The Older I Get, The Faster Time Goes By

Since I've written the last blog, we've had three cataract surgeries between the two of us (one more to go), an assortment of doctors appointments, had houseguests for a week, celebrated two birthdays, attended a pig show, had an MRI, and spent a week at the beach with the little grandchildren and knitted two pumpkin hats. I evidently don't move as fast as I used to, because that doesn't sound like much. But it has kept us busy.

This week we have the older two grandchildren here for the fall break. But I am determined to catch up here on the blog. Surely I've cooked something I can share. Or, maybe not. During all these weeks we have emptied out all of my cooked foods from the freezer except for two little packs of pulled pork. Just enough to makes sliders one day for lunch.

A dear friend texted me last week to ask what recipes I liked to make and freeze for later. She has knee surgery coming up and wanted to have some ready-to-eat meals tucked away. If I lived closer I would take her a couple of meals. But there are hours of interstate between us. 

So I sent her a list of things that are typically in my freezer. In fact I'm making chicken taco soup right now for supper and have my fingers crossed there will be enough to freeze after I've fed the four of us. It's hard for me to recalibrate my quantities after cooking for two for years.

Here is the list I shared with Betsy. I have frozen many more recipes than these but these are the ones that are on repeat, the ones we like best. And I am well aware that we all have different tastes and expectations. All I can do is tell you what we have enjoyed over the years and hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Chicken Taco Soup  This recipe is written for an Instant Pot, but you could certainly cook it on top of the stove. You just have to get the chicken tender enough to shred. I freeze it in quart containers and pint containers. Some of each, so I can thaw what I need depending on who I'm feeding.

3-Packet Pot Roast  Oh man, we love this slow cooker recipe for tender roast. I freeze the meat in the gravy in smaller amounts in ziplock bags because it's so fast to thaw. Faster than pint containers. Serve it with your favorite quick cooking rice. And I discovered that Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes (in the refrigerated section) taste pretty close to homemade. And it take 5 minutes in the microwave. Yes. My standards have changed as my age has changed.

Baked Rotini This one is tried and true. You can make the recipe in one large 9x13-inch dish, divide it into two square pans and we've even made three smaller pans. Freeze before baking. Thaw. And bake according to directions. I've discovered that when thawed foods come out of the refrigerator it might take slightly longer to bake because the recipe time is written as if you are assembling it and putting it straight into the oven. BONUS: If you serve this for dinner the night you make it, you can freeze any leftovers after it's baked. 

Meat Loaf This recipe goes back to my home economist days. It's one of the rare recipes that goes straight from the freezer to the oven. That means you don't have to plan ahead and thaw before baking. It also makes two one-pound loaves. Sometimes I'll cook one immediately and freeze the other one.

Sloppy Joes A kid favorite that we like, too. A young mom that was in college with my daughters said this is what she always took when a friend had a new baby and also had older kids. Take the sloppy joe meat, buns, chips, baked beans and cookies. She said she usually got a call later asking for the recipe. This is a different flavor from Manwich. Trust me

Chicken Enchiladas These are not covered in red sauce so they can be wrapped and frozen individually. Wrap each one in foil and then put them all in a big freezer bag. I think we microwaved them to thaw and heat. It's been a while since I made them. But they are delicious. 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ The doesn't taste like you made it a slow cooker. It's so good. It makes a large amount, so there will be enough for dinner and more to freeze. This is the only thing left in my freeze right at the moment. We will finish it after Daddy-O's last cataract surgery next week. 

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin (soy, mustard, maple syrup) This recipe is one of the easiest recipes I have on my blog. I made this a couple of months ago and I think I need to make it again soon. So, so easy.

Damn Good Chili I chuckle every time I see the name of this recipe. It's straight from a magazine ad for Presto pressure cookers from decades ago. I won first prize at a chili cook off at our church with it, And Jessica and Todd won first prize in a neighborhood cook off. I almost always double the recipe. Sometimes I'll even triple it. I want plenty to freeze. If you chop the peppers and onions ahead of time, it's really easy to make and let it simmer all afternoon.

Okay. Now you have my freezer favorites. It's time for me to get busy and restock our freezer. It's rare I cook something with the sole purpose of freezing it. With only two of us here, I'm more likely to make a recipe and eat part and freeze part. Make it work for your household!

Betsy, we all wish you well with your knee surgery. ❤️

A Week Of Family And Food

Summer supper—pork tenderloin, orzo spinach salad, grilled corn, sautéed apples.

What a week! We had Little Lady and her mama and daddy in residence here at the farm for a whole week. We had not seen her in far too long. Last time we saw her in person, she barely had hair, she wasn't walking, and she had maybe four teeth. Now you can see the curly hair. And she walking AND talking. (Some words that you could understand, many words that we can understand.) And has too many teeth to count. 

We caught up on things that Mimi does best. Like reading books, snuggling....

...making music, singing songs (Wheels On The Bus is a fav)...

...and spending time on the porch.

Little Lady explored the farm as she waddled over every inch of the front and back yards.

And she got her first tractor ride with Daddy-O.  

That was a big hit! 

Mimi worked a little magic on the christening gown. 

Because of the pandemic, we are having a christening a year later than we planned. 

Thankfully the gown still fit—except around the neck. 

I added ribbon so that we can tie to fit instead of using the traditional gold pins.

It's going to be quiet here this week without those little feet pattering around the house. But we are thankful for the family time we enjoyed. Family time outside around the farm and family time around the table as we shared meals and stories. Here is the menu for one of those meals:

Because my friends have said they liked having recipes for an entire menu in one post, I'm adding another set. I cooked many meals—so many meals—while they were here, but this dinner was the favorite. All recipes we have used before but this combination is worth recording. We grilled the pork tenderloin and the corn, but both of those can be done in the oven. We've done it both ways.

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There are so many good ways to cook pork tenderloin. There are several recipes here on the blog. But hands down, this is our family's favorite. For us, it's one of those never-fail recipes.

BOURBON MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

2-1/2 lb. pork tenderloins (usually one package contains 2 tenderloins and is about this weight)
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 

Pat tenderloins dry. Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a gallon ziploc plastic freezer bag or shallow dish. Add tenderloins. Seal bag or cover dish and chill 4-12 hours. Turn once or twice while they marinate. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400 to 500 degrees) for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 155 degrees, turning occasionally. Remove from heat; cover with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
 

It's also good cooked in the oven, if you don't have a grill, or if it's raining, 
Put tenderloins in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until thermometer reaches 155-160 degrees. Let rest before serving.

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We absolutely love this dish! If there is an issue with feta in your household, you can sub crumbled goat cheese like we did this time.

ORZO SPINACH SALAD

1/2  box (16-oz) orzo, cooked according to package directions
1/2 bag (5-oz) baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion (use the amount that you want)
4-oz. container crumbled feta cheese (or crumbled goat cheese)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used a few grinds of fresh pepper)

While orzo is cooking, mix the dressing--oil, vinegar, basil, pepper. Set aside.
Drain orzo thoroughly when done. Stir in chopped onion, spinach and feta. Whisk dressing again. Pour dressing over the pasta and mix to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

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The corn was perfect with this supper.  Daddy-O started it on the grill about 15 minutes before he put on the tenderloin. It all was done at the same time.

GRILLED CORN

fresh ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

Lawry's seasoning salt (or your favorite seasoning)

black pepper

Place an ear of corn on a sheet of foil. Add a couple of pats of butter, sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper. Roll it up tightly, twisting the ends so the butter doesn't leak out.

Put corn on medium grill, not directly over the heat, for 30 minutes. Close lid of grill. Turn corn in quarter-turns as it cooks. 

You can also put the wrapped corn in a preheated oven, 350º-ish, for 30 minutes. It won't have the brown color that you get from grilling but it's as delicious. Jessica says that if she also is baking another dish at 375º or 400º, she slides the corn in with it at that temp.

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I just realized I've never put the directions for sautéed apples here on the blog. It's a family favorite. It was one of those things I would make these when I needed one more things on the plate. 

All of these amounts are approximate. Just used the number of apples you have. Or the number you need to feed the crowd around your table. Make the butter and sugar match. Like I said, these are more "directions" instead of a "recipe."

SAUTEED APPLES

6 apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

ground cinnamon

a little water

Melt butter in skillet. Add sliced apples and stir to coat. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add a little water. (The apples will release some liquid as they cook.) Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are as tender as you like them. I turned them low and put the lid on this time, to cook a little slower. 

The butter and brown sugar cook down to make a nice glaze. I don't use very much of either, although you can make it as buttery and sugary as you want to. 

Goodness Gracious! This Glaze!!!

Sunday dinners used to be a thing. After church we would sit down to a table set with the good china on a tablecloth. Food was placed on the table to be passed around family style. That is how we learned to set a table and how we learned good table manners. How on earth my mother got the dinner cooked on Sundays, I am still not sure. It felt like it magically appeared after church. But it was a given...we would sit down together and eat,

Fast forward several decades and things are different. Pre-pandemic, we often would go out to eat after church. No lunch to cook. No dishes to wash. And we would always see some friends to visit with as we left the restaurant. If we did eat at home, it likely was something I had picked up at a drive-thru on the way home. (KFC, anyone?) 

Roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, & pear salad on the side.

But on Sunday of this week it felt like we time traveled back to the 1960s. The table was set. A full meal was ready. And we—just the two of us—sat down together and shared a proper meal. Daddy-O saw this recipe a couple of weeks ago and he told me he'd like for us to try it. I suggested that he cook it. And he said, "Sure. If you will make the side dishes." The deal was done. 

He found the recipe for glazed pork loin in the online version of our local newspaper. Not the pork tenderloin that we cook fairly often. But a pork loin. Make sure you buy the right cut of pork. This roast is cooked, uncovered, in the oven and basted with a tasty glaze. 

I make pork loin in the slow cooker sometimes. This excellent oven version is almost as easy. This particular pork roast came from Whole Foods (I have discovered they will deliver to my front door) instead of the big box store where I have picked up groceries for months now. I will still order pork loin from the big box store but I do think the pricier Whole Foods roast was the better piece of meat. It's nice to have options.

But y'all...this recipe is all about the glaze. It is delicious. After putting the first slices on our plates we realized we needed to spoon some glaze over the top. And the best part of this recipe might have been the leftovers. We sliced the remaining roast very thin and put the slices back in the glaze to be reheated. So. Very. Good. The last slices were made into sandwiches on toasted buns topped with a sliced of Swiss cheese that got all melty.

If you are close to my age, you remember cutting recipes out of the newspaper or a magazine. When you find a recipe online now, it's still possible to print it out (ask a grandchild how if necessary) if you like to cook from a printed copy. I do. And there are several ways to save them online, too. I like the "CopyMeThat" app. It only saves the recipe. Pretty uncomplicated. I only use it to clip recipes. Maybe it does get complicated if you try to do more, but it's easy to save recipes.

MAPLE GLAZED PORK ROAST

1 (3-lb) pork loin roast

2 teaspoons canola oil

1-1/4 cups maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375º.  Season roast well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet until just smoking. Brown roast on all sides, about 10 minutes. Do not clean skillet. 

Move roast to a 9x13-inch baking dish. (We used a baking pan lined with foil.) Cook 50 to 70 minutes, until internal temp is 145º, flipping roast over about halfway through cooking.

While roast is cooking, make the glaze. Pour any fat out of skillet. Heat to medium-high and add syrup, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper, scraping up any brown bits left in skillet into sauce. Simmer until slightly thickened and fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to use.

With 20 to 30 minutes left to cook, pour the glaze over the roast and roll the roast over in pan to coat it all. Return to oven to finish cooking. If glaze in pan begins to look dry, pour 1/4 cup hot water into pan. Check temp at 50 minutes. Continue cooking until desired doneness.

Slice and serve with glaze spooned over slices.

Serves 8. (Or two hungry people, with lots of leftovers)

 

Recipes For Safe Keeping

Smoky Beans & Sweet Potato

During our extended stay-at-home time I have expanded the list of people I follow on Instagram.  Before, it was mostly knitters I've met at assorted knitting retreats in different states, family and a few hotels where we stayed in Ireland. (It's still mostly knitters. I love keeping up with them.) Keeping the list small felt safe. And small made it easy to keep up. 

But times change. I've added Ina Garten. She is doing quarantine cooking. Joanna Gaines is new on my list. Remember the Cheese Tortellini soup I made after watching her do it? I'm now following Sir Patrick Stewart as he reads a sonnet a day. But my most recent addition is one I've really enjoyed. I've been following Jamie Oliver as he cooks at home, sometimes assisted by his children. And sometimes his children DO the cooking! We made banana ice cream this weekend just like Jamie's chilldren Buddy and Petal made it. Yum!

Jamie doesn't give recipes, he just cooks for his family. And as he cooks, he explains what he is doing. And suggests other ingredients you can use if you don't have what he does. Just watch what he does, then do something similar. We should all get more comfortable cooking basic food without needing uber-specific directions. 

I watched him make this meatless meals and it will stay on my own cooking list for a long time. So different. So delicious. So easy. Once you've sorted out the British terms. I find trying to figure out the British-ness of his cooking entertaining. 

I'm writing it down here, so I can remember what I did for another time. You can watch Jamie make this here. I had to convert the temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit. (180º C is 356º F) And I can honestly say I have never ever heard of "tomato passata." Looked that up, too. Closest thing here in the US, at least in my small town, is tomato puree. It's on the shelf next to the tomato sauce and tomato paste. But it is different from either of those. I also left out the fresh herbs because I had none. The one substitution you shouldn't make is using regular paprika instead of the smoked version. That's the basis of the flavor for this dish. FYI, the chili beans are next to the baked beans in the store.

SMOKY BEANS & SWEET POTATOES

2 or 3 small to medium sweet potatoes, well scrubbed

salt & pepper

olive oil

smoked paprika

about 1 cup chopped onion (red or white)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 (15-oz) cans mixed chili beans, with liquid (mild or spicy)

1 (10-oz) can tomato puree

small flour tortillas

sour cream

crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 350º. 

Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Season with salt & pepper. Rub with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and rub all over. Set aside.

In an oven proof skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes, until getting tender. Add garlic and stir. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle generously with smoked paprika and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in both cans of beans and tomato puree. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

Put pan of beans on the lower rack of oven. Place potatoes cut side down directly on rack above beans.  Bake for 45 minutes, until potatoes are done.

To serve, warm tortillas. Spread sour cream on each tortilla. Spoon beans and a potato over that. Add another small spoon of beans on top of potato. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.

I put a couple of potato halves and a hearty helping of beans in a single serve freezer dish. Fingers crossed this is another one that will thaw and heat well. Can't imagine that it won't but I never know until I try.

Spinach Bacon Salad

And while I'm saving recipes here for me to use later, I'll add this spinach salad I made a few weeks ago for dinner. Served it with our favorite bourbon marinated pork tenderloin and a baked sweet potato. The two of us ate every bite of the salad. Then I made it again at Jessica's while I was there a few days on Mimi duty.

And this morning I boiled eggs to make it again. Then I couldn't remember where the recipe was. I had never printed it out. Absolutely could not remember where on the internet I found it. Thankfully Jessica's memory is better than mine. She said she thought it was from NY Times Cooking. (Yes. I caved and subscribed...another quarantine plunge.) And she was right. I now have a printed copy tucked in a cookbook. But in case I forget which one, I'll put the recipe here for safe keeping.

SPINACH BACON SALAD

1 (5-oz) container fresh baby spinach (trim off long stems)

1 hard cooked egg

3 sliced bacon, cooked crisp and drained

1/3 cup canola or corn oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I didn't have any)

Roughly chop the spinach. Coarsely chop the egg. Add both to a serving bowl. Crumble or chop bacon. Heat oil and bacon in a small skillet. Heat briefly and add vinegar. Bring to a boil and pour over spinach. Add the parsley. Toss and serve immediately.

Cooking From Memory

In my new normal I've started using online ordering for groceries. We have one source for this service in our county. My older daughter has been doing this for years and likes shopping that way. When Baby Girl was even smaller it was easy to pick up groceries without having to take a toddler into the store. I have not had a particular need to do so, but now it seems to be a prudent way to get my groceries. 

Using the grocery shopping app has been simple. Finding a delivery time has been harder. Looks like everyone else in our county is using this service, too. Overall I have been happy shopping this way. I haven't always gotten everything on my list. But that's okay. I did check the box to allow substitutions. And that's okay. This is not a time to be too picky. I've had different brands than my usual choice. I've used more store brands than normal. 

In this "happy to get anything" world I was delighted to see that the pork loin roast made it into my cart last week. The item description said it was 2.5 to 3 lbs. When I unpacked the groceries the pork loin looked tiny. It was less than two pounds. Again, glad to get anything. That was still plenty for the two of us.

We cook pork tenderloin all the time. A pork loin is a different cut. I looked quickly for a recipe for a glaze or a rub before I cooked it thinking it might need a flavor boost. Again, everything now is based on ingredients on hand. Earlier in the day I read one recipe that sounded like a good one. By late afternoon I couldn't remember where I found it, so I used the parts of the recipe that stuck in my brain. It was like one of those memory tests where they show you a group of items and then later ask you to write down all you remember.

The part I remembered is worth doing again. So I'm adding the "how I did it" here on the blog for the next time I cook a pork loin.

SWEET & SAVORY PORK LOIN

There are no precise measurements here because I didn't remember what they were. You really don't need them. Trust me. Trust yourself.

pork loin roast

olive oil (or other cooking oil)

salt

freshly ground black pepper 

paprika

about 2 tablespoons brown sugar

about 2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use the jarred kind)

Pat the pork loin dry. Put pork in a pan or bowl and pour a little oil oil over the roast. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and paprika. Spoon a couple of tablespoons brown sugar and a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic onto the roast. Then rub this all over the roast. Transfer to a baking dish and cook, uncovered, according to the directions on the package. Let rest about 5 minutes before slicing.

My package said to cook at 375º for 27 to 32 minutes per pound, until internal temp reaches 145º to 155º. 

We really liked the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar that complemented the garlic. The paprika gave the cooked roast a beautiful color. The loin cut isn't quite as tender at the tenderloin and it takes a little longer to cook. But it was so easy. And now we have plenty of leftovers. I'll vacuum pack some slices and freeze them for later. There is an easy Lo Mein recipe that I want try soon. I'll add a little pork to that "meat optional" dish.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Day meal.

This was the Christmas I discovered that many of my "must do" holiday things were not particularly necessary. I probably knew that intellectually but I never wanted to skip any of it. Until the flu made that decision for me. The funniest part is that no one else seemed to notice what didn't get done. Lesson learned.

I am thankful for daughters and sons-in-law and a capable husband who all pitched in to make sure everyone was fed. I was laying low, looking at friends IG posts of their families seated around beautifully set tables and feeling like I had let my folks down a little. I was sad that my Christmas china never made it out of the cabinet. And then yesterday one daughter told me that one of the best parts of her holiday was eating the Christmas night dinner—standing rib roast and the (fewer) trimmings—on the holiday Corelle dishes, in her pajamas. Nothing fancy required. But we were all around the table. That's what mattered.

Yesterday, it was the traditional Southern New Year's Day meal of peas and collards meal that promises good fortune in the coming year. And I cooked most of it. So good to be back in the kitchen. As we feasted yesterday everyone said this was their most favorite meal. Maybe because it's the opposite of rich holiday foods. And we all wondered why we don't make this menu more often.  

Here are the links to the foods that are on our plate each year. And the recipe to an old, old recipe that hasn't been on the blog in this version. (Before you cringe at the amount of butter you should know I cut it in half from Aunt Bibby's original version.) I often have macaroni and cheese with this meal but this year I subbed "brown rice." It is easier to put together. It isn't really brown rice...the brown color comes from beef consommé. I was completely grown before I knew that real brown rice was rice that retains the bran layer. In my family brown rice was white rice baked in the oven with beef consommé. And butter. This dish still shows up on every church covered dish dinner table.

NEW YEAR'S DAY MENU:

Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Collard Greens

Black-Eyed Peas (cook a bag of frozen peas)

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Brown Rice

Pickled Beets (from a jar)

Corny Cornbread

BROWN RICE 

1 cup white rice

1/2 stick butter

2 cans Campbell's beef consommé

1 can of mushrooms, drained (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Melt butter in a 2-qt baking dish (I put the butter in the dish and slide it into the oven while it heats.) Stir in the rice, consommé and mushrooms. Cover dish (I use foil tightly wrapped over the top) and bake for 1 hour.

You may now return to your clean eating plan for the rest of the year.

What Does "Best" Mean?

NOTE TO READERS:  This post was written earlier this week right at supper time. I am posting it this morning before I leave for a travel adventure. The adventure is immediately followed by some family time. So I'm taking a little time off from the blog. Look for me back here in a few weeks. 

I may have mentioned once or twice that there are times I get tired of cooking. But NEVER EVER have we gotten tired of eating. And I think I may have agreed in our wedding vows to keep my husband fed. (Truthfully, he would NEVER complain if I announced I didn't feel like cooking. I'm just teasing.) So I am always on the lookout for quick, easy recipes. We both love pork tenderloin. And we love it marinated in bourbon soy mixture we've used for years. But there are times when I don't start the prep hours ahead of time. Like tonight.

Last week I saw a recipe online called BEST Baked Pork Tenderloin. Who am I to argue with the recipe developer? So it's in the oven right now. I had all the ingredients on hand except for oranges. There were lemons in the fridge but for whatever reason, orange juice sounded really good on this very hot evening. I needed a trip to the grocery store for a few items, so I tossed two oranges into my cart.

The fresh corn in the refrigerator needed to be cooked, too. Before I have to stop calling it "fresh" corn. Jessica fixed corn-on-the-cob while we were all at the lake over Labor Day weekend. She buttered each ear, salted and peppered it and wrapped each one in foil. So I did that, too. I put the pork in the oven for 30 minutes. The corn went in beside it at the 25 minute mark. She did hers at 350-375 for about 30 minutes. Fingers crossed that my adjustment of time and temp works out. It's nice to think it can all cook at the same tine. Another time I might roast cut up potatoes instead of corn. The goal is "cook it all at one time."

So at this very minute I am sitting down. The pork and the corn is cooking without needing any more attention from me. I have asparagus that I'll slide into the hot oven—I'll bump the temp up to 450º—when the pork comes out. The pork needs to rest before we slice it anyway.

And the very best part? The extra tenderloin will go into the freezer for one of those nights when I'm less inclined to cook that I was tonight. We have frozen cooked pork tenderloins many times. It's once of those foods that is delicious after being frozen and thawed.

So. Was this really the BEST? This recipe came from Creme de la Crumb, a website with wonderful recipes. I made it exactly like she did. The verdict—it is very, very good. But our first love is still the Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin that we've made for years. Maybe I'll call this one "Next Best Baked Pork Tenderloin." I will agree that it is the best tenderloin I've made with a rub. 

The thing with calling any recipe "best," is that they are so personal. Even in our own household we don't always agree on what's "best." Rest assured this recipe is really good. Good enough to make again. I'm happy to have this recipe as another option for pork tenderloin. And it does get bonus points for being so quick to put together. Faster than our usual marinade. Check out her website for more good recipes that come with beautiful photographs. I have marked several other of her recipes to try. 

BEST BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN—that is not marinated in our fav mix 😂

2 to 2-1/2 lb pork tenderloin (my pkg was about this weight, 2 tenderloins to a pack)
1 tablespoon oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice (or a mix of juices)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but highly recommended)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a large baking dish. (I lined the pan with foil instead.) Pierce tenderloins all over with a fork. Rub oil onto all sides of the meat.

Stir together Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using) and black pepper. Sprinkle mixture over tenderloin(s), patting it onto the surface of the meat on all sides. Place in prepared baking dish and drizzle citrus juice over the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until outside is browned and crispy and centers are cooked through to desired doneness. (National Pork Board recommends an internal temp of 145º [medium rare] to 160º [medium] with a 3 minute rest before slicing.)

Spoon juices from the dish over the meat. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Spoon any remaining juices from the pan over the slices.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

It seems like it's been forever since I posted. That might be because it kind of has been. I have been up and down highways so many times. Down the interstate to see Little Sister sing a solo in the church play. Up the highway—and up a mountain—for a knitting retreat in the neighboring state. And I leave tomorrow to head back down the highway to celebrate two birthdays.

With all the coming and going, we have mostly eaten out of the freezer And it's been good to use things up. If you are a regular here, you know that I love keeping a well-stocked freezer. But sometimes we have to remember to use up the food stash before it has lingered in the freezer too long.

Are there rules for how long to keep frozen foods? Yes. I'm linking a couple of reliable resources if you want to learn more.

Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer

Freezing and Food Safety

A huge part of how long foods can be frozen is related to how well you store those foods in the freezer. Proper packaging is so important. "Freezer burn" can ruin food and it's caused by the freezing process sucking the moisture out of the food. Freezer burn won't make you sick. But the food isn't going to taste as good.

Food should be wrapped air-tight with a freezer appropriate wrap or bag. Use the FREEZER bags, not the storage bags. Use HEAVY-DUTY foil and not regular. Two layers of regular foil do not work as well as one layer of heavy-duty. The freezer products are thicker and made to prevent that moisture loss that causes freezer burn.

Your freezer should stay at 0º. Use a thermometer to check. If you get really picky, a non-self-defrosting freezer is the better choice because self-defrosting freezer are constantly thawing and freezing. It's that cycle that keeps the frost away. I've had the old-style freezer. I'm going to stick with my current frost-free version and live with the consequences. Defrosting a freezer is not fun. Seriously, I have not had a problem. It might be that using the foods up fast enough is the solution.

So, what have we eaten up in the last few weeks?

Chicken Taco Soup
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Salsa Chicken
3-Packet Pot Roast
Stew Beef
Swiss Beef
Hot Dog Chili
Spaghetti Sauce
Baked Ziti
Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Applesauce Muffins
Cinnamon Rolls

Foods, like soups and stews and saucy recipes, are good freezer choices because that extra liquid helps prevent freezer burn. Some casseroles freeze well. We have learned which ones we like. Baked goods freeze well, but they won't keep as long as meats and casseroles. Again--freezing longer won't make you sick, but the quality won't be as good.

When we get home from this trip, it will be time for me to replenish the freezer. I don't do the big freezer cooking sessions that are so popular. (Google if you want to know more.) Since there are only two of us here, I make my regular recipes...sometimes I might double one...and divide it into meal size portions. Or, even single serve portions. Then Daddy-O can grab and thaw something when I'm away.

Now I'm headed to the kitchen to bake a birthday cake. And next week I'll start cooking again. Daddy-O will be happy.

This week's super moon shining on our barn.

All That Butter!

I could not resist sharing the text message conversation that happened yesterday with my daughter while she was cooking to take dinner to another family. And cooking a double amount so her own supper would be done, too. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Baby Girl does not start her 4-year-old preschool until after Labor Day (the big sisters have been in school for nearly a month), so she is still at home during the day to "help" her mommy in the kitchen. Remember now...she isn't quite 4-1/2 yet. Maybe she's our future nutritionist.

Baby Girl might be right. This probably shouldn't be your everyday version of mashed potatoes. But I cannot wait to try them next time I visit down there. <hint, hint, Mommy>

And she did. I got this email first thing this morning...

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

6-8 servings as a side

• 4 lbs (12 medium russet) potatoes, peeled 
• 1 1/4 cups hot milk
• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature, not melted
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste (Recipe says she uses sea salt)
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley or chives finely chopped for garnish (optional)

1. Peel potatoes (cut potatoes in half if very large). If you want the smoothest potatoes possible, remove the little knots from the potatoes with a small spoon or the tip of a potatoes peeler. Place potatoes in a large pot (5 Qt+) and cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook partially covered until easily pierced with a knife (boil 20-25 min depending on the size of your potatoes; mine took about 30 min).
2. Drain well and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer. Grab the whisk attachment and mash potatoes lightly by hand to break them up. Fit mixer with whisk attachment and start on low speed 30-seconds then increase to medium and slowly drizzle in the HOT milk.
3. With mixer on, add softened butter 1 Tbsp at a time, waiting a few seconds between each addition. Potatoes will be whipped and fluffy. Finally add 1 1/2 tsp salt, or add to taste.

Recipe Notes:  To keep mashed potatoes warm until serving: cover potatoes and place into a warm oven or transfer to a slow cooker on the low setting to keep potatoes warm until ready to serve.

Mommy’s Notes:

• I used a 5-lb bag with 12 potatoes, but one potato was lost during the water-draining process.
• I used whole milk and table salt.
• I used salted butter, but next time will use unsalted like recipe calls for, or back off adding salt at the end of recipe. (I thought they were salty, but the rest of my family didn’t seem to notice or mind.)
• I skipped the stand mixer. Once potatoes were cooked & drained, I left them in the same pot they cooked in, and mashed them up a bit with a large wire whisk. Then did rest of the mixing using hand-mixer with egg beater attachment.
• I lightly sprinkled top with a little dried parsley at end so they didn’t look so naked.
• Will definitely make again. Little Sister closed her eyes and happily moaned as she ate them while singing-to-herself “delicious!” and I think Big Sister ate 4 helpings last night alone. (And you’ve already heard Baby Girl’s commentary on them…perhaps I’ll back off the butter next time too ;) )

You'll find the recipes for Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Company Carrots and Pumpkin Bread in the recipe index here on the blog. 

Mommy said she took the pork tenderloin "oven ready"—which meant she took them the tenderloin in the marinade in a ziplock bag, in a foil pan, ready for the meat to be taken out of the marinade and put  back into the pan for baking. It's only 30-40 minutes in the oven. That way, Mommy could take the meal earlier in the day, but the family could have an easy hot meal when they wanted to eat.