Quilts, College, and Kleenex

Tomorrow I move "Baby B" into her new campus apartment.  We have spent the past week staging and stacking everything that she will need in our garage.  Oh and don't worry, I have secretly packed a new, full box of Kleenex in my car as I know what's coming...at me!

Last night we had our annual "back-to-school" family dinner out.  We started that tradition when we moved to Colorado, and I have no idea why or how it started...but it is without a doubt our tradition that the girls look forward to every year.

When the girls moved out last year into their own apartment, they started giving me bags of clothes that they wanted to donate.  I kept seeing their old schools and volleyball t-shirts and I just couldn't depart with them.  I didn't know what I would do with them, but in the back of my mind, I knew I had to hold on to these memories for some reason.

...and that's when I saw it.  I was online and saw an advertisement for Project Repat.  They are a company in the U.S. that makes custom quilts out of your t-shirts!

They give you excellent, detailed instructions on what you need to do prior to sending in your t-shirts to them for your order.

So, I have (secretly) spent the past year going through their "donation" bags and hiding all their past t-shirts.  I also had to fill in the missing ones with their favorite teams, college tees, favorite restaurants, first jobs, concerts, etc...

The time came for me to send Project Repat the packages and I was so excited.  Six weeks later, packages arrived, and I was like a little girl on Christmas morning!

Last night after dinner, we finally gave the girls their quilts and they were speechless!  Mission accomplished!!

God Bless you ladies as you continue your education and next chapter...you got this!

Peach Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

We are less than one week away before my girls return to college.  One of them stayed with us all summer and I will miss my chef cooking with me in the kitchen.  We have had a lot of fun the past couple months trying out fun, new recipes together.  Plus, I'm going to miss having dinner started by the time I get home from work, and doing the grocery shopping for me, and cleaning our house, and taking care of the pups...she got me a little spoiled, to say the least!

This pork recipe not only would be very impressive for entertaining, it also makes for a wonderful comforting, family dinner.  Since our girls are about 2 hours from each other (and we are directly in the middle of them), our traditional Sunday night family dinners will be a little sparce when school starts.  So, I will keep this one in my "to make" for them next family dinner.

Peach-Mustard-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Courtesy of Southern Living Magazine, December 2012

2 (1-1/4 lb) pork tenderloins

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbl olive oil

2 Tbl butter

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup peach preserves

1/3 cup bourbon

2 Tbl country-style Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle tenderloins with salt and black pepper.  Cook in hot oil in a large oven proof skillet over high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until slightly browned.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add shallot, and saute 2 to 3 minutes until tender.  Remove from heat, and stir in peach preserves and next 3 ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 1 minute or until preserves are melted.  Pour over tenderloins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickens portion registers 150 degrees.  Transfer to a cutting board, reserving drippings in skillet.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, stir broth into reserved drippings, and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Serve with sliced tenderloins.

One Year Ago: No Post

Two Years Ago: Drumstick Pie

Three Years Ago: Shrimp Skewers with Pesto and Cheddar Polenta

Four Years Ago: Naughty Cookie Bars

Five Years Ago: Spinach, Chicken, and Bacon Pizza

Six Years Ago: Flat Iron Steak Salad