Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut has been a staple in my family for years. I think it was my Grandma Beverly's recipe or maybe her mother's, Great-Grandma Dorothy. The pork chops are first seared to add a flavorful brown crust, then piled with mounds of sauerkraut and popped in the oven. The flavor of the sauerkraut penetrates the pork, adding juiciness to the rather flavorless cut and tenderizing the lean meat. This pork literally falls apart at the touch of a fork.

Soft Pretzels

The perfect pretzel is soft, but chewy. Salty, yet slightly sweet. A satisfying snack. Almost nothing speaks more to the heart of a Philadelphian than a giant, soft pretzel. I suppose, bit by bit, we are taking on the culture of our city. Pretzels, for instance, have become more important to me than at any other time of my life. And so, one Saturday when there was nothing to do, Brad and I took on the task of making our own homemade soft pretzels.

Cranberry-Nut Bread

The holidays are approaching and with them, bags of bright, red cranberries merrily fill the grocer's shelves, beaming cheerily to any passer-by. Their crimson color catches the eye and tempts the imagination with possible sauces, salads and breads to further adorn the festive spread. It seems fitting then to give in to the appeal of the cheery fruit and make Cranberry-Nut Bread.

Now, my mom does not like cranberries. Those pretty little berries could never succeed in tempting her which resulted in a cranberry-deprived childhood for me.

Thankfully, my cran-fast was finally broken by the mom of my college friend, Anni. This good woman is always baking some sort of enticing creation for a poor sick lady or laid-up-in-bed grandpa and her daughter's friend was to be no exception.

Upon leaving her home, I was laden with a napkin-ful of deliciously sweet-tart cranberry bread. I was slightly dubious, I admit, being prejudiced against the fruit by my mother's distaste for them. But my dubiousness was turned into exclamations of delight upon opening my mouth to the scarlet-trimmed bread. Bursts of slightly tart fruit mingled with the sweetness of the bread and hints of toasted pecans pleased my tongue and satisfied my stomach. Gone were my apprehensions and in their place was a healthy admiration for that small, red fruit.

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe has to be one of the easiest on the face of the planet. A can of pumpkin puree plus a box of spice cake mix will bring you the most delicious muffins you will ever taste. The ingredients are by no means gourmet, but none-the-less, satisfying.

Beef Orzo Stew

I really enjoyed college. I miss the classes, friendships, dorm life and hours of piano practice (yes, even that). One thing I do not miss is Chucks, the campus cafeteria. Those four years are probably the most mal-nourished of my life as I lived basically on cereal, pb&j and the occasional orange. As the countdown to the nearest break would slowly dwindle down, I would begin to dream of my favorite, mom-made meal. I would sigh as I stared down at yet another bagel and the carb-laden meal would magically begin to morph into delicious slices of beef, carmelized carrots, and roasted potatoes all slathered with an abundance of dark gravy and finished with a bowl of homemade applesauce on the side. The first meal my mom would always serve when I got home was roast beef. I lived for those meals.