Feeling grateful, so here are some recipes!

I'll admit.  I was pretty discouraged last week, losing my blog, calendar, email, analytics, Google checkout, etc...

I'll also admit that I am still pretty freaked out to be in my house and upset that I can't share my mouse posts from my other blog (they were quite entertaining) with those of you who weren't following the saga.  Last night when we got home from our 4th of July party, we found #6 in a trap.  I'm still pessimistic about getting rid of them without involving a professional, but my pessimism isn't anything new.  We'll just have to wait...

But what has me feeling grateful is that in just a few short days I am already building my reader base back up. I have some old friends and some new.  It's still frustrating whenever I think about it, but I am trying to be patient and just remind myself that I don't write my blog just so people will read it anyway.  I LIKE that people read it.  I'm not going to lie!  In fact, it delights me that people read and comment on my blog and seem to like what they read.  But it isn't why I write and so I need to quit worrying about getting all 171 followers back anyway.  OK...that matter has now been settled in my mind!  So, I guess I am just incredibly thankful just to have a little place to call home again in this blog-sphere (is that what you "professionals" call it?).

We had some friends over today and I got to cook for them.  That's one of my favorite things to do!  I chose recipes I haven't made in quite some time (that's why I chose them!) and was pleased with the outcome.  I thought maybe I would share them with you.  I can't find the charger for my 'real' camera and the lighting isn't the best in my house, so bear with my less-than-great quality pictures.  And I forgot to take a picture of the roast after it was done so sadly I can't show you the results.  It looked great though!

Fruit Pecan Pork Roast

1 rolled, boneless pork loin roast (3 1/2 lbs)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

4 Tbsp butter, divided

1/4 cup orange juice

1 bay leaf

1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 Tbsp cider/red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp sugar

1/4 cup apricot preserves

Bake roast uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  In skillet, sauté onions and 1 Tbsp butter for 1 minute.  Add orange juice and bay leaf.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.  Add cranberry sauce, broth, pecans and vinegar.  Cook and stir until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).  Reduce heat; stir in salt, pepper, sugar, and remaining butter until butter is melted.  

Discard bay leaf.  Remove 1/4 cup sauce and mix in apricot preserves to it; pour over roast.  Bake 45 minutes or until it is 160-170 degrees.  Set aside remaining sauce to serve with the roast.

Now, let's talk about dessert!  Who doesn't love dessert?  Oh that's right...freaks...!

Tonight I dipped into a delicious Pampered Chef favorite, Strawberry Amaretto Pasteries.  These things are to die for!  Almost literally!!  Of course, I didn't get a picture of these either, so I took a picture on the cover of the Season's Best cookbook I got the recipe from so you could see what it looks like.  Tonight for the first time I actually used the orange zest and it was SO worth it!  I can't even describe how incredibly awesome these taste.  You'll just have to make them and see for yourself!  I found the recipe on someone else's blog and it has the little copyright symbol so I am going to direct you to that blog because I am not sure what the copyright laws are for recipes.  You can find this amazing recipe here.