28 Weeks

Ok friends...here are the updated pictures of my lovely tummy that you have been asking for! The first one looks sort of funny since my head is cut off and I was standing against a white background.

So Easy and So Good

The recipe below is so easy to make and so tasty. I grilled boneless pork chops instead of using the pork tenderloin. You can get boneless pork chops for a good price at Costco and they are so thick that you can cut them in half and freeze them for later use. Also, to make it a little spicy, I added red pepper flakes to the onion mixture. I served it over jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot and Caramelized Onion Sauce

2 pork tenderloins, (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total weight)
2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 medium onions
2 Tbsp. apricot jelly
zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In an oven-safe skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Brown pork loins in the skillet on all sides, about five minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork loins reaches 145 to 150 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow the pork loins to rest for 10 minutes. This will bring the temperature of the pork up to 155 to 160 degrees.


Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions 1 to 2 minutes, then reduce the temperature to medium-low. Allow the onions to cook 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to make sure they don't burn. Add the apricot jelly and orange zest to the caramelized onions. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the jelly melts. Slice the pork loin diagonally and serve with the apricot onion sauce.
Serves 6.

Visit with Old Friends

On Monday I got to go and visit 2 friends from college, Jen and Serina. It was a lot of fun catching-up and the weather was beautiful. I wish I could see them more often.


Serina and me


Jen


Jen and Serina with a random elk that was chained to the mountain...weird

Tucson

The day after Christmas we went to Tucson to spend a few days with my parents. I got to see a few dear friends from high school. It was so good to reconnect with all of them. We went on a lot of hikes, swam, took naps, and ate a lot. My dad also did his typical "defrosting of the turkey in the pool" (pictures below) which still strikes me as funny.



Lynn, me and Greta


Lynn pretending to be more pregnant than she is...she has one coming in August!


Dad fishing the turkey out of the pool after a night of defrosting

Dinner

On one of our many hikes

A sea of jumping cactus

Jumping cactus

Mom and dad

Christmas Day

This year we were in San Diego for Christmas day. We spent the morning at home and then headed to Mike's mom's followed by a visit to his dad's. Mike gave me a blanket he had someone at work make. I found out that he went with her to Jo Ann's craft store to pick out the material. He is now a member of the store which I find quite cute and endearing.


Christmas slippers I got as a white elephant gift. Yes...they are made out of maxi pads, yes I did wear them on Christmas morning, and yes, Mike immediately told me to take them off:)


Christmas breakfast



Ready to eat!

Our niece, Victoria, being cute.

One of our Tousley family gatherings

Why I love Christmas

I was cleaning my house today and thinking about why I love the Christmas season so much.

Here's why:

*You can simmer cloves, cinnamon sticks, and orange peels on the stove and it smells up the whole house for a very low price

* It's OK to eat Christmas cookies for breakfast

* There are a lot of shiny things everywhere

* It reminds me of what Jesus chose to do for me

* I get to use a lot of heavy blankets because it's cold

* I get to wear scarves

* My cheeks get rosy

* It's a time for carrying out old traditions and starting new ones

* It's acceptable to make multiple dessert items in one week just because of the season

* The stores have great sales

* I get in the mood for finding new recipes

* There is mail almost everyday with updates on the year and pictures from friends

* You want to have people over more often because your house looks cute

* Christmas music is on for a whole month

* You get to see family

* Mike gets time off of work

* Grocery stores have peppermint mocha creamer

I'm sure there are more, but that's it for now!

Spicy Sausage Soup

Last night I made some really yummy, easy soup. It tasted especially good since it was cold and rainy yesterday. I made a few changes to the recipe because I can never seem to just follow them verbatim. It should feed about 8 or more people. Try it and tell me what you think!

Spicy Sausage Soup with Cilantro

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds hot Italian sausage links, casings removed, and sliced (turkey sausage worked great)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth (I added a little more water to thin it a bit)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes and added Italian seasoning)
1 (15.5 ounce) can white hominy
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed (I used 4 stalks celery since Mike still thinks he doesn't like zucchini)
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (I used about 1 cup cilantro and 1 cup fresh basil)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt


DIRECTIONS:
1.In a large skillet over medium heat, combine Italian sausage and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until sausage is evenly browned. Drain cooked sausage in a strainer to remove grease.
2.In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, combine the beef broth, hominy, stewed tomatoes, carrots, beans, and zucchini. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add sausage and cilantro; simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots and zucchini are tender. Season with salt and pepper and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.