We’ve officially made it home alive from our first week-long vacation with a newborn!  I didn’t realize until we left the house just how small our bedroom and living room was starting to feel – and how much we needed some time in a new space.  Over the course of this trip we learned the importance of comprehensive packing, we improved our ability to get the little guy into the car, and most importantly our little guy smiled at us for the first time – making the craziness of first-time parenthood melt away.

The initial inspiration for the trip to Stowe, Vermont was my brother and sister-in-law’s baby shower.  When the invite arrived during my third trimester of pregnancy I was hesitant to commit to traveling with a 6 week old baby.  But, as the date approached, we figured it was a good opportunity to practice life as a family of 3 on the road and neither of us wanted to miss the special event.

In terms of travel, when packing for two we’ve always been able to just wake up, throw our necessities in the car, and get moving when we were ready.  Now, we started packing the night before and then watched for his yawns with an eagle eye so that we aligned the three hour drive with the start of his desire for a nap.  Earlier in the week we had an epic fail with this strategy and were worried we once again wouldn’t make it out of town, but after some seat belt adjustments on his car seat this ride was a success!

During the trip we made several outings, and the little chipmunk had several ‘firsts.’  He had his first trip to a brewery, his first visit to a farmer’s market, his first family party, and his first hike / walk in the woods!  He enjoyed each and every one of them with his big curious eyes constantly watching and taking in the world. The only thing we hadn’t planned for (and couldn’t have planned for) was learning that it’s normal for babies to have some irregular intestinal patterns that then work themselves out when he is strapped to your chest, at a farmers market, when you forgot a change of clothes for yourself.  It was … special.

6 weeks in and the permanence of our new family structure is sinking in.  Next week, everything will change as the hubs heads back to work and I am home solo for the first time all day. Any tips or suggestions for how to spend the days?

As for this pork, this dish came together in one pan (with some things going on and off throughout the cooking process). It takes a bit of time so might be best for a weekend meal – or for a day like today when you have time to go back and forth to the oven for an afternoon.   But – it is a hearty and filling dish served best family style!

DISCLAIMER: This recipe below is very much an approximation of our process. We were in ‘eyeball mode’ rather than precise measurement with this dish!

**I’m excited to share this dish with Fiesta Friday which is hosted this week by Diann @ Of Goats and Greens and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook!**

Roasted Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Fingerling Potatoes and Broccoli

• Servings: 3
• Time: 10 prep + 60 cook = 70 mins
• Print

A family style pork tenderloin seasoned with fresh rosemary. With a plate full of roasted fingerling potatoes and broccoli this well rounded dish is a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 2 pound pork tenderloin
• Olive oil (a few tablespoons)
• Celery salt
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Minced garlic
• Kosher salt
• Season salt
• Parmesan shake cheese
• Fingerling potatoes
• Broccoli

Steps & Notes

1. Take the meat out of the refrigerator in order to bring it to room temperature (unless marinating overnight)
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
3. In a bowl, mix a few tablespoons of olive oil with celery salt, onion powder, black pepper, minced garlic, and a hearty dose of kosher salt
   • Note: This recipe was eyeballed but I’d guess we used about 1 teaspoon of each spice. The result should be a paste like mixture
4. Rub this all over the meat to fully coat all sides
   • Note: if you have time, this step can be done the night before and the meat left in the fridge overnight wrapped in plastic or in Tupperware
5. Bake the pork for 20 minutes a pound
6. While the pork is cooking, chop up fingerling potatoes and broccoli
7. Slather the broccoli with olive oil, season salt, black pepper
8. Slather the potatoes with olive oil, season salt, black pepper, and parmesan cheese
9. Once the pork reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees take it out and set aside
10. Put the potatoes and broccoli in the pan where the pork was cooking and roast for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven
11. Put the pork back into the pan with the potatoes and broccoli surrounded and bake in a 500 degree oven.
    1. Note: this final step is supposed to brown the pork a bit and finish browning the broccoli and potatoes.  IF it does not brown the pork then remove it separately and broil for 3-5 minutes more
12. Cut up and serve family style with a grain like quinoa or farro