The ladies decided to meet at Starbucks these weeks to catch up. Look how cute they are :)
Starbucks date #1
L to R: Brandi, Lindsey, Alison, Julie (not pictured: Tim)
Starbucks date #2
L to R: Julie, Michelle, Belinda, Alison, Brandi
The hubby and I had a great time on our beach trip with his family. We go every year in late September/early October which we have discovered is a fabulous time to to go the beach. Here are a few pics from that trip:
Day 1 - ate late lunch at DeSoto's, then just relaxed on the beach for a bit
Later that night, the hubby's sister, her husband, and their littles made it! These kiddos LOVE their Paw-Paw...can't you tell?
It rained a couple days in between, so when it finally cleared up, it was serious fishing time.
The hubby (right) and his dad fishing...all.day.long.
After all that, this is all they got (besides catfish)
Beautiful sunset
Capturing the moment
We went to eat at the Original Oyster House and had a great time! Isn't my nephew just the cutest?
How about this little cutie-pie? Isn't she so adorable?
Such a little ham!
Of course we had to go crab hunting!
The very last night, the in-laws, the hubby, and I tried out a new (new to us) spot called Fisher's. It was delicious! We went to the bottom part of the restaurant which is more casual. It's on the marina with great food and a great atmostphere. Will be going back!
My awesome in-laws!
The second beach trip was great too! Although it was a lot shorter (Friday - Sunday), we had perfect weather. No rain, and temperature was great. Plus I had a great time catching up with my girls. AND as a bonus, we got to hang out with my BF's little boy, Gracen.
Best friends since... well, I don't even remember a time when we all weren't best friends...
Meghan holding sweet little Gracen
Soaking up some sun with my girls
This has as story behind it... fun memories of crazy nights/mornings with my best friend (top picture is circa 2005 and bottom was a replica from this beach trip)
Selfie #1: Bethany and me
Selfie #2: Mary Grace and me
Sweet baby Gracen's first beach trip!! Isn't he just precious?
Since you just suffered through random beach pictures that you could probably care less about unless you were in them, and considering this is a cooking and recipe blog after all, I will treat you to the following bonus recipe: PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MASHED POTATOES & SAUTEED PEPPERS & ONIONS! (a quick and easy weeknight meal)
PORK TENDERLOIN:
- 2 pork tenderloins, approx. 1 lb each
- Salt & pepper
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 4 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard or country-style
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf, crumbled
SIDES:
- Baked potatoes & toppings of your choice (optional: butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, green onions)
- Sweet peppers, sliced
- 1 medium to large sweet onion, sliced
- More balsamic vinegar for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme. Place pork in crockpot and pour mustard mixture over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. *NOTE: I always put some liquid in the very bottom of my crockpot to prevent burning, so you can put anything from water to some type of vegetable or chicken broth. Last time I poured just enough water to coat the bottom and added a few dashes of soy sauce then used some of the onion slices to make a little bed for the pork to put on. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove pork to a plate, shred, and pour some of the remaining juice on top to moisten.
Cook potato(es) in microwave or oven until soft (I prefer microwave). We like to eat mashed potatoes chunky and with the skin, so I just take a fork and knife and cut them up into chunks then stir it around a little to sort of "mash" them up. You could, of course, also use an actual potato masher...
Add toppings as desired. **I also like to pour some of the juice from the crockpot onto the potatoes (hence the brownish color in the picture...). I think it not only moistens them, but ties in the flavors. I also added some fresh herbs (I believe it was dill, but rosemary is always a great choice with potatoes as well).
Wash and core sweet peppers, and slice them up into approx. 1 in. slices, along with your medium onion. Spray a medium skillet with some cooking spray and heat it up to medium or medium high. Add in your peppers and onions, along with a dash of extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper. Cook until soft and slightly browned.
Serve it all warm and enjoy!
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Tonight, I leave you with two things:
1. A picture of my sweet Buddy cuddling up with his favorite toy.
2. The word of God
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Lord, words fail me when I try to thank you for the sacrifice made for me. For your unconditional love. For the fact that there's nothing I can do to "earn" your love. Rather, you already love me for who I am, mistakes and all. Although I know it's not enough, I want to thank you. And I pray that I can live a life that is pleasing to you as just another way of showing my gratitude for all you've done for me. In your name, Amen.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Lord, words fail me when I try to thank you for the sacrifice made for me. For your unconditional love. For the fact that there's nothing I can do to "earn" your love. Rather, you already love me for who I am, mistakes and all. Although I know it's not enough, I want to thank you. And I pray that I can live a life that is pleasing to you as just another way of showing my gratitude for all you've done for me. In your name, Amen.
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