Photography

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Pork lovers get ready to swooooon!  This might be the most delicious way I have ever prepared pork tenderloin!

I made this yummy recipe earlier this week to go with the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples I featured HERE.

It was like a match made in Yum Yum Heaven!  I have to admit I moaned a few times eating it!

Hope you give it a try!

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin*

Ingredients

  • 1 pork tenderloin (approx. 1 1/2 lbs)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp dried thyme
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp apricot preserves (heaping)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (as much as I LOVE salt, I always recommend low-sodium soy sauce)
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet.  When hot, add tenderloin(s).  Liberally season pork with salt and pepper and dried thyme.   Sear the pork on all sides.

When pork is beautifully seared and browned all over, add wine and chicken broth/stock to the skillet.  Cover and place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.

Remove pork and place on cutting board.  Cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

In skillet, add apricot jam, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and rosemary.  Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes allowing the glaze to thicken.

Slice pork tenderloin and drizzle glaze over top.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Original recipe found at AGoudaLife.com.

Pittsburgh’s Picklesburgh 2017 is a Big Dill

/ Jodi / 46 Comments
Pittsburgh's Picklesburgh is a Big Dill! #Picklesburgh2017

Pittsburgh's Picklesburgh is a Big Dill!

Though I reside in a little town called Mars, our "big city" is Pittsburgh.  Just 30 minutes from Mars (hard to believe eh?!), Pittsburgh is really where all the "action" is.

This past weekend (July 28-29, 2017), one of Pittsburgh's 446 bridges (the Roberto Clemente or 6th Street Bridge) was closed down to automobile traffic and opened up for a dill-lightfully dill-licious celebration of all things pickle!  Picklesburgh 2017.

So what to do at "life in between?"  Why visit Picklesburgh of course!

Why Pickles?

Pittsburgh has a particularly popular pickle-loving history beginning almost 150 years ago when the H. J. Heinz Factory was built.  I remember going on a Heinz factory tour as a grade school field trip and receiving one of the now iconic pickle pins.  (My granddaughter now has one in her Grandma Memory Jar from our visit to Picklesburgh this past weekend.)

Picklesburgh celebrates EVERYthing pickled!  You could find pickle-flavored sodas, pickle beer and moonshine, and pickle-flavored cocktails.

Dill-acacies included pierogies with pickles, pickled funnel cakes, pickle-flavored custard, and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped pickles on a stick.  There were pickles and dip and grilled cheese sandwiches with pickles.  There was pickle fudge and pickle peanut butter cookies.

There were pickle balloons – small and large – including a giant flying Heinz pickle balloon, custom built by a team that also crafts balloons for Disney and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

There were pickling food demonstrations

And pickle samples from local farm-to-table shop small vendors like Epic Pickles

and the Pittsburgh Pickle Company,

where I bought one of each flavor!

And if you don't have one yet, who could live without a dill pickle talk-to-text Linabag?

It sure was a dill-leriously dill-lectable way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Thanks Picklesburgh!  Next year, I may just try that Pickle-flavored Italian Ice……

Maybe….

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Difficult Paths

/ Jodi / 33 Comments
Scottsdale, AZ - July, 2017

Scottsdale, AZ – July, 2017

Difficult Paths.

Difficult paths
often lead to
beautiful destinations.

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

On a recent trip to Arizona, I loved snapping shots of the beautiful desert scenery.  Little did I know how sharp and painful beautiful cactus plants are when you rub up against them too close………. In Steve Erkel voice….. “Did I do that????”  Yep!  Yep I did!

The Magic of Moonlight

/ Jodi / 27 Comments
Full Moon over Scottsdale, Arizona - July, 2017

Full Moon over Scottsdale, Arizona – July, 2017

The Magic of Moonlight.

The full moon’s smoldering glow
illuminates the evening desert sky

Peeking and hiding amidst billowy clouds
in shades of creamy coral and milky opal.

Palm trees elegantly pirouette
with delicate fronds fluttering fluidly

While the wind whispers a soft lullaby
in hushed tones of serene tranquility.

Good night sweet summer day…
sleep peacefully in contented slumber.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Red Rock Mountains of Sedona

/ Jodi / 56 Comments

Last week, Hubby and I had the great privilege of traveling approximately 2,000 miles across the U.S. to visit a beautiful area of our country far different from the area we live in – the desert Southwest of Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona.

A highlight of our trip was sightseeing the beautiful Red Rock Mountains of Sedona.  I took quite a few pics, but haven’t had much time to look at yet since we’ve just returned.  Here is one I really like, but even it doesn’t compare to the enormity, the vastness, and the beauty of experiencing this beautiful corner of the world in person.

The rocks in Sedona are a deep, rich, orange-red like no others around.  Apparently, they are comprised of sediment layers deposited over many millions of years*. The shale foundation is the remainder of ancient swamp lands. Other layers are the remainder of an ancient beachfront, known as the “Schnebly Hill Formation,” that deposited iron about 275 million years ago. The Coconino sandstone layer was formed at a time when Sahara-like dunes covered the majority of the Western US.  The Kaibab limestone layer was deposited when a warm shallow sea covered the area about 250 million years ago.

The Red Rocks we see today were formed several million years ago when the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau that created the Grand Canyon also caused water to carve out Sedona’s red rock, cake-like layers. Currently, Sedona is considered to be a part of the Colorado Plateau and is in the process of making mountains, raising an average of one inch every 60-80 years!

The temperatures during our one-week visit ranged between a  low of 102 to a high of 117 degrees Fahrenheit!  Whoooowheee it was hot!  It was a different kind of hot than we are used to in the Eastern part of the U.S., however, as the humidity levels were only around 10% as compared to our typical 50-100%, so it was much more pleasant.  (Especially when in the pool with a frozen margarita!)

This is a place in the U.S. that anyone who can, should experience!

Thanks for the memories Sedona!
I look forward to creating some paintings from your beautiful inspiration!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

P.S. Thanks Jayme and Ryan for being our gracious tour guides!  ❤

* https://redrockscenicbyway.com/

Blossom through the Darkness

/ Jodi / 41 Comments
Orange Begonia - July, 2017 - Mars, PA

Orange Begonia – July, 2017 – Mars, PA

We don’t always grow when things are easy,
We don’t always blossom when the sun is bright.

Grow through the challenges.
Blossom through the darkness.

Life your life as fully and courageously and boldly as you can.
It’s your opportunity to bloom!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Thanks, Jan, for these beautiful flowers, they are still vibrantly blossoming!

Chilling White Wine

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Frozen Grapes in Pinot Grigio

Frozen Grapes in Pinot Grigio

Chilling White Wine.

I recently learned about this great tip for keeping your white wine chilled without watering it down.

Freeze a bag of grapes, and use them as “ice cubes.”

At the end of your drink, you have a wonderful treat of wine soaked grapes to enjoy!  And your wine stays full flavored to the very end.

I am definitely more of a red wine girl, but I sometimes enjoy a light Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp, buttery Chardonnay in the summer.

Dropping in a few frozen grapes makes it even more of a treat.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Amber Waves of Grain

/ Jodi / 33 Comments
Amber Waves of Grain - America the Beautiful

Amber Waves of Grain – America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

America the Beautiful.

Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire.

Happy Birthday America!  Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

On our way home from dinner out one evening a week or so ago, I convinced Hubby to pull over when we drove by fields of grain growing as far as the eyes could see as the sun was setting.   Amber waves of grain glowing in the sunset caused me to pause and rejoice in the beauty of the country we live in.

And lest you be fooled by the gloriousness of the moment… To get the right angle, I tried squatting in the field when my leg decided to cramp up, so I ended up on the ground with muddy knees and bum, and Hubby asking if I fell as he saw me rolling on the ground.  Thank goodness nobody else saw!  Just keeping it real here….. at life in between.

 

Impatience

/ Jodi / 31 Comments
Impatiens Flowers - June 2017 - Mars, PA

Impatiens Flowers – June 2017 – Mars, PA

Impatience.

It is hard to be patient,
when you are impatiently waiting…

For the sun to rise,
or for the sun to set.

For the next season to begin,
or for the former to end.

For the pot to boil,
or for the bread to rise.

For the punch line of a joke,
or the ending of a sad movie.

To start a new book,
or to reach the ending.

For the child to grow,
or for the child to remain small.

For the love of your life,
or for the ability to love life.

For that amazingly great moment,
or for each one in between.

Cheers and hugs,
Jodi

 

Morning is Worth Waking up to

/ Jodi / 40 Comments
Early Morning Front Yard - Mars, PA - June, 2017

Early Morning Front Yard – Mars, PA – June, 2017

Morning is worth waking up to…

When the warmth of the sun casts its golden magic,
and the shadows of the awakening trees begin dancing.

The cool dew is refreshingly invigorating on bare feet in the grass,
and the light breeze of the night still lingers.

The chirping birds are rejoicing, drenched with enthusiasm,
soaring and fluttering with the butterflies and the bees.

Steaming dark roast coffee is poured and inhaled,
lightened with Italian sweet cream, and then sipped with pleasure.

Sleepy, swollen eyes begrudgingly awaken and brighten.
It’s time to embrace the unending number of possibilities of a brand new day.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

If being in the second half of life means Sunday mornings are even more glorious than Saturday nights, I’ll take it!