Crusts and Crumbs: September 2016

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Pork Chops and Pears

So, I made these pork chops the other night, and I was informed they were the second best thing I've ever made! Second only to the T-Bones on the grill...which, really, who can compete with that. And technically, my husband grilled those so...does this make this the best thing I've ever made? Anyway you look at it, these were pretty delicious, and a crockpot recipe I actually love is pretty hard to come by. So I'll take it! Kids loved it too. It really was the perfect blend of sweet and savory, and even the slightly gritty pear texture worked well by keeping it from getting too mushy.

I used Penzey's Spices Arizona Dreaming spice blend for these. This blend has : ancho chili pepper, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, spices, cumin, citric acid, Mexican oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, cocoa and natural smoke flavoring.
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/arizona-dreaming-seasoning/c-24/p-295/pd-s

This is my favorites spice blend, and I highly recommend it, but you can certainly make these with a different blend of spices. You could even just use chili powder, cayenne, and paprika with pretty good success.

We had these over garlic mashed potatoes and it was perfect. May I humbly suggest you use Yukon Gold potatoes, and cream cheese? Mmmm. Do it.

I also thought after that a dash of apple cider vinegar would have been good here. I'll probably try that next time!

Sorry for the subpar photo! But, you know, busy mom...priorities... ;)

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Pork Chops and Pears

4 boneless, thick cut pork chops (pork loin, roast, steak would also work here)
4 pears, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 small sweet onion
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Penzey's Arizona Dreaming (or similar spice blend)
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brown pork chops in olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, with onions and garlic. Sprinkle each side with sea salt and a generous amount of seasoning blend while cooking. Once browned, place the chops in the crockpot. Add pears to the onions and garlic, and add water, cinnamon, ginger, and sugar. Stir and fry for a few minutes, then add the sauce to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

Change.

Understand, I don’t intend to stop posting recipes completely. I still love cooking, and sharing that love with others. But I’ve also always enjoyed writing, and have recently rediscovered that dusty love. I feel like digging it out of the attic, and giving it a bit of a polish. I’ve been inspired by other bloggers, by their
daily grit and grind that they share with the world. By their faith and tenacity as they plod through life. I feel like taking advantage of the flexibility of a blog, and writing what I feel like, when I feel like it. The crusts and the crumbs of my life. A recipe today, a remodel post tomorrow, a reflection on parenting next week. I face a wide open space, waiting to be
filled with whatever I desire. And I like that challenge.

Me.

Much of my writing will never even see the light. It will never make it past the parchment of my mind, where it is scribbled in invisible ink for me alone. But some of it does. That bit is what is written here. Humbly posted for the world to see, if it cares, or to ignore if it doesn’t.
I’m not a spotlight kind of girl. I’m shy, and quiet, and a bit reserved. Oh, I like a good razzing between friends, and a spirited board game with the best of them. I love hosting friends and family and cherishing moments together.
But at my soul, in my heart of hearts, I’m a quiet evening with my man, fire blazing, hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea kind of girl. That’s when I’m most blissful.
So, I don’t write for a spotlight, imagined or otherwise. I don’t write for others. I write for me. If not a single person (besides my soul mate-we’re bonded as one, so he counts as me) reads this blog, I’d be just as satisfied in writing it as if a thousand had read it.Which is good, because a thousand people definitely
won’t be reading this. No, I write because there is an itch in my soul. An urge, somewhere deep inside of my being, to craft my thoughts into words and inscribe them, preserve them, and make meaning from them. It brings me peace to take the whirling dervish in my mind and put him to rest.