pork tenderloin

You guyyyyysssssss!!! Christmas barfed allllll over my house this weekend!!! This is how I feel about the holidays!!!

If you ask me at any given time what song I’m singing in my head…no matter the time of year it is…”It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”. I love everything about this time of year…the decorations…the smell of the tree…picking out the tree…looking at all my ornaments…shopping…wrapping…the surprises…making candy with family…Christmas parties…ugly sweaters…sleepovers…Santa…Elf the movie…the music…Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You” (but only the first three times)…LITERALLY EVERYTHING.

You will find no happier girl in this world than me in a tree lot…

My partner in crime for the important selection (and help getting it home and up)…JB from DC.

The intoxicating scent took over! #smellismyfavoritesense

We found a winner right off the bat…my tree requirements are tall and fat!!!

Time to get busy!

And then Santa Anna (my adorable mom) met us a the house. She is the ultimate light stringer and Christmases number 1 fan!!!

I love this treeeeeee!!!

Time to get her lit!

And get this house in the spirit!!!

The world makes sense again…my house was MADE for Christmas as evidenced by this photo taken BEFORE I decorated!!!

Thanks mom and dad!!! #lifesavers #everythingismorefuntogether #codependant

Now that the house is ready…what’s a girl to do!? Ohhhh I know, a time honored Apple family tradition…making Christmas Candy!!!!!!! Grandma Apple has been making a combination of Hay Stacks, Ritz Delights, Bullseyes, Chocolate Covered Peanuts and Brickle Bits since me, Kristina and Kelly were little girls…even then I didn’t know when to say no! Bahahaha…

#imliterallygoingtobarf Haystacks are my skittle farting favorites!!! When we got older, the three of us would go to Grandma’s house and help! What a cute team…

Grandma has since retired from the arduous candy makin biz…

but Team Apple as Kelly, Kristina and myself call ourselves (Thanks Nichole LuMaye) decided to revive the tradition and teach a new generation the joy that is…a family cooking segment! Before we get started lets stroll down memory lame…If you are new to the blog or living under a rock, my family is soooo important to me and Kelly and Kristina are 2 of three of the K’s!

And the best for last…

On to the candy making…chanting Team Apple…Team Apple…Team Apple…

I offered to host the cooking segment… one bc I just got all new appliances and two…since we are making the most unpaleo candy, I can make a super healthy and filling paleo lunch for everyone! Before Kristina, Harper and Trace arrived this is how Kelly was sitting and talking to me #whataweirdo #hellofacore

And this was my reaction…

And this is how I feel when I write the blog…

#focussssssss #adultadddddddddddddd But here they are…

#reunitedanditfeelssogood

And the next generation shows up to learn the tricks of the trade…but first the hellos!

Time to get serious…we decided to keep it simple and make haystacks and ritz delights!!! Since they are the least paleo thing on earth I’m going to skip the recipe, but if you’re interested just message me! Time to get cookin good lookin…

bahahahahaha…focus!

First up…Haystacks!!!!

Let the fun begin!!!

So many distractions!!!

Back to biz…

Onto the Ritz Delights…

Yay!!!!

Now it’s time to cool down…

Time to package our little gifts for the Apple Family Christmas Party!

I survived candy making without even one little taste! Time for lunch!!! What’s on the menu?! Roast Pork Tenderloin, Potatoes, Lime Siricha Cabbage…yum!!! My house could not smell better. I got up at 6am to start the slow cooker pork…

Lay a1 1/2lb pork tenderloin on the bottom of the crock pot, add 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar, 2/3 cup coconut aminos, 1 TBSP each of garlic powder, dry mustard, and rosemary on top of the pork! Cook on low for 6 hours!!! Next Roasted Potatoes…

Ingredients:

2Lbs New Potatoes…I used fingerling

3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic minced

3 Tbsp butter (you can use ghee)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Ok so take the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise and put them in a microwave safe container, take a paper towel and wet and wring it out, place on top of potatoes in bowl, put in microwave with a mug of water inside and cook for 2 minutes to “steam” them! Then lay potatoes out on a foil, rimmed baking sheet and put the oven on 400. Mix all the wet and herby ingredients together and coat the potatoes…cook for 2o minutes. I simultaneously roasted this delish cabbage…

Ingredients:

1 firm head of cabbage

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

2tsp Sriacha

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

2 tsp sesame sauce (i totally forgot about these…sorry kris!)

Cut the cabbage in rounds and then half them (cut the core out of each section instead of initially or you have nothing to hold on to!) 1 inch thick half moons…place onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Mix together all wet ingredients and coat both sides of the cabbage. Place the oven on 450…cook for 15 minutes, take out turn cabbage over and cook for an additional 15 minutes. I mean look at this yummy plate!!!

I love cooking for my family!!!

Ok now lets see how it turned out!

Everything was delish to death…but the cabbage def won my vote for yummiest! Time to clean!

Besssst day ever!!! Grandma Apple it wasn’t the same without you!!! But I have to say Team Apple did you proud girl. Best day of life! Love you guyyyyys to death!!! Dear Christmas, You’re my favorite! Love, Sara

#vintageteamapple #ogcandymakers

The cooking segment is back! #yourewelcomekelly As you have seen from both Jenny and I this month has been a total food fest!!! So forcing ourselves to cook was a must and a struggle this week! Last week when we were supposed to cook we went out for a sushi date instead, so this week needed to happen! But we were smart…we cooked the comfiest food of alllll time…crock pot pork tenderloin with cabbage, carrots and onions!!! First off…nothing is easier than a crock pot meal and second of allllll……yummmmmmmmmm!!! Let me paint a picture of what my cooking fantasy is…Jenny and I jackass around, have so much fun, learn a new recipe and then we sit down with Brandon and enjoy an amazing little meal that we just prepared with love and healthy vibes. Now, let me just pop that bubble and tell you that that has literally NEVER happened and tonight was no exception. Let me paint the reality of cooking night. I had to work until 8, so Jenny had actually started hours before I got there. This is the scene I walked into at the Smith home.

Jenny was writing the blog you read yesterday. I was starving when I got off work so I stopped by Chickfila and got a salad and devoured it at their dining room table solo as soon as I walked though the door!

Brandon was glued to the Hurricanes game which he explained thoroughly how the points system works! #iunderstandhockey now #thanksbrandon

The house smelled farty but somehow yummy for sure…you know what I’m talking about right ladies…house full of stewing cabbage!!!! So how do you make this fall comfort food!? Here is your ingredient list:

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup water

1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp paprika

2 lbs. pork tenderloin

1 onion chopped

4 carrots chopped

1 head of green cabbage

Put slow cooker on low, dump all veggies on the bottom, then lay the pork on top of that, then sprinkle all the seasonings and then add your wet ingredients and cook for 6-8 hours!!! Jenny literally did all the work here!

So what are the three best friends who anyone could ever have (did you see what I did there!?) to do while waiting for the pork to cook!? Well snuggle on the couch and act a fool of course. I used to spend endless hours with these two!!! This felt great and super duper comfy…the theme of the night!

Sooooo fun!!!! The three of us haven’t been in a room together for more than five minutes in ages and it was soooo great! We talked a lot about how hard it is to stay focused while losing weight…our major fall cravings, how mean your brain is at sabotaging a good food day and just struggles in general! Then we watched youtube videos and reenacted terrible commercials! We discussed if you could lose a pound every time you farted that all we would eat is beans for life!!! #meatballssssss And there was def a moment where we all broke out into “These Boots Were Made For Walking” which turned into a conversation about cassette tapes and Michael Bolton. Welcome to the land of ADD and 4 city!

#thesewerethebootsthatweremadeforwalking

Then the timer went off and it was time to sample! #ourfavoritepart #fattypatty’s

It looked amazeballs.

It was verrrry vinegar-ey so we added a cup of water to the recipe above. But it really grew on us and was so comfy and warm!

Is there anything better than cooking with friends!? I think not!!!! We hope you have a great day and if you are struggling to get back on track just know that we are too… but it is possible and it’s happening as we speak! #allthreemeatballsgetyourheadsinthegame