Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I made this last week & it was so dang good.  Tony & I both really loved it.  The kids loved the tenderloin but scraped the glaze off.  Whatever, they don't have any taste buds anyway.  I got this out of a cookbook I checked out from the library and I have been trying to remember to blog it before returning the book.  Tonight is the first time I have really gotten a chance. 

 Lord, help me to survive the summer!  I love hanging out with the kids, doing the activities, etc.  But the fighting.  Good God.  Anyway, they are in bed & I'm not going to think about that right now.  I am going to think about this mouth-watering pork instead.  You know, the other white meat???  

This recipe calls for 1 lb. of pork. For our family, I have to make closer to 2 lbs. of pork.  I have some real carnivores around these parts.  

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

5 POINTS per serving

Ingredients

	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	1 pound(s) Pork, tenderloin, raw
	2 item(s) rosemary sprig, (I skipped this)
	1/2 cup(s) Smucker's Pineapple Preserves
	1 tbsp Kraft Prepared Horseradish

Instructions

Combine salt and pepper; rub over pork. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place one sprig of rosemary under the pork and one on top. 
Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat preserves and horseradish until preserves are melted; stir until blended. Remove top rosemary sprig. 
Brush pork with 1/4 cup pineapple sauce. Bake 10-20 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. 
Serve with the remaining sauce.

Creamy Ranch Chicken

I made this for dinner tonight.  Kade & Tony both really liked it.  I think the rest of us did too, we just weren't very hungry because we had Space Aliens for lunch.  

It was very quick & easy to make although it wasn't the lowest fat dish.  We all really like bacon though & this combined lots of things the kids love: ranch, chicken, bacon, & noodles.  I just lightened the recipe up in a couple of other areas to accommodate for the bacon grease.  Life is all about compromise, right?

Creamy Ranch Chicken

POINTS® Value: 8 Servings:  5

Ingredients

	5 oz bacon, uncooked (6 thin slices)
	1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
	2 tbsp all-purpose flour
	1 serving(s) Ranch Salad dressing and Seasoning mix, 1 oz. package, (2 Tbsp. ranch mix)
	1 1/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

2. In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. 

Serve chicken mixture with noodles.  I like the Smart Taste Rotini.  Healthy but no one knows it;-)

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Fun & Safety Day

Today, Grace & I chaperoned yet another field trip. This time, it was Fun & Safety Day with Kade's 3rd grade class. I only found out I was chaperoning it yesterday. Kade mentioned me coming yesterday morning. I told him that I hadn't volunteered, but he said his teacher said I had. When I picked him up from school I asked her, and sure enough! I had somehow volunteered myself! I do enjoy doing these things, but I know I wouldn't have volunteered to do 2 long ones like that one day after the next. Grace was exhausted after today's trip! I think what happened is that the teacher gave a reminder for those that hadn't returned permission slips for the field trip. I couldn't remember if I had (I had though) grabbed the first signature required paper I saw (in our mad dash trying to get out the door) and volunteered myself. I really need to be more careful about what I am signing! At least it was a fun field trip for Grace!

Here are some pics from our day!

Here are some pics by Kade of his friends being goof balls on the bus.

The Karate Lady taking Kade down.

Waiting

Ready to run.

Kade booking it through the timed obstacle course.

The boys having some fun hulaing.

Gracie & the her doting new friend. I think she would just like to move in with his family. During hockey season she follows the same boys older sister around EVERYWHERE. Very nice people.

Dontcha just want to pinch his cheeks!? I do. I can't believe he is going to be entering the Double Digits in 2 short months. I'm not going to think about it, or I might cry.

My group of boys that I was fortunate enough to explore with today. Same as yesterday, very good kids! This would have been such a cute picture! Dang it Kade, OPEN YOUR EYES!

Does this grin look devilish, or is it just me?

Grace loves a boy that will do what she says. Carry me. Push me. And he listens. If only she could get her own brothers to do the same.

I think the poor kids arms were about to fall off. That rug rat is heavy for me.
Until next time!

Love,

Megan

Zoo Day

Today Grace & I went along with Quinn's Kindergarten class to the zoo. It was fun & the kids were good, but I am feeling exhausted. I hope I can muster up some energy to cook dinner tonight at least. The weather wasn't the best today, but I'm not going to complain too much. I am just so happy that it didn't rain, or worse yet, snow. The wind definitely wasn't very fun to deal with during the picnic lunch though.


Here is Grace, with her cuz Bridger. This is at the 1st playground we went to. Before we got kicked out by another school who had apparently reserved that shelter. The shelter we reserved??? Windy with a stream running mere yards away from the playground. Maybe not such a great place for 5 & 6 year-olds. Especially since they were FASCINATED with the water and kept insisting they saw alligators & snakes in there. Thank God, no one did fall in the water despite the fact that several of them were hanging out right on the edge.

Quinn
You can really see that missing tooth in this one!

A, Quinn, & Grace. They were 'my' charges for the day. I think I got pretty lucky! They are all good kids!

Gracie & Quinn are both HUGE animal lovers. They couldn't get enough of the animals & feeding them. I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the zoo this summer.

Quinn milking the cow. He was giggling and saying, "this is so disgusting". He loved it.

Quinn hangin' with the bears.

Gracie & her cousin, Ashton. They were walking behind the rest of the group, arguing. Grace was insisting she *knew* all of the ducks we had just passed by name. Ashton was saying that she didn't know their names, she didn't even know them at all! She then told him, "well, they are my friends, NOT your friends". What a stinker. Despite the argument, she still found the time to dig for a little gold.

Mrs. T's boys. We were waiting for the darn girls to show up so we could take a class pic;;-)

Quinn's Kindergarten class

Jalapeno Steak Sandwiches

Oh, my these were really good. They definitely aren't the most diet friendly thing, but hey, we all need to splurge sometimes. I did calculate it though, and they were 14 WW Points per sandwich. Ouch. The Texas Toast bread was 4 points for 2 slices (and that is adready included in the previously stated 14 points), but it was perfect with these sandwiches. I look at it this way, they were WAY more filling & delicious that a fast food or restaurant sandwich would have been. Also, the marinade on these was fantastic. I think I may be using that for steak in the future because they meat was to die for, all by itself.

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Jalapeno Steak Sandwiches

Prep: 25 minutes

Marinate: 4 hours

Cook: 14 minutes


Ingredients:


6 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (don't seed)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. kosher salt or salt
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. beef flank steak
12 slices Texas toast or other thick-cut white bread, toasted*
1/2 cup purchased chipotle mayonnaise or 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1 tsp. chili powder
1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 oz. queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges


Directions:
1. For marinade, in a bowl whisk together garlic, jalapeno peppers, olive oil, lime juice, mustard, and salt.
2. Trim fat from meat. With a sharp knife score meat on both sides at 1-inch intervals in diamond pattern. Place meat in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over meat; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
3. Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned grill pan on stovetop over medium heat. Drain meat; discard marinade. Place meat in hot pan. Cook for 14 to 16 minutes or until steak is medium, turning once halfway through grilling. Carve steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
4. Meanwhile, spread one side of each toast slice with mayonnaise. Place steak, onions, cheese, and cilantro on half the toast slices. Top with remaining slices. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 6 servings.
For tabletop grill: For tabletop grill: Preheat grill according to manufacturer's directions. Place steak on grill rack. If using a covered grill, close lid. Grill until steak is desired doneness. For covered grill, allow 7 to 9 minutes. (For open grill, allow 12 to 14 minutes for medium, turning once halfway through grilling.) Thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Continue as directed in Step 4 above.


*Test Kitchen Tip: To toast bread in a grill pan or an open grill, place on grill rack and allow 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Instead of a covered grill, use a toaster.)


Nutrition Facts:
Calories 560,
Total Fat (g) 28,
Saturated Fat (g) 6,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 8,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 158,
Sodium (mg) 965,
Carbohydrate (g) 46,
Total Sugar (g) 9,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 36,
Vitamin C (DV%) 9,
Calcium (DV%) 15,
Iron (DV%) 26,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Oh, How I Love Thee, Weigh-in Wednesday

Okay, let me just say it.

I LOST 4.6 #!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't had a weigh in this good since I first started losing weight. I was pretty good with watching what I ate this we, though I did have a bit of a lapse over the weekend. I totally attribute this loss to my new fitness regimen. I totally think that VARIETY is the key. My body never know what it is going to be asked to do next and I think it is burning calories like mad. I have only been running on Fridays, and it seems like I am running much FASTER & my endurance has improved. Who ever would have though that the best thing for my running would be not running as often? Crazy.

My plan for the coming week is to keep doing what I've been. Friday I am taking my brother to Minot so I will need to workout hard either Thursday or Saturday. I know I will do it, it is getting to the point that I really look forward to my workouts.

Who knows?! Maybe I will actually reach my goal weight at some point here;-)

Thooth Fairy

Sorry about the blood! Hopefully no one is squeamish!

Quinn lost his first tooth last night (with a little help from dad). It has been loose for a couple of weeks now, so it was time that it came out. I remember Kade, whenever he would notice a loose tooth, it would be out by the end of that very day. He would do NOTHING but wiggle & tug on it until it came out. Quinn has been much more laid back about it & hasn't been wiggling it much other when his big brother would REMIND him to. Kade also offered to tie it with floss and tie the other end to both a door or a shoe that he would throw down the stairs, on several occasions. It was decided it would be better if dad just took care of it before Kade got anymore--creative--ideas.

Quinn was very excited for the tooth fairy to come. Almost as soon as the tooth came out he was rummaging around for an envelope to put his tooth in. He carefully labeled it, so the tooth fairy would make no mistake. Before he went to bed he made sure his room was nice & clean, so she wouldn't have any trouble making it to his pillow.

Junior Gardeners

This past weekend we got lots of yard work done!

Saturday we prepped the garden. We took out the 4 individual beds and make it into 1 HUGE garden bed. It is going to be a family affair to keep it weeded! Good thing everyone seems to enjoy working in the garden. Tony went over the garden with the tiller about 3 times and we added lots of Steer Manure. Lucky me' got to purchase the Steer Manure-12 bags of it- after my Saturday Yoga class. Good thing I was feeling peaceful while loading up all of those stinking, dirty bags into my NEW SUV. Ugh. The garden is looking great though! I can't wait to start planting! I am thinking that will be on the agenda this coming weekend.

Tony spent the morning on Sunday out working in the raspberry patch. Unfortunately, none of our raspberries survived the winter so we will be starting over with them this year. As soon as Lowe's opened we headed back there to get some more fertilizer for them. Hopefully they will fare better with a little extra love. We also bought lots of flowers! I bought some gorgeous red geraniums and some spike's (sorry I don't know their technical name) for my 2 pots that I like to put on my front porch. My grandma always had red geraniums on her porch, I think that is why I love them so much. The kids are SO into gardening. Especially Quinn, so we let them each pick out some flowers that they got to re pot and can care for throughout the summer. They look cute out on the back deck, too. Quinn & Kade have to wait to re pot theirs until I buy more pots. It seems a few went missing.