Crock Pot Sundays...

There is nothing better than having dinner simmering in the crock pot on a cool, sunny Sunday.  M was in Florida for 5 days and came home today!  It is always hard when he travels.  He does so much for me and our daughters.  I am so lucky to have a husband who is such an amazing, hands-on Dad.  He works so hard.  He had a great time with his dad, brother and other friends/clients.  He deserves a break just like me! 

Anyhow - I knew today was going to be sort of a long day.  It was day 5 of being by myself.  I was starting to get a lil stir crazy.  I took the girls to the mall in the morning for a couple of hours.  Before we left, I threw some pork tenderloin (one of my most favorite clean meats) in the crock pot.  Tidied up the house a little and off we went. 

When we came home, A napped and M watched Toy Story 2.  The house smelled so yummy!  I did some laundry and prepped the rest of dinner.  M was due home around 4.  And this is what we had for dinner tonight....

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot
• 1 tablespoon cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Before I put anything in my crock pot, I always put a little bit of olive oil on the bottom to reduce cleanup and stickiness.  Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, agave nectar, vinegar, and thyme; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

 

Roasted Vegetables and Sauteed Spinach:

 

Anytime I roast veggies (which is a lot) I clean the vegetables thoroughly.  Cut the vegetable into 2-3 inch piece, toss in olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Place the veggies in a roasting pan in the oven uncovered.  Depending on what veggies you are roasting depends on how long you should roast them.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees and roast away!  I roasted carrots, parsnips and broccoli.

 

Sauteed spinach is one of the easiest and most delicious side dishes to make.  One thing to remember is spinach leaves, when cooked, reduce quite a bit.  It may look like a huge portion when you toss the spinach into the pan, but once it cooks down, you will wonder where it all went!  So I always make extra.  Simply chop some fresh garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Once the garlic starts to cook (be careful not to burn it, burnt garlic is not good) add the spinach.  Spinach is incredibly good for you.  You should have large amounts of dark, leafy vegetables in your diet every day!

Sauteed Spinach - Delicious!

 

Pork Tenderloin in Crock Pot

Finished Product