Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenderloin

Make the ordinary extraordinary.  It’s the details and the small touches that elevate the everyday to a higher status. Write a hand written note.  Tell someone that you think their blouse is a pretty color.  Give your kids fruit for dessert (on a toothpick with some mini-marshmallows or with some whipped cream).  Secretly buy a police officer lunch.  Bake a pork tenderloin and drizzle it with apricot glaze.  Come up with your own extraordinary and see how it elevates your happy.  

Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds of pork tenderloin
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons minced rosemary
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup apricot preserves
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pork with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.  Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet and brown tenderloin on all sides. Roast in oven until 150 degrees – about 15 – 20 minutes.

Combine preserves, lemon juice and pressed garlic.  Remove meat from pan, brush with jam mixture.  Let rest 10 minutes.  Slice tenderloin and serve over polenta, mashed garlic potatoes, or rice and drizzle sauce on top of meat.  

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Last night David and I went to the Tate Lecture Series at SMU and heard Waco native and Dallas resident, Shawn Achor, speak about happiness and the benefits of positive psychology.  I kept wondering if this guy felt pressure to exhibit happiness all the time because there are some days when you just don’t feel like it.  He has given a TED Talk, The Happy Secret to Better Work (which I’m sure we will make our kids watch) and written a few books and even more articles.  
Blueberry Coffee Cake

Do you know what I’m positive about?  You will like this coffee cake.  It is moist and delicious and you might feel a little guilty eating this for breakfast (note that I said “little” – I didn’t say that it should stop you from making it or eating it).  My friend, Tiffany, and her daughter brought us this treat when we moved into our house.  The door hadn’t closed behind them before we dug into the still warm cake. 

You might ask “what am going to do with a blueberry muffin mix and no can of blueberries?” – make these raspberry muffins.  Blueberry coffee cake for a few days, then raspberry muffins - that will help everyone’s happiness and create positive transformation in your house.

Ingredients:
  • 1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 box Butter recipe Duncan Hines cake mix
  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ c vegetable oil
  • 1 can blueberries, rinsed and drained

Beat and mix all ingredients, except for blueberries, with a mixer.  Fold in blueberries and mix by hand.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool in the pan before turning it over onto a plate.