Nov 12, 2009 3:25 PM Posted by Kristine
A couple weeks ago, I reported a story on quick, easy and inexpensive meals for your family. The woman in our story made several delicious dishes for us and I've since tried several more at home and they are great! I wanted to share the meal we had last night because it's so easy and tastes great. My kids, who are ages 2 and 4, even liked it, which isn't always easy.
Here's a link if you want to see the full list if recipes. http://kdka.com/food/family.meals.cheap.2.1280814.html
Sweet & Sour, Pork & Pineapple Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
1 lb. Pork tenderloin (I bought the marinated kind -- a peppercorn flavor)
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Plus 1 tsp. Cornstarch, divided
2 Cups of fresh sugar snap peas
1 medium pineapple
3 Tbsp. Soy sauce (I use low sodium)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
1/3 cup Apricot preserves
1 medium red onion cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
3 cups hot cooked rice (I used brown rice for the whole grain)
(I also added 1/2 red pepper, chopped in small pieces)
Directions:
1 - Slice pork lengthwise into 4 strips. Thinly slice strips crosswise. Combine pork, salt and 2 Tbsp. Of the cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
2 - Cut sugar snap peas in half crosswise.
Cut pineapple into 1/2 inch pieces.
In a bowl, make sauce -- combining soy sauce, vinegar and remaining cornstarch. Whisk well. Add preserves and whisk well. Set aside.
3 - Add oil to skillet or wok.
Heat over medium-high heat, 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.
Place pork in skilled in a single layer and cook undisturbed 4 - 6 minutes or until browned on one side.
Turn over pork and cook 1-2 minutes more.
Add onion (and pepper or any other veggie you want). Cook 1 minute more or until onion begins to brown.
Reduce heat to medium. Add peas, pineapple and sauce.
Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
Serve stir-fry with rice.
Enjoy! Nov 3, 2009 10:12 AM Posted by Kristine  Halloween 2009, Griffin Superheros -- Bat Girl, Spider Girl, Spiderman & Superman Here's how we celebrated Halloween 2009. Chloe insisted on being Spiderman, and since we've done a family theme the last few years, we decided to base our theme around her. Sophia is Spidergirl, Marty is Superman and I am Batgirl. Here's to having fun playing dress up! Oct 28, 2009 9:30 AM Posted by Kristine
I'm always impressed with the generosity and thoughtfulness of people everywhere, but especially here in Western Pennsylvania.
This past weekend, I left my cell phone (only a few weeks old) in the taxi cab I took from the airport to my parents-in-law's home in the South Hills. I talked to my mom in the car on the way there, telling her all about my trip, and in the middle of giving directions and paying, I didn't even notice that I left the phone on the seat.
About 9 last night, my in-laws got a knock on the door. It was the taxi-cab driver returning the phone to where she dropped me off. She had no other way to reach me so she kindly, on her own volition for no fare, drove all the way to the South Hills to bring it to me.
It's just a personal reminder of how giving people are -- some of their time, some of their money, some of their expertise. I am so thankful for all of the generous people in my life, even those whose names I don't even know, like the kind taxi cab driver.
Thank you. Oct 21, 2009 10:10 AM Posted by Kristine I'm always looking for something different from the same-old chicken and vegetable dishes we have in my house, so we tried one of Rania's recipes that she made on Pittsburgh Today Live -- the prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin with cherry balsamic sauce -- and it was delicious! I usually prefer pork tenderloin on the grill because it gets nice and crispy on the outside, but with the prosciutto on the outside, it keeps the flavors in and gets a little crispy because it's so thin. Both of my girls loved it too -- I just made it plainer for them without the sauce. We also made the apricot pistachio wild rice salad that she made to go with it, and it was fantastic too-- so much better than boring plain rice. I think this would make a wonderful dish for company because it's unique and easy to prepare ahead of time.
I've copied the recipes below if you want to try it. By the way -- the grocery store I went to didn't have fresh cherries, so we used frozen and it turned out great and was a lot easier than pitting all the cherries at home.
Enjoy!
Rania's Recipes
Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Balsamic Sauce
Marinade:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly minced garlic
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pork tenderloin – about 1 pound
Thinly sliced prosciutto for wrapping the pork
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup fresh cherries – pitted and halved
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup reduced dark chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Place the pork tenderloin in a shallow baking dish and pour over the marinade to coat the pork well. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Remove the pork from the marinade and discard the marinade. Wrap the pork with the prosciutto and place in a roasting pan. Roast the wrapped pork for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees.
In a 2 quart pot, heat the olive oil and shallots, cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherries and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan. When nearly all the vinegar has evaporated, add the chicken stock and sage. Cook until reduced by 25 percent in volume, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter and stir. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
Apricot Pistachio Wild Rice Salad
2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
½ cup minced red onion
½ cup dried apricots - chopped
½ cup chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
½ cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
When rice is cool, add basil, red onion, dried apricots, pistachios, dried cherries and orange zest; mix to incorporate.
For the dressing:
Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.
Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate.
Serves: 6
Sep 16, 2009 11:23 AM Posted by Kristine
I love this time of year in Western Pennsylvania.
Since I didn't grow up in this area, I think I especially appreciate the return of Steelers football and the changing of the leaves. In the Orlando area where I went to high school, we didn't have a professional football team and a consistent reason to gather together as family and friends every weekend. Of course, we also didn't have a visual change of seasons with foliage changing colors. Green trees and flowers are certainly beautiful all the time in Florida, but time has a different sense of passing without the change of seasons. I've come to look forward to the smell of dried leaves; searching for the most beautiful colors that have fallen from the trees, and making leaf rubbings with my daughters.
I love how so many families in this region get together, like I do with my husband, children and his family, to watch the Steelers play almost every weekend. In fact, I miss the ease of seeing them all spring and summer, without having to pick up the phone to see who's busy and who's on vacation and who can come over for dinner. My girls, especially, love the time with their cousins who are the most wonderful playmates. It's also a great break for me to be able to sit down for a few hours, while my girls are having fun with their cousins, who are also old enough to help as babysitters for the afternoon.
Whether you're a die-hard fan of football or not, it's hard not to love how the Steelers bring people together. I have wonderful memories of the last few years at my parents-in-law's home -- cheers coming from the basement room where the men and boys are watching and cheering for the game, while a wonderful aroma comes from the kitchen where the women gather around the kitchen table chatting and my mother-in-law stirs her delicious meatballs and sauce. All the while, I hear the pitter-patter of footsteps down the halls and laughter coming from the bedrooms where the kids are playing.
Welcome to autumn... And Go Steelers!
Aug 28, 2009 1:49 PM Posted by Kristine
I'm in the middle of reading the memoir "Stay Close" by Libby Cataldi who I interviewed this week on Pittsburgh Today Live, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know the brutal reality of drug abuse among young people. It's an honest, revealing, true story about how Cataldi's oldest son became a drug addict, despite what appeared to be a successful school life and family life to most outsiders. In addition to the book being a great learning experience, it's also a great read that I can't put down, with excerpts from Cataldi's journal she kept and the perspective of both of her sons about what was happening.
Unfortunately, I have known several families whose children have over-dosed and died from drug abuse. I've seen how devastating it can be and how drugs can seep into any family -- even those that seem to "have it all".
One of the challenges is that many people who have a drug or alcohol problem in their family don't want to discuss is publicly, which is understandable given the stigma. That's why I really admire Cataldi for being so open and sharing her mistakes and her heartache and her solutions. It may not be a solution for everyone, but her son is alive and has been clean for three years now.
I think any parent could benefit from reading this, even those who think their child would never use drugs. Once you read it from the mother's perspective, you have a new understanding and appreciation of what can happen to anyone and any family.
If you'd like to see the interview with Cataldi, go to the video library on kdka.com and type in Cataldi. Aug 13, 2009 4:23 PM Posted by Kristine
"Sister" of the "Sister's Catechism" show at City Theatre is a regular guest on Pittsburgh Today Live. She joins us every time she's in town for her latest version of the show, and I'd been wanting to see her show after interviewing her many times and enjoying her company and interviews. On my vacation recently, I finally was able to see the show -- "'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Night Catechism 3" at City Theatre on the South Side, and it was absolutely wonderful -- I laughed through the entire 2 hours and loved every minute of it. My parents and sister came too, and my mom, who went to a Catholic girls school herself, especially loved it. And we all thought it was especially hilarious when Sister called out my Mom for putting lipstick on during the show, making a great joke of it.
If you haven't seen "Sister", who is really actress Kimberly Richards who grew up in Western Pennsylvania and lives in San Francisco, she dresses as a nun and does a one-woman show, as if she's the teacher of a class on Catholicism. She's so believable as a nun that my father-in-law who saw the show last year thought she was a real nun. The show's had many versions, including a Christmas Nativity show, and this latest one which focuses on marriage and dating. I was especially impressed with Kimberly's extemporaneous humor during the Q&A session, when the audience asked questions about everything from Catholicism, other religions and current events, including some controversial issues. She was just as funny then as during the scripted part of the show.
Thanks, "Sister", for bringing so much laughter to our lives. Aug 13, 2009 11:13 AM Posted by Kristine
On Pittsburgh Today Live this week, we featured a walk that's happening this Sunday morning at North Park to benefit Pancreatic Cancer research. I'm the M.C. for the pre-walk ceremonies and KDKA is a proud media sponsor of the "Pick up the Pace" walk.
I really wanted to be part of this event because my grandmother on my mom's side died of pancreatic cancer ten years ago. Frances Gerler was a wonderful woman -- a role model to me in the way she always approached life with grace and joy and how she genuinely loved people. If you've ever known someone with pancreatic cancer, you know that the life expectancy once it's diagnosed is almost always very short. My grandmother died on Easter Sunday, just months after she was diagnosed.
CMU Professor Randy Pausch recently brought pancratic cancer to the national spotlight when he died at such a young age from pancreatic cancer, leaving his "last lecture" for us all.
Did you know:
* Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death
* Less than 2 percent of the National Cancer Institute's federal research funding is allocated to pancreatic cancer
* 95% of patients will die within 5 years of diagnosis
* 76% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis
* Since 1975, the 5-year survival rate has improved only from 3% to 5%
* This year, 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 35,240 will die from the disease.
Please join me this Sunday as I honor my grandmother and all those who've died of pancreatic cancer.
The "Pick up the Pace" walk to benefit Pancreatic cancer research is at the North Park boathouse at 10 a.m.. Details are on the website for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
www.pancan.org/pickupthepace09
Jul 23, 2009 5:32 PM Posted by Kristine
I attended the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Kids Crawl on Saturday after learning about it from my interviews on Pittsburgh Today Live last week, and the event lived up to all of the excitement it promised. My kids, my husband and I all had a great time, watching and participating in the various arts forms that were on display downtown. It was a wonderful celebration of the many arts organizations in Pittsburgh and how many of them cater programs specifically to children.
We danced in the soul line-dancing, made sun-catchers with the Children's Museum, joined the parade of larger-than-life sized puppets in the Heinz Hall garden, sang along with the CLO mini-stars and tapped our feet to the rhythms of the Umoja African Arts Dance Company drummers.
This week, I also took my children to the children's production of "Gooney Bird Greene" at the Little Lake Theatre in Canonsburg, and it was also an engaging show, not only for the children but for the adults. The storybook comes to life, with children impressively acting most of the parts. Sophia is still asking if she can see the show again. I think we'll go to the upcoming "Pinkalicious" show which is based on the book she loves.
One of the main reasons I loved Pittsburgh from my first day here ten years ago is the strong arts community, and now that I have children, I am appreciating it in a new way, sharing it with my children. Jun 16, 2009 3:55 PM Posted by Kristine  Potted Shade Plants  Herb Garden - Parsley, Basil, Mint, Chives, Purple Basil, Cilantro, Oregano  Solar Light Figurines Doug Oster, our "garden guru" from the Post Gazette, has inspired me to try some new things and be more adventurous in my garden, and I have a few photos posted to show you what it's looking like. I'm still a relative newcomer to gardening. I bought my first house just 6 years ago which was the first time I started gardening, so I still have a lot to learn about the basics, but Doug is encouraging me to try some plants that might be a little different than the usual ones and to try some vegetables and herbs that I might not otherwise have tried to grow.
In the photos, you'll see my pot of plants that are all good for shade. I would have usually gone with impatients or begonias, but Doug encouraged me to seek out the help of an expert at the gardening center where I go, so I did, and they directed me to some more unusual plants. I like the creative process of picking plants that look good together -- mixing colors and textures to form a beautiful arrangement that lasts all summer long.
The next photo is my herb garden which sits outside my kitchen steps. You'll notice it's decorated by Sophia's faces -- my favorite part of the photo. From last year, I have chives, mint, parsley and cilantro that came up again this year. I added basil and purple basil and have oregano in a nearby area.
In my main garden, you'll see the solar light figurines from Evey True Value Hardware in Bethel Park. I like how they look in the daytime, as you see in the photo, but it's really fun at night when they light up, changin colors from red to blue to green.
I'm also growing orange and purple pumpkins which I ordered from a catalog, cucumbers, carrots, yellow pear tomatos, red tomatos, zucchini and yellow peppers -- most from seeds. I also planted some zinnias from seed and sunflowers which do well every year, as well as dahlias and some wave petunias which are new to me this year.
Hope you're having as much fun in the garden as I am! Happy gardening. | |
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