First Shot at Chops

Yesterday morning I whipped up some oat-less oatmeal for breakfast. This was the best batch I have made yet. I think it is because I put all of the ingredients together the night before, and let it work in the fridge over night. This gives the chia seeds a chance to gelatinize which creates a different, thicker texture in the dish. In the morning I cooked it all up on the stove top and noticed it made for a more “voluptuous” looking bowl.

Oat-less Oatmeal (adapted from Tina’s recipe)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 frozen banana, mashed (you can use fresh instead if that is all you have)
  • 1/4 cup egg whites
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • a dash of cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Cook on stove-top over low heat. Stir frequently until an oatmeal like consistency appears (about 3 minutes). Top with fresh fruit, nut butter, granola, or whatever your heart desires!
Dinner was a new adventure for me. Dana had requested boneless pork chops for his birthday dinner, and although I have eaten them, I have never made them before, so I knew this would be a learning experience. Tuesday night while I was at the in-law’s for dinner, I asked Sue how she usually prepares pork chops. She gave me a simple recipe involving mushrooms, onions, and red wine. Here’s what happened.
I began by trimming any visible fat off of the meat. I then placed each chop on its own piece of aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and topped them with chopped onion, mushrooms, and a splash of red wine. I took Rachael Ray’s advice and used wine to cook with that I would actually want to drink. I wrapped up each chop and placed on a baking pan to bake in a 350° oven for exactly 1 hour.
In the mean time I got working on the side dish:baked rutabaga fries. Here is the large rutabaga.
I washed it, peeled off the skin, poked it with a fork a few times, and microwaved for about 3 minutes. I did this to soften it so that I would be able to cut it into french fry size strips more easily.
I placed the “fries” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, but you could also use olive oil or vegetable oil, and sprinkled them with seasoned salt. They baked at 350° (because that was the temperature the pork was cooking at) for about 37 minutes, flipping once halfway through. I then placed them under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching them carefully so that they wouldn’t burn. I removed them from the oven when they turned a light golden brown. I like my fries on the crispy side.
It’s not the prettiest plate of food ever, but it was extremely nummy! I’m thinking I aced my first shot at pork chops. I am generally not a huge meat person but I really did enjoy this meal. The rutabaga fries turned out awesome too. I dunked them in some ketchup and was in my glory. Dana gave the meal two thumbs up.
After dinner Dana opened up his birthday gifts, I sang him ‘Happy Birthday,’ we watched our favorite shows, Whitney and Modern Family, and talked about our upcoming trip which is happening VERY soon! I think it was a success of a birthday. We will probably continue celebrating this weekend, just for fun.
I am off to work now ladies and gents. After work I am heading straight to the gym (hold me accountable), and then I am going to finish packing for our trip. Can you handle the anticipation?
Happy Thursday friends. I am out.

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