Pork Tenderloin Recipes Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Tenderloin Recipe 

Are you looking for an easy pork tenderloin recipe for the slow cooker crock pot? Taking advantage of the crock pot gives you more time to prep side dishes or catch up on chores. We've come up with a tasty, fall slow cooker pork recipe that can serve as a substitute Thanksgiving entree. It will make you think differently about pork. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Pork Tenderloin Recipes Slow Cooker .

The folks at Smithfield® Marinated Pork invited us to share a recipe with their delicious Pork Tenderloin. So, we headed to our local Kroger to gather up all of the supplies needed for a simple, down home, fall pork tenderloin dinner. 

Your family will think you are awesome when you serve this up with a side of sweet potato tater tots and a green bean casserole. It is perfect any night, because it cooks in minutes and disappears in seconds. 

Smithfield® Marinated Pork Recipes for Slow Cooker Crock Pot.

You can have Thanksgiving dinner every night! For a limited time, (availability may vary) get a discount coupon for Smithfield® Marinated Pork at Kroger. 

Substitute pork for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

My family's favorite leftovers are Thanksgiving Turkey turned into a cranberry sandwich with mayo, salt, and pepper. They prefer that to the fancy Thanksgiving feast. So, of course, we decided to make a twist and switch out the turkey for pork. With Smithfield® Marinated Pork, the good news is we don't have to wait for leftovers!

Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches.

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients:

• Smithfield® Marinated Pork, Garlic
• 2 Boxes Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 Eggs (We use Duck Eggs)
• Milk or Almond Milk
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potato Tater Tots (found at Kroger)
• Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Almonds or Walnuts

Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches

• Spray your slow cooker with Canola Oil, add 1/2 C. water, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want, you can also add a dash of cinnamon. Place the pork in the slow cooker on high heat, turning occassionally. Cook until browned and 150 degrees in the center. Time varies with each slow cooker's settings. 

• While the pork tenderloin is cooking, prep corn muffin mix, and bake according to package instructions. We added 1/4 C. ground flax to our batter and then placed it in a loaf pan. You'll need 2 boxes to fill the loaf pan.

• The Sweet Potato Tater Tots only take about 20 minutes to cook, and cook nicely in a toaster oven.

• While everything is cooking, you'e got some time for yourself. Ha! You can do the dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. When everything is done cooking you can sit down and enjoy the meal with your family.

• When the Pork is done, remove from crock pot and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5-8 minutes before cutting it into 1/2" slices.

• While the pork is cooling, remove the corn muffin "bread" from the pan and slice it into 1/2" slices.

• Open the can of Cranberry Sauce and slice it thinly (up to 1/2").

• Lay the pork slice atop the corn muffin, and place the cranberry slice on top to form an open faced cranberry pork sandwich. Yum!

Click for a Greenbean Casserole Recipe.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Smithfield®. The opinions and text are all mine.

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Homemade Dr Pepper® Recipes

Dr Pepper® Recipes to Make at Home

Fall has arrived, and we are thinking football and what to eat while watching the games at home. You can get ready for game day when you make these one of a kind Dr Pepper® chicken tenders and muffins at home with these simple recipe and ingredients from Kroger. Kroger is the place for Game Day Greats. Even if you don't drink Dr Pepper®, we think you will love this homemade baked, breaded chicken recipe paired with cupcake muffins. Enjoy!

Make Dr Pepper® Recipes at home.

Your guests will be impressed with your one of a kind, unique game day recipes. Best of all, the ingredients needed are at your local Kroger. Dr Pepper® and Kroger are the ultimate football partners for your next homegating or tailgating event. 

Be sure to visit the Kroger in-store sweepstakes display with Miller
Coors®/Kellogg's®/Dr Pepper® for fly away trips to Rivalry Games. See your local store for more details. Also, don't forget to register  for your chance to win the #GDGSWEEPSTAKES.

We filled the cart with lots of goodies for college game day! We provide the entree and dessert, you bring the veggies and dip, okay?

How to Make Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders

These delicious chicken tenders are ready in just 30 minutes. Serve them up at your next football party with a side of fried zucchini, waffle fries, and a glass of Dr Pepper® or simply have them out as an appetizer. 

1/2 C. Dr Pepper®
1/4 C.  all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
Dash of Paprika
5-6 chicken breast tenders
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil, and spray it with cooking spray. (They will stick.)

2. In shallow dish or bowl, marinade chicken tenders in 1/2 C. Dr Pepper®. Toss to coat.

3. In another shallow dish, mix flour, panko, paprika, and salt and pepper with a fork. 

4. In yet another shallow dish, beat egg and 1/4 C. Dr Pepper®.

5. Now, dip chicken into egg/Dr Pepper® mixture, then coat with flour crumb mixture. Place on cookie sheet.

Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders ready to go into oven.

4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once toward the end, until chicken is no longer pink in center and coating is an orange golden brown. 

Cooking in oven, spoon some more Dr Pepper® over any dry bits of flour.

Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders.

This was delicious! Make easy Dr Pepper® chicken tenders at home.

Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe is Easy

I mustache you a question. Do you like Dr Pepper®? We love it! No college football party (think homegating) is complete without Dr Pepper®and chocolate. Every party needs some chocolate! So, after your baked, chicken tenders, splurge with some fun, mustache cupcake muffins.

Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Cupcake Muffin with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cart full of Gameday Goodies.

We found this fun post on Quarterbacks with Mustaches.

How to Make Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Cupcake Muffins

Ingredients

• Martha White Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
• 1/2 C. Dr Pepper®
• 1/4 C. Almond Milk

Follow Package Instructions, but replace milk with Dr Pepper® and Milk measurements listed above.

Stir until frothy.

Place Cupcake liners in pan. Fill liners to top. You will need to scoop the chips into the muffin tins. They react with the Dr Pepper® and stay in the bottom of the bowl.

Bake according to package instructions. Remove from heat. Cool pan on wire baking rack.

Once cool, add your favorite Cream Cheese frosting. Then, stick on this paper printable mustache.

Mustache Cupcakes are fun for Game Day!

Mustache Chocolate Chip and Dr Pepper® Cupcakes.

We found some more fun recipes that use Dr Pepper®:

Dr Pepper® Cake and Icing

Dr Pepper® Cheesecakes

Dr Pepper® BBQ Chickens

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper®. Game Day Greats brought to you by Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor Activities To Do With the Kids

When we leave summer behind and approach the colder months, kids want to stay inside. That means, it’s time to pull out the indoor activities to keep the kids entertained after school and on the weekends. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean the day has to be wasted! There are loads of great family-friendly activities to do indoors.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.

Be sure to click through the links to find all the fun indoor kids activities we've discovered.

If you're looking for great ways to keep kids entertained when the weather’s got you stuck indoors, look no further! Some or these activities, you might do regularly, others you may never have tried before, but they’re all great ways to keep the kids entertained while encouraging them to learn new skills. 

Baking 

How can you not love an indoor activity where you and the kids get to eat a tasty treat at the end? When the weather isn't very nice, baking is a great way to bring the family together, and you can learn some amazing new skills while you’re at it. 

Don’t worry if you’re not a great cook, the fun is in learning the new skill, and there are some great recipes for beginners out there. Even if you are a beginner, these recipes will have you baking up a storm!

Everyone wins when you get to do a fun family activity and eat some tasty baked goods at the end of the day.

Kid-Friendly Recipes from our Blog

Arts and Crafts

Keep everyone entertained for hours on end with a few well-planned arts and crafts projects. These might take a little bit of pre-planning on your part, but they’re sure to give your family an amazing day of creating things with their hands and bonding with each other. 

Any project with epoxy resin is bound to get the kids excited, and the results you can get with this product are awesome and perfect for a cold or rainy day.

Don’t worry if you’re not an arts and crafts pro, there are plenty of beginner projects to get you going like a pro. 

Kids CRAFTS from our blog.

Board Games

In the modern world of ultra-realistic video games, the old-fashioned board game still has its place. In fact, the classics are often the best, and there’s no better time to pull out the board game collection that when it’s raining outside. 

No matter how much technology moves on, the likes of Monopoly, Cluedo, Jenga, and Uno are always family favorites for a good reason. Once you get everyone together and involved in a game of Monopoly, you’ll find the time just flies by, and you won’t even remember that the weather is terrible outside. Make sure you’ve got a trustworthy banker, and you’ve got an afternoon of fun indoor activities for everyone. 

Indoor Sleepover Activities for Kids

Rainy Day – Don't Worry

As we approach Fall, the weather might not allow for as many outdoor activities as usual, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. There are lots of fun indoor activities that you can enjoy with your family on a rainy day.  For more inspiration, check us out on Pinterest!

What looked like a boring weekend stuck inside, might just turn out to be a weekend full of joy and family fun. You can eat, drink, create, and play games with your family and friends while bringing everyone closer together. Just do a search in our blog for games, crafts, kids recipes, family field trip ideas, and fun indoor activities for kids. Stick with us, and you'll never run out of fun things to do!

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Moroccan Food Acorn Squash Fall Recipe

This Acorn Squash Recipe with Moroccan Spice give your taste buds a kick. 

Angie shares her favorite spicy recipe. Moroccan Food Rocks. After you use your squash for a fun, Fall Thanksgiving Craft, make this recipe in the kitchen with your kids 

Angie's Recipes at Kids Creative Chaos.

"I made this the other night; 
it has just the right mix of sweet and savory. It is delish!"

Moroccan Spiced Acorn Squash Recipe

2 medium acorn squash (I used 3)
11/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
¾ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper
2/3 Cup uncooked wild rice blend
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp Moroccan Rub
1 1/3 Cup water
1/3 Cup Golden Raisins
1 Medium red apple such as fuji (I used Jonagold's)
1 can 15oz. Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) Drained and rinsed
2/3 C. slivered almonds, toasted and divded
1/3 cup snipped fresh chives
Additional snipped chives (optional)

Preheat oven 450.  Cut squash in half crosswise.  Remove and throw away seeds.  Place squash on Medium sheet pan or Large Bar Pan.  Using basting brush, brush squash with ½ tbsp of oil; sprinkle with brown sugar, ½ tsp of salt and pepper.  Bake 32-38 min or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and put on cooling rack.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in 10in skillet over medium heat 1-3 min or until shimmering.  Add rice blend, onion and rub; cook and stir 1-2 min or until onion is tender.  Add water and raisins; cook covered, 12-15 min or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Dice apple, zest lemon to measure 1 tsp.  Add apple, lemon zest, chickpeas, ½ cup almonds, chives and remaining ¼ tsp salt to skillet.  Cook covered, 1-2 min or until heated thru.  Spoon rice mixture evenly into squash halves.  Garnish with remaining 2 tbsp almonds and additional snipped chives, if desired.

Cook's Tip: To form flat base, trim ½ in off top and bottom of the squash.

Recommended Reading:

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Morocco Recipes* 

September Calendar of Special Days Holidays: Free Printable Calendar

September Calendar of Holidays and Special Days Printable 2018

September is a special month with Special Days caught between summer and fall. The weather is pleasant. The children are back to school. Kitchens are cooking wonderful food from the fall harvest. The smell of autumn is in the air. Find a September Calendar Printable 2018 and a September calendar song, to help preschoolers, kindergartners, and kids of all ages learn about this very special month. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Click the link to get the FREE DOWNLOAD: September Printable Calendar  2018

September Calendar of Special Days Holidays with Calendar Song.

Unique Days and Holidays in September

Labor Day - When is it? It is an American holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the Labor Movement. Everyone gets a day off of laboring to appreciate laboring! That's work. Whistle while you work.

Sept. 6 - Read a Book Day

Sept. 7 - Grandparent's Day or the first Sunday in September.

Sept. 12 - Chocolate MilkShake Day

We don't have any chocolate milkshake recipes, but here's a yummy yogurt smoothie recipe instead!

Sept. 15 - Make a Hat Day

Sept. 16 - National Play-Doh Day!

Celebrate National Play-Doh Day in the U.S.

Sept. 18 - Rice Krispies Treats Day

Sept. 19 - Talk like a Pirate Day

While you're talking like a pirate why don't you dress like one too! Here's a diy pirate costume for kids.

Sept. 22 - Elephant Appreciation Day

Recommended Reading:

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October Calendar Special Days

How to Babysit a Grandpa

3 Fun Turkey Crafts from Organic items in Nature

Cute, Fun Turkey Crafts for Kids to Make at Home

These 3 adorable turkey crafts are made from things you can find around your house. Each one uses something found in nature. Grab a piece of paper and have your kids make a list (sneaking in some handwriting time) of things they will look for while on a nature hike. Then, grab your craft scraps and sit down to make these little gobblers at home. Gobble. Gobble. Gobble. Enjoy!

Pinecone Turkeys from I Love India blog.

This cute little guy deceived us, we thought it was paper and fall leaves, turns out it is made from craft leaves and felt. Want to use real leaves? Find out how to preserve fall leaves.

Paper Turkey with Leaves as Tail Feathers
from BabyCenter blog.

The little turkey pictured below is made from an orange. He stole our hearts. He is... so cute! What a great way to welcome guests to their place setting.

Orange, Leaves, and Pinecone Turkey from Parenting blog.

Waddle around the blog, and you'll find all sorts of turkey projects, crafts, and games for Thanksgiving. We hope we've helped you to have a Happy Turkey Thursday!


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Kids Creative Chaos Cooks: Holiday Recipes

If Mama Ain't Happy Ain't Nobody Happy: The Family Relationship

Family Relationship Challenges

What’s the biggest relationship challenge in your family? How do you keep everything together, day in and day out, day after day? Time commitments, financial responsibilities, and emotional needs of each family member can take a toll on your happiness. Those people pleasers who need to take care of everyone often forget to take care of themselves. In my situation, I never wanted to spend money on personal needs (including health care) if it would take away from things my kids needed or wanted.

For years, we didn’t have health insurance, so any health setback caused major financial problems. I also didn’t take care of myself in other ways. I cut my own hair, never had a manicure until I was fifty years old, wore the same old clothes year after year, never went out to lunch with friends, never even saw my friends, and never indulged in frivolous things that I might want for the house. I considered any of that selfish.

This sponsored post contains Amazon affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

It’s important to take care of yourself. You’ve probably heard the quote, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain't nobody happy.” I’m sure there’s some truth to this. You can put on a happy face, but if your needs aren’t being met and you have nothing to look forward to, your relationship is going to suffer- even if you're not the one causing the majority of the turmoil. I know it’s difficult. I used to see other women spending too much time on themselves, ignoring the needs of their children. They’d go shopping for themselves several times a month while their children wore clothes they’d outgrown. I never wanted to be like that, but I took it too far the other way. You’ve been there. We don’t have to be martyrs to be mothers. Taking care of yourself, puts you in a better place. You’ll be better equipped to tackle those relationship issues with your partner. Communication is a key factor in the downward spiral of relationships. When communication is poor, everything else becomes difficult.

Eventually, lack of communication breaks the partnership. In my relationship, the more I tried to communicate with my partner, the more difficult the relationship became. There are things couples need to discuss. Things that can’t be swept under the rug. Plans for the future, health of your children, plans to make about family events to attend, even how each of you are feeling about the status of your relationship. When you have a partner who won’t talk to you about any of it, you’ve got a problem that needs fixed. Parents need to keep a united front for their children. They need to work together as a team for the greater good of the family, even if it means sacrificing the personal desires.

For me, self-care felt like a selfish, personal desire because my partner took up all that empty space for himself. He worked all the time or found extra things to do to help others, just to avoid coming home and facing real life problems. These problems ranged from my serious illness where I was bedridden for months, to house repairs, financial responsibilities, and even mental health problems the kids were facing. I couldn’t run off for a haircut or even a doctor’s appointment because there was no safety net. He couldn’t seem to  find an hour to give me a break and if he did, he’d use that hour to sleep - not to watch the kids. So, everywhere I went, I took the kids. Everywhere. 

Check out this old post about a family excursion, see any red flags?

Let me tell you, this is not only unhealthy for you, it’s also unhealthy for your kids. We all need time apart from each other. The kids feel it too. They need options. They need time away from the family.  Sure, we attended homeschool groups, summer camps, special events, 4-H and any other free or low cost activity I could find, but none of it made the pitfalls in our broken family any better. It just kept our mind’s busy enough to make it through another day- or so I thought.

Mama needs time to feel good about herself. Sure, you may think you don’t want to jog or join a walking club. You may think you can cut your own hair to save money for the greater good, you may think a vice here and there, maybe a pint of ice cream or bar of chocolate, are good survival mechanisms, but in the long run, if your always the one making sacrifices life’s not going to turn out like you hoped.

Remember when you started your relationship with your partner? You took care of yourself, you took showers- maybe even relaxing baths, you did your makeup, and bought yourself a flattering outfit. You went out to lunch with your friends. You had dinner dates with your partner and even did activities that you both enjoyed together. You probably even talked about your hopes and dreams for the future. Don’t let yourself get lost in the shuffle.  If it's not too late, fix it. If it is too late, do yourself a favor and try to fix it before throwing in the towel.

Don’t try to wait it out and hope it will get better. There’s no need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself.. If you can’t possibly spare the money or feel like spending money on relationship counseling would set you back financially, there are many affordable online counseling services out there. ReGain is a great place to start. There are  plenty of self-help articles and videos that can kick start your decision making process and help you decide what’s best for your family. 

Going back to school and investing in one's self is also a huge deal for self-confidence and mental stimulation/relaxation. Healthcare-related fields offer great satisfaction and challenge.  Looking at community colleges or schools for certification or insurance coding can be a great first step.

Life balance is important. Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t decide that you must've done something to deserve your current situation. Sometimes, you can’t fix it on your own, sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but the outcome will have unavoidable consequences. On the flip side, sometimes, if you make small changes in your personal life, if you start taking care of yourself and taking pride in your own achievements, everything else will fall into place. Your children won’t suffer from a parent who takes care of themselves, when Mama is happy, there’s a far better chance that everyone else is happy too. Don’t wait until it’s too late. 

Your happy ending is waiting for you.

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Mommy, you look beautiful.

More QUOTE memes

October Calendar of Special Days and Unique Holidays for Kids 2020

Printable Unique Holidays and Special Days October Calendar 2020

The FREE Printable October calendar 2020 is full of fun autumn activities. It's fall in the states! Time for carving pumpkins, hiking, and enjoying friends and family around a campfire. It is also full of fun, unique and special days and holidays for kids. What will you celebrate? Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

This Free Printable October Calendar of Special Days and Holidays can be edited to your liking. Just save a copy and rename it. Click the link to download and save yours!

October 2 - World Farm Animals Day

Farm Animal wall art available at Tinytotties.com

Read the Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and make a paper barn and silo from an envelope and cardboard tube.

Pretending with Farm Animals
Trader's Point Creamery near Indianapolis offers Farm Tours.

October 4 - National Taco Day

Taco Appetizer Recipe

October 6 - World Habitat Day

Habitat for Humanity joins with partners around the world to rededicate to a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Show your support by attending a local World Habitat Day event or organizing one in your own community!

World Habitat Day - Get involved!

Community Service Project Ideas for Kids

October 10 - Angel Food Cake Day

Spooky Angel food cake by Matthew Mead. See the link below to get his book.

We found this spooky angel food cake from the book Cakes for Kids: 35 Colorful Recipes by Matthew Mead. The best part is, you start with a store bought cake. Easy and fast! We once make a pumpkin from a store bought cake. Hmm... I wonder if I have any pictures.

October 14  - National Dessert Day
This is my kind of day! Yum!  Want to learn how to make doughnuts at home? Just click the link for a fun recipe to make with kids on National Dessert Day!

October 15 - Global Handwashing Day
I like this day too! I like to wash my hands, even better I like other people to wash their hands! I know my germs; I don't know theirs!

October 25 - World Pasta Day

You should make some Harvest Skillet Pasta with the kids.

October 30 - National Candy Corn Day
Make Candy Corn S'mores!

Make candy corn s'mores with candy corn marshmallows.

October 31 - Carve a Pumpkin Day and Halloween, of course.
Halloween, is our favorite holiday! You'll find lots of diy costume ideas and Halloween treats for kids- just do a search in the sidebar for more fun ideas! Get started with, Things to do with Pumpkins.

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The Pumpkin Book