Crispy Pork Medallions

A few years ago, I would never have eaten something with the word "tenderloin" in it. Something you should know, I grew up (let's say until about 24 years old) as a very picky eater! But now pork tenderloin is one of my favorite little treats that I only cook occasionally. This summer I even threw one on the grill...Amazing!

Okay, focusing back on the new recipe. I have alot of "regular" meals I make myself and my Cooking Light magazines are just stacking up, with so many tasty ideas collecting dust. Over Thanksgiving break, I went through my magazines and pulled out recipes I want to try.  Crispy Pork Tenderloins were a meal for a chilly night! Sometimes pork can be so chewy and tough, not this recipe!

 

Fresh Parsley from the garden...                                 Dredged in dijon and bread crumbs..... 

  

Quick saute on the stovetop before putting into the oven 

I made a little romaine, fresh beet and blue cheese salad to go with!  

I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow

Chicken and Barley Soup

I am a big, big fan of soup! I love soup for breakfast, soup after a long run, I am soup weirdo.  

I saw this in my October Cooking Light and have been wanting to try it out.

I made these changes to accommodate my own kitchen:

*I used brown rice and black barley because that is what I had on hand, but I definitely want to make it again because I love the chewy texture of wild rice! If you have never had black barley, try it! So delish

*I substituted the sage for fresh, chopped rosemary and thyme because I don't have any sage in my garden. 

*I eliminated the heavy cream because as much as I love to eat cheesy, creamy foods, I try not to cook anything with cream, half & half, etc...

I used leftover chicken from last night's dinner.

 

 
Two bowls later, this is definitely going into my regular soup rotation! 

It had the perfect amount of flavor, hearty and lite at the same time!

My first post!

I have been thinking about writing a blog for quite some time now. I think the idea started a few years back when blogging was becoming popular.   I thought, hmm.. I could write about my journey of a new running hobby. Or maybe I could write about my quest to accomplish 30 new and old things before I turned 30. Maybe people would want to read about my life? Then the thought disappeared.  Finally, about a month ago I decided it was time! I recently hosted a baby shower with my mom and felt so inspired! I didn't want that feeling of happiness and accomplishment to disappear.  I wanted to stay motivated and inspired and hopefully share those feelings with you. There is still some fine tuning that needs to be done but I hope this blog can serve as a place for sharing ideas of my own and ones that I find. For now, I will focus on cooking, crafting and creating a life of happiness. 

What are the C's in your life?

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

 For my first meal post, I thought I would keep it simple. Nothing quite like a warm comforting crockpot meal to come home to. I started out with some organic chicken breasts and coated them with olive oil, pepper and freshly chopped oregano from my garden.

 

First, I lightly browned both sides. Don't cook through, just enough to see the edges turn white.

I find this helps the chicken stay moist, instead of rubbery in the slow cooker.

 Next, I placed my browned chicken in the crockpot and chopped up a few cloves of garlic. Then I thinly sliced 2 lemons, leaving one half unsliced. Place the lemon slices on top of chicken breasts and squeeze the rest of the lemon juice into crockpot. Added some chicken stock and even added a little splash of white wine for extra flavor. Cook on low for 5-6 hours... 

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken:

3 chicken breasts

Olive Oil

Fresh oregano

Salt & Pepper 

2 lemons (sliced, leaving 1/2 whole) 

2 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp White wine

Enjoy over rice, with some veggies or fresh pasta! The leftovers are delicious over a salad too!