It's a New Day! Roast Pork Loin with Apples, Potatoes, and Sage

     So I disappeared for a while.  I thought I was gone forever.  I figured the food blogging world was one in which I would enjoy other people's contributions but one for which I didn't have time to add to myself. However, recently a number of friends and acquaintances have told me they just think it's so amazing that I'm cooking a new meal every single day and that they have tried out various recipes from my blog, and that I'm such an inspiration to them.  As I've experienced these conversations more and more recently, my husband said, "I don't think you have any idea how much influence for good you are".  Gosh, really?  Talk about a guilt trip too, how can I just abandon these nice people who have given me so many compliments lately?!  

     So here I am.  Yes, I'm still cooking a new meal every night.  It's no longer part of the challenge between my husband and I and so I don't stress if I do end up repeating something or have the occasional Kraft macaroni and cheese nights.  But, really, those come maybe once every other month or so.  No, my blog is not nearly as cool as The Pioneer Woman.  No, I don't know much about blog design and I don't have a cool camera to capture the mouth watering moments of cooking.  But, I do have recipes.  And I do love to cook. And bake.  And I can't wait to grow and can my own food when I have a yard.  So I'll share some recipes I've tried recently.  

      Starting with this one:  Pork loin roast with potatoes and apples.  This was so easy and SO DELICIOUS.  Like eat 1 1/2 lbs of meat all by yourself delicious.  I served this with homemade rolls.  

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter, softened
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh sage leaves (I used 2 tsp. dried)
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
• 1  (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat
• 1 1/2 pound(s) baby red potatoes, each cut in half
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pound(s) (3 to 4 medium) Gala or Jonagold apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 1 to 2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon margarine, 1 tablespoon chopped sage (1 tsp. dried), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. With hands, rub sage mixture all over pork loin.  (I melted the butter completely, added the spices, and used a basting brush to do this part)
2. In 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan (I used a 10x13), melt remaining 2 tablespoons margarine in oven. Remove pan from oven. Add potatoes, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped sage (1 tsp dried); toss to coat. Push potatoes and onion to edges of pan and set small roasting rack in center; place pork on rack. Roast 20 minutes. (I didn't have a roasting rack, it cooked great without it)
3. Add apples to pan, around pork, and roast 30 to 40 minutes longer, depending on thickness of pork, or until meat thermometer inserted into center of pork reaches 145 degrees F. (Internal temperature of pork will rise 5 to 10 degrees F upon standing.)  I had to roast mine a bit longer than this as I found the internal temperature didn't rise for me while standing... Also, I noticed when I added the apples that the potatoes were drying out so this is where I added the 1 cup of chicken broth.  Even if your potatoes aren't drying out, still add the broth, it makes delicious drippings when all is said and done! 
4. Transfer pork to warm platter; let stand 15 minutes to set juices for easier slicing. With slotted spoon, transfer potatoes, onion, and apples to platter with pork. Pour pan drippings into small cup. Skim off and discard fat from drippings. Serve pork, sliced, with drippings.