Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Christmas Season: Tenderloin and Pie

Good afternoon bloggers! I come to you all today with the Christmas season in mind. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, but now it's time to quickly move on to the upcoming holiday and all of the joyous foods that accompany it. I'm starting you all off with a meal that has a Christmas-y note to it and we will finish off with a bang. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment and give you a little background on egg nog. No Christmas would be complete without this treat. Where eggnog gets it's name is debatable, even today. No one is certain where exactly eggnog may have originated from. One thing that we are certain of is, in Britain, the drink was popular among the aristocracy. Dairy and eggs were rarely consumed by the lower classes due to high cost and lack of refrigeration. Those who could afford milk and eggs, mixed it with brandy, sherry, or Madeira to make a drink similar to the modern alcoholic eggnog. The drink crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the English colonies during the 18th century. Okay, now that we know a little about this seasonal favorite, let's get to the grill and make something wonderful to eat!





Cinnamon Pork Tenderloin





You will need:






  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sherry or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 pork tenderloins






Ready?






  1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. 
  2. Add the pork, then seal the bag and turn to coat. 
  3. Refrigerate the meat in the bag for 4 to 6 hours. 
  4. Drain and discard the marinade. 
  5. Grill the pork, covered, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, turning occasionally. 
  6. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
  7. Enjoy!






Let's move on to something everyone enjoys the most... dessert!





Eggnog Pie





You will need:






  • 2 cups eggnog
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 tablespoon rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 pastry shell, baked
  • Whipped topping







  1. In a large saucepan, cook the eggnog, milk and pudding mix over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. 
  2. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. 
  3. Stir in the rum and nutmeg. 
  4. Pour the pudding mixture into the crust. 
  5. Chill the pie until the pudding mixture is set. 
  6. Garnish with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.
  7. Enjoy!







I hope you all can take a moment and remember what the Christmas season is all about. Stop into your local Macy's or any other store. They normally post up donation stands or boxes for donated gifts. Share the spirit with a family or children in need this year. I'll be back with more holiday delights soon. Have a great day and happy blogging to all! <3