Pork Chop Tuesday

Many years ago when one of my best friends moved to Kansas City from Utah we shared an apartment. For many weeks we hosted what turned out to be, Pork Chop Tuesday. We would provide the pork chops and perhaps a side and then others would bring something to contribute. For the most part the meal consisted of pork chops, rice, pork chop gravy, a vegetable and rolls. My chocolate chip cookies would often be made to round out our delicious meal.

I am not sure why we picked Tuesdays but I can imagine it would be because Monday was Family Home Evening and Thursday was Institute so that left us with Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I loved hosting these meals and enjoyed seeing my friends eating good food and just being together.

I went to visit my former roommate, RCH, a few weeks ago and made the pork chops again for her. She attempted to make them again last night but has asked that I blogger the recipe for all to share. I am not a picture taking person so please pardon that there are no pictures.

Ingredients:

Pork Chops- You can use any kind you like but my personal favorite are the kind with bones that are thin. But RCH bought a pork roast (I think) and then cut it into pork chops which would be a more economical way to do it.

Cream of Mushroom Soup-I use a lot of soup for this recipe. Usually, if I am cooking for 4 people I would use at least 3 cans (regular size) of soup. You may have to do the recipe a few times to know the amount that is right for your family or group.

Garlic and Onion Salt

Milk-this is an eyeball measurement which I will explain in a minute.

Steps:

1. Season your pork chops anyway you would like. I personally like to use garlic and onion salt on both sides. You could also add a little bit of pepper if you wish.

2. Brown the pork chops on both sides on Medium to High Heat (maybe around 6 or 7 on your stove.)

3. While the pork chops are browning put your soup into a bowl with some milk. You can eyeball it and add more later if you want your gravy thinner. Mix the milk and soup together until smooth.

4. While the pan is still on medium to high heat, add the soup mixture and let the soup also brown just a bit (maybe for 5 minutes or so).

5. Turn the heat down to low (maybe around 1 or 2 or simmer) and let the pork chops simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. The longer you let them simmer the more tender your pork chops will be. If you are using the thinner pork chop you won't need to cook them as long. If you are using thicker or boneless pork chops you will need to cook them the full hour.

6. Serve with rice or potatoes and anything else you would like. The cream of mushroom soup becomes a gravy for your rice or rolls!

I hope you enjoy having your own Pork Chop Tuesday!

With Gratitude and Love

I should be prepping for Seminary right now but I've been reading several blogs today and decided to copy one of my friends Eliza. One of my best friends of over 20 years, Beckle the Freckle, found out that her sister has stage 4 cancer. She mentions in her post that sometimes we don't appreciate the people in our lives like we should. So I decided to copy Eliza and write a little bit about those who mean so much to me.

Dad
I love you so much and I am so glad you are my dad. I love going to movies with you and to Eddie Bauer just to look at bags. I am thankful that you and mom let me come and "take care of you" even though I think it is the other way around. You are the best dad a girl could ask for and I will always be your little girl.

Mom
I love you so much! You are such a talented and wonderful person. I am completely amazed all of the time at the patience you have to do your many projects. I can barely tolerate doing my cross stitch but I am glad that you are there to help me over the rough spots. I love that you have always been there for me through thick and thin. You are amazing.

Ken
As brothers go you are simply the best. You are kind and loving to your sisters now that we are all grown up and out of our childhood and teenage years. I love being around you and learning from you. You are so intelligent and someone I really look up to. I am so proud of you for going back to school and finishing your degree. You make me want to do that too. I love you.

Elizabeth
The bond we share is something hard to describe to anyone else. You are there for me in a way that no one else is or could be. I admire your strength and the things that you have taught me. I was so proud the day you graduated from Peace but more especially that you left the nest to pursue your dreams. Also, thanks for giving all of us Little G to spoil He is simply so sweet and wonderful. I love you both.

Kyle
Thanks for marrying my sister and treating her so well. You always make me laugh when we're together. I think the best memory I have of you was recently at Grandma Kieffer's funeral. I was having a hard time right before the family prayer and crying pretty hard. Thanks for putting your arm around me. It really helped me feel better. I really love you for that. I am glad you are part of our family.

Margaret
I love you my little blonde headed sister. I know that we tease you all the time about being adopted but I couldn't imagine our family as being complete without you. I admire that you went to Germany to live when you were 16 almost 17. I admire that you teach the German language to high school students and you are so good at it. I love talking to you and hanging out with you and doing fun sister things together. You are so brave and smart and wonderful.

Ben
Last but not least. Thanks for marrying Mar. You are truly wonderful to her. Thanks for letting me live with you guys for those couple of years and for dealing with my craziness sometimes. I know I was a trial but you were always patient. Thanks for fixing my friend's cars and being a great example of charity. I love you and I am glad that you are in our family.

Little G
Thanks for being my first nephew. You are so cute and so loved by us all. I love you so much.

And a few more people who are like sisters to me. I met RCH and Beckle the Freckle when we were all in 8th grade. (That's right, right?) So we've been friends for about 20 years or so. That's a long time and I love them so much.

RCH
20 years is a long time and who knew it would last this long when Jessica had you write me that note when I had mono. Thanks for everything. Thanks for being my first real roommate in Kansas City and for listening to me all these years. Your support is something that I need. Even though we don't talk every day know that I think of you often and love you more than I can express in words.

Beckle
I can't remember the exact circumstances of our first meeting. Maybe you remember better than I do. It just seems that you've been a part of my life forever. Thanks for listening and laughing and being a great friend. I love you so much and I am so glad that we are blessed to be in each others lives. You are a wonderful everything.


Love you all,
K2

The Sleeping Dragon

"You go wake her up."
"NO, YOU go wake her up."

I can only imagine this conversation as I was sleeping, blissfully unaware of my siblings bickering over who was going to tiptoe into my room to wake me up.

I love to sleep and it shouldn't be a secret to those who really know me. And for those of you who don't, I LOVE TO SLEEP! I had always thought that I should be embarrassed by the fact that I could sleep in until 10 or 11 if allowed. I was reading an article in my Real Simple magazine and the author is the same way! I felt like I was given permission to sleep.

Please don't imagine that I can't get up because I do, everyday at about 5am. I am a classic night owl and would love to go to bed about 1am and get up about 11 or 12 with no feelings of guilt. Once I am up, I am fine but getting up is another story. When the alarm rings, I hate everything. Life, Work, The Alarm Clock, Little Puppies. I have to get up so I do because I am a responsible adult. But sometimes, after Seminary, when I don't have to go to work I go back to bed. Oh the wondrous sleep I get after Seminary. Bundled up against the cold and blissfully unaware of the goings on of the outside world.

When RCH and I were in High School we often imagined that we would establish a community of Night Owls. Bookstores would be open only at night as would grocery stores and every other kind of store. Schools would start about noon and get out at four. There would be no going to bed early or getting up early. It would be the perfect world. Then we grew up.

Going back to the title of this post, I am the sleeping dragon if you wake me up in the wrong way. There is a right way and a wrong way to wake me up. Maybe I'll write about that sometime.

Nostalgia: Simon and Garfunkel

For Christmas Mom and Dad gave me a CD of favorites from Simon and Garfunkel. As I was listening to it the other day and particularly to one song I thought about my senior year of high school.

One of my best friends, RCH, liked to make me mix tapes in high school and she would often put one or two Simon and Garfunkel songs on there. Cecilia was one of my favorites and the other was the one about organdy but I can't remember the title.

The problem was that my car, the infamous Flipper-Myrtle-Turtle-Wood, didn't have a radio. Well, it did while my dad was driving it from Oregon to Utah but then it quit working. RCH said it was no problem so we "borrowed" a radio with tape player from her mom's house. I think her mom missed it but only really knew it was missing when RCH brought it back at the end of the year.

Imagine, if you will, me and RCH and Beckle the Freckle driving around the thriving metropolis of Bountiful, UT in my 1973 powder blue Nova with the "boom box" radio with the tape player on the floor of the passenger side rockin' out to Simon and Garfunkel and the like.

I never had to wash that car either because the paint was so faded that it NEVER showed dirt. We had lots of fun in that car. Now as I'm driving my Ford 500 and listening to Simon and Garfunkel I remember those carefree days with two of the most important people in my life.

Remembering RCH

I should have done this yesterday if I was half the friend I claim to be but you know how life just runs by so fast. And I have a new book. There's the real excuse.

One of my very bestest friends, RCH, celebrated her birthday yesterday and I couldn't help but think about how very, very blessed I am to have her in my life. We have been friends for 20 years and we are still friends to this day. We've been through a lot together and even though we don't talk to each other a lot when we do its just like old times...like riding a bicycle. Its as easy as breathing.

We met in Jr. High courtesy of our mutual friend Jessica Habashi. I was home sick with mono (caught from my cousin..from drinking out of the same cup or something...not kissing you sickos) and Jessica had RCH write me a note. That was the first note of many more to come. We wrote stories about our class mates with Mrs. McMitchell and shared all the angst that teenage life can bring. We slept over at each other's houses and our families because meshed into one. Its quite amazing how it happened really and that it happened.

High school ended and I thought my heart would break saying good-bye to her even though Senior year had its rough spots for me. Sharing was never my strongest suit when it came to my very bestest friend.

I moved to Oregon and her parents sent her to me. It was a wonderful week. Then after I had been in Kansas City for a while, she came to live with me. We had our very first apartment together. Our first phone, first bills, first door bell. She got engaged, married and pregnant in KC then moved to Texas. Missed her then too. Still do.

Now she lives in the Mountain west with her DH and 3 darling girls I am lucky enough to call my nieces. To them I am Aunty Kainty or sometimes Sainty Kainty if I am bringing gifts.

So thank you RCH for 20 years of great friendship and for understanding me even when no one else in the world did. I loves you to pieces. Happy Birthday!

Love,
Kainty

Time Machine: Junior Year

A yearbook inscription from one of my very best friends.

Kathryn, 6-8-92
Well, here's one note you can't stuff in a shoe-box! "tired, Happy sigh" I can't believe we made it through another year! Only 182 days and we're outta here. You'll still come to college with me, right? And on our road trip? Yes, I'll go to S. Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore...IF we can go to New York! Thanx for being there when I'm sad or psychotic or sad-but-pretending-not-to-be. You always understand. Also, thanx for not moving. It's really selfish of me, I'm sure, but your family has always had you! It's my turn!!! Have a good time in Oregon over the summer---it really is beautiful. We do need to have a few last lambada-man parties before you go! Love you!
'Pasta.

Yours Etc,

RC (Now RCH)

Memories..how fun!