Monday's Dinner & Catch Up Thoughts

I hope everyone reading realizes this is kind of a "public" diary for me.  I really enjoy going back and reading old posts, and a blog is the best kind of girlfriend -- it listens to whatever you have to say.

I also wanted to put down a few more thoughts about Pepper Plate.  I am really enjoying have an electronic cookbook.  I don't have to print or copy down recipes I want to try.  It's much easier to keep sticky finger prints off the recipe "cards", and with these 48 year old eyes, I can set the type so I can read it.  There is also a notes section, where I can comment on how the recipe went for me.    On the negative or wish list, I wish it auto-imported from more sites.  I wish it would auto grab the yield and time so I didn't have to enter it.  I'm also not sure I like active time and total time for fields.  Prep time, cook time... I am still undecided.

I also figured I needed to record what some of my tools looked like new, so I will recognize when the time to replace them comes around again.

Here is my new skillet, my prep bowls, my knife and some dishtowels.

On to tonite's dinner -- Easy Roast Pork Tenderloin and Apples!  I have some serious pork lovers in my house.  This recipe called for one pound of pork, so I pulled out my purchase and discovered I had 3.87 lbs.  Hmm, I thought 1 lb was too small, so I sliced the piece in half, and vacuum sealed the other half and put it back in the freezer.   Then I doubled the recipe.  As a fairly newbie cook, I have a complaint.  Don't cooking experts realize how broadly "a large, shallow pan" can be interpreted?  I got the shallow part ok, but define large?  Would it be so hard to tell me a 9x13 or an 8x8??  Rant over.  I didn't double the apples & onion the recipe called for, but I did have difficulty getting everything into the pan.   I put it in for the maximum recommended time, 30 minutes.  For sides I cooked Steamfresh Asparagus and Minute Rice.  Your house will smell WONDERFUL while this is cooking.   The loin came out a little pink in the middle, so I put it back in for 10 more minutes.  Juicy, flavorful, tender... YUMM.  All four family members enjoyed dinner, and I had a serving of pork and apples to put in the fridge for leftovers.  For reference later, I paid $2.99/lb for the loin.

Not sure what we are having for dinner tomorrow, it's Open House for middle school, so it won't be a good night to cook.  Charles & Connor are asking for the Broccoli Casserole again, so that means I need a main dish that doesn't use the stove -- this planning part is hard!  We have high school open house on Wednesday.   I could make the sour cream noodle bake fairly easy, but I just don't want that.  I have a frozen gallon ziplock of my spaghetti sauce.  But I don't want that either. 

If I can get off the computer, and run to the store, I could pick up the mozzarella cheese I am missing for a brunch casserole.  Does this happen to anyone else?  You do a good deed and start to cook more, only to find you are constantly missing an ingredient and heading to the store?