Archive for Category: Secret Agent Mama
All About Pork | Braised Pork with Peppers and Onions
The boys are all excited for Game Day tomorrow, but, all this week, I’ve been excited about something else: This week’s pork dish recipe that I found on Pork Be Inspired, for the “Good and Good For You Challenge”. There are a so many recipes that I wanted to make for this week’s theme, but I settled on this one because (really?) peppers and onions and garlic, oh my! I served it up with Cous Cous and Green Bean Casserole (Michael’s request) and the dinner took me less than 40 minutes from start to finish.
Publix is running some awesome deals on boneless pork loin chops this week, through February 8th. You can find some fabulous recipes to spice up your game day, tomorrow, over at Pork Be Inspired. Or you can make what I made for dinner tonight. There’s one piece of pork left-over in the kitchen, and I think there’s gonna be some coin-tossing to figure out who’ll get to eat it for lunch tomorrow!
Ingredients
4-6 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 small red bell peppers, or yellow bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red or yellow onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced (I used minced garlic in this recipe)
1/2 cup chicken broth (you can use red wine if you want)
Cooking Directions
1) In a large nonstick skillet (I used my large electric skillet) over medium heat, warm oil.
2) Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3) Remove chops to a plate and set aside.
4) Add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds.
5) Add bell peppers and onion to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
6) Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
7) Add chicken broth (or wine) and bring to a boil, scraping up and stirring in any browned bits in the skillet.
8) Return chops to skillet, nestling them in the liquid, and reduce to a simmer.
9) Cover and cook 4 minutes. Turn chops, cover, and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.
10) Serve pork with pepper and onion mixture spooned over top (Warning: you may need some bread to sop up the lovely juices in the skillet!)
[This post is part of a series of posts that I will be sharing over the next four weeks. Please come back to see all the delicious and healthy recipes and head to your local Publix for some great deals on Pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #PublixforPork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
All About Pork | Healthy Baked Pork Egg Rolls
I was so excited when I was recently contacted by the National Pork Board to help spread the word about the great deals that Publix is offering on one of my favorite meats. Honestly, I’ve never met a cut of pork that I didn’t like, so this campaign is right up my alley. For the next four weeks, I will be sharing my journey of discovering different, healthy, and tasty recipes using pork that can be found, on sale, at your local Publix.
This week’s theme is “Good and Good For You” and there are some pretty awesome recipes over at Pork Be Inspired and I totally encourage you to check them out.
The other day, when my family asked what was for dinner they were relieved that it wasn’t that other white meat, and they were even more excited when I told them we were having EGG ROLLS! Because, really? Who doesn’t love to eat their dinner with their fingers?
These Baked Pork Egg Rolls take very little preparation and cooking time. They are easy and fun to make, and while I was making them I asked myself why I don’t make these all the time.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
1 cooked pork tenderloin, (1 pound), trimmed
cooking spray
4 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
16 egg roll wrappers
Cooking The Tenderloin:
1) Season the tenderloin. I chose to use Kosher Salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.
2) Heat 2 TBSP oil in a skillet at medium-high.
3) Place pork in skillet; do not cover.
4) Brown all sides of the tenderloin (just a few minutes, really.)
5) Transfer to 425* preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes (internal temperature should reach 145*)
Egg Roll Preparation & Cooking Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.
3) Place the coleslaw mix and green onions in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high until softened, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
4) Finely chop the tenderloin. Combine tenderloin, coleslaw mixture, cilantro, and Hoisin sauce in a large bowl and toss to mix well.
5) Working with one 1 egg roll wrapper at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying), place the wrapper on a work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Brush edge of wrapper with water. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pork tenderloin mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling. Fold in the sides and roll up. Place the egg rolls seam side down on a plate and cover with damp paper towels to prevent drying. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
6) Arrange egg rolls in a single layer seam side down in the prepared baking pan. Lightly spray egg rolls with cooking spray.
7) Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Turn the egg rolls and bake until tops are lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Serve hot or warm.
& ENJOY!
You can serve these as an appetizer, at your next party, or as part of a meal that includes rice noodles and/or hot and sour soup (take my word!)
[This post is part of a series of posts that I will be sharing over the next four weeks. Please come back to see all the delicious and healthy recipes and head to your local Publix for some great deals on Pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #PublixforPork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
Great iPad App for Students
Thank you to who?Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my children to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And, you can follow who?Comics on Twitter for updates.
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As the mother of two boys, ages 11 and 13, who are absolute history buffs, this app was an absolute welcomed addition to the “kids page” on my iPad. The app itself is free, but the biographies are available for purchase. Upon downloading the app you receive two free biographies, and you can also get one, on loan, for two weeks, all for sharing who?Comics Biography Comics with Facebook or Twitter friends.
Here’s the official description of what they are all about:
“Read about the lives and achievements of some of the greatest people in history, both past and present, in a 150 page long comic book form. These comics are educational and fun to read. Instead of boring plain text, give your children a new, enjoyable reading experience that is light and easy to read in comic book form. But even before the children can start, parents won’t be able to stop turning the pages, too.
Who?Comics series contains the life stories of 10 of our greatest leaders of today and 19 historical figures of the past. Read and learn about the amazing lives of Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Joanne Rowling, Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, Jane Goodall, Bill Gates and much, much more.
You can even collect badges easily as you read the comic books and even try to find and collect hidden badges for each great figure. Who?Comics provides a fun badge collecting experience that both children and parents will enjoy. Everyone can get caught up in the fun of badge collecting and eventually discover and develop their new found reading habit.”
I downloaded the app, went to buy the complete collection (29 books for $29.00), but I forgot to update my iTunes account with my new bank account information. So, I have to wait until tomorrow to purchase the whole sha-bang. Tomorrow, though? It’s on, and they are all going to be a part of our collection; especially after seeing Mikey and Benny delve into the first few on our “Bookshelf”.
They both read Bill Gates biography, and they both said it was really cool. Since they are both self proclaimed computer geeks, it was really awesome for them to lean about “The Computer Genius Who Changed the World.” Mikey said it was an easy and fun way to learn about him. Benny said he thought it was funny and way easier than reading an encyclopedia or a boring book about the person. At one point, while reading, Benny exclaimed, “I got the Flipping Master Badge!”
Before I let the boys get into them, though, I read the Oprah Winfrey comic. I absolutely loved the way her story was told. There is obviously some stuff in Oprah’s personal story that is touchy (like molestation, teen pregnancy, and drug use), but who?Comics did a really great job at telling it in such a way that was very respectful and straightforward. They even put a warning out there, for parents, and I totally appreciated their honesty and integrity. That right there solidified my desire to purchase the complete set. I thought about letting the kids each pick a set, but it’s way cheaper to just buy all twenty-nine.
This page, in Oprah’s “The Most influential Talk Show Queen in the World” is one of those lessons that all children could stand to learn. What kind of person do you want to be?
Who?Comics definitely hit the nail on the head with this great way for children to learn about historical figures. TWO HUGE THUMBS UP!
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Thank you again to who? Comics for sponsoring my post. Please click here to learn more about the app. Visit who? Comics for updates.
Confession Time
I have two confessions to make. Here it goes.
I’ve been going to my gym since the end of October. I didn’t want to wait until the new year to make a resolution to get fit, but believe me I thought about it. I decided it was time to be held accountable for my actions (or should I say, quite literally, my inactivity.) It’s the best thing that I have done for myself in a long, long time. That said, earlier this month, on Curvy Girl Guide, we Reinvented the Resolution in an effort to define our lives by a number other than the one that pops up on the stupid scale. That number on the scale is not who I am or who I want to be, so I took it back.
I said,
“My number for 2012 is 2. Since joining the gym, I have tried various group fitness classes, and I love them all so much. They provide me with a great workout, but, beyond that, the instructors and my fellow “teammates” inspire and motivate me immensely. With this new year I am committing to taking two RPM, two BodyPump, two BodyFlow, two CXWorx (core training), and two Zumba classes, every week!”
Two-and-a-half weeks later I have not been able to acheive this number. But, I’ve worked really hard at getting there. I go to the gym about five times a week striving to get to my 2-2-2-2-2, but life and work and schedules and sickness have gotten in the way. I’ve had to look at my goal and stop beating myself up about it if I only get 2-2-2-1-1 or 2-2-1-1-1 because, quite frankly, I’m still working my ass off. I have all of 2012 to get to the point that I want to be at, and you can believe that I will definitely get there.
My second confession is a little bit unbelievable. It’s even hard for me to believe, but, truth is, I havent’ picked up my big camera since January 5th (and on that day I only took a handful of pictures of Davey riding his big boy bike in the cul-de-sac.) It could have something to do with the winter. Or life. Or work. Or schedules. Or sickness. Or whatever.
The saving grace in this confession is the camera on my iPhone. Oh my gosh, that thing is incredible, and I ultimately think that the reason I haven’t picked up my beloved DSLR is that I have been having an amazingly fun time with the ease of use of the camera on my phone. I’ve been snapping numerous photos, daily, often updating Instagram. I’m even taking part in a photo-a-day project over there, complete with prompts. So, while it’s a little hard to believe that I haven’t used my big camera in a few weeks I’m comforted in the knowledge that I’m still taking pictures and telling stories with my images.
Now that I think about it, I’m just switching it up. Just like how I do at the gym!
I recently learned about photo books from Mixbooks, and cannot wait to try it out. Since I’ve been taking a photo a day I plan on creating a photo book that will tell the story of my days.
Mixbooks look easy and fun to create, with software that is seemingly non-complicated. You simply upload your photos and get creative. There are templates to use or you can totally personalize it by creating your own.
“Customize photo books to your liking. You can make your photo book unique with text, cropped and rotated photos, various fonts, and more! There’s no limit to what kinds of photo books you can make! Be completely satisfied with your printed photo book. Our photo books are printed on archival-quality silk 100 lb. paper with full photo wrap covers. Whether you choose a softcover or hardcover photo book, each product is 100% satisfaction guaranteed.” -Mixbook.com
I might even have to create one ahead of time because they look so easy and fun (and affordable, to boot.) I better order soon because they are offering 30% off, until January 23rd. The coupon code is BOOK30. Now I have to figure out what pictures to use!
[Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Mixbook.com, but the feelings expressed are purely my own.]
It’s 2012
It’s already January 5th. How in the world did that happen?
Here are some things that have been going on between the end of last year and the beginning of this new one:
On December 28th, Davey turned FIVE! Lucky boy, it was Moe’s Wednesday, and we all headed there for lunch. It’s our favorite place to go; not only because on Wednesdays kids eat free, but we totally love their food! After a week of having Michael gone, through Christmas, he was home and we all enjoyed our lunch together (which concluded with a visit to the Western store where Davey got one of those cute little stick horses, and I drooled all over the cowboy boots.
Oh, and he named his horse, “Horsey the Bomb”. Or Bob. Either or works, really!
Davey requested a cookie cake for his birthday. Five candles and one for good luck, yo!
During the last days of Christmas break I took each of the kids clothes shopping. Their Baba & Dedo sent them money for Christmas, and we decided that they would spend it on new digs.
We had a great time each day, eating lunch and shopping. The only day that was a little crazy was the day that I took Benny and Davey out, together, because, in my opinion, a five year old and an Outlet Mall DO.NOT.MIX.
I also started The Hunger Games! I’ve since finished it, and now I am waiting for Catching Fire to come in to our library. I hope it comes in today. I also want to publicly state that Katniss Everdeen is BAD ASS and totally trumps Bella Swan!
On New Year’s Eve we made a big pot of white beans with corn bread, had Mikey’s buddy over after their bid day of airsoft play, ate chips and dip, and Benny and I went outside and threw pop-its at the ground! I barely made it to midnight–guess I am getting old—but, I made it and we did out traditional “HAPPY NEW YEAR” shout out to the world from our front porch!
On new year’s day, I found myself in Webkinz hell with Livey and Benny (aka Justice, the evil store that still sells these stuffed animals.
A few days ago, Davey overcame his fear of spontaneously going down the hill on his bike, and rode in the cul de sac for over an hour. He is a big boy, after all.
It’s been a great start to 2012!
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