Earlier this week H and I tried a new recipe in our crockpot for a delicious pork tenderloin. Our friend Curt told to use dry onion soup in the slow cooker so we thought we'd give it a try!
I found a recipe online at AllRecipes.com with the dry onion soup packet, along with red wine, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper. Here's a look at our dinner.
Ingredients
1 (2 lb.) pork tenderloin
1 (1 oz.) envelop of dry onion soup mix - we used Lipton
1 cup water
3/4 cup of red wine - we used Winc's Wordsmith
1/2 garlic clove
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
fresh ground pepper to taste
Cook for 4.5 hours
We used Winc's (formerly Club W) Wordsmith red wine for the recipe, then enjoyed some with our meal. Use our link for a discount on your first order - and we'll get a free bottle too!
BEFORE
The clear liners we get from Publix are a lifesaver when cleaning up!
AFTER
Do you have any crockpot recipes to share? We're new to using ours and looking for more recipes!
I'm so thankful for my amazing dad and all he's done for our family through the years. He's such a godly example for all of us and has gone to all our games and competitions and plays throughout the years for Betsy, Michael and I. I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day!
Here are some of my favorite pictures of me and my dad!
I love this picture of my dad and me walking down the aisle together.
Photo by: Kristen Weaver Photography
A favorite moment together for our father/daughter dance to "Isn't She Lovely"
Photo by: Kristen Weaver Photography
Here's what we've been up to this week:
My friend Elise told me about this great book she loved and I finally bought it two weeks ago and am loving it! It's called "Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose." and is written by Lara Casey who is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Southern Weddings magazine. In just 3 days I read the first half of the book and would highly recommend it!
On Thursday after work, my friend Amanda and I went to the soft opening of a new Pure Barre in Brookhaven. The layout is a lot different from some of the others in town and I liked that there is natural light in the studio! And valet parking was included (and tip, major plus!) anytime you go! Pretty luxurious for a workout :)
They also handed out free tanks and snacks as a thank you to everyone for coming!
Friday nights have become H and my unofficial date night of the week. We went to Seasons 52 for dinner, one of our favorites. We weren't that hungry so we split their steak and cheese flatbread (we swapped the blue cheese for goat cheese) and split the fillet. You can't go to Seasons without getting their adorable mini desserts which cast her feelings of guilt since they're so tiny!
Had a fun Saturday morning with my friend Kristin. We went to Pure Barre, grabbed a smoothie, then headed to the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market at The Cathedral of Saint Philip to walk around. Then we wrapped up the morning with a little mani/pedi. H had a fun morning golfing with his friends and then we watched some of the US Open tournament and then grilled out.
A few Sunday Happenings this week...
Green Blender
I first heard about Green Blender last week through one of their ads on Instagram.
It's basically Blue Apron but for smoothies. They send you fresh ingredients for a week of smoothies - 5 recipes for 10 servings. I think it's pretty expensive to do every week (I really don't drink smoothies that much), but you definitely save money than if you wanted to buy these ingredients at the store.
I think there's also a 20% discount on your first order when you sign up.
Dads & the "Cheerio Challenge"
Apparently there is a "Cheerio Challenge" going on, on social media where parents are trying to stack cheerios on their sleeping babies. These pictures are absolutely hilarious! Perfect timing with Father's Day this weekend.
Image from BuzzFeed
Christina Grimmie
It's been a heartbreaking week for Orlando and our nation as we grieve the horrible things that have happened. Last Friday night, Christina Grimmie was tragically shot and killed in Orlando after a concert. She was so talented and is awful that she was senselessly taken away from us on earth so young. She was so outspoken about her faith and Savior Jesus Christ which I find so admirable and pray her legacy lives on for years to come.
Here is a video she posted a few years ago singing one of my favorite worship songs, "In Christ Alone."
It's been a crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs this week with the horrible tragedies of what happened in Orlando last weekend. Orlando is my hometown and it broke my heart
to wake up Sunday morning and hear about the horrible shootings that happened killing so many innocent people.
It's always neat to see though, how a community responds to such tragedy and I'm so proud of my home church First Baptist Orlando, my sister's hospital system she works for Orlando Health and how their hospital system responded and all the cool stories of long lines with Orlandonians wanting to give blood.
For anyone interested in supporting my sister's hospital system here are two ways. These funds will support the on-going needs and response at Orlando Regional Medical Center's Level One Trauma Center after the tragedy that occurred last weekend, on June 12th in Orlando.
1. Text “Orlando” to 20222 to donate $10 to ORMC’s Level One Trauma Center
(The donation will be added to your cell phone carrier bill.)
(Gifts can be made using a credit card at this website.) Also, my mom sent me the community service at First Baptist Orlando earlier this week if anyone wants to see it - very moving.
The Bachelorette is totally my guilty pleasure! I'm over here like...
My sister sent me this hilarious E Online article written last night after Part 1 of this week's Bachelorette episodes and it was just too funny not to share.
Happy Tuesday y'all, we're almost to hump day.
xox, A
P.S. I definitely thought Chad was going to kill Alex tonight on their two-on-one date.
At least Alex is safe... for now... until Chad hunts them all down. 🙈
Time is flying - I can't believe it's already June 5th and summer is officially here in Atlanta with days in the 90s and afternoon rain showers becoming expected in the afternoons.
I love summer. Growing up in Florida the warmth is what I'm used to. We had a fun weekend - Friday started with a belated birthday dinner celebration with my wonderful in-law's at Canoe, one of my favorites! The weather was perfect, so we sat outside on the porch. I ordered the pork rack and we split a bottle of one of our favorite Club W wines (newly re-branded to Winc), the 2013 Prismus Reserve Cabernet Savignon from Napa Valley.
Then Saturday I went to Pure Barre with my friend Amanda and then we picked up our guys and had brunch at South City Kitchen in Midtown. I had never been but it was delicious. Definitely a new favorite brunch spot in Atlanta! So basically we did a lot of eating this weekend.
(I think I need to start a list of my favorite restaurants! Any suggestions??) Then we had a fun birthday dinner to go to.
Then this morning I went to my Pure Barre class, came home and H and I have been knocking out some much needed house chores while it was rainy/cloudy this morning. The sun is starting to come out and I think we'll run a few errands before church tonight at 6:00.
So here are the Sunday Happenings!
Yummy Food O.T.P.
Mom & Dad were in town a few weeks ago and we ventured O.T.P. (if you live in Atlanta you're familiar but this means Outside the Perimeter, 285 road that separates inside Atlanta to the 'burbs) to Avalon.
We wanted to show them around so we started with wine and appetizers at one of my favorites, Cru Wine Bar. If you go, you have to get the Fried Goat Cheese balls that are AH-mazing. They have lots of fun wine flights to try. With it being warm, I had to go for the rosé flight.
Flight of rosé at Cru Wine Bar at Avalon
Then we grabbed dinner a Colletta, a delicious Italian spot we hadn't tried before. We had their famous meatballs for an appetizer, which was voted Atlanta's #1 Meatball this past September! So those are some new favorite restaurants I would recommend. And for dessert we had a salted caramel chocolate cake they call "Almond Budino" which was unbelievable.
Baby Bachelorette
With the new season of the Bachelorette kicking off a few weeks ago, Jimmy Kimmel did a hilarious "episode" of Baby Bachelorette. Who else is watching the Bachelorette with me?? It's my guilty pleasure.
Speaking of the Bachelorette, The Bachelor/Bachelorette instagram account posted this funny video of Jojo watching her own episode of the Bachelorette.
Ruth B live Lost Boy
This has been my new jam at work lately - love her voice just with the piano. It's beautiful.
Lo & Sons Work Bag
I've been on the hunt for a new work bag and I think I've found the perfect one, The T.T. Lo & Sons bag. I think Lo & Sons has beautiful, well-made bags. You can tell they've been extremely thoughtful in their designs in what women look for in a bag. Some day maybe I'll splurge for one!
I'm going to The Grove Summer Party Picnic put on by Passion City Church with my Bible Study tomorrow in Piedmont Park. Last month was the first time I've gone to The Grove, a monthly gathering of women for worship and a speaker. I think it's so cool how packed it was with thousands of women in Atlanta learning about the Lord together. Is anyone else going to the picnic?
Hope everyone has a great week!
P.S. Did anyone go to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this weekend?? I'm super bummed we didn't know about it until after the fact and it looked amazing! Definitely on our list to do next year!
