summers booty

i mean bounty (wink wink).

the past two days have been FULL of the fruits of summer. yesterday we went blackberry and blueberry picking with some sweet jr. high girls. two words: yummy and hot.  seriously, i sweated buckets as we picked the sweetest, plumpest blueberries and blackberries. when was the last time you ate a juicy blackberry warmed by the sun, right off the vine? for me - yesterday. before that - probably a solid 10 years. it was such a garden of eden kind of experience, if that's not going too far.

then this morning me and the husband man headed over to the farmers market at Pepper place. It's like a farmers market for over the mountain people. local organic farmers and gourmet restaurants all in one place. its really fun. and we got some good looking squash and chilton county peaches.  also, it was really hot. welcome to june in the south.  i like it. 

It would be a disservice to my 3 readers for me NOT to post this.

So, last night was one of those "surprise, we're both home for dinner" nights. and due to the fact that my pantry is filled to the brim with odds and ends AND i've maxed out my made up grocery budget. If it were just me? Pasta and frozen pesto (my mom's homemade frozen pesto, straight from the s.c.)  The only problem was, i'm married to a meat eater. What meat did i have in the house? a jar of dried beef and one frozen pork tenderloin.  The true miracle part of this story is that i realized i needed to take the pork out of the freezer at 3:30 pm.  And it was thawed by 7! Now, let me tell you what you need to do with a pork tenderloin. it turned out so well, and was so easy, and my husband man said it was wonderful (i thought it was too).

Typical Pork Tenderloin

1. preheat your oven to 400 and get out either 1 ovenproof skillet OR one skillet plus one roasting pan or baking sheet. 

2.Take a pork tenderloin, try to cut off the silvery skin ( i never really succeed at this part, but i got off enough of it. Wash your hands, and combine the following in a little tiny bowl: 

1 tsp of dried thyme

1 Tbsp of kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

3.  Take that stuff in the little bowl and rub it all over the pork tenderloin. All the sides, you can even make a couple slits in it and stuff the garlic pieces down in there. 

4. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in your skillet and heat it up over medium high heat.  Use your kitchen tongs (if you don't have tongs, go buy some). And brown the pork on every side: bottom, side, top, side. This should only take a couple minutes per side.  Then, using potholders (because i didn't) move your ovenproof skillet into the preheated oven. If you're using a baking sheet or roasting pan - move the pork tenderloin to that and put it in the oven.  

5. Bake at 400 for about 14 minutes - or until you can stick a thermometer in it and it says 155 degrees. Take it out and just let it sit there for 5 minutes.  It'll keep cooking (seriously, its weird - the pink part will actually get not pink as it sits there).  

6. Slice and serve!! Last night mine happened to be kept company by cous cous and a wedge salad. But do what you want.  

You can also change up the seasoning - but i would suggest keeping salt in there no matter what.  I'll let you know if i try any other variations that are particularly good.  

Quick, easy, and satisfies the meat lover. Done. 

and then THIS GUY appeared. . . .

These alien bugs keep just appearing, out of nowhere, in my sink.  They scare the crap out of me and when i smash them their little legs keep wiggling. It grosses me out. And i'm not easily grossed out. Plus, every time they appear Justin isn't even at home.  So i call him. And let him know that the bug has appeared and that i trapped it and that i took a picture of it and that i will kill it with HIS flip flop.  (and maybe one time i just left it there so he could see it)

Come sail away! come sail away!

This weekend has been a giant musical ball of fun here in the magic city.  It's city stages 09 - a three day festival in downtown bham that brings in dozens of talented acts and almost as many funnel cake stands.  

My dear friend lucy bought us weekend passes for my birthday. It was a sweet gift - even a little nostalgic since last years city stages was such a memorable weekend for us. This years though? It blew 08 out of the water.  Friday night we joined the aging baby boomers for .38 special, Styx and REO Speedwagon. I believe my quote in the Birmingham news is "Those guys might be old but they still rock."  Ya'll. They do. They were really good. And Styx is still wearing the same stuff they were wearing when they started making in big.  I know what you're thinking - how could a night like this get any better? I'll tell you how: the Indigo Girls.

For those who don't know, i am a pretty big indigo girls fan.  They're just so talented and in concert they make it seem so effortless. Plus, they just have a way with words and harmonies and fitting all of it together.  So we sang along to Galileo, Closer to Fine and (my personal favorite) Hammer and a Nail.  We danced with grey-haired ladies and androgynous hippies.  It was a blast.  

Plus, we made friends with the corn-dog and funnel cake man. Now that's a good weekend.  

the DR, briefly

because i know all of you were on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting my return from the 3rd world to the blogosphere (isn't that what they call it?) i'm writing this very short post just to let you know that yes, i made it back safely. i'm also still a little exhausted (because going on a week-long mission trip then jumping straight into vbs will do that to you) so this one will be short and sweet.

our trip. was. incredible. i have never been anywhere where there is so much need, and so much gratefulness. these people need food and clothing, but they desperately need Jesus. i think that is the greatest thing that i took away. Christ IS life and He alone is able to give the security and hope that all of us long for - it's just easier to see that He is what really matters when there is truly not a whole lot else there.  

thank you so much for your prayers (and some of you, your financial support). Justin and I couldn't have done it without both.  please know that you will be hearing more about this country and what the Lord is doing there. and if you get REALLY into it, i'm putting the blog on my daily obsessions. this is perhaps one of my healthier ones.  

this is one of my favorite parts of my job: watching these students as they share Christ and His love with others (and end up a little changed themselves in the process).