Tiny Teal Flower

 

Slow Cooker Greek Pork

 

2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

 

Coat slow cooker pot with cooking spray. Rub pork with salt and place in pot. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl. Spoon 1/2 of the yogurt mixture over pork. Cover and refrigerate remaining yogurt mixture. Cover and cook pork on high 4 to 5 hours, or on low 6 to 7. (We did low for 6 hours, but it could have cooked a bit longer.) Remove pork and shred with 2 forks, then return to pot. Stir in reserved yogurt mixture; cover and rewarm at least ten minutes. Great with rice or warm pitas. We had ours with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, kalamata olives, tzatziki sauce, and feta. This recipe feeds six, so of course we cut it in half.

Five Kitty Cats

 

I’ve done it without giving it a second thought. You probably have, too. I’ve eaten an apple while in a moving car. When I was done, I’ve opened the window and tossed the core out. But disposing of an apple core along a roadside isn’t as harmless as it seems. To decompose, such things need moisture and the right microorganisms, which can be in short supply along highways. Instead of becoming compost, the core will likely dehydrate. It could end up being there a long time. Meanwhile, it could entice wildlife like deer or raccoons to venture out of their comfort zone, where they may become roadkill. It could pick up roadside toxins before being snagged by a squirrel. Even without added pollutants, an apple core may not be part of a healthy diet for whatever finds it. You’re far better off keeping a trash receptacle in your car and never toss ANYTHING out the window.

Now You're Cooking

 

Next week I’ll make some loaves of banana bread for a church bake sale. I was thinking about what I need to have on hand (fresh buttermilk, whole nutmeg, and plenty of very ripe bananas) and it occurred to me this trick I’ve used for years might be useful for someone else. If I’m following a recipe I don’t have in my head – something I don’t make very often, or one I’ve never tried before – I suspend it from my cupboard door with a skirt hanger. I use a hanger with clips, not the kind that clamps the skirt between wooden slats. It puts the recipe at eye level, or at least closer to eye level than the counter. The recipe (in this case, the cookbook) is less likely to be splashed by energetic stirring or soiled by a messy countertop. Best of all, it takes up zero valuable counter space.

Striped Heart

 

This recipe serves six. Since there are only three of us, I cut it in half to make it last week. Although the original recipe called for serving this on top of cooked spaghetti, we had ours over baked potatoes. It was a big hit.

 

Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken

 

1 pound chicken breasts

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup water

 

Coat the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker (Ours holds 2 1/2 quarts) with cooking spray. Place chicken in bottom, then dump remaining ingredients on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove and shred meat; return to cooker about half an hour before serving.

Yellow Flower

 

Over the years, I’ve abandoned a lot of my “bucket list” items. Case in point: “Climb Mount Everest” sounded like a laudable goal when I was in my teens, but now it seems ridiculous.  I’ve wanted to travel Route 66 for as long as I can remember. I’d like to see Meramec Caverns, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the meteor crater where they filmed the end of Starman, and all the quirky roadside diners and vintage service stations in between. On Veteran’s Day this year, “The Mother Road” will celebrate her 100th Anniversary. Events, festivals, parades, car rallies and preservation projects will happen across all of the eight states through which Route 66 traveled: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. My state isn’t included in that list. But, maybe if we scheduled our next Disneyland trip for November, we could squeeze in a visit to Barstow and Santa Monica Pier.

Four Kitty Cats

 

May 10, 1999, 35-year-old David Phillips was saw a Healthy Choice promotion offering 500 frequent flyer miles for every 10 mailed-in product barcodes. Double miles if the barcodes were mailed by May 31. David did the math. Pudding cups were the cheapest qualifying product. $2.50 of pudding was worth 1,000 miles – a value of $20. David drove all over Sacramento, clearing stores of their pudding cups. If cashier got suspicious, he told them he was preparing for Y2K. He stacked 12,150 cups all over his house. Then he realized there was no way to peel all the barcodes alone before the deadline. David called the Salvation Army and made a deal. He donated all the pudding. The Salvation Army peeled the barcodes, and David mailed them in time. Two months later, a package arrived; certificates for 1,253,000 frequent flyer miles worth $150,000. Over the next five years, David flew his entire family to 43 countries.

Seven Song Birds

 

In our old neighborhood, there was a retired couple we admired. Half the year, they lived in Utah. They spent time gardening and playing with grandkids. When winter arrived, they packed their car, loaded their dog and cat, and moved to Arizona away from ice and snow. In summer, they’d come back and sit on their porch with mint juleps, greeting passersby. Our current home has a porch, and as of this week, it has two rockers. All we need are the mint juleps.

 

Mint Juleps – Disneyland Style

 

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup mint leaves

4 cups crushed ice

3 cups lemonade

3 cups sparkling water or lemon-lime soda

Mint leaves for garnish

 

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water; stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add mint, crushing gently. Steep 30 minutes, then strain. Add to remaining ingredients for a pitcher of minty goodness to share.