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Roni

Food, Savory

Shichimi Togarashi Pork Loin Recipe

A while back I tried out Raw Spice Bar, a spice subscription “box” that’s only $6 and you receive three different spice blends. When I subscribed, I received three different blends for Japanese food, accompanied with three recipes, which being me, never really looked at until now.

I can’t imagine I’m the only one. So for all of you who received the Japanese package, this one’s for you.

My packets have been tucked away up on a shelf for about a month, not because I didn’t want to use them, but more that I just didn’t think anything of them when I have a full spice rack. But Andy came home with another pork loin (on sale, yes!) and I remembered that one of the spice blends had said something about being used for meats. So I dragged over the chair, perched myself up to reach the spices, pulled them down, and went to work figuring out which one it was.

It was the Shichimi Togarashi blend, meaning “seven flavor chile pepper,” or so they tell me, because I don’t speak Japanese. But this blend of black peppercorns, ground red chiles, dried orange peel, flaked nori, black sesame seeds, white poppy seeds, ginger, and garlic was bomb on the pork. It wasn’t sweet, but smokey and wasn’t too spicy hot.

Which makes me think I should continue to get the monthly Raw Spice Bar blends. Super easy, and all I had to do was open the package. I mean, honestly, it’s not like I’d be able to easily recreate the blend without revamping my entire spice rack. Although I did find a really reasonably priced blend on Amazon for under $3, which for all of you who don’t have the package should get.

Shichimi Togarashi Pork Loin Recipe

2-lb pork loin
Shichimi Togarashi Raw Spice Rack blend
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Place pork loin on a cookie sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the spice packet, or about 2 tablespoons of a Shichimi Togarashi blend. (Here’s a link to a blend I found on Amazon under $3 and FREE shipping!)

Rub spice mixture all over the pork loin, making sure to cover the ends. Place cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Pork loin should be golden brown.

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

 

Shichimi Togarashi Spice Blend

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June 28, 2015 by
Food, Sweet

Easy Paleo Banana Pancakes

Ever since I first took the leap to trying Paleo and Whole 30 recipes, I wanted to try flourless banana pancakes. The problem is, I was worried that Andy wouldn’t like them. Well, I was sort of right. He loved the flavor, not too fond about the texture. But honestly, it’s not a regular pancake, so what did he expect?

However, with a side of fresh cut strawberries, I really do love these. And the banana makes them super filling for breakfast. They taste just like banana bread because of the cinnamon!

Paleo Banana Pancakes

Gather
1 1/2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking powder
Olive oil

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, lightly mash bananas with a potato masher.

Add egg, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bananas. Stir well to combine. The mixture will look soupy, that’s ok.

Heat a medium sized skillet and add enough olive oil to just barely coat the bottom of the pan. Add about 2 tablespoons of batter to the pan  and cook over medium heat and cook until the bottom is firm (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook other side for another 2 minutes.

Serve warm with sliced fresh fruit.

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June 28, 2015 by
Uncategorized

Kmart Freebies Haul June

I have never really stopped finding deals. No matter if I’m working full-time, part-time, or even when I was in college, I know looking for a deal is as easy as keeping your eyes open to keep your wallet full. I’ve already told you all about Fit Studio, Shop Your Way, and how to get free items from Kmart and Sears. But there are so many people I know who have a FitBit and do not hook it up to anything for products.

Let’s be honest, I’m not talking about walking out of a store with free Reeboks or a new couch, but it adds up. This week, a simple trip with my accumulated $8 worth of points, picking the right products, and voila, FREE stuff! I paid nothing over what I had for points, and there is no requirement to make a paid purchase. All I had to do was walk every day to earn enough points for my purchase and remember to make my purchase before my points expired.

So many Kmart freebies over the last month, these products included: conditioner, detangler, eyeliner, powder, toothpaste.

If you have not purchased a FitBit yet, you should. You not only can earn points here, but you can also earn points at Walgreens! All just for walking, which you’re going to do anyway.

Get Your FitBit on Amazon

 

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June 27, 2015 by
Life In General

Don’t Miss An Opportunity

My grandmother always said, be careful what you wish for, because it could come true. Well, she was completely right.

I have been given the opportunity to make a significant change in my life, do whatever I want to do and try something new. Many people see the negative in big life changes. But there is no greater time in my life to grab life by the horns and take advantage of new opportunities.

When one door closes, a window opens. Sometimes it’s a big window, sometimes it’s a small window, some times, it’s a whole new door. You just have to look for it. Nine times out of ten, your opportunity will not come racing to you. Keep your eyes open!

I’m not going to go into details, just to reflect on the fact that I’ve been given a lot of great opportunities over the years, met so many people, and have seen both the up sides and down sides of life. I am infinitely lucky right now to have Andy and his daughter in my life. I am grateful for the multiple small businesses that we run (NH Vinyl Guys, Seacoast Photo Booths, and My Country Story), even if a week ago I was complaining that we were doing too many things to think. I am grateful for my family who is always supportive and stays calm in rough situations. I am grateful for my friends who within minutes of learning the big changes in my life were there for me. I love you all.

My head is full of so many thoughts right now, but I think the most important one is that things could be so much worse than how they are right now.

I’ll leave you with this.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
– Winston Churchill

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June 26, 2015 by