Cookin' it up: Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette and Sauteed Spinach

J and I made dinner last night and I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette and Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each), trimmed and patted dry

coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 tbsp. honey

1 garlic clove

4 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 lbs total), thick stems removed, washed well

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium; season pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to skillet, and cook, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 145 degrees. 20 to 25 minutes (reduce heat if pork browns too quickly). Transfer pork to a plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).

2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth; set vinaigrette aside.

3. In reserved skillet (if bottom of skillet is blackened, use a new one), heat remaining tablespoon oil over high. Add as much spinach as will fit; toss until wilted, adding more spinach as there is room, 3 to 5 minutes total. Drain off excess liquid, and season spinach with salt and pepper. Slice pork and drizzle with vinaigrette; serve with spinach.

Fearless Love

The lyrics to this song speak volumes to me. Melissa Etheridge's new album, "Fearless Love" was released today and for very obvious reasons, haven't even made it past the first track!

FEARLESS LOVE

When I woke up I was 17

You kissed my lips in a bad bad dream

Showed me things aren't what they appear to be

Called me angel and set me free

You gave me life in the cold cold dark

But you ran away in the morning's spark

Made me think that reality

Is not where I want to be

I am what I am and

I am what I am afraid of

Oh what am I afraid of

I need a fearless love

Don't need to fear the end

If you can't hold me now

You will never hold me again

I want to live my life

Pursuing all my happiness

I want a fearless love

I won't settle for anything less

I've walked my path had worlds collide

I lost my way and I fooled my pride

This lover's ache wouldn't feel so strange

If I could only change

But I am what I am and

I am what I am afraid of

So what am I afraid of

I need a fearless love

Don't need to fear the end

If you can't hold me now

You will never hold me again

I want to live my life

Pursuing all my happiness

I want a fearless love

I won't settle for anything less

Now I'm not here to lay the blame

I understand when you hold a flame

Heads will shake heads will turn

And sometimes you just get burned

Work Ethics?

Why are there so many people who don't appreciate their job? Sure there are days when I am uber-stressed and have alot on my plate, but I'm always able to find the positive in the situation. Be it a new challenge for me personally, or seeing my team grow, there's always the silver lining! I LOVE my job! I never thought I'd be 25 and still working in the restaurant industry, but there isn't a day that goes by without me feeling grateful and blessed with my job. I don't expect everyone else to have the same passion as I do, but I am shocked when people just don't care anymore.

An employee quit today because of a new job opportunity and gave me two days advance notice. In my restaurant, it isn't easy to lose somebody because I physically need a body to cover those scheduled shifts. Not only is it frustrating that I'm scrambling to re-adjust the schedule, but this was an Assistant Manager that left on those terms and hoped that I would employ her again after her new 30-day temp job ends. Yeah, right! I don't take it personally, but it just seriously offends me when people have no respect. J and I both work in the restaurant industry and feel so strongly that there just aren't very many hard-working people anymore. It's frustrating to have strong work ethics and then struggle to employ people with similar qualities-- this is one of my ongoing complaints about people in my generation.

So to those of you reading this, appreciate your jobs. Appreciate that you have qualities that an employer saw and sought after. Appreciate that there are people struggling to feed their families and you are making money to make sure that doesn't happen. Appreciate that there are people above you, whether they constantly show you or not, whose jobs/stress levels/sanity depend on how honest of an employee you are. I hope that everyone can learn to be passionate about their jobs, but if you aren't, at least be tactful and respectful to those above and below you.

A little bit of life... appreciate everything. And always try to put yourself in another person's shoes before making a decision.

The High Life

I know that there are people of all ages who struggle with addictions. I'm an avid watcher of the show "Intervention" and it is so heartbreaking to see these people give up on life. What gets me the most is when I see teen addicts. Sure, most of them have suffered some type of abuse (but haven't we all??), but it is so shocking to me when someone who is 18 years old seems to think that there is no hope for their life. I look back at how much I have grown since I was 18 and the life I once lived seems like a complete strangers'. So many things have changed and so many opportunities have come my way-- for love, growth, and a more confident me.

J has his morning ritual of reading the news while brushing his teeth. He told me about an 18 year old girl who crashed a van into a home, killing a 69 year old woman. The teen was quoted saying, "The thing that made me not feel so bad was she was old. I mean, 70 years is a long time to live."

Kayla Gerdes was high on OxyContin and Xanax when she crashed her boyfriends van into a house. In another article I read, Gerdes' boyfriend was also high and not driving fast enough when Gerdes told him to pull over and let her drive. Moments later, the high, unlicensed driver, crashed into a house, killing a woman. Gerdes was running late to a court hearing for charges of stealing money and jewelry from her own mother. Her mom was hoping that the judge would order Kayla to drug rehab.

Then, on a completely separate note, she told police: "I want to see a newspaper or the news to see what I look like."

It is so sad to me that someone lost their life because of this girls stupidity and her addiction. It makes me sick to think that rather than find some sense of remorse, there are people in my generation who can easily justify the death of someone because they are old. It also sickens me that some people can be so concerned with their looks. Yeah, we all love to see a good picture of ourselves. But after killing someone and seeing your photo in the newspaper because of that? Definitely not. So, let's give this girl what she wants. Everyone should look at her picture. Everyone should remember her face. Hopefully someday she will feel a little embarrassment and remorse for what she's done.

If you want to check out the article, visit the website below:

http://wcbstv.com/local/kayla.gerdes.teen.2.1650435.html

Dreaming

People have all sorts of hopes and dreams. Landing their dream job, school goals, that size 2 body, etc. Sure, I daydream now and then about what life would be like if I had _________. But one thing that I have always wanted is a baby. I don't care if I am blessed with one or TEN-- I just know that I want to be a mom.

There are so many things that I lacked in my childhood that I want to make sure I get right with my kids. I know there will be frustrating days when my baby won't stop crying, my house is a mess, my husband is off at work, I'm covered in spit up, and I haven't slept in days.I know there will be days when I feel heartbroken because my child is humiliated by a friend, bullied on the playground, or embarrassed for not knowing the answer in class. I know there will be days when I can't stop worrying because my teenager is making bad decisions and I won't know how to steer them in the right direction. But I also know that every single day of that baby's life, it will be told how in love with him/her I am. I will always remind them-- and myself-- how badly I yearned for them. I will make sure that baby will grow up surrounded by love.

I know that now is not the time for that change in my life. But I do know that this is something I have always wanted. I have found contentment with those other things. No, I'm not a writer like I planned, and my size 8 is not as close to a size 2 as I'd prefer. But I have been blessed with this life I've been given, and the only thing I still dream about, is the day I get to hold my child in my arms!

Blog-stalking today, I came across this photo that just makes my heart melt. One day this will be mine =)

Just realized I saved this photo on my desktop and now I can't remember whose blog this was! So, not to discredit someone... this is an amazing shot that I am in love with!

I Heart Ikea

Ok, I'll admit it: I am addicted to Ikea. Heck, I could be the poster child for Ikea. Their furniture, bedding, decor, and lighting are all so modern. I'm not one for keeping things for years. I'm all about "out with the old, in with the new", so my shopping definitely follows that pattern. When I shop for a couch, I'm not looking for something I can pass down to my grandkids. It's all about affordability so I can swap it out in a few years when I'm ready for something new. I'm not my mothers' generation...and I definitely don't shop like hers!

The thought of living alone has always been a little terrifying for me, but I made the big step last August. Even MORE terrifying (and exciting) was purchasing furniture and decor for this 650 square feet I call my home. After hours of planning and shopping, I happened to find everything I loved and wanted at Ikea. Oh, my Ikea. You never fail.

Everything from couches, lighting, and flower vases--my apartment is all dressed up in Ikea. And it makes me smile =) Just thought I'd share a little bit of life with you... my apartment!

Here We Go!

It's time for all you bloggers out there to get a little taste of my life. Stay tuned for a bit about some of my favorite things: love, life, food, and a little bit of adventure.