Wordless Wednesday

Daddy's Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tasty Tuesday

Why is it that today I have so many things that I would love to blog about but want to do a Tasty Tuesday recipe but when I need a topic I can't come up with one? Instead of just blogging on and on I guess I'll just have to make a list so I don't forget! Anyway thanks so much to Danielle at New Mommy Rant for my first award ever!

I pass this award onto Dana at Just Talk for having a fun blog that reminds me that life still exists beyond breast feeding and baby wearing!

and now for my recipe of the week.......

Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Dried Cranberries

I found this recipe a couple of years ago in a Cooking Light magazine and it was so awesome that my husband requests it on a regular basis. It is super easy and you can change the flavor just by varrying the types of beer and dried fruit that you use (don't worry all of the alcohal gets cooked off). My usual beer of choice is Yuengling but that is only because that is what you can usually find in our fridge!

Ingredients:

2 (1lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed

(I usually use boneless pork chops. They work well and cook in less time)

1 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tblsp. olive oil

3 cups (1/4 inch thinck) sliced onions - about 3 med. onions

1 cup light beer

1 cup ff, less sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup cranberries

1. Sprinkle pork with 3/4 tsp salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add pork, cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onions to pan, reduce heat, and cook 8 min. or until browned. Remove onion from pan; sprinkle with remaining salt, and set aside. Add beer to pan; cook 1 min. over high heat or until reduced to 1/3 cup.

2. Return pork and onions to pan; add broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 min. Stir in cranberries, cover and cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. remove from heat. Place pork on a cutting board, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Cut each tenderloin into 12 slices. Serve with onion mixture. Yield: 8 servings (3 pork slices and 1/4 onion mixture)

Sinfully Delicious

A couple of weeks ago I was out to dinner at a relatively new hot spot called Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ. The couple that my husband and I were out with raved about these Caramel Apples at the Chocolate Factory in the village. They love them so much that after dinner they went and purchased 6 of these tasty treats! I decided not to get one mainly because I was so stuffed from dinner but also because I couldn't imagine an apple being so good that they were not only worth bringing home but worth $7.00 a piece (oh yeah I'm cheap at times!). Of course being nearly 6 months pregnant and developing a major sweet tooth during this pregnancy the apple was all I thought about on the drive home.

It was such a great day out Friday that Madison, my mom and I took the trip to Pier Village for lunch. Once again I found myself stuffed but was wise enough to purchase a little treat for later in the day. I am happy to say it was TOTALLY WORTH IT! After about twenty minutes I decided on the Apple Pie Caramel Apple. It was absolutely huge and needed to be cut in order to eat it. It was a granny smith dipped in caramel, a white confection (don't know that is how it is listed) and then rolled in cinnamon, sugar and pie crust crumbs. Are you salivating yet. I have to admit after 1/2 the apple I had enough because it was way sweet but I hid the rest in the fridge (yep I hid it 'cause I didn't want Justin to eat it on me) and finished it off later on after dinner. If you click on the absolutely incredible picture of all the goodies at the top of the blog you will go directly to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory website. Some of their tasty treats are for sale online. Unfortunately their apples and chocolate dipped strawberries must be bought at the shop. The good news is there is a list of all their locations nationwide (I think I saw some in Canada too). If yo uhave a sweet tooth like me it will be well worth an effort to see if there is a shop near you. Enjoy!

Just Want To Read To My Kid

One of my favorite "surprise rides" to take Madison on is a trip to the library. It is nearby, we get to spend some quiet time together and it is free (provided I actually return my books on time). Lately however I feel like our library trips are becoming more and more of a hastle. There are tons of books and the library has a wonderful summer program designed for children of all ages but..... since when do libraries need to be filled with toys??? To me the library is a place you take a child for some quiet time and to help develop not only their reading skills but hopefully also a love for books. Over the past year and a half it seems like every time we go there are more and more toys to distract little ones from actually looking at a single book. It seems like the library is also becoming the new hangout for stay at home moms who would rather sip on coffee and gossip rather than read to their child(ren). Honestly while I'm on the topic of what should and shouldn't be in a library does it really need a Dunkin' Donuts inside of it?
I know that I am ranting and probably making no sense at all. It's just that every time we go to the library lately I end up getting completely flustered and find myself starting to go less and less. Our typical trip to the library starts with me loading Madison into the car and occasionally letting her in on where we are going. She is so excited and tells me she can't wait to pick out some books and how she'll be a good listener. We arrive and I slyly distract Madison so she doesn't see the huge Dunkin' Donuts right at the entrance. We then pick out a book or two for me first (so far so good) and then head to the children's section. No matter what time of day we attempt this there are always 3-4 moms sipping on some sort of coffee concoction chatting about one thing or another while their kids run around screaming and playing with a huge amount of toys that would put Toys 'R Us to shame. No books to be seen in any little hands. This is not to say that there are no other moms trying to use a library for what is meant to be used for but we are generally out numbreed. I try to get Madison interested in different books but there is no book in the world that is more interesting to a 3 year old than a bunch of kids and new toys. Within minutes she is off and playing completely ignoring me and my desire to read to her. I quickly select a few books that I know she'll enjoy at home and then try to round her up. By now she has spotted at least one donut or juice and has informed me how hungry/thirsty she is (to the point of seeming to be starved). It takes another 20 minutes or so to actually get her out of the library and back to the car many times resulting in her/I or both of us having a temper tantrum. Either way it is not a pretty sight. Once we finally get loaded into the car I'm usually completely drained and left wondering why I insist on doing this to myself. I guess my question to anyone who cares to respond is am I in the right for wanting the library to be what it once was or should I just get over it and join in with the other mommies leaving story time for home? What are your thoughts. Can;t wait to hear your comments.

Tracy

Another One Catches the Blogging Bug

Madison informed me this morning that she needed to sing her ABC's so I could put in on the 'puter. She is very proud of knowing her ABC's and will be so excited when she wakes up from her nap (over 2 hours so far not sure what I did to deserve it) and sees herself on my monitor. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

I love, love, love this recipe! If it were a little healthier I would probably make it once a week!

Blue Cheese Pasta (it makes a creamy red sauce and does not look scary at all to most picky eaters)

Ingredients

3 tbl. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped (more if you like to kick things up)
1 15 oz. can peeled tomatoes
1 15 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 tbl. basil (or more especially if you use fresh)
1 stick butter, softened
6-8 oz. gorgonzola or blue cheese ( I usually use 8 oz. of blue because we like the sauce creamier and more pungent)
1 lb. pasta (I use penne or rigatoni)

1. Saute onion & garlic in oil about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Simmer 20 minutes
3. Mix butter and cheese in bowl. Add gradually to tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile boil pasta according to directions on the box
5. Pour sauce over pasta and stir.

***If you have a family that requires some sort of meat in their dinner shrimp or chicken taste great added to this dish****