What a beautiful day.  It is already warm enough for me to have windows and the sliding glass door open to let in some fresh air.  I know that it's not spring yet and we will have some more cold and probably even frost, but today is not the day.

Yesterday I had a pretty normal office day.  I did some menus for my customers next week and emailed them off, I went to the chiropractor and am doing great, the library to return and borrow and the bird store to get some food.  I also did a little laundry, got a nap, went to Jazzercise and made dinner.

I was on a potato kick last week and planned several nights with potatoes as the star.  I'm still on that kick, last night my husband said "why don't you go and buy a cookbook of 100 things for potatoes?"  I told him to look on the counter where he saw One Potato, Two Potatoes: 300 recipes from Simple to Elegant by Roy Finamore, he just said, oh.  He really should know better.

Last night we did not have potatoes and I tried a new pork tenderloin recipe.  It was good, I would have liked a little heat in it, so I'll probably add some cayenne or pepper sauce next time, but it was good.  There was a lot of sauce, you could have it with some kind of Asian noodles.  I also think some green onions would look nice in the sauce.  I cut down on the oil too, that's too much for brushing and searing. 

Spiced Pork Tenderloins with Ancho Peanut Sauce from Every Day with Rachael Ray
June-July 2007 serves 4

3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded   1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin   1 tablespoon smoked paprika   Salt and pepper   2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each) — trimmed, patted dry and halved crosswise

6 tablespoons vegetable oil   1 cup unsweetened coconut milk   1/2 cup creamy peanut butter   1/2 cup vegetable broth or water   3 tablespoons fresh lime juice   1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Soak the ancho chiles in warm water for 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. In a dish, combine 1 tablespoon cumin, the paprika, 1 tablespoon pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Brush the tenderloins with 3 tablespoons oil and roll in the spice mixture until coated.
3. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the pork, turning with tongs, until browned all over. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 150°, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the reserved chiles in a blender and add the coconut milk, peanut butter, broth, lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt, the coriander, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick medallions and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the ancho-peanut sauce.

Now I have leftovers for tonight's whatever meal, but no potatoes.  I have to look, but I think they reappear on the menu for tomorrow!  Of course I have potatoes, I just may not make them tonight.

I ran the vacuum this morning and the cats are united in their fear of that, so I won't see them for a while.  I think they are all under the big desk in the office, no growling though, safety in numbers.  For those of you who grew up in or near Pittsburgh I ran the sweeper.  Much easier for me to say and think than vacuum.

I have to go change laundry from washer to dryer and I think I'll make a poundcake.  Not with potatoes, although there are dessert recipes and bread recipes in the book.