There are so many great ways to cook pork tenderloin!  It’s great in the crockpot, good on the grill, perfect for stir fry and pasta, and excellent with a spice rub.  This spice rub is the most recent way I served pork tenderloin, and it was delicious!  The key is to sear the meat in a hot skillet first, then bake the pork until cooked through in the oven.  You can chop up the leftovers to be used in BBQ sandwiches, enchiladas, or freeze for later.

Spice Encrusted Pork

Recipe By Paula Deen
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
• 1.5 lb pork tenderloins
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Preheat Oven to 400.  In a small bowl combine seasonings. Rub the mixture evenly over the pork.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tb olive oil over med-high heat. Cook 1 loin for 2-3 min per side or until evenly browned. Repeat With remaining tenderloins.  Place into baking dish and bake for 20 min or until a thermometer reaches 155. Slice to serve.

I had grand plans this summer to do some really cool stuff with The Littlest Apple.  A new theme every week: knights, pirates, outer space, etc.  But then I just never had quite the energy I needed to get everything set up and planned out.

As a result, we’ve had a relatively low key unplanned summer so far.

One thing we HAVE done are some little hands on science experiments like this one.  In fact, we’ve done this one quite a few times over the last couple of weeks.  The Littlest Apple LOVES it, and I love it too because it’s quick to throw together and easy to clean up.

I put a small dollop of food coloring gel in the bottom of each glass, then put a couple tablespoons of baking soda in each glass, covering the food coloring completely.  Then I filled up another glass with vinegar, and let The Littlest Apple use a turkey baster to transfer the vinegar to the cups of baking soda.  This is what it looks like before he gets started….

He LOVED the fizzy reaction, and the cool “surprise” colors that appeared in each cup as he added the vinegar to the baking soda with the turkey baster.  This kept him busy for quite a while.

And here are some more photos of the same activity on a different day, taken with my husband’s iPhone….

He REALLY loves to make the cups overflow….(that’s why I would highly advise a tray underneath if you try this)

Does anyone have any book recommendations for simple science projects for kids?  Or any favorite science experiments you’d like the share?

I have received so many emails, phone calls, FB messages and real life questions about why I haven’t been blogging.  I was quite overwhelmed by your concern, actually.  Thank you for your thoughts!  I realize I kind of dropped off the face of the earth there for a while…..

The reason for my unexpected absence is that I’m unexpectedly PREGNANT.  Well, it’s not totally unexpected, but certainly against all odds.  (If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know what I mean, if not…check out my last post on this topic: Maybe One?)

I am excited to report that I’m 10 weeks along, due in late January!

I realized I was pregnant while we were on vacation in Kauai (there was really no mistaking those symptoms!).  I stayed in denial about it for about a week (okay, maybe I’m still a bit in denial).

When we went in for our viability ultrasound at 7 weeks, we braced ourselves for the worst (namely, another ectopic pregnancy) as I was having some intense pain on my right side.  I was honestly preparing myself to be sent straight to the hospital for surgery.  I was that convinced things were all wrong.  Needless to say we were floored to see a strong and healthy heartbeat and to be measuring right on track!  The pain?  That was a cyst.  Ouch.

I went back to the doctor again today, once again trying NOT to be concerned about some severe cramping I had over the weekend.  Once again, I was surprised and happy to see a perfectly healthy heartbeat and a tiny Baby Apple that was quite active.  I’m still measuring right on track, and all seems to be well, so I thought it was time to share my happy news with you!

The nausea and exhaustion have been particularly awful this time around (worse than ever before), but I’ve been taking comfort in those symptoms.  However, since I can’t keep my eyes open past 8:30 and I’ve been napping when The Littlest Apple naps, my blogging came to a screeching halt.  It hasn’t helped that The Littlest Apple is at home for the summer, bouncing off of the walls (and me).  That being said, I’ve been really missing my blog, and I’m hoping to get back on track!  I hope you’ll stick around and thanks again for all of your kind emails!

This is another one of those recipes that I thought I blogged about a year or two ago.  I stumbled upon the idea of Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas when I was looking for an enchilada recipe to use up some leftover roast chicken.  I’ve had enchiladas with red sauce and enchiladas with green sauce, but never any enchiladas that were slightly sweet, as the name of these implies.  I’ve seen this recipe in various forms on food blogs, but my favorite version comes from The Sisters Cafe.  I followed their basic recipe, but substituted corn tortillas for flour since I always hate how mushy flour tortillas wind up getting in enchilada and casserole dishes.    I love this slightly different twist on enchiladas!  You can use chicken or pork (and leftover Cafe Rio Pork,  Cuban Pork or Slow Cooker Pork Tacos would ALL be great in this).  These enchiladas freeze really well, too!  Serve with Mexican Rice, refried beans, and a salad, and you’ve got a company-worthy dinner!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork, cooked and shredded
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cans green enchilada sauce (use mild or medium, your preference!)
• 1 pound (16 ounces) cheddar jack cheese (or use pepper jack for an extra kick!)
• corn tortillas

To Make Sauce: Mix together honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Add to pork or chicken and let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

If you are reading this post via RSS feed, then you may not have even noticed this.  But if you visit my blog to read/comment, then you may have noticed that the Cleaning Calendar in the right sidebar is from APRIL!!

And it’s May 25.

That gives you a pretty good idea of where I stand on my One Little Word for 2011.

I’m behind.

I’ve fallen off the house cleaning wagon.

This happens with lots of long term goals, doesn’t it?  You start out strong.  Things go well for a few months.  Then things get busy, life gets in the way, and next thing you know, that goal has fallen off of your daily radar.

Well I’m taking action!

I’ll be getting back on track starting this weekend, so keep an eye out for a new JUNE Cleaning Calendar popping up sometime in the next few days.

Since The Littlest Apple is out of school for summer and we’re still adjusting to our new summer routines, my cleaning calendar may be changing a bit.  But I’ll still have my Dailies, Weeklies, and Zone Cleaning to work with.  I’m excited to dive back in and start checking off that little list again!

School is out for The Littlest Apple, and it’s already HOT HOT HOT!  I have a feeling we’ll be spending lots of time at the pool this summer (something we didn’t do much of last year because of the NG tube).  We have absolutely no scheduled activities for this summer, and I’m excited about a slower pace after the craziness of April and May.  (Remind me I said that in late July, okay?)

I’m desperately trying to get caught up on blog posts.  I’ve got 756 unread posts stacked up in Google Reader, and I’m stubbornly refusing to mark all as read.  Here are some posts that I HAVE read that caught my eye….

The Nitty Gritty on the Real Food I Buy and Where I Buy It, Part 1 and Part 2 @ Keeper of the Home (so intrigued by this series since I’m trying to do more of my shopping through farmer’s markets and co-ops)

Risotto Primavera @ The Pioneer Woman

Father’s Day Wreath @ Goodhousekeeping via Be Different Act Normal

Sponge Water Bombs @ Positively Splendid

DIY Chandelier @ 6th Street Design School

Mango Quinoa Salad @ Our Best Bites

Does Your Child Need a Feeding Therapist? (Part 1) @ What’s Cooking With Kids

What are you up to this weekend?  When are your kids done with school?

Since we love to eat various kinds of homemade pizzas for dinner and we also love to eat breakfast for dinner, I decided to combine the two and make a Breakfast Pizza.  It turns out that I’m not the only person who has ever had such a genius idea, and I found many a recipe to choose from.  I’m getting more and more comfortable with reading a few recipes and then just doing my own thing once I get the general idea, and that’s exactly what I did here.

Although it was delicious and hearty, our pizza was a little too meaty with not quite enough hash browns.  I’d also like to emphasize how important it is to create a TALL ridge of crust around the edge to keep the egg from running out.  I thought mine was tall enough, but then made a HUGE mess of my oven as the egg ran everywhere!  I’ll probably throw in some peppers or salsa next time for extra spice.

Breakfast Pizza

recipe by me

Ingredients:

• pizza dough (make your own or buy frozen dough)
• 8 oz breakfast sausage
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2-3 cups of frozen hash browns
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• salt and pepper
• 1 jalapeno diced (optional)
• 1/2 cup salsa (optional)

Cook breakfast sausage until completely brown and crumbled.  Drain on paper towels, and set aside.  Cook hash browns until crispy.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Roll out pizza dough on pizza stone or cookie sheet.  Be sure to make the crust tall around the outside to help keep the egg from running out.

Sprinkle the ground beef and bacon over the pizza dough.  Then top with the hash browns.  Sprinkle jalapeno and/or salsa, if using.

In a small bowl, mix eggs with milk and salt and pepper until combined.  Then pour evenly over the sausage and hash browns.  Top with cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes or until crust has browned and eggs are set.  (And to be on the safe side, place foil underneath to catch any egg overflow.)

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

This recipe is easily in my Top 3 Potato Recipes of all time (the others being Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes).  Twice Baked Potatoes are really nothing new, but I do love The Pioneer Woman’s technique for making this simple dish.  The potato skins get nice and crispy, and the filling is extra creamy thanks to a splash of milk.  I always make extra so that we have plenty for leftovers.  Potatoes don’t always freeze well, but I’ve had no trouble freezing this recipe (if there are ever any left to freeze!).  Just make sure to leave the green onions out if you plan to freeze.

Twice Bake Potatoes

recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 8 baking potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sticks of butter, cut into pats
• 1 cup of crumbled bacon
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups grated cheddar/jack cheese, divided
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2/3 of a green onion (omit if planning to freeze!)

Wash the potatoes.  Then use a paper towel to rub the olive oil all over the potatoes.  Place the baking potatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour, 15 minutes, making sure they’re sufficiently cooked through.

Place the pats of butter in a mixing bowl.  Combine with crumbled bacon and sour cream.

Holding each potato in a dish towel (they’re HOT!), slice each potato in half lengthwise.  Then scoop the insides of each potato, adding to the mixing bowl.  Be careful not to tear the shell.

Lay the hollowed potato shells on a cookie sheet.

Use a potato masher to smash the potatoes in with the other ingredients.  Mix in Lawry’s, 1 cup of the cheese, milk and black pepper.  Mix well.  Stir in green onion (if using).

Fill the empty shells with the filling and top with cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until the filling is warmed through.

The other gift my mom and MIL received for Mother’s Day were these Rice Heat Therapy Packs.

They are simple, handsewn fabric bags filled with rice and essential oils.  I used a combination of Peppermint and Eucalyptus essential oils for sinus congestion, colds, and achy muscles.  I made the packs long enough so that they will stay on your neck, but they also work well over your eyes for headaches.  You can stick them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (and the packs stay hot for a long time!) or stick it in the freezer if you prefer cold relief.

I don’t have a step by step tutorial, but I DO have a few words of warning about the essential oils.  Peppermint and eucalyptus are NOT the best choices for putting on your face, and I got carried away with the first batch of rice I made.  I used WAY too much essential oil!  You could smell it from across the house, and when I tried to “test” it out on my own sinus headache, my eyes were watering from the fumes.  My point is this: take it easy with the essential oils.  Start with a drop or two and add more later.  I wound up “borrowing” rice from old sensory bins to tone down the oils.

You all know that I don’t sew much and don’t own a sewing machine, but here’s what I did: I took one piece of fabric that was double the width I wanted and sewed together, creating an inside out “sleeve.”  Then I sewed one of the open ends shut, turned the fabric right side out and filled with rice.  Then I tucked in the other end and stitched it closed.  I’m sure there’s a way to do this so that both ends “matched”  (this is probably a no-brainer for anyone who has made a pillow), but my skills aren’t quite there yet.  I was just trying to get my stitches close enough together so the rice wouldn’t come out!!

I made one of these for myself, too and I’ve already used it several times this week.  I love mine, and I hope my mom and MIL enjoy theirs too!  This would make a great teacher/neighbor/friend gift too.  (I wish I’d had time to sew some for all of the The Littlest Apple’s teachers this year.)  Given how much extra scented rice I have leftover, we’ll be using this gift idea again in the future!

This is one of my favorite salads!  The recipe reads as a laundry list of my favorite ingredients: rosemary (LOVE the rosemary vinaigrette!), toasted pecans, goat cheese and spinach.  I usually only prepare this about once a year because The Picky Apple doesn’t like it, but maybe I’ll start prepping a big batch of it with some grilled chicken for my lunches during the week.  Delicious!  (As you can see, I got a little carried away with the goat cheese….love it!)

Spinach and Pear Salad With Rosemary Vinaigrette

adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach leaves (This time I substituted romaine lettuce from my produce box, but I prefer to use spinach)
• 4 teaspoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 2 ripe pears, unpeeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Process first 5 ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into small bowl. Mix in herbs. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss spinach and pecans in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide among 4 plates. Top with sliced pears and sprinkle with cheese.