FNCCC Week 29

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-).

I am also playing along with I Blame My Mother on her The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Paula Deen. I am doing her Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:


The Verdict: I really like the consistency of the breading using the self-rising flour and Crisco:-) I could have used a little bit more seasoning but otherwise, it was awesome:-)

Tackling Painting

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . Last week, we tackled painting our living room. If you want to have an intimate relationship with your house, paint the walls. We touched each wall no less than 8 times!!

1. Wash

2. Spackle

3. Sand

4. Spackle

5. Sand

6. Wash

7. Prime

8. Paint

9. Faux Finish

Here is what it looked like before:

With 11-foot ceilings, we had to rent a scaffold. It was my own personal stair-master.


And here is what it looks like now:

I love how the picture wall turned out. We decided instead of hiding the windows, we would honor tthe architecture of the house by framing them like art. We hung the pictures from the bottom frame with twine. I liked the natural fibers and how cheap it was. Hanging a family tree is a great idea because they are forever changing. This way, you save the wall you just painted from the scars of nail holes.

I also love how the faux finish came out. It is a patchwork pattern that I dragged into the glaze with a wisk broom.


I think it works really well with the boarder and the brown bottom of the wall. It was such a vast space, I needed to break it up and I thought the different colors and textures were a great solution.


And do you believe we did the whole thing for under $700? I have a cost breakdown planned for later in the week so, stay tuned for that:-) And let me know what you think! I am looking forward to some feedback:-)

Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Well, the living room is DONE!!! What a week! It was a lot of hard work and there will be pictures tomorrow but first, I have to plan out my week. Let's see, I have a spa appointment, shopping with my MiL, a doctor appointment, volunteering and then, a casnio vacation with friends!! Boy, I really, really need this vacation:-)

Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning. They have chicken on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $4.93/lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice is Paula Deen. I am making her Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Spa Day)

Tuesday: Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review) (Shopping w/ MiL)

Wednesday: Meatloaf (Doctor Appointment/Volunteering)

Thursday: Eat (Casnio Trip)

Friday: Eat Out (Casnio Trip)

Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
Salt and pepper, for seasoning chicken
Crisco shortening, for frying
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 (2 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into pieces

Directions:
1. Heat shortening in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat eggs with water in a small bowl. In a shallow bowl, season flour with pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then coat well in flour mixture. Carefully add to hot shortening, in batches if necessary, place lid on top of skillet, and fry until brown and crisp. Remember that dark meat requires a longer cooking time (about 13 to 14 minutes, compared to 8 to 10 minutes for white meat.)

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (9.4 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 662.83
Calories From Fat (53%) 350.02
% Daily Value
Total Fat 38.91g 60%
Saturated Fat 15.1g 76%
Cholesterol 212.56mg 71%
Sodium 134.53mg 6%
Potassium 468.05mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 32.22g 11%
Fiber 1.22g 5%
Sugar 0.31g
Protein 42.4g 85%

Recipe Type: Chicken, Main Course

Source
Author: Paul Deen
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/grandmother-pauls-fried-chicken-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $10.59 ($4.98 on sale)
Serving Cost: $1.76 ($0.83 on sale)

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Happy Friday Followers! I want to win some cash! Midday Escapades told me that Toothsoap.com is going to sponsor a special GRAND giveaway exclusively for Friday Followers: three $100 prizes....cash!! Check it out:

With all my giveaways and crafts and painting, I completely forgot to show you guys the cupcakes I made for my daughter's Student of the Week reign.

At my daughter's school, right around their birthday, each child gets to be Student of the Week in their classroom. As part of this wonderful celebrations, the kids fill out a book and a poster that tells all about them. They write about their hobbies, their likes, their dislikes and their favorite things. Since my daughter's favorite dinner is spaghetti, I thought it would be fun to do Hello, Cupcake!'s Spaghetti Cupcakes and here they are:

Don't they look real? She provides such great instruction, there is no way I could screw them up. The kids loved them and my daughter loved being the center of attention:-)

What is Going on in My Garden

We are still painting away but, I have done a lot in the garden before this week to keep on schedule during this busy week. So, here is a recap of what I have been up to:

3/9/10:

I sowed lettuce, peppers, marigold and basil. The lettuce is sprouting:

and so are the marigold:

3/17/10:
I had planted some peas directly into the garden on St. Patrick's Day. This was the first time I have tried this so early in our Wisconsin spring. So, wish me luck with these.

I also turned my compost and although it is very "leafy" there is some really great black gold in there!! I can't wait to get started!!

3/19/10:

I started the tomato seeds today! They tested well so, I am looking forward to a good crop this year:-)

FNCCC Week 28

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-).

I am also playing along with I Blame My Mother on her The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice are Pat and Gina Neely. I am doing their
Marinated Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:


The Verdict: This was FANTASTIC!! The Nealys know their grilling! The pork was cooked perfectly and the sweetness of the salsa pairs really, really well with the pork. This is an awesome spring dish and would be ideal for a Hawaiian themed party:-)

Tackling Easter Cookies

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . We are still painting away but I wanted to play along with Hooiser Homemade in her Blog Hop. To that end, I am contributing my Easter cookies:


Aren't they pretty? I made them for a bake sale at school and they were quite a hit! I used the same Vanilla Sugar Cookies recipe to make them that I have used before. With a little Royal Icing and sprinkles, you can have a beautiful Easter display. Here is each one up close:

Marinated Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

This week, we are painting our living room. The only other thing we have going on is a Girl Scout Father/Daughter Square Dance but that's it. It's all painting all the time:-)

So, I need really easy dinners and Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning. They have Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Chops on sale for $2.49/lb. (normally $4.99/lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice are Pat and Gina Neely. I am making their Marinated Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Painting)

Tuesday: Marinated Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review) (Painting)

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken Risotto (Painting)

Thursday: Leftovers (Painting)

Friday: Eat Out (Painting/Square Dance)

Marinated Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/4 tsp lime zest
2 limes, juiced
1 Tbs honey
1 small shallot, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped and seeds removed
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt

Pineapple Salsa:
1/2 pineapple, diced and cored, juices reserved
1 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 small jalapeno, diced
1 Tbs chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops

Directions:
1. For the marinade:

2. Blend all the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a resealable plastic bag and add the pork chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.

3. For the salsa:

4. Mix all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Set aside for 10 minutes for flavors to meld.

5. Preheat grill to medium heat.

6. Remove chops from marinade. Grill for 5 minutes per side for a medium rare and 8 minutes for medium. Remove chops from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon the salsa on top.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours and 50 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (11.9 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 4 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 519.9
Calories From Fat (55%) 286.83
% Daily Value
Total Fat 32.35g 50%
Saturated Fat 5.4g 27%
Cholesterol 61.74mg 21%
Sodium 74.94mg 3%
Potassium 736.91mg 21%
Total Carbohydrates 36.77g 12%
Fiber 3.2g 13%
Sugar 21.69g
Protein 24.53g 49%

Source
Author: The Neelys
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/marinated-pork-chop-with-pineapple-salsa-recipe/index.html

Check me out on At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-) I need to pick out a hair cut!! Help!!

How to Make a Sit Upon

Happy Friday Followers! I hope you like what you see here and come back for more every week:-)

Today, I am posting about making sit-upons with my Daisy troop. Sit-upons are an honored tradition with the Girl Scouts. Being the adventurous bunch that they are, you often find yourself with a need for something to "sit upon" (hence the name). I was able to donate $4.20 of materials for the project. A bargain craft, wouldn't you say?

Step 1: Buy vinyl/fabric-backed table clothes. You will need enough to and cut them into 14'' X 28'' squares/one for each girl. Fold them in half to make a 14 inch square.

Step 2: Tape three sides of the square with masking tape:

Step 3: Punch holes through the tape.



Step 4: Thread ribbon or yarn through the holes all the way up one side. Tie at the top and leave enough for a handle. Tie it on the other side and then thread down the second side.

Step 5: Fill with newpaper:

Step 6: Tape it closed:

Step 7: Throw a sit-upon upon on your shoulder and enjoy:-)

Sprouts

Glorious Sprouts!!

FNCCC Week 27

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-).

I am also playing along with I Blame My Mother on her The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Nigella Lawson. I am doing his Comforting Beef Casserole. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:


The Verdict: It was good but not worth all the work. If I could find a way to convert it to a slow cooker recipe, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Tackling Paint Prep

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

Next week, we are painting our living room which is a very daunting task. The ceilings are high, there are lots of cracks and holes that need to be patched and I am doing a faux-finish on the largest wall. So, we spent this weekend preparing for the job. Here is what we accomplished:

We cleaned off these shelves:

We cleaned some more to reveal that big giant wall:


We cleaned off the mantel:


We cleaned off the walls with the blinds:

Once we cleaned everything out, we had a a blank canvas and we could design. Here is the palatte that will be our living room:

I am so excited! I can't wait to post the finished room!!

Comforting Beef Casserole

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Well, it was going to be a slower week so I could plan for the big painting project I have going on next week however, it isn't. With all the illness last week, everything had to be rescheduled. Now, I have 3 doctor's appointments, 1 hair cut, 1 PTO meeting, 1 volunteer session and 1 sock hop. I will be lucky to even get to the store to buy paint.

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have Beef Chuck on sale for $2.99/lb. (normally $3.99/lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice is Nigella Lawson. I had a hard time finding something of hers that even sounded good. I am making her Comforting Beef Casserole. It isn't cheap or good for you and it takes a long time to cook but it is all I could come up with. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Sunday: Comforting Beef Casserole (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Leftovers (2 Doctor Appointments)

Wednesday: Chicken and Pasta (Doctor Appointment)

Thursday: Sweet and Sour Shrimp (Hair Cut/PTO Meeting)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering/Sock Hop)

Comforting Beef Casserole (6 servings)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin), or vegetable oil
1 lb onions, roughly chopped
3/4 lb carrots, cut on the diagonal to give slanted oval slices
1/4 cup flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Tbs dried sage leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
2 1/4 lb stewing or chuck steak, diced
1/2 large orange, zested and juiced
1 cup stout
1 cup water
2 bay leaves

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or deep casserole, and fry the onions and carrots until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the softened and oil-glossed vegetables to a bowl, and add the remaining oil to the pan. Put the flour into a large freezer bag along with salt and pepper, sage, and allspice; add the beef pieces to the bag, tossing in the flour, before searing the meat in the pan. Do this in batches, browning the meat a little and removing all of the beef to a large dish as you go.

3. When all the meat is browned and out of the pan, whisk or stir in the orange juice and stout and let it come to the boil. Add the water and then return the meat and vegetables to the pan. Stir in the orange zest and bay leaves, bring to the boil and then turn the stew down to a soft simmer. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours. This is best reheated 1 or 2 days after, but if you are serving the stew on the same day, then add another half hour to the cooking time just to make sure the meat is soft, mellow and tender.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (14 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 670.78
Calories From Fat (68%) 452.98
% Daily Value
Total Fat 50.38g 78%
Saturated Fat 18.81g 94%
Cholesterol 119.07mg 40%
Sodium 141.37mg 6%
Potassium 803.57mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 18.69g 6%
Fiber 2.94g 12%
Sugar 5.82g
Protein 32.11g 64%

Recipe Type: Beef, Main Course

Source
Author: Nigella Lawson
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/comforting-beef-casserole-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $12.07 ($9.07 on sale)
Serving Cost: $2.07 ( $1.51 on sale)

Also, check me out at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Friday Foto Fun with Breathing

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun and Friday Followers.

Some of you may have noticed that my blogging "service" has been spotty at best the last couple weeks. My apologies but I have been terribly ill and breathing has been a novelty at best.

Apparently, my bronchitis has exacerbated by asthma and the result has not been conducive to blogging. It's hard to write when you are fighting for basic air. And, the lack of oxygen does not promote energy to do anything other than basic life skills.

The answer: antibiotics and steroids. I can breathe now. I just hope I don't end up looking like this:

Welcome Back Babies!!!

FNCCC Week 26

So, I am going with the better late than never theory today:-) Darn bronchitis:-(

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-).

I am also playing along with I Blame My Mother on her The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Michael Symon. I am doing his Chicken Pinwheels. I posted the recipe on Monday and here is what it looked like:



The Verdict: The flavors were unique but probably nothing I would rush to make again. I did really like the method though. So, with different fillings, it would be perfect for company:-)

Tackling Another Winner

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . Today, I am tackling another winner for my CSN giveaway. So, without further adieu:

The winner of the Cake Profile Bowl is....

makeetis

Congratulations and enjoy your beautiful bowl!

Thanks to everyone who played! That was fun!!!

Chicken Pinwheels

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

So normal nuts again. I have two doctor's appointments, a Girl Scout Service Area meeting, a hair cut and I am volunteering twice this week. So, not bad.

It's a good thing Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning. They have chicken on sale for $4.88/3 lb. (normally $14.79/3 lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice is Michael Simon. I am making his Chicken Pinwheels. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Chicken Pinwheels (Girl Scout Service Area Meeting) (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Shrimp (Doctor's Appointment)

Thursday: Leftovers (Hair Cut/Volunteering/Doctor Appointment)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering)

Chicken Pinwheels
Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 oz sliced ham
2 oz smoked bacon
1 eggs beaten
3/4 diced pickles (dill, sweet, or sours, your preference)
2 Tbs butter
2 1/4 tsp flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 Tbs chopped tarragon

1. Place chicken in between plastic wrap and pound out until 1/4-inch thick. Place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of bacon onto each breast of chicken. Lightly scramble the eggs and let cool. Divide eggs evenly over chicken and spread out. Top with diced pickles and roll into pinwheels. Once chicken is rolled, tie with string to secure. Heat the butter in a saute pan and brown chicken rolls. Remove chicken rolls from the pan and set aside. Add flour to the same saute pan, and cook until light brown. Add the chicken stock, making sure to stir out any lumps. Return chicken to pan and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped tarragon. Slice each breast into 4 pieces and serve with 2 tablespoons of sauce.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (7.2 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 315.66
Calories From Fat (51%) 159.61
% Daily Value
Total Fat 17.84g 27%
Saturated Fat 7.53g 38%
Cholesterol 155.33mg 52%
Sodium 562.24mg 23%
Potassium 444.48mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 1.99g <1%
Fiber 0.15g <1%
Sugar 0.3g
Protein 34.67g 69%

Recipe Type: Chicken, Main Course
Source Author: Michael Symon
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-symon/chicken-pinwheels-recipe/index.html

Menu Cost: $11.58 ($ 5.25 on sale)
Serving Cost: $2.90 ($1.31 on sale)

Also, check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)

Friday Foto Fun with a Cake Bowl

It's time for Carrie's Friday Foto Fun and Friday Followers and...

...another giveaway! I thought to myself, "What is a giveaway?" It's a gift. And "What is a gift?" Something that would be really cool to have but you wouldn't necessarily buy yourself.

So, when CSN has graciously offered my readers a giveway, I chose Cake. Perfect? Yes, but not what you think.

Check out this really cool Profile Bowl by a company called Cake:

Nice, right? It's sleak. It's modern and check out the feminine forms on the bottom!! Definitely a conversation starter!

And it can be yours! It's so easy to win. You just have to do one or all of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post (get's you 1 entry).

2. Follow Susie's Homemade Blog (current followers and new followers gets 2 entries).

3. Friend me on Facebook (current friends and new friends gets 2 entries).

4. Follow my Tweets (current followers and new followers gets 2 entries).

5. Join my brand NEW Community (current members and new members get 3 entries).

6. Tweet about my giveaway gets you 4 entries.

7. Blog about my giveaway gets you 5 entries.

Good luck to all! You have until Monday at midnight. I will tackle the winner on Tackle it Tuesday:-)

FNCCC Week 25

My Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom is going to be more like Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus:-).

I am also playing along with I Blame My Mother on her The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week the chef of choice is Michael Chiarello. I am doing his Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin. I posted the recipe on Monday and unfortunately, my computer crashed along with the picture I took of it:-( But, here is the verdict:

The Verdict: It was very, very, very salty. My blood pressure went up a couple points with the first taste. And, the applesauce didn't turn out at all! Not good:-(

Tackling a Winner

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . Today, I am tackling a winner for my giveaway. So, without further adieu:

The winner of the Red Gold Tomato package is....

cristiniscouponcrazy

She applied so many times and in so many ways, it was almost impossible for her not to win!! Congratulations and enjoy your tomatoes!

Thanks to everyone who played! That was fun. So much fun that I think I will do it again! Come back on Friday. CSN is giving me some great service ware to handout to a lucky reader!! (I wish I could get/giveaway their home bars but, a girls can dream, can't she?)

Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Well, this week is a little slower. I have two doctor's appointments, a Daisy meeting, a PTO meeting and I am only volunteering once this week. So, not bad.

It's a good thing Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning. They have boneless pork loin on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $5.49/lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice is Michael Chiarello. I am making his Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Sunday: Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Monday: Pot Roast (Cleaning Day/Doctor's Appointment)

Tuesday: Leftovers (Daisy Meeting)

Wednesday: Spaghetti (Doctor's Appointment)

Thursday: Chicken and Pasta (PTO Meeting)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering)

Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
6 lemons
1 1/2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
6 apples, Gravenstein or McIntosh
2 Tbs sweet butter
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/3 cup honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Finely zest the lemons.

3. Using a mortar and pestle, work the salt and lemon zest together. Add a few turns of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to blend. Rub the lemon salt mixture all over the pork.

4. In a large saute pan heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until hot but not smoking, add tenderloins to pan and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes total. (If you have a small pan, sear 1 tenderloin at a time.) Move pan with pork to the oven and cook until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees F, about 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Remove pork from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes. Slice the tenderloins against the grain on a diagonal bias, fan out on a plate, and serve with Honey Roasted Applesauce.

6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

7. Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler, remove the core and cut into 1-inch chunks.

8. Heat a medium saute pan on medium-high heat with the butter in it. When the butter begins to brown add the lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the apples and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges just begin to color. Add the honey and put in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the apples are soft and lightly caramelized.

9. Mash with a fork for a chunky version, or put in food processor for a smoother sauce. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (18.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 2 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 438.03
Calories From Fat (23%) 99.54
% Daily Value
Total Fat 11.42g 18%
Saturated Fat 3.12g 16%
Cholesterol 98.92mg 33%
Sodium 1826.58mg 76%
Potassium 985.92mg 28%
Total Carbohydrates 61.57g 21%
Fiber 10.87g 43%
Sugar 39.52g
Protein 33.86g 68%

Recipe Type: Main Course, Pork

Tips
Cook's Notes: Most applesauce recipes call for cooking the apples on the stovetop from start to finish. I prefer to start them on the stovetop and then finish them in a hot oven. The oven heat concentrates their flavors by drying and caramelizing them slightly. Although I have suggested a couple of apple varieties, you can use what good cooking apples are available in your area.

Source
Author: Michael Chiarello
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/lemon-salt-marinated-pork-tenderloin-recipe/index.html

Menu Cost: $17.93 ($10.93 on sale)
Serving Cost: $2.99 ($1.82 on sale)

Also, check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)