Diaries of a Determined Cook: Burnt Disappointments!

So, last week I was banned from the kitchen. Yes, it wasn't a proud day for a woman who really is trying her best to learn cooking. It all started the Thursday before last when I attempted to make Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

There I was, set to make a delicious meal for my family, before I begin my teaching. You see, I have a classroom in my home and teach Creative Writing Classes to young adults and adults. I try to make sure supper is done, at least, a half hour before class so my husband can get home to change and we can all sit and eat before I go into 'Teacher Mode'.
Guess it wasn't going to happen this time around. :(

I placed the Pork in the WHITE casserole dish. (Notice I wrote, 'white' in capitals) Put it in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes to do whatever its supposed to do, then pulled it out, put the mixture on it and set it back in to bake. (No problem!)
OOPS! After 20 minutes I could smell something.

"What the hell is that?" I wondered, aloud.

I forgot to turn the heat down on the casserole to 350. (Apparently this is very important)

Quickly I turned the heat down and opened the stove door to let some heat out. Thick black smoke filled my home and I waited, while praying, for the smoke alarms to not go off. (They're all connected so if one goes off, they all go off) Meanwhile, children come from everywhere in the house. I closed the oven door, hoping they wouldn't notice. (Yeah, right!)

"Mom's cooking again! I think its done!"

I flipped the teenager off. He snickered and let me know, "Oh look! Dad's home."

CRAP!

"What the hell is going on?"

Near tears I relayed the catastrophic event that was now 'charcoal supper'. With my head hung low I pulled it out of the oven. More black smoke filled the house and my beautiful casserole dish was now Black.
*big sigh*

My husband starts laughing. "New recipe."

"Yup."

"You should really stick to what you know."

"Cookies and coffee cake?" I felt defeated and depressed.

"I'm just saying, (I hate when he says that) if you're going to make something new, you shouldn't go for something as complicated as..."

He stopped talking when I gave him 'the look'. "I try so it's easier on you, because you get home so late and--.

"Do us a favor honey," He put his arms around me because I was really close to tears. "Don't enter my kitchen for a week. I don't know if our stomachs can handle it."

I shook my head 'yes' and went to answer the door while Mark went to the burnt dish to see what he could do with it.

"Wow! What's that smell?" my student asked.

** In my defense, we found out this week our stove connection wasn't properly secured when we moved into the house. It was causing the stove to 'misfire' and the temp to be erratic. Sooooo...I don't care what anyone says, this wasn't my fault. :)

Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin

servings:6
Prep: 15
Cook:1 hr

1/3 cup honey

2 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbl brown sugar

2 Tbl sesame oil

2 Tbl balsamic vinegar

2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloin

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. In brown, mix the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and balsamic vinegar.

3. Place the pork tenderloins in a roasting pan, and roast 15 minutes in a preheated oven.

4. Remove pork from oven, and baste with the honey sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue roasting pork 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the honey sauce, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Good luck! Apparently this is wayyyyy too complicated for me!! LOL

Have a Sparkling day!
Rebecca Rose