Tuesday Ramblings

Happy Tuesday, all!  I have a few things I'd like to share from over the weekend.  First, a hydrangea bouquet from our garden and those other purple flowers (no clue what the name is).

You don't need to have a green thumb to care for hydrangeas.  We have one hydrangea tree and a bunch of bushes.  They've quadrupled in size since we planted them 2 years ago.  They just need a lot of water!  What's great is that they last in a vase for at LEAST a week - usually longer.

Next, Saro's stuffed pork loin recipe:

1 pork loin - about 5 lbs, butterflied and pounded thin
4 oz fresh spinach
8 oz shredded mozzarella
honey mustard dressing - we made our own - olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic and lemon juice
when pork is pounded thin, spread dressing, then cheese, then spinach.  Roll and secure with toothpicks or twine.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until it's 160 degrees.

You can add whatever else you like - sundried tomatoes is a good option.  It came out really good!

Finally, a cherry pie.  We bought these cherries about a week ago and hadn't touched them so I figured I'd make a pie so they wouldn't all go to waste.  I used America's Choice pie crust which I'd rather make my own next time, but oh well!  I was pressed for time.  Anyway, here's the recipe:

4-5 cups fresh cherries, pitted
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
two pie crusts - whichever you prefer

Cook cherries on the stove for about 10 minutes.  Add sugar, corn starch, vanilla and lemon juice.  Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat & let cool.  Pour mixture on to the pie crust (in pie dish).  Spread even.  Lay 2nd pie crust on top and press edges of both pie crusts together.  Using a knife, put a few slits in the top crust.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Next time, I'm going to try raw honey instead of sugar and make my own nut crust.

Have a good day!