Author: Carrie

Stuffed Pork Loin

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Here is a crowd pleaser for the holidays. I made it last night for my 2nd Annual Tree Trimming Party. It is deliciously tender and delightful for the tastebuds. The most difficult part of this recipe is butterflying the pork loin. Trust me, you can do it!

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Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients
olive oil
4 slices bacon
8 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used the smaller slicing blade on a food processor for this to make them really thin)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/2 c. chopped parsley
pork loin (desired size depending upon the company you need to feed)
zest of one lemon
baby spinach

Directions
1. Heat two tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it is crispy. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and tender. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the breads crumbs and parsley. I like to use panko breadcrumbs. Grate in the lemon zest.
2. Butterfly the pork. Make an incision on the top of the loin about one third to the left of the top of the pork. Cut to about one inch from the bottom. Take a look at the picture below.

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Then just cut from the incision across the bottom of the pork. Now you will have a flat piece of pork.
3. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Layer spinach down on the pork leaving about a one inch border on the two longer sides. Then place mushroom mixture in the center of the pork. Fold the pork over and season the top with salt and pepper. Use butcher string to secure the pork in place while roasting. You can find a tutorial here

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Season the top of the pork with salt and pepper. Move the pork to a baking dish. Place in the oven at 450 for twenty minutes. Then, baste the pork with 1/2 cup of wine. Reduce the heat to 350 until the pork reaches 140 to 160 degrees. Baste the pork with more wine every half hour. Pull out of the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for twenty minutes. Then the pork is ready for carving. You can pour the pan drippings over the pork before serving. Enjoy!

Top 3 at Reading Terminal Market

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Last week, I went to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. It was everything I had imagined it to be. Square foot after square foot of gourmet delights. If you live in the heart of the city, it is the perfect place to do your holiday food shopping. Aisle after aisle, you are able to explore the world of luxury eating. Here are some of the highlights.

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1. Tommy DiNic’s
This is the place where you can get a roast pork sandwich that is to die for. It was written up on Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food and Best Sandwich in America. The roast pork with broccoli rabe and provolone cheese was featured on the latter program. It’s something you don’t want to miss. Make sure to plan your trip around lunch or dinnertime.
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2. Termini Brothers Bakery
This picture does not do this bakery justice. You can only see the biscotti in this photo, but this bakery has every Italian specialty you can imagine. I was not able to make room for a treat after the roast pork sandwich, but I have only heard great things about this bakery.
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3. The Flying Monkey Bakery
This vendor has the greatest bakery treats you can ever imagine. They have a creative flair that takes them above and beyond any normal bakery. I tried their coconut macaroons (a classic) which were so good I didn’t have time to take a picture. You can check their menu out here for yourself and be the judge. The Elvis whoopie pies were also amazing. Two shells of banana chocolate chip cake with peanut butter frosting sandwiched between them!

I hope this helps you in your travels to the Reading Terminal Market!

Christmas Preparations Phase 2

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Well it’s official!  The house is completed decorated except for the tree in the living room.  The reason for this is that I am having a tree trimming party on Tuesday for friends as promised.  See if some of these pictures inspire you to start your own decorating extravaganza!

These are vintage figures from my grandmother. They are cute and festive!


I laid fabric down on the table as a runner. It accents the pieces set on the table. Filling a bowl with ornaments is a quick and easy way to create a festive centerpiece!

I have a collection of these vintage elves from my grandmother. They were featured in Martha’s magazine last year.

I just bought this 3 ft. table topper tree this year. It’s decorated with Christopher Radko ornaments from Kmart that I found this year as well. They were on sale for $7.99 for a set of 6. What a steal!