Cinnamon Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Salsa

Here is one of my husband's favorites! I use Kroger's "Be Inspired" Pork.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine olive oil, garlic, chili powder, and cinnamon in a large shallow bowl.  Add pork, and turn to coat evenly with chili cinnamon mixture.  Sprinkle both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.  Let the pork marinate in the rub for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, and spray with coconut spray (or oil pan slightly).  Add pork and cook until browned and grill marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
 Transfer pan to oven.  Bake pork to desired doneness, 17 to 18 minutes.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Don't forget the Salsa!

For Salsa:
2 cups diced Fuji apple, about 2 medium apples
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, stirring well.

Be Inspired

Hit it out of the Ball Park!

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I recently got a BzzAgent kit to review the new Ball Park Flame Grilled Patties. I was most skeptical of this product because most ready made beef patties are dry and have no flavor. Not these babies! Ball Park did a great job and I will be buying this product for a long time. They are quick and easy to make and my family loved them. They are juicy and full of flavor. I don't have a bad thing to say about this product. Yum!

Crazy for Cookies

There are a few things in this world that go hand in hand with the word “family.”  I think the chocolate chip cookie is one of them.  The smell, the look the taste I think all of those qualities of chocolate chip cookies take you back to at least one memory of being in your mom or grandma’s kitchen.

While I think baking them yourself is great, sometimes you just want to buy them but it’s not easy finding a really good quality packaged chocolate chip cookie. Most that I’ve tried have that plastic taste to them. YUCK! I think I speak for all women when I say there is nothing worse than fake chocolate. We can fake a lot of things in this world but chocolate is not one of them. 

Yesterday I got my new bzz kit for The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookie.  I’ve been excited to try them because of the“buzz” around this new product.  Good news! They are not fake or plastic tasting!!! That’s probably because they are not made with hydrogenated oils. They are not soft but are very tasty.  If you pop one in the microwave you’ll swear it just came out of the oven. 

I had two with my coffee this morning and oh my, what a guilty pleasure that was. This weekend I’m going to make ice cream sandwiches for the kiddos.  They are 120 calories a pop so if you are on a diet I wouldn’t go crazy. But even if you are watching your weight everyone needs a cheat day. Have one cookie on your cheat day once a week and one box will last you 8 weeks!

One last thing; the Truly Awesome line is by Kroger. While doing a bit of research on this new line I saw on the Kroger website that their mothers helped them select the products that will go into the Truly Awesome line. How awesome is that?

Here is a link to Kroger’s Truly Awesome website so you can see what else made the cut.

The Truly Awesomse line by Kroger

A month of Burt's Bees

Having sensitive skin is no cake walk. The worst part is the big red painful blotchy bumps.  Well, it has been a month since I received my Bzz Kit with Burt's Bees new sensitive skin care cleanser and moisturizer.  After a month I still have plenty of the product left. A little bit goes a long way! The soap-free cleanser works great for taking off make-up and even though it is a cream cleanser it does not make your skin oily.  The moisturizer is light and fresh.  As you can see from my before picture on October 3rd I took the day I got my Buzz Kit my skin looks and feels much better. I know I will still have break outs but it's nice to have better ammo in my arsenal. 





Worst Razor Ever!!!

Unfortunately I bought a Venus Pro Skin and extra cartridges. I was pretty excited since I got it on sale and I figure they invest so much in their commercials it had to be a great razor right? I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed in a product.  The first shave with a new razor should always be your smoothest.  My first shave with a new Venus Pro Skin was anything but smooth.  It left behind so much stubble I was shocked.  I gave the razor the benefit of the doubt and blamed MYSELF for not using it right (how do you not use it right?) so the next day I used the razor taking extra time to get the spots that it had missed the day before. I had SO many cuts and so much razor burn I think I could have done better with a cheese grater. That is not something that should happen after only one use! So I threw the razor and the cartridges in the trash.  I didn’t want to donate them I didn’t even want to give it to a woman I didn’t like.  No one deserves that!  I think the people who made this razor have baby fine stubble that doesn’t need to be shaved but every 6 months and by the looks of the reviews on Gillette’s website it looks like I’m not the only one that feels this way. 

Unstopable!



I'm not one to rush right out and pay full-price for a brand new product as soon as it hits the shelves. Especially things like laundry. I'm a pretty faithful creature of habit when I like a brand I stick with it.  Well if it had not been for Vocalpoint I never would have tried Downy Unstopables.  They've been out for awhile now and I wasn't going to buy them but I got a free sample from Vocalpoint and WOW, I love it. You sprinkle some in the wash before you even put your clothes in the washer.  It makes your clothes smell good, your dryer, your laundry room...and so on.  Here's what the Downy website said about their product...

"you love the softness of Downy. Now add the feisty freshness of new Downy UNSTOPABLES, an in wash scent booster that goes beyond everyday freshness to keep active wear, towels, and other fabrics smelling “wow” right up until the next wash."

Along with a sample I got several coupons for the product. I am so excited to stock up on this stuff! I am going to watch for sales and report back how and when I was able to use the coupons and how much it costs.  Thank you Downy & Vocalpoint!



Giving Burt's a Shot

I got my BzzAgent kit for the new line of Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin by Burt's Bees. It could not have come at a better time because i have a really bad break out right now from moving stress.  I've only been using the Sensitive Facial Cleanser & Moisturizer for two days and I am already happier than I thought I was going to be. A little bit of the cleanser goes a long way.  Since it's very thick and creamy I thought it would be too heavy and oily for my skin. But since it is natural it left my skin very fresh and light feeling. Nothing heavy about it. Same with the Sensitive Daily Moisturizer.  Here is a "before" picture of my face before I started using Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solution Sensitive line.  I will post an "after" picture within 30 days of using the product with an update.  So far so good!