And just like that, Summer has Arrived + Glazed Pork Recipe

And just like that, Summer has arrived. Less than a week ago I was still needing a coat when I left for work. I even wore a sweater a few times. It was all of that cold rain. But now, it seems to have moved out, after nearly a month or more of rain every day. And today it was around 80 degrees with our trademark blue skies. Along with that came a nasty, extremely contagious head & sinus cold that makes you feel really terrible. Larr had it a week ago, for about a week. I came down with it on Friday, my last day or work. Ellie and Kohlton became sick on Saturday. We are a sorry lot around here, I tell you! I've mostly spent my weekend sleeping, zoning, or thinking about how soon I will have to sleep again.

Ellie's first day as a crew leader for Jefferson County Open Space begins tomorrow. She has everything at the ready. Now I hope she get a deep and complete night of sleep. It is exciting. I only wish that she was not sick. They will most likely not know that she is ill.

These lovely peonies are from Eleanor's garden. We are working to transplant as much of her garden to our yard as possible since we have to sale the house. That makes us very sad.


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Here's the main dish in Ellie's lunch this week:

Glazed Pork Chops
via: Budget Bytes

4 thick cut pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cayenne powder (This might be too much.)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

(I've put the recipe below as I followed it, but I have also added the changes that I think should be made next time.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine the brown sugar and spices (salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).

Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides. Use all of the spice mix.

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot (it will look wavy in the pan), add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned. (This resulted in the brown sugar burning. Next time I will skip the skillet portion of this recipe and try cooking it in the oven for the entire time.)

If you are using an oven safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through. If your skillet is not oven safe (most plastic handled skillets and teflon are not safe in the oven), transfer the chops to a baking sheet lined with foil then place in the oven.

Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

(Medium temp. for cooked pork is 145 degrees.)