eyes and it is so much faster!

 Husband Rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up (okay, the three-year-old didn't like it but don't take his word for it.  He'd eat macaroni and cheese every meal of the day if we let him!)

Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato Soup

from allrecipes.com submitted by ELLIE11

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 1/3 cup diced celery 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 3/4 cup diced cooked ham 3 1/4 cups water 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste 5 tablespoons butter 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk

1.	Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

2.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.	Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

I've also added corn to this recipe and liked that.

Bisquick Biscuits

2 1/4 c original bisquick mix
2/3 c milk

Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, stir ingredients until soft dough forms; beat 30 seconds. If dough is sticky, gradually stir in enough Bisquick mix (up to 1/4 cup) to make dough easy to handle.

Place dough on surface generously sprinkled with Bisquick mix; roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 10 times. Press or roll until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with 2-inch cutter dipped in Bisquick mix. On ungreased cookie sheet, place rounds.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Husband Rating:  4
Boys say: thumbs up

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
adapted from campbellskitchen.com

1/2 of a 16 ounce package linguine

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves  (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Prepare the linguine according to the package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of the cooking time. Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.

• Cook the chicken until well browned and cooked through, stirring often.

• Stir the soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

This time I didn't feel like chopping the chicken so I cut the breasts in half and cooked/served it that way.  We had this with a Caesar salad.

On a different night I made this with bowtie pasta and it turned out like this:

Husband Rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Baked Salmon Fillets Dijon

Baked Salmon Fillets Dijon

    •    4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
    •    3 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
    •    salt and pepper to taste
    •    2/3 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
    •    1/4 cup butter, melted

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil.
    Place salmon skin-side down on foil. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the top of each fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter then mix with bread crumbs.  Top salmon with butter/bread crumb mixture.
    Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork and is no longer bright pink inside.  Serve over rice. 

Crazy for Berries Salad
inspiration from Zupas Nuts about Berries Salad

1/2  cup raspberries
1/2 blackberries
1/2 chopped strawberries
1/2 blueberries (we didn't have those on hand)
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 romaine heart, chopped
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/8-1/4 tsp cinnamon
poppy seed dressing

Combine spinach and romaine.  Toss with poppy seed dressing.  Top with berries.  In a small bag mix walnuts and cinnamon.  Add walnuts to the salad.  

I tried to make a lemon mustard sauce with this but it turned out to be the consistency of peanut butter and it wasn't very good.  Hopefully you have a better plan for a sauce up your sleeve and please pass it along to me!

Husband Rating:  2 stars (fyi-Joseph doesn't like salmon so most anything with salmon isn't going to get a high rating!  I happen to like this dinner, but then again I don't mind my food on the dry side.)
Boys say:  thumbs down to sauce but they didn't mind the rest of it

Italian Sausage Soup

Italian Sausage Soup   
from allrecipes.com submitted by SALLYJUN

1/2 pound Italian sausage
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (lightly chopped in blender first, if desired)
1 cup matchstick carrots
3/4 cup small shell pasta (gluten free, if needed)
2 small zucchinis, sliced and quartered
2 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions
    1.    In a deep pot, brown sausage with garlic and onion. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
    2.    Stir in pasta and zucchini. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
    3.    Remove from heat and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

This recipe is a winner! It's easy, healthy and tasty.


Husband Rating:  5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potatoes

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
lightly adapted from the Bisquick box

1 cup chopped chicken
1 tbsp dried onion
salt and pepper
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 package (9 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick)

    •    Heat the oven to 400°F.  Cook the chicken with onion and season with salt and pepper.  Stir the soup, vegetables and chicken in a 9-inch pie plate or 8 x 8 dish.
    •    Stir the milk, egg and baking mix in a small bowl.  Spread the batter over the chicken mixture.
    •    Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.


Traditional Mashed Potatoes

    •    6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
    •    1/2 cup warm milk
    •    1/4 cup butter
    •    3/4 teaspoon salt
    •    Dash pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy.

I like to warm the milk and butter together before putting it in with the potatoes. 

This is a comfort food dinner for me.  And with the lower fat cream of chicken soup it's much healthier than a traditional chicken pot pie.  Of course all that butter in the potatoes doesn't help my waistline, but don't the veggies in the pot pie off-set that somehow?!  And seriously, when was the last time you got your kids, or yourself for that matter, to eat that many vegetables in one meal?

Husband Rating:  3.5
Boys say:  thumbs up

Meatball Stir Fry and Rice

Meatball Stir Fry and Rice

24 frozen meatballs
1/2-1  green pepper, chopped
1/2-1 can pineapple chunks
1 cup sweet and sour sauce


Place meatballs in pan.  Heat 6-7 minutes.  Add green pepper and pineapple and sauce.  Cook another 6-7 minutes.  Serve over rice.

This sounds easy, and it was, but it wasn't very tasty.  I am writing this from memory because I misplaced the recipe I used from Mr. Yoshida's sweet and sour sauce!  We thought it needed more sauce, for sure.  It was just okay-not great.  But maybe it will spark a memory of a better recipe you have hiding in your cupboards!  This is the tough part of a blog like this-not all my dinners would be good enough to serve you!  But maybe we can help each other.  If you have a better, similar recipe please pass it along!

Husband rating:  2
Boys say:  thumbs down

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
adapted from a recipe found on allrecipes.com submitted by Elena

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, (lightly blended in blender)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped (I usually do about 1/2 onion)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 tsp minced garlic
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro


DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. 

Cover, and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high setting for 3 to 4 hours.  

Shred chicken and remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with lime wedges, guacamole and tortilla chips. This is so good on a cold winter day.

Husband Rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up (anything with chips and guacamole gets a thumbs up from them!)

Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne and Cheese Bread

Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne

1 lb penne pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 lb Italian sausage
2 cups chopped zucchini
parmesan cheese

Start pasta cooking. 
Brown sausage in a skillet. 
Add zucchini and cook until soft. 
Add cooked pasta to the skillet and mix well.  Pour pasta sauce over noodles.  Mix well and cook until heated through. 
Sprinkle with as much parmesan as desired.

Cheese Bread
from the kitchen of my sister-in-law, Elizabeth

6 slices of wheat bread
butter
garlic salt
finely shredded cheese blend
dried parsley

Place slices of bread on a cookie sheet.  Butter the bread.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.  Add cheese.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and edges of bread are darkened.

Husband Rating:  3.5
Boys say:  thumbs up

Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin and Apple Walnut Salad

Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin

Posted By Kate @ Our Best Bites

Recipe lightly adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
1/3 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 1-pound(ish) pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marmalade, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set the sauce aside.
Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the tenderloin and cook for 1-2 minutes or until a golden brown crust starts to form. Flip the tenderloin over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the entire tenderloin is golden brown. Remove from heat. Pour about 1/2 of the sauce over the pork. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the tenderloin over. Add the remaining sauce (not the reserved 2 tablespoons) and place the pan back into the oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drizzle with reserved sauce and cut into 1/2″ slices. Serve immediately with a salad or vegetables. 1 1-pound tenderloin serves 4.

Apple Walnut Salad  

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 romaine heart chopped
1 apple chopped
1/4 chopped walnuts
1/4-1/2 cup Craisins
poppy seed dressing

Combine spinach and romaine.  Add dressing (I like Brianna's Poppy seed Dressing) and toss to coat.  Add apple, walnuts and craisins.  I'd love to hear what cheese you like on this type of salad.  I usually don't add cheese, but I'm sure it could only add to the yumminess!

Husband Rating:  4
Boys say: thumbs up (one son said this was the best meat he'd ever had!)