Well March is certainly coming in to our area inconsistently- much like my posting. Last week we were running into the store without jackets, but today we had a snowstorm and schools closed!
So what is new? I have been busy with school and have been working on lesson planning and starting to record my lessons for evaluation. I am honestly having a blast, and am enjoying the challenge of lesson planning. Right now I am working on a midterm to review different perspectives of abolition during the Civil War. I am focusing on original document comparisons between Union and Confederate soldiers, and am hoping it will be a success.
At the end of February we were in the Wisconsin Dells. It is so fun going with the boys as they get older. Kellen is enjoying more independence in the water, and even tried a water slide (he hated it). Rowan loved floating around the wave pool in between wave cycles. We will go back again later in the summer, and I am already excited! I was happy the trip worked out because Rowan had battled the flu the week prior, and thankfully the rest of us did not get it.
This week I am finishing up prjects and looking forward to spring break next week. Gone are the days of boozy spring break trips with friends, but I am planning to take the boy for a short overnight at our cottage in Door County for a little R&R.
Kellen and Rowan are enjoying school and doing well. Kellen gets a little distracted, as most 5 year olds do, and needs reminders to stay on task, but he really likes his friends and is enjoying learning new things. Rowan is going to be 2 next month and can't believe my baby is growing so fast. I'm not ready for him to be a toddler, but I am excited that he is showing some interest in the potty. It took me about a year to fully train Kellen, and I am hoping Rowan is a little quicker- I hate potty training.
So on to the food. My boys love pork tenderloin and my favorite method to cook it is a sear on all sides followed by a roast in the oven. Normally, I make some type of pan sauce with what dripping are left in the skillet. I like to use a little wine, broth, or maybe a little cream. This recipe combines one of our favorite things- roasted garlic. Roasting garlic is so easy and makes the flavors nutty and rich. Sometimes, I like to roast a lot and I freeze the cloves to use for a different recipe. I find that they freeze well and to do break down too much when thawing. My boys loved this recipe and they really enjoyed dipping the pork into the sauce- don't be fooled because there was a pile of ketchup next to the garlic sauce! I love using this method to cook pork because it cooked quickly and does not make a giant mess of the kitchen- important on a weeknight!
Have a great rest of the week everyone!
Ingredients
1 Tbl olive oil
2 pork tenderloin (about 2 1/2 - 3 lbs)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup chopped roasted garlic
2/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
roasted garlic:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off top of garlic heads. Drizzle olive oil into a small baking dish. Place garlic in baking dish. Drizzle garlic with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover baking dish with foil and roast until tender, 45 minutes-1 hour. Cool slightly and squeeze out garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in an oven safe skillet. Brown pork tenderloin on all sides.
Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the pork registers 155-160 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent with foil to keep warm, and rest for while you prepare the sauce (about 10 min).
Over medium-low heat add wine to skillet to deglaze. Scrape the cooked bits from the skillet and whisk the cream and chopped garlic. Allow the sauce to slightly simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes (the sauce should be thick enough to heavily coat a spoon).
Slice pork tenderloin and spoon sauce over the top. Serve immediately.