It's Never To Late

The past few weeks have been difficult for me.  Nothing has changed, just been one of those past couple of weeks.  Maybe it's because I have birthday looming next week.  Maybe because I've started looking at preschools for my sweet baby girl.  Maybe it's the mile long to-do list that never seems to get any shorter no matter what I do.  Maybe it's the looks I get from some people when they hear I've gone back to school.  More than likely it's a combination of all those things.  The last one is the hardest one to get past.  I've been trying very hard lately not to let other people's actions affect me.  And it's harder sometimes than I wish it would be.

You know the look I'm talking about.  People give it to you for all kinds of things.  The first time I ever got the look was when I would tell people I was a stay at home mom.  You get this look, from just about everyone who hasn't been a stay at home mom, as if to say "Oh...I'm sorry" or "Must be nice to have a rich husband" or (my favorite) "That fulfils you?"  I got used to it after a while.  After all, I am very proud that I have had the opportunity to spend priceless time with my daughter watching her grow and develop.  It's been a challenge and we've had to sacrifice things as a family, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

For some reason the look I get now really gets under my skin.  It's as if people are looking at me like "You're in school now?  And you're how old?"  Then thanks to a very good friend of mine and pinterest I started to feel a little better.  She found a quote about Julie Child that stated Julie didn't start cooking until she was 37.  Thank you friend, I needed that.  I needed to hear that someone who is very accomplished in the same field I want to be accomplished in started at an "older" age.  She did other things before finding her calling as a chef.  If she could do it, than so can I.  And...if I can have even one ounce the success she did, I will be beyond ecstatic with my choice.  It's taking some time, but I'm slowly pulling myself out of this crazy funk.

So...in honor of being in a funk lately, I give you a sweet treat to munch on.  After all, what's better than chewy gooey brownies when you are down in the dumps?  I've been making this brownie recipe since I was 9 or 10.  It's quick, easy and ohhh so much chocolaty goodness.  This time, I made one little change.  I added some of my mom's jelly.  The extra moisture keeps the brownies extra moist and yummy even days after you make them...if they last that long!  I think this will become a permanent change in my trusty brownie recipe!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies
Makes 16 brownies

1/2 c butter; melted
1/2 c self rising flour
1 c sugar
1/3 c Hershey's cocoa
2 t vanilla
4 T Aunt Bunny's Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jelly
1 T milk
2 eggs

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2- Grease a 9 inch square, glass baking dish.
3- Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl.
4- Add eggs and beat well with a wooden spoon.
5- Stir together flour and cocoa in a separate bowl.  Gradually add to the egg mixture, beating until well blended.
6- Stir in jelly and milk, making sure to break down all clumps. 
7- Spread batter evenly in pan.  Bake 20-30 minutes until brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8- Cool completely and cut into squares.

Cookbook Creations

My mom makes jelly.  Awesome jelly.  And did I happen to mention it's made from wine?  How much better can that be?  She mostly sells it at craft and Christmas shows and recently has broken into bridal shows.  To give her a little edge at these events, other than giving her jelly out for samples, I've been coming along to help.  I've integrated her jelly into different dishes and have served those along side her samples.  I think that's helped make a few sells.  After all, who can say no to a free sample of Cranberry Chocolate Parfait...not me!

This year at the Yule Mart in Fort Bragg as we were passing out yummy food samples, along with the recipes of course, someone suggested that we create a cookbook with recipes using all the different jellies as an ingredient.  It was a total "why didn't we think of that moment"!  Of course, once I hear an idea like that, I can't let go of it.  Mom and I talked logistics and off we ran to begin the cookbook.  I guess I wasn't thinking so clearly on how much of a task this could be while I'm going back to school...but no rest for the weary...we're going full steam ahead!

With this cookbook creation comes taste testing.  I don't want to put anything in the book that I wouldn't want to eat, so therefore I must try all the recipes before they go in.  Some have been really good...others, well let's just say they could use some work.  My hubby has been hanging with me through this, though I know secretly he's thinking...when are we going to be done with jelly and go back to my manly tacos?  So today I offer for you a sneak peak into a recipe that's going in the book.  I adapted this recipe from a blog titled "Confections of a Foodie Bride."  I found her on Pinterest and her blog is wonderful!  I need to spend some time stalking her blog to find some more goodies.  So, here's my version.  Give it a try and tell me what you think?  Would you buy the cookbook with more yummies like this one?

Cherry Berry Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Makes 4 servings

2 oz Aunt Bunny's Cherry Blend Jelly 
2 oz water
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 T butter
1/4 c shallot; minced
2 garlic cloves; minced
2 tsp dried rosemary; chopped
3/4 c chicken broth
2 T balsamic vinegar

1- In a sauce pan on the stove, melt the jelly in the water.  Once the jelly is melted, add the balsamic vinegar.  Keep the mixture warm, but not boiling.
2- Preheat oven to 400.
3- Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet.
4- Rinse, trim and dry pork tenderloin.  Season all sides with salt and pepper.
5- Sear pork in olive oil, about 2 minutes per side.
6- Put skillet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the pork from the skillet and onto a plate.  Loosely cover with foil and let rest.
7- In the same skillet the pork was in, add the butter, shallot and garlic.  Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes.
8- Add rosemary and broth.  Deglaze the pan by scraping the browned bits of pork off the bottom. 
9- Stir in the jelly mixture.  Simmer, stirring often until the sauce has begun to thicken, about 10 minutes.
10- Serve sauce over sliced pork tenderloin.