Happy Monday! Wait. Tuesday. Whatever.

Good morning, Kitschies!!  I was going to say something about it being Monday and all, but seeing as it's Tuesday, I guess that doesn't work.  My docs (aka: the bosses) have been out since Thursday and I've (basically) been out since Friday, so it's an *extra long* holiday weekend for me.  Especially since I'm taking today off to take Nate to Explora!  We've been there before but it's been a long time (I was still pregnant with Mason)...it should be fun.

We had a good holiday weekend.  We had our cousins over to spend the night Friday night.  The boys stayed up and played video games (the hubs and the older cousin stayed up til after midnight!) then got up bright and early and hit Lowe's for their Build & Grow program where all three of them got to build a by-plane!  Then we all hit the park and then came home for some lunch and pool time.  After a few hours, we were all a little pinker (the top of my feet got it worst!) but we had a good time.  I *finally* found a place in Albuquerque that sells tri-tip (if you know me, you know this is a BIG deal) and I made the BEST tri-tip I've ever made (also a big deal).  Other than that, we got some cleaning done around the house and talked about Mason's birthday party this coming weekend (he'll be 2 *gasp* on Thursday).  I think *all* weekends should be 3-day weekends!! 

Anyway...I have a great recipe to share with you today.  I was in the mood for a new pork recipe and did some searching and found a good one on Simply Recipes.  

Citrus Pork with Egg Noodles

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked, drained

Get the water boiling for your noodles...

In a small bowl combine cumin, salt and pepper. Add pork; toss to coat.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or until browned.

In a small bowl blend the broth, orange juice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Reserve 1/4 cup of the broth mixture. Pour all but the reserved broth mixture into the skillet with the pork and garlic. Add the carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook 7-8 minutes.

Blend corn starch into reserved broth mixture. Stirring constantly, pour the corn starch mixture into the skillet to thicken the sauce. Add the green onions. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 more minute.

Toss with the noodles. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

For once, the pic I got looked pretty similar to the pic they used on the site!  This was soooo good.  You could easily substitute chicken for pork if pork isn't your thing.  The boys even ate this without dispute (save for the obligatory 10 minutes of Nate complaining that he doesn't want to eat *that*). 

Well, it's after 7 and Nate is still in bed...I wonder how long he'll sleep?  I miss the days of sleeping in til whenever...but those days are long gone with the kiddos.  Especially now that Mason is in a toddler bed!  All I can say is: thank jeebus for child-proof doorknob covers!  I know...I'm a mean mom.