As kids, we always dreamed we would one day be one thing or another. I hear kids say, “fireman, policeman, astronaut, a mommy, race car driver, doctor,” and on and on.
The other day, I was sitting and looking back over my life and what it has become. I never dreamed it would be like it is now.
Growing up, I was never encouraged to dream big — to shoot for the stars. I was never taught “The sky’s the limit.” I was taught to work hard and do things for yourself. That was OK but what if I was encouraged to dream big and go after whatever I wanted? Where would I be now? Man, I get excited just thinking about it.
I am living my life now for what I want. I am dreaming big. I am living toward my dreams. I work hard for what I want.
Some folks may not know that I didn’t go to college. I wasn’t encouraged to even think about it. Would have I have attended if given the opportunity? I don’t know. I didn’t do bad in school but I struggled at times. I had to work very hard for my grades. It was very hard and I hated it. I loved sports and I think that is what kept me going.
Are there things I would change if I could go back in time? Yes, there are some things I would. However, there are many things I would not want to change. I have grown and learned from the things I have done over the years. Some I liked, some, not so much.
Sometimes I believe God allows us to go through things to teach us. We need to learn from the lesson he is trying to teach. We sometimes “go around the same mountain” because we haven’t gotten it right.
God has patience with us, more patience with us than we allow with others. Then there times we just make dumb choices. We have no one to blame but ourselves.
Why is it that we always want to blame someone else for our failures? Own up to your own work or failure. When you own up to it you are able to learn from it and move on.
Why is it when someone comes to us to tell us we have done something wrong most can’t accept it? There is a proper way to go about it.
We should never be content on where we are. We should always be pushing forward to our dreams and beyond. Life has so much to offer.
We first need to learn and do the things we are doing now correctly. Once you get that down, you move on to the next.
You should always have a side hustle going. Are you currently happy at where you are? Do you make enough money and have enough time to do what you want to do? Well I don’t! I have big dreams and I am going all in.
I am always looking for the next side hustle to achieve my dreams.
Always dream big and go after what you have always dreamt of. You are the only one holding yourself back.
Tender Pork Marsala
Ingredients
1 Pork Tenderloin 1.5 – 3 pounds
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp herbes de provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
2 medium shallots finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
12 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
1. Marinate the pork tenderloin in a resealable bag with the 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, and herbes de provence at least one hour or overnight. Discard marinade before cooking.
2. Cut the tenderloins into 2 inch thick medallions and flatten each medallion slightly with the palm of your hand. They should flatten easily. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil and just 1 tablespoon of butter. Once heated, add the pork and allow to brown 2-3 minutes on each side. Once both sides have nicely browned, remove from pan, transfer to clean plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
4. Using the same pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and add the shallots. Cook for about a minute until they start to brown and then add the garlic to cook for just a minute more. Stir while scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
5. Add the mushrooms, stir well to distribute butter and flavor, and allow them to cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring. This will allow your mushrooms to get slightly brown. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and allow the flour to cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
6. Add the Marsala wine and allow to cook down until almost completely evaporated. Then, add the chicken broth and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and parsley. Then return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan. Cook the pork in the mushroom sauce, flipping the meat once, until it’s firm to the touch, about 2 to 4 minutes or until it’s no longer pink inside. Add salt and pepper, as desired.
7. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes and a crisp green salad.
Tina Specht is co-publisher of the Minden Press-Herald. She shares her thoughts and recipes each Thursday.