Just got back from Holmdel (Spicy pork recipe!)

Sadly, my visit with my father is over and I have returned home.  It was really good to see family.  I even got to speak with my mother on Skype.  With the addition of my brother, who flew in from TX, it was a great family reunion of sorts.  We got quite a haul of gifts too.  Our car was PACKED on the way back.  It made me feel bad that my gift of some wine, lotions, and some gift cards didn't add up to a fraction of the value of their gifts. It's hard to shop for my dad, step mother, and brother.  They can afford and already have everything they need and I don't see them often enough to truly get a feel for the quirky and meaningful things that make great gifts for them.

Still, I am very grateful for the many things they gave us and for the opportunity to spend time with them.  It was really fun! Not to mention, it's always cool to see the new additions to the house my father and step-mother have done since I was last there.

 

Those wine and glass racks weren't there the last time I visited!  My father and step-mother did all of the work too.  The glass rack still needs to be stained and, you can't really see it, but off to the right there's a wine cooler in the wall.  That wooden box is going to be turned into a bar.  My father is quite the handyman!

Amongst the super awesome gifts my father and step-family was the Belgian waffle maker, new HD TV, some english breakfast tea in a nifty tin, an organizer for my beadwork, a few personal items, and a new sewing machine!

It's not a super industrial professional kickarse machine, but that's a good thing for me.  For one, I'm not quite to my mother's level of sewing, and for two, I wouldn't have space for that!  It's perfect for what I need.  Right now I'm making an apron and so far I've put four hours of hand sewing into it and I've hardly gotten further than what ten minutes on a machine would have done.  

I want to add one more pocket and a bit more decoration and she'll be done.  Of course, just about all of that needs to be done by hand anyway, but for future sewing projects, which I plan to have a lot more of, will go by much faster! Not to mention the quality will be better. I'm excited! I can't wait to break it in!

I really wish I could have stayed there.  Being at my dad's house is rather relaxing.  Throw in the fact that I don't have to work, and it's quite the vacation.  But alas, I had to come home.  So, home I am, and I'm at least eager to start baking, cooking, and creating again.  So, to kick off my return, before I go do more housework, I want to present to you:

Spicy Soy Sauce Grilled Pork Chops

I've said it before: I'm not a big meat eater.  I'm gradually coming around, but it's taking time.  Usually, if I do eat meat, it's turkey, then comes beef.  Pork is usually not something I crave, but this recipe(which came from a surprising source) is actually something I want to eat again.

It's a simple recipe, with few ingredients and not a lot of work involved, so it's perfect for in a pinch dinners.  Not to mention, the simplicity of it leaves it open to lots of alterations without really messing up the flavor.

So, what you will need:

1/4 C of soy sauce
2    Tbsp of sugar
1   Large clove of garlic (mince)
1   Tbsp of Thai chile (de-seed, de-stem, mince)
1   Tbsp of toasted sesame oil (feel free to use peanut or vegetable oil)
1 1/2 Lb of pork chops

What to do:

1: Whisk soy sauce and sugar together untill sugar is compleely dissolved.  Add the garlic, ginger, chile and oil.

2: In a plastic bag, soak pork in the marinade.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and then rotate to completely cover medallions.  Refridgerate for two hours, turning over halfway.

3: Preheat the grill(I actually cooked mine on the griddle at 300f), remove pork from marinade and grill untill cooked through(about 4 min each side)

I actually found the pork recipe on a Eating Well recipe card at the grocery store.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I usually don't like those recipes.   Well, time to clean house and find places for all of the new gifts!  Ciao!