Jonas found these two recipes on the ATK website, combined as a "quick and light spring dinner." The pork tenderloin was simple, and really tasty with the apricot-orange glaze.

We'd never prepared artichokes at home before, so that was new but easy. There is surprisingly little edible artichoke to be had when all is said and done. What a bizarre little vegetable.

Jonas preparing artichokes for steaming	Ingredients lined up (minus the tenderloin)
Browning in the pan before being thrown into the oven	Jonas the chef
Tender, steamed artichokes	Roast pork tenderloin with apricot-orange glaze
Roast pork tenderloin with apricot-orange glaze, steamed artichokes and brown rice

Recipe source: America's Test Kitchen

Some parts of this recipe turned out well, but there are some things we'd change: Reduce the time that the pizza crust goes into the oven during its initial bake so that the edges don't turn out as crispy after the final. The pizza is also quite topping-heavy, so it might be better to reduce the ground sirloin from 1.5 to 1 pound. Also, this is way more than four servings! Rachael Ray is crazy when it comes to portion sizes.

The popcorn was super yummy, but SPICY! It'd make a good party snack on its own.

Ingredients for mega meatball pizza and zippy Italian popcorn	Raw pizza crust seasoned with oil, rosemary and salt
Ingredients for mega meatball pizza and zippy Italian popcorn

Recipe source: Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Jonas wanted to make the köttfärssås (meat sauce) that he remembered his mother making when he was a child, so he got out our Swedish cookbook, Rutiga Kokboken (trans. the checkered cookbook). The recipe was simple, but required some conversions to metric measurements.

The end result, served over spaghetti, had flavor but was a bit too salty. We think the extra salt probably originated in the bullion cubes. American bullion must be saltier than its Swedish counterpart. Served over spaghetti.

Some of the ingredients for köttfärssås	Julia peeling garlic
A strangely oriented photo of the completed meal, including bread and olive oil

Recipe source: Rutiga Kokboken

After watching ATK one weekend afternoon, we decided to make their version of beef chili with kidney beans. It was a simple recipe, but it was an agonizing 2-hour wait while it was simmering on the stove!! As always, ATK makes a perfect meal.

Beef chili ingredients all lined up and ready to go	Onions, peppers and spices cooking in oil
Julia stirring the pot after the beef has been added. She is reaching because she didn't want to be in the photo.	Beans and tomatoes added
After simmering on the stove for two hours	Topped with cheese and ready to eat! Yum!

Recipe source: America's Test Kitchen