Be Still My Beating Heart

I was browsing Tastespotting, which I don't recommend you do if you are even the slightest bit hungry, and ran across this. Holy sweet mother of everything that is good and sacred. Macaroni & cheese, check. Pulled pork, check. Barbecue sauce, check. All grilled between two slices of bread and even more cheese. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

And to make it even better this glorious sandwich hails from the Grilled Cheese Truck. Are you kidding me, the Grilled Cheese Truck? Can it get any better? And in case you're wondering, it can. Check out their menu and drool.

Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan Sage Crust.

I printed this recipe off of Better Homes & Gardens website in 2005 and it's no longer on the website. Which posed a little bit of a problem, since the version I had was missing some of the measurements. Luckily, I found the exact same recipe for baked pork chops with Parmesan sage crust on Recipe Zaar. The husband LOVED these pork chops, me I'm not so sure. I thought they were ok, not sure why I wasn't into them as much as the husband - who ate not only his pork chop, but half of mine too! They were totally not healthy though, but pretty easy & quick to prepare.

I followed the suggestions for halving the bread crumb mixture and even then I threw a lot away. My lemon had seen some better days so I decided to not use any of it's peel, instead I added some juice to the egg mixture. I also added one teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning to the bread crumb mixture too. I browned the pork chops in a skillet, but decided to cook them in the oven a little differently. I made a makeshift roasting rack using a cooling rack, my theory being the pork would be crisp on both sides and not smushy on the bottom like it would be if you just cooked it in the skillet.

Mexican Food Rediscovered.

Located in Gallup, New Mexico - where the Dad currently lives, Grandma's is a very small authentic northern New Mexico Mexican restaurant tucked away in a residential area south of downtown. Definitely stop if you are ever in the area.

What was ordered:

The brother thought one quesadilla wouldn't be enough so he ordered two. Silly mistake - they were huge, cheesy and cooked just perfectly. To drink he had the aguas del dia (water of the day), which was horchata. It's delicious! They were out of my Dad's favorite variety, agua de sandia or watermelon water.

I ordered the adovada burrito and it was beyond great. Seriously the most tender pork I've ever had and the flavors and heat of the red chile sauce was spot on. Certainly the best Mexican dish I've ever eaten. The entree was served with rice & refried beans.

The Dad ordered a combination of Mexican favorites, including the tastiest looking chile rellenos. Smothered in shredded cheese and green chili sauce, it was served with rice and refried beans. His dish was also delicious and cooked perfectly. He also had horchata to drink.

No pictures of the sister's equally delicious steak & eggs, served with hasbrowns and toast - I was too busy eating.