Carmel Apple Pork Chops

Well tonight for Dinner I tried a new recipe I found on allrecipes.com ( my new favorite website). It was a hit! Aaron and Timothy loved it, now that is something to brag about.
RaeAnn / Annie

Carmel Apple Pork Chops
INGREDIENTS
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons pecans (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

Up Date Jan 4, 2008

Sorry It has been so long since I last updated. A lot has happened since July. Roy Started College, I started my senior year of High School, Ashlee is a freshmen at Bonneville with me, Aaron is in seventh grade at Rocky Mountain Middle School and Timothy is fourth grade at Iona Elementary. It is kind of crazy and cool having someone in each school. Mom has been working at McDonald's doing Prep from 5am-1pm Tuesday - Thursday until the Charter school opens this week, then she will be running the kitchen there. Dad has been working a few days a week and getting a lot of reading in.
As most of you probably know Uncle Pat (Dad's brother) was in a serious car accident in October. He fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his truck. After being trapped for several hours and experiences multiple strokes the doctors didn't think he was going to make it. But Pat surprised everyone. The first few weeks after the accident were crazy with Pat in such critical and unpredictable condition and all of the family staying at our house things got Little Topsy-turvey. Thanks to millions of prayers and some amazing Relief Society ladies we were able to get through it.
It has been amazing to see the Lords hand in our life the past few months. Pat is doing amazingly better and is actually getting ready to go to Salt Lake for rehab. Things are finally starting to calm down around here (like that's gonna last.)
Dad continues to get sicker and the tension seems to grow every day as we wait for the call. I have to say I am scared to death for that call. I got a small taste of what it is going to be like when Mom and Dad are in Salt Lake for the Transplant that first week after Pat's accident. It was not fun trying to play mom and dad. For some unknown reason Aaron and Timothy aren't as good at doing what I ask of them as they are with Mom. Anyway I discovered even with the Relief Society providing meals I still couldn't handle it and maintain my sanity. So Mom and Dad talked with the Bishop and they have developed a game plan for when the call comes. Aaron and Timothy will be staying with the Rockwoods who live just four houses down. (Sis Rockwood was Aaron's fourth grade teacher so she knows how to handle him.) And Ashlee and I will be staying with the Bishop and his Wife next door (awkward). I fill a lot better about this plan of action but it will still be hard.
Well Roy has finished his first semester and was home for a few weeks for Christmas. He left to go Back to USU after church today, man I miss him. We start back to school tomorrow and nobody is very excited. It has been nice having two weeks off for Christmas. I honestly hopped Dad would have had his transplant by now so I wouldn't have to worry about that during school but it looks like that is how it is going to be. With my luck it will happen right in the middle of finals.
We had a great Christmas It seemed as if every time we opened the front door there was some sort of goody waiting for us. It was a lot of fun but kind of weird not being the ones serving this year. The holidays seemed to fly by . we barley got any Christmas lights up but we set up the Village and it was a hit with the neighbors and cub scouts. I will have to remember to post the pictures of the village.
Well I hope I haven't bored you too much. And I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year.
* Annie