Springtime Meal
I LOVE having people over for dinner and making sure they enjoy themselves and the food.
For special occasions, I find I can't go wrong with Applesauce Pork Loin, Sour Cream 'n' Chive Potatoes, Sweet-Sour Spinach Salad, Roasted Asparagus and Easter Bunny Carrot Cake.
My husband, Andy, daughter, Bridget, and son, Brian, tell me I can make this meal any time!
Applesauce Pork Loin is a recipe from a commercial cooking course I took before I was married. The meat was so flavorful that later, cooking for our family, I scaled down the size of the recipe. It has remained one of my favorite ways to prepare a pork loin and is perfect for company.
Some people are skeptical when I tell them I put applesauce, honey, mustard and rosemary on the roast. But after a taste, they concur that it's a great combination. This roast has evolved into one of my best springtime entrees since it goes so well with the rest of the menu.
Savor Spring "Greens"
At this time of year, fresh asparagus and spinach are abundant in Ohio. My daughter's friend Maria came to dinner one day when I served Roasted Asparagus and claimed she didn't like the vegetable.
Bridget talked her into trying "just one piece" and by the end of the meal, Maria was asking if she could have the last spear on the serving dish.
Sweet-Sour Spinach Salad has been a favorite of mine since childhood. My mom made it a lot.
By the time I was 12 or so, I'd often help Mom with the cooking for our family of six. One day I decided to make the whole meal myself.
Mom worked third shift as a nurse in a newborn nursery and would have the meat out that she wanted to fix that evening for dinner. I thought, I can cook that! And I'd watched her fix other things often enough that I was able to come up with a whole meal. It was very well received.