Honey Mustard Pork Loin and Potatoes

A couple of weeks back I posted a recipe for Marvelous Magnificent Honey Mustard Sauce.  Wasn't it yummy.  Have you dipped chicken tenders in it yet?  Handy hubby and I have.  I have even dipped Home Fries in it.  I posted a picture of the Glazed pork loin in the post.  I thought I better share that recipe with you, if for no other reason than it was tongue tickling yumminess.  And even better it is simple to make.  I buy my pork loin on sale.  Handy hubby and I then cut them down to smaller pork loin roast and pork chops.  Works out great for our budget.  I typically can get 20+ pork chops and a roast for $9 that way.

Glazed Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Potatoes. 

Getting about a teaspoon of EVOO warming in a skillet.  I used cast iron so it could go from the stove to the oven in the same pan, less dishes.  Then I minced 3 cloves of garlic and a medium yellow onion and tossed them into the skillet with the oil on a low to medium heat and let them do their thing while I am getting the pork loin ready.

I had some of my Marvelous Magnificent Honey mustard sauce ready to go in a cute little vintage Pyrex bowl.  I love the pouring handles on these.

I brushed a little bit of the Honey mustard on all the sides of the pork loin.  

I added the Pork loin into the skillet with the onions and garlic.  See how they have started getting some beautiful brown color.  Yum.  I turn the heat up to med high and seered the pork on the top and bottom. That brown coloring adds some good flavor, and some say it locks in the flavor and moisture.  

When it is all seered I pour the  rest of the honey mustard over the top and tossed the entire pan in the oven at 325 for 45 minutes or until the internal temp of the pork is 160.  Then I  served over roasted potatoes.  Made a yummy Sunday lunch.

Healthier Home fries

I don't know about you but I love potatoes in any shape or form, but my favorite is home fries.  If you don't know the term these are french fries made at home or some home cooking places.  They are typically chunky in form and seasoned.  We love home fries at our house.  Well, I don't know about you but I wanted a healthier less guilty way to make these. I figured this out.  They aren't fully healthy but they are better than frying them.  And you can use the same technique for store bought fries and tater tots too (you know the frozen ones).  This is a simple method to have your fries.

First I wash 4 large russet potatoes, then I cut them in 1/2  then in quarters.  After this I cut them into chunks.  I also finely chopped a medium yellow onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

The potatoes cut into chunks, you could cut them into more of a fry shape if you want.  But today I am making them to go with a glazed pork loin so the chunky looked was better.

1 tbsp EVOO in a large mixing bowl.  EVOO is good for cholesterol and this is all the oil we are using.  This is why I say it is healthier plus we are added onion and garlic which are vegetables.

For today's use I added Magnificent Marvelous Honey Mustard Sauce, but if you are making start home fries for  steaks burgers or any other fry use you can add a tsp salt and 1 1/2 pepper, and a dash of chili powder to the oil.  And mix it all together.

Add the chunked up potatoes.

Add the onions and garlic

Stir until it is all coated. 

Spread on a baking sheet in a singlish layer.  Bake at 400 for about an hour. 

 

Here is this batches use with Honey Mustard glazed pork loin.

  You can use the same technique for herbed potatoes, or any mix of seasonings or sauces.  Have fun and experiment with them.

Magnificent Marvelous Honey Mustard Sauce

Who doesn't love honey mustard sauce?  I know we do at our house.  Who doesn't need a sauce that is versatile and can be used for a dipping sauce or a glaze for meats or vegetables.  It is just totally yummy.   It can be adjusted to your taste, but here is the basics.

I had mixed the mustards and honey together.   I have added the cayenne (to taste) and smoked paprika (you can use regular paprika but I like the smoky flavor)

All stirred together, as is it is a great dipping sauce for chicken tenders/nuggets or you can use it as a glaze for meats or for vegetables.  

This is a pork loin and potatoes that have been glazed in my magnificent marvelous honey mustard sauce.  Made a great Sunday dinner with the family.

Magnificent Marvelous Honey Mustard Sauce

• 1/2 c Brown spicy mustard
• 1/4 c yellow mustard
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Mixed together and taste.  Adjust to your liking.  Enjoy

Yummy Peach Betty.

Every once and a while we all need a dessert.  This is a yummy dessert that you can feel less guilty for eating.  I mean we do need fruit and oats in our diet.  How about a beautiful peach betty with oats in the crust.  Well, that is the perfect thing on a cold winter day.  Right?!? My answer is yes.  And once you master the crust you can make betty out of any fruit pie filling so you can customize it to what's in season, what's on sale, what you like, or what some body else likes.   Oats are healthy, they are good for cholesterol and more.  This could also be made gluten free  or vegan easily.

This is  a quart of  Peach pie filling I canned last summer.  But you could use 2 cans of pie filling, or a couple of cans of just canned fruit.  You can also use fresh fruit. 

Add the oats to the dry mix and stir.

Added the flour and sugars in a medium mixing bowl.  You can
put 1/2 c of oats in the blender or food processor and turn it into
Oat flour instead of regular flour, or you can use any flour you like.

Use a dough blender or whatever you have to cutter the butter (or what ever solid fat you would like) and continue working it until it is mixed and looks like crumbs.  This will take a little bit of time, but worth it.

Then pile it on tome of the fruit filling and  place in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour or until the crust is golden brown and some of the filling is bubbling up.  For  some  pans like this one where the betty reaches the top of the pan, I pan it on top of a cookie sheet to make cleaning easier because it is likely to bubble over a little bit.  And I hate cleaning the oven,


For a  real treat  on warmer days, you can eat with vanilla ice cream on top. That is Handy Hubby's favorite way to eat it.  Especially if it is peach, strawberry, or blackberry betty.


Betty Crust Recipe

• 1/2 c flour 
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c oatmeal
• 1/2 c or 1 stick of butter
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1tsp nutmeg
• pinch of salt (1/4 or less tsp)

 For filling 

2 cans of pie filling or any other fruit in other forms.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.  Until golden brown and bubbly.

It doesn't have to look good as long as it taste good.

John (aka Handy Hubby) doesn't always have a sweet tooth, but every once and a while, he gets a craving for something.  This time it is a strawberry tart.  Well I am not good at tarts and I don't own a tart pan. So I decided on a compromise, strawberry pie, at least I hope it is a good compromise.  So I set out gathering the stuff to make it. I used the Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust recipe.  I followed the directions and made the crust. And while the crust was chilling, I started on the filling.

I really suck at pie crust. So I gave up on rolling it out and just pressed it into the pie plate with my fingers.

I started by putting frozen strawberries in a bowl (could be any berry or fruit) and sprinkled with a tbsp of cornstarch.

I finished off the edges with a fork,  okay so I wanted it to look somewhat nice.

I placed the strawberries, poured the simple syrup mixture over the top, and sprinkled with a little flour.

Added crumbles of leftover crust on top of the fruit and into the oven.

Baked and ready to eat , Yummy!!!!

Strawberry Pie.

• 1/2 lb (give or take) strawberries
• 2 tbsp cornstarch,
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 cup water
• Pie crust recipe

On the stove in a medium sauce pan combine the sugar, water, and 1 tbsp of cornstarch and bring to a boil.  In a mixing bowl toss the strawberries in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Prepare your pie crust, whether your roll it out or press it into the pan (  you can use ready made crust too)  Place the strawberries in the crust.  Then pour the sugar and water mixture over the top.  Sprinkle with a little flour on top.  Add crumbled up left over crust and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Oklahoma Mud Brownies

With fall coming on and the leaves changing, I have been in a baking mood lately.  I thought I would share one of my family's favorites. Oklahoma Mud Brownies.   I made these with the inspiration of Mississippi Mud Pie.  Great compliment to our dinner tonight of Smothered Pork chops and smashed potatoes with green beans and mushrooms.

Gather all your ingredients and tools together.

Mix your dry ingredients together .

Add all  your wet ingredients.

All the ingredients mixed up and yummy looking.  I am starting to gather teenage boys wanting to lick the bowl.

Spread 1/2 of the brownie batter in the greased pan.

Sprinkle 1/2 the chocolate chips on the batter.

Spread all the marshmallows. They will melt and become all creamy.

Spread the rest of the batter over the top.

He finally got to lick the spoon and bowl.

Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips over the top and bake.

Deliciousness and yumminess all warm and gooey and definitely good.  I have some happy campers tonight.

Brownie mix

1 Cup Sugar,

1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour,

1/3 Cup Cocoa,

1/4 tsp Salt,

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
Put mix in plastic zip-lock bags or mason jars.


Oklahoma Mud Brownies


2 brownie mixes mixed according to the directions (I used my own but you can use boxed)
½ cup of mini marshmallows
½ cup of chocolate chips (semi sweet or whatever you have)
Butter to grease the pan


Spread ½ the batter in the pan, sprinkle ¼ c of the chocolate chips then all the marshmallows, and spread the other half of the batter over the top. Then sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top.




Bake following the directions on the box or recipe.

At Baking Time Add:

2 Eggs,

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil,

1 teaspoon Vanilla

New meets old, recipes, memories, and windmills.

This past week my grandmother went home to heaven.  While it is sad for us and we will miss her, she lived a long life and deserves to rest and see other family including her husband that have passed on.  We went down to the funeral over the weekend.  I hated the reason for the visit but loved being there.  My grandmother was laid to rest in an tiny old cemetery in a tiny dying town in Texas, but the area feels like home.  We took the dirt roads back to town.  On one of the dirt roads not far from where my grand parents used to live, I pulled over and took this picture.  It struck me the new and the old windmills.  It struck me how many wind farms the ranchers in the area had gone too.  But with the recent droughts in Texas I can certainly understand the need to supplement income.  

I received box of things from my grandmother's apartment.  There were pictures and mementos, but one thing had struck me...a recipe full of recipes cut from newspapers, magazines, and product labels. 

 This last thing the folder of recipes struck me as very interesting.  I am constantly patrolling Facebook, blogs, and Pintrest for recipes then save them and print them.  Some recipes I use and some I just mean to use.  But sitting in the  dining room floor excitedly going through my grandmothers stash of recipes, something dawned on me.  I do the same thing my grandmother did, just with different media.  Where I go through Facebook, blogs, and Pintrest and saving recipes with good intentions is just the same as my grandmother going through newspapers, magazines, and product labels and clipping and saving recipes with the best of intentions.   Just like the picture of the windmills, you have the old and the new, they do basically the same things but in slightly different ways.  

I sat in my dining room floor with this treasure trove of recipes that my Grandmother thought were worth saving, I felt a connection with her that wasn't previously there.  It is odd we were always pretty close but this made me feel closer.  I held the few hand written ones, boy what treasures.  There were a couple in my Sister's hand writing.  Which is funny to me, it is no family secret that my sister couldn't cook for many years.  She can cook it just took her longer to come to it.  You know the old saying "You never trust a skinny cook"  my sister is the embodiment of that saying.  While she is better, she is still a skinny cook.  (Sis, if you read this I don't mean it to hurt your feelings. I love you.)  I did come across an very interesting recipe printed on bright yellow paper.  It was from a Girl Scout newsletter.  It is for Dump Cake.  It was a recipe I modified when I was a Junior Girl Scout or maybe a Cadette.  It got modified because I have always hated reading directions, it comes from dyslexia.  The original cake was supposed to be all dumped in at once and I layered it.  I also cooked it in a dutch oven over a fire instead of the oven.  The fact that she kept that recipe for this many years was very touching.  I think the recipes we keep are as much a scrapbook of our life as pictures are.  I mean after all we are what we eat right?  So the recipes tell our story right?

Gump (Dump) Cake 

• 2 Cans of  Blueberry or Cherry pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 stick of butter
• coconut

In a dutch oven lined with foil, or regular cake pan (no size given but I think a 9x13 greased)

1st layer pie filling

2nd layer pineapple including the juice

3rd layer cake mix (dry)

4th layer butter cut into small pieces and spread  over the top

5th layer the coconut

Bake 350 for an hour or until top is golden brown

 I am going to have to make this soon just for the memories.  I don't think I have made this since It was printed.   Which was quite a while ago.

Unspoken traditions that make Mom giggle.

Photo by Alyssa Hawkins Photography

Little Miss has always done photoshoots and she has always had a blast doing them.  She loves the camera and the camera loves her. When she was a little Little Miss I would trade sewing skills for photography work.  I could do pictures with no problem I had a film camera not a digital.  I knew for toddler age I would shoot about 3 rolls of film to get 4 pictures that were decent.  Toddlers are so fun and busy.   But for this particular shoot my friend and awesome photographer Alyssa Hawkins in Simms, TX was taking pictures of Little Miss.  I had made Cricket and Grasshopper costumes for her daughters for halloween.   So she was doing a fall mini session at a horse auction barn.  Love it.  So I made Little Miss some overalls with farm accents.  Best part I made them so Little Miss could still easily potty train.  I loved those little overalls.   Alyssa took some amazing photos of Little Miss.  But she also started an unspoken  tradition  embedded deep within Little Miss's mind.  At fall photo shoots, I get to eat the apple props.  

Fast forward to last week and mom doing the fall photoshoot .  Little Miss immediately grabs an apple out of the basket of prop apples and started eating it.  Funny it is even the same type of apple.  Years later and nothing has changed. My little girl still stealing apples off of the photoshoot set and eating them.  I wonder if 5 years down the road we will be doing middle school fall pictures and she steals an apple prop and eats it?  

You know it is the little things in life that make you smile and giggle.  This was one of those times.  It actually too 3 days and standing in the kitchen if front of the basket of apples for me to  remember why I loved the apple thing in Little Miss's pictures.  This is all Little Miss, her idea.  It makes my heart smile to think about this.