About This Blog

The idea for this blog came from my attempt to improve the variety in my family's evening meal after my second pregnancy, during which I made little or no effort to cook. Since I have two small children, I focused on my easiest recipes to minimize time in the kitchen, and aimed to go at least one whole calendar month without repeating a dinner menu. I did re-use a few side dishes, but I didn't repeat entrees, and I rarely spent more than 30-40 minutes making dinner. Ultimately, I found I could go way beyond one month!

I thought other folks might benefit from my little experiment, so I decided to go ahead and publish "a month of menus," including calendar, menus, recipes*, and notes. I've made some adjustments to my actual calendar to take out nights we ate out, spread out the chicken dishes, etc. (Once I get the first month complete, I may try to post a second month's worth.) I've posted each recipe as a separate posting for ease in searching, and the calendar appears at the bottom of the page. (My apologies that a few recipes are out of order. A blog is a difficult format for this, but it's a heckuva lot easier than a website!)

I hope someone out there will find this information useful! Bon appetit!

*Many of my recipes are from cookbooks or were published in a magazine or on a website. I have done my best to be respectful of copyrights, so in some cases I don't reprint a recipe here, but I point you to the book or link you to the website. I have attributed all other recipes as best I could, but I don't always have the original source noted in my own files. My apologies to anyone who isn't properly credited for a recipe!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Pork Chops with Gorgonzola and Pears

This is perhaps my favorite thing to make. It is absolutely delicious, it is very quick and easy to make, and yet it looks like you've made a gourmet meal that took hours of preparation.

It's from a Better Homes and Gardens issue (August 2006), but it's available on their public website (http://www.bhg.com/). I won't reprint it here in case of copyright issues, but you can easily find it at this link, http://recipes.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R088894, or by searching http://www.bhg.com/ for "pork chops with gorgonzola and pears".

My notes about this recipe:

1. The recipe recommends rib chops; I use whatever pork chops are available to me, and although I'm sure rib chops have more flavor, I prefer the ease and meatiness of boneless chops (our Wegman's has some great pre-packaged, individually sealed boneless chops).

2. The recipe says to cook the chops for 5 minutes a side, to 160 degrees internal temp. I find that it usually takes longer to cook them to 160, especially if you're using thicker, boneless chops. Get a good instant-read thermometer and check the temps often.

3. I also use D'Anjou pears for this recipe because I find they don't fall apart as much as Bartletts when cooked but still have a good flavor.

4. I've made this recipe using both the wine and apple juice versions; I find it's equally good either way.

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