~A New Recipe~

I haven't post a recipe in a while, so I thought I would share what I made for supper tonight. Very easy, and always very yummy!

Pork Tenderloin with Shallot-Cider Sauce

Pork:
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed ~ the one I cooked was probably 2-3 lbs and took about 2x longer to cook
1 Tb olive oil
1 garlic glove, minced
1/2 tsp salt ~ I used fresh ground salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Cooking spray

Sauce:
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp five-spice powder ~ I substituted this with Allspice
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tb fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. To prepare pork, rub with oil and garlic; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place pork on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees (barely pink). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
3. To prepare the sauce, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots, and cook 1 1/2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cider, broth, applesauce, 1/2 tsp salt, five-spice, and 1/4 tsp pepper; bring to a boil. Cook cider mixture until reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes); stir in 3 Tb fresh lemon juice. Serve sauce with pork.

We had this with steam vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, red peppers, and carrots) and homemade applesauce. The boys were very hunger, and loved it and we still have a good amount of left overs for lunch tomorrow.

~2 Projects~

Despite my Nook taking up so much of my time, I have still managed to find a bit of time to sew. Bringing my new obsession (my ereader) to my older obsession (my sewing), I totally had to sew a case for my Nook. It was such a fun quick project, and my next like it will be sewing a case for my sisters iPad.

The second project is one that I had promised my boys for a while, but I didn't really have any boy fabric and none that they liked. Recently I made a trip to use up a gift certificate to one of the best quilt stores in my area, Olive Juice, to use up a gift certificate and stock up on boy fabric. If you live around here, and can make a trip to Onalaska, WI on the first Thursday of the month you will get 20% off all your fabric at Olive Juice. I got so much fabric and didn't even use up my gift certificate...looks like I will have to make another trip. Maybe on Feb. 6th (Super Bowl Sunday), when almost all of there fabric is going to be 50% off!!! Back to the project, a cute little (really it is pretty big, I wanted it bigger so little hands had an easier time putting stuff in and out) wallet for Trevor. I had just finished it up and then Trevor got so sad because he wanted to help sew it. Quick thinking on by me, and we decided to sew his name on it. It is not straight at all, but he sewed it all on his own and is so proud of it!

I hope to get Landon's done today, he picked skull fabric...nothing like these fabrics that Trevor picked.

~Six Babies~

I have been going back and forth on whether to blog about this or not. Then I realized that no matter how hard of a time I am having right now, I don't want to forget or pretend it is not happening. Mom and/or Lois, if you are reading and wondering why I hadn't told you, please don't take offense. I want to tell you both but I don't want to talk about it. So, why blog about it? This is my outlet, my way of talking about something without talking about it. That probably makes zero sense to everyone, except to me. Enough of the why's, on to the subject.

I am going through my second miscarriage in three months. I was really a mess the beginning of December, probably the saddest and most down I had ever been. I was really taking the miscarriage that I suffered at the beginning of October hard. I found out I was pregnant in September and was beyond thrilled. It was my fifth pregnancy, I already had one little angel in heaven from a previous miscarriage in 2006. Having to send a second baby to heaven was the hardest thing I have ever had to cope with. Then right after Christmas, when I was starting to deal better with my loss, I found out I was pregnant. Again, I was thrilled, but this time so guarded and I did not let myself get attached to the idea. Then yesterday comes around, and it was like I was right back in October. The timing almost exactly the same, the ultrasound pretty much identical, and the outcome both ending with me sending a child to heaven. I now have six children and although I hold them all in my heart, it is so hard knowing that I did not get to hold three of those children in my arms.

I am loosing this baby as I type and it doesn't get easier, if anything it gets much much harder. I don't know what happens from here. Ted says we just try again right away, but I don't know how many losses I can take. These losses feel different than my first loss, like there is an underlying problem that won't let me sustain the pregnancies. I can't shake the idea that something is going wrong that I could fix, if only I knew what was going wrong. There has to be something I could do, but what? And again, how much more loss can I really handle without totally going off the deep end??

Well, despite my suffering, I still have three little boys that need their mommy and right now need their mommy to make them breakfast. So, on to making breakfast and going on with my life trying to live it like nothing really happened. But, it has happened. I just blogged about how it happened, and now there is no pretending it did not happen.

~Book Worm~

Hello blog world. I am here, alive, doing well. I have not blogged in about forever, but here I am trying to sneak a blog entry in while Trevor and Ethan are playing so nice. I think I have maybe five minutes, if I'm lucky!

You would think that the reason I haven't been blogging would be because I have an awesome new Bernina 330 sewing machine. Nope, I haven't sewed for a really long time (well, like a week). So, the main reason that I haven't been updating and blogging is because I have had my nose in my new Nook. If you don't know what a Nook is, it is a ereader similar to a Kindle but it is by Barns & Noble instead of Amazon. I got it for my birthday, the big 27, and have been addicted to it! Ted has just started reading chapter books to Landon, so I added some books that Landon would like to my wish list and now Landon is addicted to my Nook as well. As soon as he gets home from school, he asks me to read to him. Usually his brothers are sleeping, so this has been really nice for Landon and myself for some one on one. In one week I have read 2,180 pages and am on my 6th book! I told you, ADDICTED!

I have a project that I have to sew for the boys and can't wait to share it with everyone! Hopefully I can get it done by next week. If you have been checking for an update, thanks for sticking around. I will try to get back into the blog as soon as I can get this Nook addiction under control!!

~Cord Found~

Ted found my usb cord last night, so here are the finished pictures (well finished besides the buttons sewn on, I want to find some wooden toggle buttons...probably)

~Anna Maria Horner~

I first "met" this amazing woman way back in July when my mom bought some of her fabric. Remember the pink vintage bird bag that had the pink cheetah on the inside, that vintage bird fabric was by Anna Maria Horner (I also have it in blue but have yet to use it, I want to find the perfect project for such a great fabric!)

Just in case you didn't remember :)

Not only does she have some amazing fabric lines, she also has some really nice pattern books. I just happen to get one of the for Christmas! The book that I got is titled Handmade Beginnings and has everything form maternity clothes, nursing clothes, decor projects for the nursery, to clothes for baby, and a little more in between. It is such a fun book and so far I have made two projects out of it. The first I made was a sweet little jacket (about 6-9 months) and then I made some little booties to match the jacket.  I realized making this that I don't have very much "boy" fabric, I wanted to make the jacket for Ethan but didn't have a fabric I liked. I have a gift card and will have to stock up on some "boy" fabric when I get a chance!

(I lost my usb cord...again....I will get pictures of the jacket up as soon as I find it, until I do here are a few of Ethan trying it on before it was finished. He saw me bring it upstairs, and grabbed it saying, "MINE!" and insisted on wearing it)

~Winter~

This is kind of a wordless Wednesday post, because I don't have much to say this morning and really the pictures can speak for themselves. I will let you know I am not a huge fan of winter (mostly because of the cold, I don't mind the snow if we can actually be out in it, I hate cold). Despite the things about winter that I hate, there is one thing that you could never hate about winter....the beauty of the season. It is stunning to walk out side and see this.

~The Loot~

Winding down after the Christmas rush. We had such a fun Christmas this year, and I hope you all did too! Christmas for us is not just one day, it is a three day celebration. Starting with supper at my inlaws on the 23rd (and present opening), then it was to my Grandparents on Christmas eve for lunch (and more presents) and supper at my parents (Dad, I am still dreaming about that stuffed tenderloin you made! and, you guessed it, more presents). That takes us to Christmas morning and Santa (a couple of cute stories to come) at our house, followed by breakfast and then onto our last celebration that night with Ted's extended family. We had such a great time everywhere, and I think it took me until today to regroup, but so worth it! I love spending so much time with so much family! We are truly blessed, to say the least!

Onto Santa, oh Santa. A cute little story about Trevor. So, I can see down our hallway while I am in bed to the top of the stairs and the boys' room is right by the stairs. I hear and then see Trevor run to the stairs, and then he looks down the hallway and sees me still in bed, so he turns around and comes to me in bed.
He stands by the side of my bed and tells me, "I have been waiting so long for this!"
I pretend I don't know what he is talking about and ask, "for what?"
Trevor looks down at his santa and snowmen pj's and just points to one of the santas. Hahaha, priceless!
This story leads right into a cute one about Landon. Trevor and my conversation wakes up Landon (who is in our bed sleeping). He shoots up and runs down the stairs, Trevor right behind him. We have a mantel at the bottom of the stairs that the stockings were hanging on, but santa moved them into the living room by the Christmas tree.
Landon freezes at the bottom of the stairs in a panic because the stockings are missing, "the stockings are gone, Santa took the stockings."
Ted gets down the stairs before me and of course plays along, "Oh, no. He took the stockings?!"
Landon still stuck in his spot at the bottom of the stairs, his gaze frozen on the empty mantel, now starts to get teary eyed (probably thinking he had been too naughty), so Ted has to go around the corner and let him know he sees some presents. The tears stop and Landon sprints around the corner in complete excitement. He loved everything from Santa!

 my little cousins, so cute!

 ice cream AND whip cream on homemade waffles...only on Christmas!

throwing a fit but still eating :)

 Tuckered out! (he crawled right up and fell asleep and it was still morning)

Engagement Party!

My brother in law and soon to be sister in law are having an engagement party tonight. Both Ted and I are in the wedding this July, and can't wait for it to get here...I know it will be a blast and such a special day! Bobby (my brother in law), is like another little brother to me. I have been hanging out with him since I was 14, and he was 10. I love him to pieces, he was the sweetest boy that has turned into the sweetest man. Think gentle giant. He played football in college, and lets just say was not on the small side...pretty much the same height/built as Ted, but lots more muscle and meat on his bones (no offense Ted, if you read this...still love you lots!). Then Ellie, soon to be sister in law, came into our lives. I say our, because she really has always been like a part of the family. Also, the sweetest thing with the best smile in the world. She was a junior in high school when her and Bobby started dating (so five years my junior, and has also always felt like another sister to me), and I will never forget how fun and spunky that high school girl was. She can light up a room.

Look how cute they are!

Enough of the mushy stuff! Back to the engagement party....which means a night out for Ted and I! Can I get a wooot wooot! It has been awhile and is much needed (at least I know it is much needed for me!). We are going to my parents Brewery for the party and I can't wait to have a pint (or two) of the Cranberry Stout that just hit the tap yesterday! It's one of my favorites, and I have to give a big thanks to my dad for coming up with the recipe. Thanks dad!! It is a casual party but I decided that I am going to dress up. Mostly because I never do and just felt like it, and also because you can never be too dressed up for a party. Which leads me to my makeup, it has been years since I have done a dark smokey eye and tonight I will be sporting it. I went with shades of purples. I wanted to do something fun and dramatic for a fun night out. Here is the makeup, still have to do hair. Not sure if I will go straight or wavy? Probably will depend on how much time I have (showered and did my makeup when Ted had the boys outside sledding...hair at nap time, which should be right now).