Vacation Update and Great Baked Pork Chops

Fun Vacation to Turks and Caicos
Sorry it's been a while but we had the 4 day power outage and then went on a fabulous vacation to Turks and Caicos. We stayed at a Beaches resort which I would highly recommend if you have a family. This particular resort had 6 pools, 9 restaurants, 38 X-Boxes and more. The pools were all different so it was fun to experience the variety throughout the day. The kid pool was right alongside a cute little diner that they could run into for a quick hot dog or milk shake. Each pool also had a swim up bar and my kids made great use of them for their special Shirley Temple drinks. They are also building a whole new section there that will feauture a huge water park.

My favorite parts of the vacation:
1. snorkeling with the kids (Paker wants to learn to scuba when he turns 10 now)
2. watching my son defeat my husband an the half-life-sized chess game
3. the restaurant variety - kids were able to try sushi and the japanese steak house knowing they could get a hot dog later as needed.
4. the safe environment for families which allowed the kids a little freedom. Being able to walk into the poolside diner to get your own hot dog is a big deal when you're small.


Yummy Baked Pork Chop Recipe
I saw some great looking pork chops at the store but had no time to crock pot them so I found a simple baked pork chop recipe. I revised it since I didn't have a couple ingredients* and this is the resulting simple, delicous baked pork chop recipe.

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce Ingredients:
4 pork chops about 1/2 inch thick (mine were huge - more than 8 oz. each)
2 T. Grillmaster steak seasoning (or comparable amounts of ground pepper and salt)
1/2 can chicken broth
1/2 can skim milk (or half and half)
2 T. butter (not needed if you use half and half)
2 T. dijon mustard

Instructions:
Rub the seasoning onto both sides of the chops. Use non-stick frying pan or coat a regular pan first with cooking spray (we like Pam!). Cook chops on medium-high heat until browned (about 4-5 minutes each side). Remove chops and keep warm. Add broth, mustard, milk and butter to skillet. Put chops back in and simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens a bit. Flip the chops once or twice during that time.

*no idea what the actual conversion should be for this but I didn't have half and half so I used my skim milk and then added the butter.

White Bean Chicken Chili in a Pinch

We are in the midst of a power outage from the storms that pummelled the midwest. The initial storm was the craziest thing I have ever seen. The skies got black and then within five minutes, we happened to look out as a wall of rain was blasting at us. My son was sitting on the porch under a big golf umbrella (like a fort)and we had to scream at him to run in. He had no clue anything was going on outside. He got in just in time with the rain coming in sideways behind him. (In the meantime, my daughter felt the need to run back out in it to grab her new jelly shoes from Target.) Fortunately, everyone is fine but we have no power.

Since we have a generator, I'm blessed to have a working refrigerator and a couple outlets that I can use. Each morning when I make my pot of coffee, I'm especially thankful! Since I can't use the stove or oven, I decided to find something I could make in the crock pot. I'm at the public library typing this but I think it is going to be a tasty compromise for white bean chicken chili. The main difference is that I had a pound of chicken sausage in the freezer so that is substituted for chicken. Lucky me, I had the rest of the ingredients in the pantry.

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
1 can white beans (rinse very well and drain)
1 lb. chicken sausage, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
2 small cans chopped green chilis (found in mexican food aisle at any grocer)
2 T. cumin
1 1/2 t. ground oregono
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Crock pot for 8-10 on low or 4-5 on high. Serve with tortilla chips, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream and/or salsa.

This should last us a day or two but hoping for power by Friday!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Still Great in Summer

There are a lot of these crock pot dishes that may at first glance seem like odd choices for summer. In reality, it's still nice to have a home cooked meal waiting for you when you get home instead of having to stoke up the grill every night. It's especially handy if you have a variety of different schedules too. Everyone can just help themselves.

When made in the summer, this chicken recipe can also make great use of fresh tomatoes. In my case, I used 1 14 oz. can of the diced tomatoes with italian seasonings and also chopped up one very large fresh tomato. I'm going to write down the way I did it but any combination of fresh and canned is perfectly fine.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Recipe
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
1 small jar mushrooms
1/3 of a huge vidalia onion, chopped
1 can green beans
1/2 can chicken broth
2 T. italian seasoning (or more if you use all fresh tomatoes0
2 T. minced garlic. I actually used the garlic garlic spice from Tastefully Simple

Layer, green beans, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes (if any), chicken, and cover with diced tomatoes. The pour the chicken broth over it all. Cook on low 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. Not necessary but a little bit fancier...I used a mini food processor (I call it a mini chop) to grind up some of the ingredients to make them more of a traditional sauce consistency. I left many of the ingredients as large chunks though too. Serve on cooked noodles.

Encrusted Salmon and Orzo Salad

You'll almost never find a blog on cooking fish from me because I'm just not fond of the stuff. (I know, I know - it is good for me)

When my husband has his choice though, he likes to grill salmon or swordfish. The kids actually caught a couple huge salmon last year in Lake Michigan when we were vacationing in Door County, WI. They were better than most because they were so darned fresh.

Anyway, my husband and his brother tried something new this time that tasted great (if you like fish). They got the inspiration from the flavors they like at restaurants. The short of it is they spread a dijon mustard all over the fish and then rolled it in crushed pistachios. They grilled them for about 20 minutes I believe but best to use that as a guide and keep testing the fish when you cook it yourself.

Now onto the orzo salad that is one of my summertime favorites. First let me say that mine is extra yummy due to an olive oil that my mom hooked me on. It's lemon grass oil from KAMI. If you can find it in one of your stores, buy it! I had to order it online and ended up with 6 (which I split with mom) but it is SO worth it. Another option would be to put the fresh herb in or use the dried spice. DO NOT use lemon flavored olive oil. The lemon grass oil is a completely different, light, fresh flavor. Regular olive oil works just fine too. (my theory continues to be that you shouldn't ever make a special trip to the store for one ingredient)

Orzo Salad Recipe
1/2 lb. orzo (it's half the little box - you'll be surprised how much this makes)
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 english cucumber (or 1 regular cuke) peeled
1 package crumbled feta
1/2 cup fresh basil or cilantro or 2 T. of the dried spice
1/2 cup olive oil (I used the lemon grass)
1/4 cup vinegar (I used a blend from the grocery store - basil and oregono)
Pitted black olives, chopped to taste (I probably used 20 of them)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, stir and let cool. Combine with remaining ingredients and toss.

TIP: As for the cucumbers, I think it's fun to peel them instead of cutting them. Do it just like you'd peel off the skin but peel the cucumber itself. The "ribbons" are a little something different and most people that don't like cukes don't mind them because they don't have the seeds.

Sweet and Salty Spinach Salad

If you like foods that combine sweet and salty, you will enjoy this spinach salad. I love to get popcorn at the movies and eat it with red licorice so I knew I'd like it before I even finished prepping. I usually recommend buying bottled dressing but this one is so simple, it's worth just whipping up a small batch fresh for your salad. Without further delay, here is the recipe:

Spinach, Strawberry and Bacon Salad
1 package baby spinach leaves (6 oz.)
12 package fresh strawberries (8 oz.)
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use microwavable - just cook for about 30 seconds)
1/2 english cucumber (or 1 whole regular one)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced green onions
Combine ingredients and chill. Recommend using homemade poppyseed dressing

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 t. poppy seeds
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground mustard (dry - it's a spice)
Combine in a plastic container with tight lid. Shake. This makes enough for 2 - 3 salads so either refrigerate the remainder, or make a smaller batch.

Michigan Based Companies
I got an email recently that said:
"In a recent issue of Hour Detroit magazine, I read the following quote: 'If we all spent $10 a week on Michigan products, we could put $36 million every week back into the state's economy'. That was powerful to me. Every day I hear people bemoan the state of Michigan's economy and here was a simple and impactful thing that each of us could do to help. I contacted a woman named Jeanne Lipe at the Michigan Agritourist Department who confirmed that the numbers were correct."

Although I didn't confirm the source, it does stand to reason that supporting Michigan based companies would provide some relief to our depressed economy. Good thought starters!

One new website that I worked with recently has deals on Michigan products and tips for Michigan related things. It's called gemontheweb. Just try to keep it in mind on your next grocery shopping trip. The bottom line is that every little bit helps.

Awesome Summer Salad

This is a great salad recipe to serve with chicken, pork or fish and it can be as easy as opening a few cans from your pantry. John, Don and mom wanted the recipe so here it is:

Black Bean and Hearts of Palm Salad
1 can hearts of palm, drained
1 can black beans rinsed and rinsed and rinsed again, then drain
3 ears of fresh corn (slice the corn off the cob) or 1 can corn rinsed and drain
3 large tomatoes chopped fine
3 stalks green onion chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 T. powdered)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T. lime juice
1 t. corainder

Combine ingredients. Cover and refigerate. This is even better the next day. If at all possible, try to use the fresh cilantro and corn. It is still pretty darned good with canned but really pops with the fresh.