Meal # 22 Onion Pork Chops with Corn and Potato

I got a new cookbook the other day. Rachel Ray's 2, 4, 6, or 8 people recipes. Very cool. I chose a recipe from it today and enjoyed following her recipe directions. It's like, a little of this and a eyeball of that, mix, chop or whatever floats your boat kinda recipe. I invited Suzette over for Bible study and dinner and I think she liked the meat and corn stuff but not crazy about the onions. I however, loved the onion sauce, because I love onions. Sauteed onions with a little butter and salt are one of my favorite thing, it's not everyone's though. But this is a food challenge, people, if I am not challenging you out of your food box, who will? Speaking of food boxes, my whole life I have hated mushrooms. They always taste like dirt and rubber. I cooked them (because they are on my list 30 times! Amanda!) the other day in butter, and loved them. I was so surprised to see my taste-buds changing in this experience. So we ate and picked corn out of our teeth and enjoyed good food. What can be better than that?
Stats:

Gabriel- 4
Tiff -4
Suz - she didn't vote but I bet she would say 3 because of the onions

I can't help it! I love onions!

Tiffions

Meal # 14 Pork Chops Wrapped in Bacon

I came home the other night with a plan forming in my head on what to do with a couple of pork chops. I used to be a vegetarian and the biggest thing I missed was a McDonald's Big Mac and real bacon. I would get tofu bacon and eat it whenever I had the craving. The tofu bacon was actually quite good and settled the demanding meat man inside me. A couple draw backs? It looked like a dog treat and it chewed like plastic. So I was having a hankering for bacon and I needed to use these chops. So I did what I feel like good chefs do; I wrapped pork in pork and fried it up in a skillet. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and some parsley. I put some rice on and quartered a fresh cabbage which I steamed. This was a pleasant surprise but not a pleasant odor. Cabbage smells like a fart but it tasted earthy. I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and let it just get soft enough to be a compliment to my pork. It also still had some nutrients in it which was the healthy part of my meal. After it all came to a end, this was the first meal in a long time I made all on my own. It was rather good. I think I will wrap more things in bacon.

Gabe -4.25
Tiff - 4.5

What about wrapping pigs feet in bacon?
Mmmmm. Think about it?

Tiffany

Meal # 2 Garlic Parsley Biscuits

So my luck may have ran out on my meal #2. I had a crazy day Friday morning and was planning my meal for the evening the whole time. Would I try a souffle? Or the dreaded pickled pigs feet? Not ready for that. Mmmm. A tender steak medallion with mixed herbs? Oh the possibilities! .... Then I remembered we had a dinner meeting with our home group leaders from church and I had signed up to bring biscuits and corn. The MOST boring thing on the needs list (which I created) Granted, I chose these items a month ago when I was goalless and without any foresight to this challenge. I mulled these items over in my head until a thought popped in there, about 39 minutes later. I searched for a simple butter biscuit recipe and then I thought I would just add my own twist. I mean I have parsley listed 29 times! I can def. put some parsley in these things! What goes good with parsley? Garlic. Totes. So I grabbed all my ingredients, making sure that my eggs were room temperature and set out to making my biscuits. The directions said to knead then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. I am horrible at guessing this with my naked eye. I was tempted to get the ruler out but I had my roommates lingering around possible watching my every move. I thought "I have the courage to not measure with a ruler that is in my school bag approximately 3 feet from me! I will use my eyes that have not led me astray for 28 years." So I guessed and used a rounded glass to create perfect little round biscuits. I watched them in the oven, waiting for them to become fluffy Crackle Barrel biscuits, but alas it was not so! My biscuits which in totally reality were only about 1/4 inch thick did not expand into their destined fluffiness. They rose a tiny bit but such a disappointment. I ate one hot out of the oven and tasted mostly the garlic and saw bits of green which only got stuck in my teeth. I did survey a couple of tough food critics but they were much too generous. All except my faithful Bri. She was honest with me. Her face said it all. So I am quickly humbled and will be sticking to someone else recipe from now on.

Stars
** Bri T
*** Joel C
*** Lauren S (who as just glad it didn't taste like peanut butter)

Overall self evaluation: * because now I have 13 hockey pucks in a ziplock. Tell me! How do you do it Crackle Barrel?

The Intern Tiffany