Marinated Pork Tenderloin / Granola

I've had family in town the last week, and we've been playing so I haven't gotten much quilting done. That's OK , because tomorrow I fly into Long Beach, California for the International Quilt Festival that is normally held in Houston. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'll take lots of pictures and share them when I get back. From there we are going to Newport Beach where we are renting a beach house for a week. All of my children (except one) plus my brother, and our good friends the Fenlons will be there for an entire week of "beach sitting". I feel spoiled already.

With family in town, I've done some cooking. For Sunday dinner I made this pork tenderloin. I've been taking a wonderful cooking class at a delightful store here in St. George called "Life Essentials" Pat Leavitt made this recipe for us.

MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 1/2 C. Yoshida Sauce (can be purchased at Costco)

1 1/2 C. Apple Juice

3 cloves chopped garlic

One medium sliced red onion

3 medium apples, cored and in 1/4ths

Salt and pepper

Pork Tenderloin ( I buy mine at Costco)

Marinate the pork tenderloin overnight by placing in a 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Bake around 1 hour, depending on size of pork loin. Remove the foil the last 15 minutes. This can also be done in the crock pot and it turns out great!

Another recipe that is a family favorite I made this morning. Years ago I got this granola recipe from a friend and I've made it constantly since then. My family and friends request a batch all the time. It's a wonderful gift for Christmas, or a new neighbor moving in. My family requested some for the Beach House. Easy to assemble and it makes a lot, so there's always plenty to give away.

GRANOLA

Mix in large bowl:

10 C. old fashioned rolled oats

1 C. wheat germ

1/2 lb. coconut

2 C. raw sunflower seeds

1 C. sesame seeds

3 C. chopped nuts ( I use the almonds and pecans from Costco)

SAUCE:

In a large saucepan combine 1 1/2 C. brown sugar, 1 1/2 water, 1 1/2 veg. oil, 1/2 C. honey, 1/2 C. molasses, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, and 3 tsp. vanilla

Warm until sugar is disolved, but not boiling.

Pour over dry mix. Stir until well coated. Spread out on 2 cookie sheets. (I coat mine with a spray of Pam). Cook 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Do not stir. ** You can add dried fruit if you want. Let cool and place in zip lock bags or storage container.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl

Add the sauce ingredients in a large pan on the stove

One of the things I like about this recipe is there are very few steps. You don't even need to stir the granola during the cooking process. When I take it out of the oven, I let the granola cool on the cookie sheets, then place in large Ziplock bags.

I found this wonderful blog spot the other day and wanted to share it with you. If you are looking for ways to cook using your food storage, this site has it all. The recipes look delicious and they even have tutorial videos. I'm impressed. You can find them at http://everydayfoodstorage.blogspot.com/