Monday, May 19, 2008

More Recipes

Honey Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin














1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.)
1/4 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing, divided
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. honey

PREHEAT oven to 425ºF. Brush meat with 2 Tbsp. of the dressing. Mix dry ingredients; rub onto meat. Place in baking pan. Mix remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing and honey; set aside.

BAKE 15 min.; brush with dressing mixture. Bake an additional 10 min. or until cooked through (160ºF).

REMOVE meat from oven; cover with foil. Let stand 5 min. before slicing.

Potato Smashers














8 small new potatoes (3/4 lb.), about 1-1/2 inches in diameter
1/2 cup water
4 slices bacon
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

PLACE potatoes and water in 2-qt. microwaveable dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 10 min. or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 8 to 10 min. or until crisp, turning frequently. Drain on paper towels.

DRAIN potatoes; place on work surface. Press each potato with bottom of small bowl or saucer to flatten to 1/2-inch thickness.

HEAT dressing in skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes; cook 4 min. or until bottoms are golden brown. Meanwhile, crumble bacon. Turn potatoes over; sprinkle evenly with cheese and bacon. Cover skillet with lid. Cook an additional 2 min. or until cheese is melted.


These are both tested and Repko approved!
For the tenderloin recipe, I did not use the chili powder and used Dijon mustard instead of dried. The first time I made the potato recipe, I steamed instead of microwaving but I let them cook too long and they were messy to smash and brown. The second time, I followed the recipe and microwaved. They turned out much better.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Baby Day

I think every church in the Indianapolis area (probably across America) experienced Baby Dedication Sunday this week. I guess Mother's Day is a good day for that. ;) We attended Northview Christian Life, where Matt and Ashli attend, to witness the dedication of Rachelle Brooke. Their pastor did a nice job of explaining the dedication service and that this does not serve as a baptism for these babies nor are they in need of salvation at this time in their lives. The dedication service is an act where the parents make a promise to God publicly that they will raise these children in God-centered homes. Their pastor even said it might be more fitting to call it a Parent Dedication.

Matt, Ashli, and Rachelle:

Matt, Ashli, and Rachelle during dedication prayer:

Matt, Ashli, and Rachelle after the service:
I knew this would be a special day for them and wanted to add my own special spin. I decided to put my talents to good use and created a little book for Rachelle. Each page has photos of Rachelle and/or photos of Rachelle with family. The pages also have scripture to remind her how much she is loved by Jesus. I made it with little hands in mind and I hope as she grows she will find joy in looking through the pages.

Front of album:

Back of album:

Here are the digital versions of all the pages:

p.s. Since I mentioned salvation, I don't want to leave any visitors hanging. If you have questions about salvation (How am I saved? or Why do I need salvation? etc), please, please leave a comment with a way for me to email you.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away

At least Saturday was a rainless day!

Friday, May 09, 2008

BirthVerse

I stumbled upon a new website this week and thought it was pretty neat.

My "birth verse" is:
Matthew 5:6 NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Here's a link to find yours.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Family and Flowers

Saturday we had our first summer get-together at our house. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate so we didn't get to enjoy the yard or playground. Oh well, there is a long (hopefully) summer ahead of us.

We celebrated the two May birthdays (Matt's and mine). We had great food and enjoyed a few rounds of Boggle.We spent Sunday on various tasks around the house. Mark cleaned the gutters, mowed the lawn, and tiled. Yes, tiling in the bathroom has commenced. But I'll save the details of that for a separate post dedicated to the bathroom project. I spent most of the day potting flowers. We now have a big pot on the front porch, a medium pot on the tree stump in the back, three hanging baskets, five small pots on the back deck, and the "window box" on the back deck. No wonder it took me so long! :)
Even Sheba enjoyed some quality time outside. What a great Sunday afternoon!