FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!

A couple weeks ago I had the brilliant idea to get a personal trainer. Frankly I hated the thought of wasting my money at the gym and fumbling around trying to use stuff I don't know how to use (both the machines, and quite a few of my muscles. lol!) I was so intimidated by my trainer, who looks something like this guy pictured below (ok, not really) and causes me to use muscles I didn't know I had. His name is PETE (spoken in a voice loud enough and low enough to wake the dead).

I have been sore since my last workout on Wednesday!!! I have sore muscles that I wasn't even aware were being used during that grueling half hour. I did discover a new love though, leg presses. I LOOOOOOOOOVE them. Next week I am working out with a muscular man beast of a woman named Denise. Oh boy. Can't wait. 

Cheers! 

At Last!!

After not cutting my bangs for 10 months they have finally grown out!!!!!! I have not had a hair cut since January and I started wearing my hair curly almost all the time in April. Without the constant cutting to maintain my angled bob and the constant heat processing my hair has grown out 5 inches this year which is a lot for me! My bangs finally reach back to my ponytail holder when my hair is straight :) (that was the ultimate goal)! They need to grow about 3 more inches to reach where I want them!

~ A boy makes his girl jealous of other women. A gentleman makes other women jealous of his girl. ~ 

Basic Quesadillas

Every home cook should master a few basic, go-to items for quick meals or a snack for a hungry hubby! Quesadillas are a hit in our house. They are very versatile. You can add so many things to them. I have made tuna, avocado, and cheddar quesadillas, black bean and cheese quesadillas, chicken and cheese quesadillas, and on and on it goes. However, the basic cheese quesadilla is quick and simple.

You wil need:

2 flour tortillas

shredded cheddar cheese

ground cumin

garlic powder

onion powder

cooking oil 

Swirl about 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium-low heat. You have to keep the heat low enough to avoid burning the tortillas, and high enough to melt the cheese all the way through. Tricky, I know.

Place 1 tortilla in the pan and swirl to coat with oil. Add shredded cheese, leaving about 1" around the edges. If you put cheese all the way to edge, your cheese will melt out into the pan and make a big burned mess. Lightly sprinkle cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder over the cheese. Next, place the second tortilla on top. Press it down with your hands or a spatula. About two minutes from the time you added the tortilla to the pan, it will be ready to flip. Flip carefully! Cook side 2 for another 1-2 minutes. 

Slice into quarters with a pizza cutter and serve. You may serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream etc. if you wish! 

Basic Quesadillas

Every home cook should master a few basic, go-to items for quick meals or a snack for a hungry hubby! Quesadillas are a hit in our house. They are very versatile. You can add so many things to them. I have made tuna, avocado, and cheddar quesadillas, black bean and cheese quesadillas, chicken and cheese quesadillas, and on and on it goes. However, the basic cheese quesadilla is quick and simple. 

You wil need:

2 flour tortillas

shredded cheddar cheese

ground cumin

garlic powder

onion powder

cooking oil 

Swirl about 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium-low heat. You have to keep the heat low enough to avoid burning the tortillas, and high enough to melt the cheese all the way through. Tricky, I know.

Place 1 tortilla in the pan and swirl to coat with oil. Add shredded cheese, leaving about 1" around the edges. If you put cheese all the way to edge, your cheese will melt out into the pan and make a big burned mess. Lightly sprinkle cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder over the cheese. Next, place the second tortilla on top. Press it down with your hands or a spatula. About two minutes from the time you added the tortilla to the pan, it will be ready to flip. Flip carefully! Cook side 2 for another 1-2 minutes. 

Slice into quarters with a pizza cutter and serve. You may serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream etc. if you wish! 

Honey Seared Pork Tenderloin

I've been trying ridiculous amounts of new recipes lately. I love cooking but it's a real challenge to make meals that we both enjoy. My husband is pretty much a meat and potatoes guy. Really, really basic meat and potatoes. But we've been meeting in the middle lately. :) I made this meal in my Dutch oven, because it needs to go from stove to oven.

This recipe is also from Pinterest. It's a very simple recipe with few ingredients.

1 pork tenderloin, about 1.5 lbs
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp honey
Cajun seasoning
1/4 c water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub the tenderloin with the Cajun seasoning. Put the honey and butter in your Dutch oven over low-medium heat (I used medium heat, and in hind sight I would have preferred a lower heat). When the honey and butter mix has just begun to bubble, add the pork tenderloin. Allow it to cook on both sides for 5 minutes. Do not move the tenderloin around too much as you want the honey butter and spices to form a beautiful caramelized crust. I also held the loin up on the "small sides" to cook for 1 minute per side just for a more uniform appearance.

Cover the Dutch oven and place it into the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. The original instructions say to remove the meat to a platter and deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of water to use as a glaze...however, the honey butter was a bit black and I did not want to. I just put a couple of pats of butter on top of the tenderloin and drizzled about a tablespoon of honey on top. It melted right onto the meat and it was AMAZING. :) Always slice a pork tenderloin against the grain into about 1/2" slices. The tenderloin had a beautiful textured crust on the outside.

I served this with honey-cinnamon carrots and mashed potatoes.

Tip: If you don't have a bottle of Cajun seasoning around, use a mix of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a generous sprinkle of cayenne pepper. This is what I usually do when recipes call for Cajun seasoning.

Homemade Cajun spice mix.

Everything you need to make this yummy tenderloin.

Sprinkle the loin generously with the spice rub and rub, rub, rub.

Side 1 after cooking for 5 minutes.

A perfect plate!

All done! I posted this pic because you can clearly see the crunchy dark crust on the meat. Yum!

Crock Pot Turkey Roast

I see absolutely no reason why turkey should be reserved solely for Thanksgiving. I know that the sheer size of a turkey breast can be a bit frightening at first. Do not fear! When cooked properly, turkey is moist and tasty. It's also lean and a great alternative to chicken. Due to its larger size, you will also most likely have leftovers for a turkey sandwich or another meal. When I  buy turkey, I go for one breast (a split breast) or a 2-3 pound turkey breast roast. You know the one I am talking about! It usually comes in a round or oval shaped package covered with that plastic netting that you have to cut off before you can open the turkey. When I open a turkey breast roast, the first thing I do is take off the stretchy netting from the meat. I rinse the meat and pat it dry. Next, I get out a frying pan, some cooking oil (olive oil, veg oil, etc), kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Once my turkey breast is dry I salt and pepper both sides and then add to a pre-heated pan (medium heat) with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Cook larger pieces for 2 minutes per side, until the surface has a nice, golden-brown color. Cook smaller pieces about a minute per side. Searing meat before cooking keep the juices in, and when using the crock pot, it improves the appearance, flavor, and texture.

You may now place your turkey in the crock pot. Now, you can allow the turkey to cook several ways. You can add 1/2  cup of chicken broth and let it roast, or you can add some type of sauce for the turkey to cook in. Today I chose an orange-ginger-soy glaze. In a bowl, I combined 4 oz of orange juice, a healthy tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of ginger, and a light sprinkle of granulated onion and a hearty sprinkle of garlic powder. Next, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Whisk all ingredients except the butter until combined. Pour the melted butter over the turkey, then pour the glaze over it.

I plan to roast this turkey on low for 4-5 hours, and I know from past experience that it will be tasty!! Happy Cooking!

***This glaze is easy to modify. For a stronger orange taste, you could add frozen OJ concentrate. You could also use fresh grated ginger root, real onion, garlic cloves, etc. instead of the dried varieties. It easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand in the kitchen!

My rinsed, dry turkey roast pieces. Once you take that netting off, you will realize it's not really a round shape, but a bunch of breast chunks. :)

One side of the largest piece, salted, peppered, and seared. 

The two smaller pieces. There were also some tiny chunks that I browned for just 30 seconds per side and tossed in the crock pot as well.

All of the nicely browned turkey pieces. This is a smaller crock pot made for meals for 2!

After pouring on the butter and glaze.