Elk Slayer (aka: Britta)

I freakin' LOVE this girl.

My sister-in-law, Britta, shot her first elk this year & supervised Jeff while gutting it.

And I totally love my sweet husband for gutting her elk so that she wouldn't have to do it.

(How convenient that Craig forgot his knife at the 4-wheeler???)

Feeling Crafty

So, I've been on a bit of a crafty kick lately (it doesn't happen very often anymore).

More than TWO YEARS ago, my wonderfully talented, creative, and inspiring sister-in-law, Erica, posted this about a Christmas Advent calendar that she made:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/advent_calendar/

I loved it, so TWO YEARS later, I started in July and finally finished one that I modified a little. I put it on sheet metal and put magnets on the back of the tins. I'm so glad that another Christmas hasn't gone by before I did this project.
My very crafty and smart neighbor, Amber, taught herself and then me to make these gems. Naturally, I've made about 12....one in every color that the girls could possibly need. Love them, thanks Amber!
I also made these while camping. Thanks for crafting while camping with me Britta.
Jeff and my brother Craig were out hunting this:

WAY TO GO CRAIG!!!

Updating Sidebar Pictures...

So, it has been a year since I've update pictures on my sidebar and even longer on Cassie, Shawn, & Sierra's. I've finally changed them to these (Shawn is still to come, he is always too busy for me to take pictures)....






And seriously...isn't Cassie gorgeous??? She is growing up way too fast.

Pork Tenderloins with Creamy Corn

I'm a sucker for new recipes and this one's a keeper. Really, you have to make it..this week. Go buy some fresh corn on the cob, you'll be glad you did. Also, I didn't know how good grilled pork tenderloin could be and it only takes about 25 minutes to grille. Mmmm, it's making my mouth water....

Sorry, no picture because we ate it so fast that I didn't get a chance to photograph it. So, So, So Yummy!

Pork Tenderloins with Creamy Corn

• Serves: 4 to 6
• Prep time: 25 minutes
• Marinating time: 1 to 3 hours
• WAY TO GRILL: direct medium heat (350° to 450°F)
• GRILLING TIME: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients for paste

• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves and tender stems
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each

Ingredients for Creamy Corn

• 5 ears fresh corn, husked (you may get the same taste from frozen corn?)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise, we used green onions
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• Hot sauce, optional

Directions

1. Roughly chop the garlic, and then sprinkle the oregano and salt over the garlic. Continue to chop until the garlic and oregano are minced. Periodically use the side of your knife blade to press the garlic on the cutting board and create a paste. Transfer the garlic paste to a bowl and mix in the oil, vinegar, and pepper.

2. Trim the pork tenderloins of surface fat and silver skin. Brush the paste all over the surface of the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. Allow the meat to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

3. Lightly brush the ears of corn with oil. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the corn over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until browned in spots and barely tender, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Using a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels off the cobs.

4. In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and scallions; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn kernels, cream, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until about half of the cream has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the oregano and a couple dashes of hot sauce, if desired. Set aside.

5. Grill the pork over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the outsides are evenly seared and the centers are barely pink, 15 to 20 minutes, turning about every 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the tenderloins should be 150°F when fully cooked.

6. Remove the pork from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, warm the corn mixture over medium heat. Cut each tenderloin crosswise into slices about ½ inch thick. Arrange the slices on a platter or individual plates. Serve warm with the creamy corn.

Turning One

Can't believe my baby is turning ONE today. It's bittersweet because I want him to grow up (and sleep), but I'm also a little sad that my baby days are growing shorter and I'm watching my last baby grow up way too fast.

Group Pictures are Ov-er-rat-ed

So seriously, I've given up all hope of being able to take pictures of my three boys together. I've decided that if I get one or two shots of them individually once in a while I'm doing pretty good. Barrett's almost 10 months old and my pictures of him are sorely lacking for sheer volume. I feel like I take fewer pictures of him than Nick and Ryan. I'm pretty sure I documented every last thing with Ryan (from sneezes, to messes, to going up stairs), but with Barrett I'm lucky to just document the major events. I feel like times just flies by and I wonder where the last few months and years went.I did finally get a few pictures of Barrett, but the fuzz he was sitting on was much more interesting than looking at the camera, so I ended up giving up after a while. I'll have to enlist Jeff's help for trying to get Barrett to look in the right direction next time.

Summer Clothes!

So today is literally the first day that it has been warm enough here for shorts (my boys are much more into the winter clothes than the summer and would happily wear snow boots and long pants year-round if I would let them.) When I put shorts on Nick this morning he went around saying, "Pants! Pants!" for an hour until I took him outside and distracted him.

I was trying to get a good picture of Nick since it's been like a year since he's allowed me to take a decent picture...I guess the quest goes on as he was being, how-shall-I-say, two-ish!

Angie's Bridals