Ruby's 2nd Ice Cream Birthday

We celebrated our sweet little Rue turning two by having lots of friends over for ice cream sundaes.  We had a full sundae bar complete with glass ice cream dishes that I found at Goodwill, a pretend ice cream parlor, a coloring station, a make-your-own ice cream hair bow station and last but not least an ice cream cone piñata.  Party favors were scented ice cream cone bubbles from Hobby Lobby and balloons with brown craft paper cones in the shape of ice cream cones.  We had so much fun and I really can't believe my baby is this big!

Asparagus Frittata

While I'm on an asparagus kick I thought I'd add this easy, healthy and delicious breakfast. It whips up in about 15 minutes start to finish. You could use any veggie that you enjoy, we just happen to love asparagus. Can't wait to make this next year with asparagus from our garden!

Asparagus Frittata  

Ingredients:

2 T unsalted butter

1/3 cup shallots, minced (one shallot should give you this much)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off, cut into 1 in pieces

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1-1 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese (I use the Swiss & Gruyere Shredded Blend from Trader Joes's)

Directions:

Heat the butter in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. While the shallots are cooking pre-heat the broiler on high. Add chopped asparagus and salt to the shallots and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook covered for 3 more minutes. 

Pour the beaten eggs over the shallots and asparagus and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the eggs start to set. They will still be runny on top. Sprinkle the top of the eggs with the shredded cheese and place in the oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes. It is ready when the cheese is melted and the eggs are slightly browned. Loosen the frittata with a spatula and invert onto a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Slice into pieces and serve while warm or room temperature.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and Lemon Asparagus

This is a great meal to make if you are having company or if you are bringing a meal to someone else.  The flavors are simple and it is very aesthetically pleasing. We aren't typically huge pork-eaters but this recipe makes me want to change that. My family devoured every last bit of it. It fed our family of four perfectly so you might want to double the recipe if you are having company. If you are aren't down with asparagus what is wrong with you  then you can replace it with with green beans or broccoli.  :)

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and Lemon Asparagus

Ingredients

1 pound new potatoes, quartered (I used the tri-colored potatoes from Trader Joe's)

• 3-4   tablespoons of olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1  pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds) (Again, I buy a 2 pack at Trader Joe's)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2  tablespoons  fresh thyme leaves
• 1  bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
• 1  lemon, sliced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender and browned, 20 to 24 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rub the pork with the parsley, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. After the potatoes have cooked for 14 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not  over cook the pork or it will be chewy. You are just browning it at this stage and will cook it through in the oven.
3. Add the asparagus and lemon to the skillet and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stack the asparagus on either side of the tenderloin and then lay the lemon slices on top of the asparagus.  Doesn't it look pretty? Remove the potatoes from the oven and cover with foil. Transfer the skillet to oven and cook until the pork is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the potatoes, asparagus, and lemon.