As part of our fitness plan for the new year, we participated in the second week of the Good and Good for You Challenge from the National Pork Board and their partner, Publix. We used boneless pork loin chops to make Braised Pork Chops with Peppers and Onions.

I’m moving right along with the 30 Day Shred, too: today was day 14!

This week’s theme is Game Day, but one of my kids requested this recipe and I couldn’t resist the peppers and onions. If you’re looking for a game day recipe, Game Day Pork and Chile Wraps sounds like a winner (pun intended).

This recipe is quick, easy, and a real crowd pleaser. The boneless pork loin chops are lean and cook in no time. I used chicken broth instead of wine in the recipe; I actually used more out of the resealable carton from last week’s Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus.

More time was devoted to photographing the veggies than prepping them.

Braised Pork with Peppers and Onions

4 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 small red bell peppers, or yellow bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red or yellow onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine, (for non-alcoholic, substitute chicken or vegetable broth)

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plate and set aside.
Add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Add bell peppers and onion to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up and stirring in any browned bits in the skillet. Return chops to skillet, nestling them in the liquid, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 4 minutes. Turn chops, cover, and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time. Serve pork with pepper and onion mixture spooned on top. Serves 4

Enter the Love Me Tenderloin giveaway through the Pork Be Inspired Facebook page for your chance to win $50 worth of pork tenderloin, given away daily. Just “like” the page and then click the Win with Pork link on the left for more details.

{I will be compensated for writing this post series and received coupons and a gift card for Publix. Opinions expressed are my own.}

Good and Good for You Challenge: Week 2 is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Last week my 10-year-old son and I went on a mother/son date to see Space! at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Space! is a rollicking romp through the solar system: if you’re looking for a fun day in Atlanta with your child and a great learning opportunity, too, it’s a good choice for a trip into Atlanta.

We enjoyed the zany characters and slick puppet effects, which were explained after the show. The songs entertained and informed at the same time; we clapped our hands and tapped our feet and sang along.

As a mom, however, the thing that impressed me most was the way Space! presents factual information about the solar system in a way that doesn’t make a Bible-believing, Creationist parent cringe and take note of the things they’ll need to further discuss after the show. Well done!

One of the highlights of our trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts was a visit upstairs after the show to the Create-a-Puppet Workshop. My son and I made silly alien puppets and we loved it!

Periodically the kids got to stand behind a puppet stage and perform a black-light production with their puppets, completely with wacky soundtrack. I filmed it with my phone, but apparently I don’t have enough memory left to save it.

Any trip downtown is a good excuse to visit The Varsity, which rounded out our big day.

Space! runs a the Center for Puppetry Arts until March 11. Don’t miss it!

Our Trip to Space! at the Center For Puppetry Arts is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I‘m trying to lose some weight using the 30 Day Shred, however it’s apparent that my diet needs to improve, too—a win-win prospect for both me and my family. Lean meat like pork provide the protein we need with less fat. I’m participating in the National Pork Board’s “Good and Good for You Challenge” during the four-week period of January 26-February 22 and I’ll let you know about weekly pork specials at Publix and recipes that you and I can try.

Check out this quote from pork, knife, and spoon:

Consumption of extra-lean protein like the flavorful pork tenderloin has been linked to a greater feeling of fullness, retention of muscle mass and a reduced urge to eat.

That’s exactly what I need!

This week’s special is pork tenderloin and last night I made Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus. I’m a directions-follower and panicked when I realized that I didn’t have the dry white wine, only a sweet red and a sweet white. One of my best friends assured me that you should “cook with wine you’d drink,” so I used the sweet red. Here’s a picture in the middle of the cooking process. It wasn’t until everything was devoured that I realized I’d missed capturing the finished product.

Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus

• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pork tenderloin, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed if needed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced sodium or organic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay*
• 2 teaspoons spreadable butter with canola oil, or substitute butter

Stir together flour, sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish or plate, and preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Slice pork crosswise into 3/4-inch thick medallions and arrange flat on a cutting board. Pound with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness and coat pork in flour on all sides.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Once the oil shimmers, place the pork in a single layer. You may need to divide the pork into two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes and turn to brown the other side. Remove pork onto a plate and scrape the brown bits up from the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon, putting them into the measured broth or wine. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan and repeat the cooking procedure. Add the pork to the plate.
Remove pan from heat, add wine, place back on heat, and simmer for 4 minutes or until wine reduces down to a couple of tablespoons. Add broth and simmer 3 minutes or until reduced by half.
Remove from heat, swirl in butter, and add pork back to the pan to coat. Arrange pork on plates and spoon sauce on top.

Makes 4 servings

*or substitute with 1/2 cup apple juice + 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

On the right is a picture of it from the Pork Be Inspired website, because apparently they have the patience to photograph the food before someone eats it.

I’ve also had a request for Roast Pork Tenderloin with Asian Dry Rub and I’d like to try the Apple-Pecan Tenderloin Medallions. I tend to get in a rut in the kitchen, so I’m thankful for the fresh inspiration.

Do you cook with pork? Are you trying to eat healthier this year?

{I am being compensated for writing this post series and received coupons and a gift card for Publix. All shopping, cooking, eating, and opinions were done or made by me.}

The “Good and Good for You Challenge” is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I occasionally apologize to my kids about the music of their generation, where popularity is garnered by bad behavior instead of talent, by style rather than substance. My parents reminisced about artists who wore suits on stage and whose dress and behavior showed respect for their audience. Even today’s talented artists sometimes fail on the respect issue.

Sunday night my 16-year-old son and I saw Straight No Chaser at the Atlanta Civic Center. It was my 4th SNC concert, so I expected a great show. The guys don’t disappoint: they look good and sound even better.

It’s amazing how unimportant gimmicks are when you actually have talent.

They obviously enjoy what they do, and when they have fun, we have fun. SNC isn’t afraid to be silly or make fun of themselves (and occasionally the audience, when they really ask for it).

My camera hearts Straight No Chaser.

Straight No Chaser understands the power of social media—they were discovered when an old college video of them went viral after being uploaded to YouTube. Photography and video are not only allowed but encouraged at SNC concerts and the guys always sign autographs afterwards. 

If you get the chance to catch Straight No Chaser in concert, you won’t be disappointed!

{Disclosure: Tickets provided by Atlantic Records (no review required). Opinions are my own!}

Concerts Done Right: Straight No Chaser is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Feeding a family our size provides a constant challenge. Breakfast is fairly easy (cereal or bagels anyone?) and supper requires some planning, but it’s really lunch that sneaks up on me most days. We get busy and before I know it it’s early afternoon.

Everyone wants something different and we usually have sandwiches, pancakes, Ramen noodles, or mac ‘n’ cheese. I’ve well exceeded the quota of PB&Js that a grown woman should have eaten in her lifetime. By a long shot.

Honestly, sometimes I get tired of what the kids want for lunch, so taste testing Healthy Choice’s new line of Top Chef inspired Café Steamers was a welcome change. The two I received were Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables and Chicken Margherita with Balsamic (check out the full line-up here).

The packaging surprised me: no peeling back a corner or cutting slits in the film on top. Instead, Healthy Choice uses a unique steaming technology separates the sauce from the rest of the entrée to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing for crisp vegetables, tender meats and al dente pastas. You just stick the bowl in the microwave (it’s really a bowl stacked inside a bowl) and then pour the sauce on top of the entree—surprisingly good and easy!

I felt spoiled, as if one of the Bravo’s Top Chefs whipped up those meals just for me. I’m sure you understand if you’re the one who usually cooks for your family. Cooking can be satisfying and a lot of fun, but occasionally I need a break. The Top Chef Café Steamers were a real treat.

Today was actually easy: we got home last night and discovered that the slow cooker of chili that should have been simmering all day was actually unplugged. It cooked overnight and made a delicious (and on time, for once!) lunch today. Sadly enough, it took a supper fail to make a lunch success. {sigh}

Do you struggle to find fresh, healthy lunch options for your family? Do you eat frozen meals? If you’re a mom, are you able to shed the mommy guilt and make something separate for you.

{Disclosure: I received two frozen meals and will be compensated for writing this post. Opinions expressed are my own.}

Daily Lunch Dilemmas and a Solution from Healthy Choice is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Last year was the first time our family saw A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre, in a beloved production which celebrates 22 consecutive years this season. The Dickens classic begins with greed, selfishness, and hatred and concludes with forgiveness; love for your neighbor; loyalty; and compassion. A Christmas Carol remains fresh year after year, depicting change and renewal of the best sentiments of the season.

Comment to win tickets for 4 for this Thursday, December 1, at the bottom of this post!

I love what the Alliance is doing for the community this year: sponsoring a food drive with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Bins are located in the lobby to collect your donations of non-perishable food items or other household consumables. The most needed items can be found in the right sidebar on this page.

I’m not sure what surprises are in store for audiences at this year’s production, but it’s suggested that you warm up your singing voice before you arrive! This play is best enjoyed by ages 6 and up.

How to Win

You have up to 3 chances to win! Do one or all, leave a separate comment for each:

1. Leave a comment on this post. Have you ever seen A Christmas Carol at the Alliance?
2. Follow both the Alliance Theatre and me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Here’s a sample tweet:

Win tickets for 4 to A Christmas Carol from @alliancetheatre and @dawnMHSH http://bit.ly/vZIWb7 #ATL #giveaway

Come back and leave another comment on this post.

3.Like the Alliance Theatre and My Home Sweet Home on Facebook for a 3rd entry and leave a separate comment so I’ll know that you did.

A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre: An Atlanta Tradition (and a Giveaway) is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I started this blog 5 1/2 years ago on the weekend of my mother’s birthday, two years after she passed away. I missed her wit and wisdom—her words—and wished they’d been recorded in more than recipe cards and stray notes. Blogging provides a means of capturing my family’s history in both word and image, something I hope my kids will appreciate some day.

Still, it’s impossible to document everything here. Many moments are stored only in our memories and the external hard drives that hold my images. The kids love to sit in front of my computer and scour the photo library, laughing and remembering, but with nearly 50,000 images (not including our pre- and early-digital days) I feel guilty about all that they miss.

With a new website called LiveOn, we’re creating a family timeline of words and images that will stretch as far into the past or the future as we have content to fill. Using a free LiveOn account, I’m currently starting at the present and working backwards, clicking “Create a Memory” and then uploading photos and describing family events.

Interview questions like “Of all the cities where you have lived, which is your favorite and why?” appear under your timeline, to answer either with a typed response or a video recorded with your webcam. Another interesting feature is called “Narrate a Person,” which allows you to start a timeline for a young child (who can later assume control of it); an older person; or a deceased ancestor. I would love to see my kids and relatives use the site, too, painting a broader picture of our family.

It’s a powerful thing, this storing of memories for the future.

The LiveOn promise:

We promise to keep your memories forever. Not 100 years, not 500 years, but forever. We have an intricate backup system of servers that will act as your personal vault, ensuring your stories are here for all future generations to enjoy. This promise of memory preservation is the number one focus of our company and we will do everything in our power to keep this promise to you.

Click over to LiveOn and watch the video describing their philosophy of preserving memories for generations to come and a tutorial on how to use the site. Use coupon code cgc49 for 20% off LiveOn Rewind, a service that converts your old photos to digital.

Thank you to LiveOn for this sponsored opportunity to blog about storing and sharing my most important memories with those closest to me. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Please click here to learn more about storing and sharing your most special memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Create a Timeline of Your Family’s Memories with LiveOn is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Initially I’d planned to fly to The Relevant Conference, alone. However, my 16-year-old son created a bond with the folks from DaySpring in January when he traveled with me to BlissDom and worked with them in January. They wanted him to go and he wanted to go, so it was settled.

Unfortunately, I delayed buying plane tickets when the AC went out in our van and then prices increased too much to justify paying for two. I finally got a good attitude about the 1400-mile round trip knowing I’d have good company and the fall leaves should be at peak, but I worried about making the trip in our 2001 Taurus with 200k+ miles. If we had trouble, we’d be nowhere near home and help.

A frantic search for a sponsored car put me behind the wheel of a car. Not just any car, but a new Kia Sportage decked out with GPS, satellite radio, and dual sunroofs.

Truly, it was my first 21st century driving experience.

Kia Sportage

Because of the size of our family, I drive a vehicle that’s purely utilitarian. It’s all function and little form, the same van that’s used for daycares and airport shuttles. How many people’s car manuals contain instructions for converting it into an ambulance? Mine does.

We didn’t even plot the route of our trip through 7 states, but just plugged the final address in the car’s GPS and it showed the way. A built-in cable connected to my iPhone, enabling me to listen to music and charge the phone at the same time. I’m used to hauling CDs, so I loved having access to all the music in my iTunes library.

On the way home we stopped at a drive through for sweet tea and the girl at the first window told me that she liked the headlights on my car (and no, I didn’t admit that it wasn’t mine), that they looked like they were wearing eyeliner. At the second window the kid handed us our food and grinned, “Here you go, cool kids!”

We were tired after 5 days on the road; surely the car was the only thing about us emitting any degree of cool.

The Sportage was so much fun that honestly, I didn’t want to give it back. I’ve spent the rest of the week reaching for non-existent volume controls on my van’s steering wheel and I even checked the treble and bass settings on the radio because it just sounds so very bleh.

That Kia seriously spoiled me.

The late October leaves of scarlet, orange, and gold were breathtaking—especially Interstate 81 through Virginia—and I’m thankful to have experienced it firsthand with my son. Two days’ worth of time to laugh, listen, and relax in our Kia was quality mother/son time at its best. Thank you Kia for making it possible!

Our Road Trip to Relevant was sponsored by:

• DaySpring – Home for the Hearts of Women
• Moe’s Southwest Grill – Welcome to Moe’s!
• Kia
• Amy Bayliss: Cajun joie de vivre

Our Perfect Road Trip to The Relevant Conference is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

My bunch absolutely cannot do without community. We love family time, but getting together with friends—where the moms can share, the kids can play, and the dads can bond—is a must. Hanging with our Moe’s gang on Kids Eat Free night gets me through the hump in the middle of the week.

Although we arrive separately in our own time, we leave en masse and always after closing time. If the weather’s warm the conversation moves outside, where the kids play football, frisbee, or whatever in the parking lot.

Our community at Moe’s grew slowly, week by week. We constantly invite new people, who might come once or occasionally, but there’s a core of us that rarely miss.

Tonight my 6- and 8-year-old daughters sat at a table with a little girl and her mother. When I introduced myself, I found that these were friends made at Moe’s on another evening; the girls didn’t know each other from anywhere else, but they sat together for supper.

Your can build community like this where you live. Find a Moe’s or any restaurant with a family night and invite your friends. If you don’t have local friends, just show up and make them.

No one cooks. No one cleans. Just breathe and let friendships germinate.

Last week my 16-year-old son and I made the 700 mile drive to Harrisburg, PA, for The Relevant Conference largely due to one of our sponsors—you guessed it—Moe’s Southwest Grill.

The manager of our local Moe’s told me he hoped that after visiting restaurants in other parts of the country, we’d return to say that his location—our location—was best. While others may have been bigger or better situated, nothing compares to being where everyone knows your name.

Does your family have community? What can you do to foster it?

Our Road Trip to Relevant was made possible by sponsorship from:

• DaySpring – Home for the Hearts of Women
• Moe’s Southwest Grill – Welcome to Moe’s!
• Amy Bayliss: Cajun joie de vivre
• Kia & DriveSTI

Where Everyone Knows Your Name is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Wednesday evening eight of us attended opening night of Disney on Ice Dare to Dream at Atlanta’s Philips Arena. Dare to Dream combines story lines and characters from two new movies, Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, and one classic, Cinderella.

Not to steal another Disney title, but enchanted we were.

We met Rapunzel and Flynn Rider briefly while in costume, and had several minutes to ask questions and hear background stories from two other skaters. The kids enjoyed finding them later during the show. The stories were interesting: how to maintain some semblance of “normal” while living out of two suitcases (airplane-approved weight) for extended periods of time.

Dare to Dream brings the movies alive, especially since actual audio clips are used. We all recognized those words and voices; I especially connected with Cinderella, which I watched so many times with my older kids.

Look at Ray, the Cajun firefly in love with Evangeline, the Evening Star. Isn’t he cute?

Rapunzel stole the show with impressive choreography; she and Flynn Rider soar above the ice entangled and supported by her long, golden hair.

Dare to Dream summarizes the three movies separately and then concludes with all of the Disney princesses together.

The excitement grew as each new princess emerged: Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Snow White, Mulan, Jasmine, and more glided across the ice, each with her own Prince Charming.

(FYI: Extras are never cheap at big venue shows; for instance a bag of cotton candy is $12. We passed on the cotton candy, but bought some purple and gold “sun” pennants, like in the movie. They are $8 each and my kids played with them all day long.)

Find details, ticket prices, close up photos, and showtimes included in the press release info below:

Dreams do come true! Feld Entertainment is bringing the magic of Disney to the ice with a new live show, featuring hair-raising moments from Walt Disney Studio’s hit animated film, Tangled. Audiences in Atlanta will experience the enchantment and splendor of new and classic Disney princesses in Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream, as they frolic in the French quarter with Tiana from Princess and the Frog, relive the timeless story of Cinderella, and watch Rapunzel let down her hair on the ice for the first time ever. Dare to Dream is led by two female producers, sisters Nicole Feld and Emory University graduate Juliette Feld, a first for the company. Tickets for performances at Philips Arena on sale now.

Ticket Prices:

• Tickets start at $14 ($14, $22, $30, $35, $50 VIP and $75 Rinkside)
• Order at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone, 800-745-3000
• Day of Show Tickets are $2 additional.

Show Times:

• Wed., Oct. 12 – 7:30 pm
• Thurs., Oct. 13 – 7:30 pm
• Fri., Oct. 14 – 10:30 am, 7:30 pm
• Sat., Oct. 15 – 11 am, 2:30 pm, 6:30 pm
• Sun., Oct. 16 – 12 pm, 4 pm

“We are ecstatic to be able to bring audiences an incredible new ice show that sets the standard for the ultimate Disney experience,” says Producer Nicole Feld. “Because Tangled marks the 50th Disney animated feature, it was only fitting that we celebrate that achievement by including moments from Rapunzel’s story in our show.”

Dare to Dream, a vibrant, contemporary compilation of princesses, features popular songs and unforgettable scenes from two of Disney’s newest fairytales and one of the most cherished stories of all time. Audiences will behold an alluring aerialist act with Rapunzel’s golden locks, shimmering gowns that twinkle and twirl during Cinderella’s royal ball, a lighting display that illuminates all the fireflies in Tiana’s New Orleans bayou and a grand finale with all the Disney princesses.

 

{Disclosure: Tickets provided for review. Opinions expressed are my own.}

***

All 31 Days of Real Life posts can be found here. Other 31 Dayers can be found here.

31 Days of Real Life: Taking the Family to Disney on Ice Dare to Dream is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved