Easy Pork Parmigiana

I made this last night for the family and my 12 yr. old son ate a WHOLE pork chop!  Needless to say, I'll be making it again!  For a lighter version use olive oil and go easy on the cheese.  I served this with a side salad and fresh pasta (found in the refrigerated aisles of the grocery store).

Ingredients:
1 egg
2 T powdered Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 to 2 T of olive oil
4 3/4 inch thick pork tenderloins or boneless pork chops
1 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1 egg with 1T of water in shallow bowl and set aside.

Combine Parmesan cheese with bread crumbs in another bowl.

Start heating up olive oil in a large frying pan.

Dip meat in egg mixture; then dredge in crumbs.  Brown breaded pork in the olive oil.
Place in a greased casserole dish.  Top with spaghetti sauce.

Bake about 30 minutes.  Top with grated mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes.


Enjoy!

Christmas thoughts

I’ve thought about abandoning this blog.  I’ve been gone too long.  Who cares and who reads anyway?  But the thought of one person reading and taking away something keeps me going.  Just one person.  This will get personal and maybe even uncomfortable.  But I know without a doubt that I’m not the only one going through hard times.  And some may even say that my hard times aren’t even really hard.  But they’re mine and I’m owning them. 

Christmas time was so fun and full of life when I was young.  So many presents and meals and good times.  Until a few days before Christmas when I was 16 and my Grandaddy passed away unexpectedly.  I will never get over burying him the day after Christmas.  He was a rock in our family.  It took a long time to get over it.  And now that I have my own kids, I work SO, so hard to keep Christmas happy and to keep them from being disappointed.  But this year, Christmas is different again.  I wish I could explain more but it’s not my story to tell.  My own little family is fine but we are feeling the weight of loss and heartbreak right now.  And while we are hurting, I’m learning the lesson again of the danger of making Christmas so perfect and unattainable that nothing should break it.   But the fact of the matter is, I do try but it breaks. 

So what do I do with this?  I keep thinking of Jesus being born in the manger.  Surely Mary thought differently of where the King should be born.  I can only imagine how she probably tried to make everything perfect for him.  But she couldn’t. And neither can I.  All I can do is ask him into my broken manger.  Into my broken heart.  This big city is still not what we hoped and expected. But I ask him in anyway.  My body is broken with a thyroid disease that was painful and scary and still I have to ask him in to help me carry on when I’m so so tired and weak.  My kids make decisions that I wouldn’t and I ask him in.  Our broken mangers. 

Will you invite him in with me?  Our pastor uses the following words when asking for the Lord to come into your life (for the first time or just again): 

Sorry

Thank You

Please

Sorry for going my own way

Thank you for dying on the cross for me

Please come into my life. 

That’s all we have to do. 

He’s not unattainable and he’s not waiting for perfection. 

White Chicken Chili

A new recipe!   Just for you.

White Chicken Chili

1 ½ cups dried navy beans

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

6 cups chicken broth (from boiling the whole chicken)

1 whole chicken

1 4oz can chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ ground cumin

¾ tsp dried oregano leaves

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1/8  tsp ground cloves

Monterrey Jack cheese

For beans:

Cover dried navy beans with about 3 inches of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.  OR soak them overnight.  Drain off water

For chicken:

Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil.  Add whole chicken with some salt. 

(You can also add 1 or two carrots and stalks of celery for some extra flavor.  The water should just about cover the chicken so remove some it there is too much after adding the chicken). 

Cook at a low boil for an about an hour or when the meat is separating a bit from the bones.  Remove chicken and let cool.  Take all of the meat off of the chicken and set aside.   SAVE the broth for the recipe!

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Add the chicken broth and soaked beans.  Cook about 2 hours-till beans are tender.  Then add the chicken, green chilies, salt and spices. 

Cook about 20-30 minutes.  Top with cheese!