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Pork Tenderloin Slow Cooker Recipe Extraordinaire

Written By: Jenn - May• 26•09

We are a pork tenderloin lovin’ family. No doubt about it! When Superstore has a sale on a dual pack every month or so, I stock up and get 7 or 8 packages. They freeze beautifully in their shrink wrapped package, and are the most tender cuts of meat EVER. We have it usually once a week, cooked 1 of 3 ways.

What makes this recipe even better is that it’s a slow cooker recipe, and takes very little prep work!

So here for your epicurean delight is:

Jenn’s Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

2 nice sized pork tenderloins (1½ – 2lbs) (a nice pork roast also works) seasoned with salt and pepper (I like sea salt)

½ CUP balsamic vinegar (or so)
3 TBSP liquid honey (or so)
3 TBSP dijon mustard (ish)

Those are the 3 basic ingredients. You may also choose to add:

½ TSP dried thyme leaf

You’ll notice I say “or so”, or “ish” in my ingredients list. This is an “idiot proof” recipe, and you can use as much or as little of these ingredients as you like. I never measure anymore. Obviously it will be sweeter if you use more honey, and if you have picky kids who aren’t keen on meat, that might be something for you to consider. If you don’t want it as sweet, use less honey/more dijon mustard.

Set your slow cooker (I use an oblong 6QT model for this) to high, pour in and mix the balsamic, honey and mustard together with a whisk, and then place your tenderloins side by side, and flip to coat both sides. Cover and leave it for about 2 hours (or flip them about half way through, although it’s not necessary).

At 2 hours, check them – this is not a recipe you want to over cook. If you leave it for over 3 hours, you’re going to have very dried out tenderloins. 2½ hours is usually ideal, but you really should take one out and do a slice test.

Remove when it achieves the perfect done-ness. Let it rest with aluminum foil over top for about 10 minutes, while you finish your sides, and then slice into medallions.

The cooking sauce makes an AWESOME au jus. No need to thicken it, just put some in a gravy boat and enjoy over the meat, as a dipping sauce, or over your veggies. YUM!

We like this with broccoli and potatoes and/or sweet potatoes.

Note: I have not attempted this on a “low” setting, but I would imagine you still wouldn’t want to cook this for more than 3-4 hours, even on low. This is not a recipe you can leave cooking all day.

Enjoy!

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Clean, clean, clean the house…

Written By: Jenn - May• 25•09

Now that I’ve firmly planted the “Row row row your boat” song in your head (you’re welcome), I need to come clean. (Pun intended).

There is nothing like a clean house, admit it. Clean and Tidy just feels good. However, when you work as many hours a day as I do, have 2 kids with 2 different sets of paraphernalia, a husband (who doesn’t take up all that much room, but he’s gotta be responsible for SOME of this chaos!) a cat, and a dog with a double coat that is constantly shedding, this doesn’t always work out real well.

“But you’re a stay at home Mom, Jenn… aren’t you?” you might say.

Well, yes and no. Yes, I’m at home with/for my kids, and definitely I’m a Mom first. But I’m also that entrepreneur I mentioned in an earlier post, and that means sitting here in this chair (thankfully it’s a comfy one) for many, many hours almost every day, or, I’m working and THEN off to scheduled meetings (scheduled around my youngest daughter’s JK routine) OR working and running errands, etc. So while I’m home, I just don’t have the time to do everything that needs to be done. Sometimes I don’t even think about dinner until someone asks what we’re having. Usually at 5pm.

My house is “clean”, meaning my bathrooms aren’t going to cause anyone to cringe, and my kitchen is almost always safe to eat in ;) However, the house itself is a constant mess, and that drives me around the bend.

I think I’ll become a flybaby again, and start over.

Once upon a time I was following FlyLady’s methods, and it really worked for me. I highly recommend you check out her website and give it a try.

What needs to happen first is decluttering

Confession: I’m a recovering pack rat.

I still have a LOT that I never use, and probably forget that I have. I have to make some rules and then get busy:

  • If I haven’t used it in a year, I don’t need it, and it can go.
  • If I don’t really like it, it’s gone.
  • If it doesn’t fit, is uncomfortable, out of style or looks awful, it goes!
  • If I have more of something than I need, and will never use, someone else can have it!

Where we live is not conducive to a garagesale (can you believe that? And ME being the Garagesale Guru!) because we don’t get enough traffic. So as I want to get rid of things that are still good, I offer them up on FreeCycle.

FreeCycle is awesome. Not only can you pick and choose who gets your items, but you can sometimes find things that you need or want without putting out a penny. Unwanted items being passed along, and NOT sent to landfill. Now THAT is Living Green. I also find great satisfaction in providing a needy family or person with something they can really use. I always choose someone who “needs” it over someone who just “wants” it. The only drawback to Freecycle is that you have to join Yahoo to opt into a Freecycle in your area. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. The best part is that the recipients of your generosity come and pick the items up, and you can leave them on your doorstep for them.

What happens next is organizing

Not my forte. Oh, I have moments where my desktop gleams and my files, disks, hardware, monitors, etc. are in the perfect spot, and my whiteboard is neat and up to date… and the next day you’d never know it was so tidy. My kitchen has more of those moments than the office, but still the island tends to get things piled up on it, the counters attract appliances that don’t get put away immediately, people leave their breakfast and lunch dishes on the counter because the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, and so on and so forth. Annoying. This must end!!

What happens last is a thorough cleaning!

Top to bottom! Scrub! Dust! Vacuum!

…tomorrow, because I’m too busy just now.

Posted in Cleaning , , | 2 Comments »

A silly “get to know you” quiz

Written By: Jenn - May• 25•09

A friend on Facebook sent this to me a while back. Thought I’d share it with you. I’d love to get your answers too!

1) Are your parents married or divorced?
Married 43 years in June and he still brings her flowers all the time.

2) Are you a vegetarian?
No way; I love meat

3) Do you believe in Heaven?
No

4) Have you ever come close to dying?
Probably… had some close calls

5) What jewelery do you wear daily?
My wedding rings and my watch

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Yes

8) Who is your hair stylist?
Omid of Studi-O (think “Zohan”)

9) Ever have any surgery? If so, what?
Nothing major, stitches mostly

10) Do you color your hair?
Yes, when the silver starts twinkling too brightly!

11) What do you wear to bed?
An old, stretched out, threadbare t-shirt

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
Yes, yes I have

13) Can you roll your tongue?
Yes

14) Electric razor or blade?
Blade

15) What kind of shoes usually?
Hiking boots in the winter, sandals or bare feet in the summer

16) Do you condone abortions?
I’m pro-choice all the way

17) What is your natural hair color (do you even remember?)
Dark brown

18) Future child’s name?
No more children for me!

19) Do you snore?
Sometimes

20) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
Australia, NZ, back to Italy, and a number of countries I haven’t been to yet

21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Only my husband after a big meal (stuffed…)

22) If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
Depends on how large the win was, but I’d have to say a BIG house would be first on my list

23) Gold or platinum/white gold?
Warm yellow gold only!

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
Either

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sushi

26) City, beach or country?
Beach or Country, depending on mood

27) What was the last thing you touched?
My keyboard. Duh

28) Where did you eat last?
With my family, at the kitchen table.

29) When’s the last time you cried?
Don’t recall… I’m probably due though

30) Do you read blogs?
Yes

31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
I can’t think of any reason I would do that… so no.

32) Ever been involved with the police?
Yes, but not because I was on the wrong side of things.

33) What’s your favorite shampoo and soap?
Currently I like Fructis shampoo, and Body Shop’s Satsuma body wash.

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
No, but I regularly have conversations with husband and daughters while they’re asleep…

35) Ocean or pool?
Ocean

38) Window seat or aisle?
Aisle

39) Ever met anyone famous?
Yes :)

40) Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
In some ways, but I’m still working on that.

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
Twirl

42) Ricki Lake or Oprah Winfrey?
Oprah – Ricki is sleazy and I dislike sleaze in all forms

43) Basketball or Football?
Blech, neither.

44) How long do your showers last?
10 minutes, but I’m trying to cut that down. I just loooooove my showers!

45) Automatic or stick shift?
Stick preferred, but driving a van makes it automatic (for now…)

46) Cake or ice cream?
Ice cream (although I have this cake making friend who is working to change that…!)

47) Are you self-conscious?
Yes!

48) Have you ever drunk so much you threw up?
Yes, but not for many, many years

49) Have you ever given money to a beggar?
Yes

50) Have you been in love?
Yes

51) Where do you wish you were?
Right now? I’m ok right here

52) Do you wear socks with your shoes?
Depends on the shoe

53) Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
No

54) Can you tango?
No, but I totally wish I could

55) Last gift you received?
My parents gave me a gorgeous 2 carat topaz pendant, purchased in St. Maarten on their last cruise

56) Last sport you played?
Chase the naked giggling child around with her clothes

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
My kids

58) Where do you live?
Southern Ontario

59) Where were you born?
Lachine, Quebec

60) Last wedding attended?
Honestly can’t remember! It’s been so long since the last one.

63) Most hated food(s)?
Most canned soup.

64) What’s your favorite food?
Sushi

65) Can you sing?
Yes

66) Last person you instant messaged?
My oldest daughter

67) Last place you went on holiday?
Fort Meyers, Florida

68) Favorite regular drink?
Iced Tea (with splenda)

69) (irrelevant question)

70) Current Song?
Unfortunately it involves TreeHouse TV and I’m not saying which song it is because you’ll laugh at me

Posted in Silly Stuff | 1 Comment »
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