This and that

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Apple and Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

Happy Boxing Day
Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malta, Hong Kong to name a few of the countries.  It was the day after Christmas when the servants and tradesman would get their gift, known as Christmas Boxes from their bosses or employees.  It is a bank day in Canada and an observed holiday.  It is also considered a great shopping day, like Black Friday where stores put sales~ a great day to get some wonderful Christmas sales.  It is also a day to return the gifts that you don't like or want ~ hence the name Boxing Day... possibly not really the reason for the day but it is something that I like to people when they ask me what Boxing Day is about.

So, if you are from a country that observes Boxing Day, I hope that you have a wonderful day of shopping, returning gifts, packing up your Christmas decorations, eating leftover Turkey or possibly making something new like this recipe ~ Apple and Cranberry Pork Tenderloin.

This recipe came about when I wanted to make some tenderloin, and had extra cranberries to use up.  I did a search for cranberry pork tenderloin and found this recipe called Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cranberries.  As I was reading the recipe, I remember that I had my gingerbread spice from the recipe that I made for a Crazy Ingredient Challenge ~ Seared Gingerbread Tenderloin and this recipe happened.  I have to apologize for pictures as they aren't very good... but we were hungry and this recipe was fantastic and we ate every morsel up.  It was a recipe that we both agreed we would eat again if I made it.  A sweet and tangy dish where the meat is tender and juicy.

Apple and Cranberry Pork Tenderloin


Ingredients:
1.5 lb pork tenderloin
1 apple sliced thinly (I used a gala apple as that is all I had)
1/2 -3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 tbsp sugar (Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In small roasting pan, spray with non-stick spray.
Arrange tenderloin in pan.
Slice apples and arrange around tenderloin, sprinkle cranberries over apples.
Pour apple cider vinegar over tenderloin and fruit.
Sprinkle salt, sugar and gingerbread spice over tenderloin.
Cook for 30 -40 minutes, basting about half way until thermometer reaches 155-165 degree F (per your preference).
Let sit for 5- 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas and Finnish Prune Tart

We woke up to a wonderful beautiful day this morning.. The sun was shining brightly and the snow was glistening...
A perfect Christmas Eve Day!
picture taken this morning.
This Christmas season I didn't do as much baking or even candy making.  Last night I did make some tarts, so that we would have a little Canadian and Finn in our Christmas.  I made some Butter Tarts and also some Finnish Prune Tarts called Joulutorttu.  Some of the tarts I put Apricot Jam in them, along with prunes.



Finnish Prune Tarts  


Ingredients:
7 oz Prunes
water to cover prunes
1/8 cup sugar
1 pkg Puff Pastry sheet
1 egg white beaten

Directions:
In small saucepan, place prunes, sugar and enough water to cover prunes.  Cook on medium-low until prunes are soft and water dissipated .  At this point you can blend the prunes or mash them  with a fork. Set aside.
Roll out Puff Pastry and cut each sheet into 9 squares.  Cut slits into each corner of each square.
Add a teaspoon of prune filling in the center of the square and fold one end of pastry to center so that it looks like a pinwheel.
Brush top with beaten egg white.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until pastry is slightly brown.  
Let cool.
Make glaze with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and enough milk to make glaze runny.  Pour glaze over top of tarts.

Cook's note:
You can also use apricot jam instead of prune filling.  I usually make some of each.

Tray of tarts to give to the neighbors

Wishing All a Merry Christmas!
Thank you for all of your support.  



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Monday, December 23, 2013

Pretzel Salad

Pretzel Salad has been a tradition at my house for years.  It wouldn't be a holiday meal without it.  If there is turkey there is this salad.   Over the years I have changed it slightly, using different flavours of strawberry jello like strawberry banana and I have also used raspberry jello with raspberries.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Dollar Tree Christmas Wreath

One of my favorite bloggers and friends Cynthia of Feeding Big made this wonderful Christmas wreath from using material that she bought at the Dollar Tree.  I have been obsessed with the Dollar Tree and spend a lot of time going through the aisle.  I buy dishes, crafts, some food items and my cleaning items from there.  So when I saw her wreath I knew that I had to make one too.

By the time I got to the store a lot of the Christmas decorations where gone but I did find some.  I also cheated just a little bit as I bought some of the ornaments from Walmart as they had a package with a green ornament that I wanted.  I liked them as it brought a little bit of different colour then the gold and red.  For my base I used an evergreen wreath that I twisted the evergreens to make them tight around the wire.  This I bought from the Dollar Tree too.

Dollar Tree Christmas Wreath 



I thought that I took a picture of the materials that I used but I either deleted them or put them in a file that I can't find.

Materials:
16 evergreen wreath
Assorted sizes and colour ornaments
1 sprig holly berries
ribbon to make bow - approx 1 foot in length
hot glue gun

Directions:
I twisted the evergreens around the wire wreath so that it was solid.  Don't worry if some are showing as you can see some of the every green in my wreath.
Glue large ornaments to wreath with glue gun covering 3/4 of wreath.  (I realized that I hadn't bought enough balls and decided to leave room for a bow.)
Continue to glue ornaments in random arrangement over the wreath.  Try not to leave to many holes.
Pull holly berries off sprig and glue to bottom of the wreath.  I tried to glue them all about the same distance apart.
Tie a 4 loop bow and glue to wreath where there are no ornaments.


This wreath cost me about $10.00 to make.  You can still make one before Christmas either for yourself or give as a gift.


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Gingerbread Eggnog Waffle with Pear Sauce

I make waffles often and lately I have been trying to spice them up a bit so that they aren't just plain waffles. I had a couple of pears in the fridge that were just on the verge of being way to soft and thought that they would taste yummy with waffles.

As I was starting to get the waffles ready, I spotted the Torani Gingerbread Syrup on the counter top and thought that would be perfect with the pear sauce that I planned to make.  I already was going to add eggnog to the waffle batter and gingerbread syrup would go great with the eggnog.  The results... YUM. This is perfect recipe to make for the holidays.

Gingerbread Eggnog Waffle with Pear Sauce


Ingredients:
For waffles:
2 eggs separated
1 1/4 cup flour (I use 3/4 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour)
2/3 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup egg nog
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp oil
2 tsp Gingerbread Syrup (I use Torani)
For pear sauce:
2 pears diced
1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp tapioca
For Gingerbread Glaze:
5 tbsp powder sugar
1 tbsp gingerbread syrup
1 tbsp egg nog
enough milk to make glaze thin enough to pour

Directions:
Pear Sauce:
In saucepan add diced pears, sugar and nutmeg.  Over medium-high heat cook until pears are soft.  Stirring often.  Add tapioca to thicken.  Bringing to boil and cook until sauce is thickened about 3 -5 minutes.  Set aside.
Gingerbread Glaze:
Mix powdered sugar, gingerbread syrup, nutmeg and eggnog in small bowl.  Add milk to make a glaze, you want it thin enough to pour.
Waffles:
Separate eggs in two bowls.  I use my mixing bowl for the whites and another moderate size bowl for the yolks
Beat egg whites on high until light and fluffy. Set aside.

Add flour, salt, baking powder, milk, eggnog, gingerbread syrup and oil to bowl with egg yolks.  Mix until everything is combine.
Fold in egg whites.
Heat waffle iron (I use a flip Belgium waffle maker).  Add waffle dough per instructions of waffle maker and bake until desired brownness.
Assemble by placing waffle on plate, drizzle with Gingerbread Glaze and add Pear Sauce.  You could also serve with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle more glaze over the whipped cream.
Enjoy

Also check out Whole Wheat Avocado Waffle with Caramel Drizzle.
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Friday, December 20, 2013

Crazy Ingredient Challenge ~ Holiday Mix



So, I wrote out my post for this challenge, got right to the bottom and the whole post disappeared.  Not to be found.  And it was a good post and I am not writing out everything again... So here I go with the post a second time tonight.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Foodie Friends Friday ~ Anything Goes Linky Party #foodiefriendsfriday

Are you ready for Christmas?  Less then one week to go.... I hope this party will give you all some inspirations for your Holiday Cooking and Gift giving as this week on Foodie Friends Friday ~

Anything Goes Christmas Party


I can't wait to see what you bring... I work over Christmas but then the weekend my brother and his family may be coming so we can have our Christmas then...

Last Week's Highlights
Host Favorites
Head over to the Daily Dish to see
all the Host Favorites from Last Week's Party
My Favorite
I love these Reindeer Cookies from +Mandatory Mooch, so cute.  I think I will make them for my nieces and nephew when they come here next week.  I have all the ingredients, I just need time to make them. 
picture credit:  Mandatory Mooch

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