I am writing you from a cozy nook at my favorite Starbucks, drowning myself in tea to try and get rid of this unfortunate head cold I've contracted. Dayquil doesn't hurt either, of course, but I really do feel better than I usually do purely from medicine...I'm definitely giving credit to the soothing nature of tea! My Starbucks favorite is the Passion Tazo tea! YUM! When I'm not sick I opt for the unsweetened iced version, but today the steamy hotness is doing the trick! :)
I got this cute new mug in hopes that it would also aid in my recovery ;)
Other than being a little under the weather, everything has been going really well in this neck of the woods! My mom had surgery on Monday after tearing a ligament in her hip (OUCH!) so I've been back and forth between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids alot this week. It's been really nice to see her more, PLUS my aunt (her sister) flew up from Texas to stay with her for the first week of recovery and I rarely get to see any of my Texas family!
The first night post-surgery, I cooked for everyone, and was really pleased with the results! A low-cal, high-YUM factor comfort-food dinner!
Wild rice-stuffed pork chop with brussel sprouts!
I bought the pork chops pre-stuffed from HyVee, but they are actually pretty easy to do homemade as well! (Since I had limited time I went for the meat-counter option). Spray non-stick vegetable oil on baking sheet and set pork chops directly on pan, "slit" side down (where the two ends of the chop meet to close the stuffing in). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, although this depends on how well-done you enjoy your pork!
For the brussel sprouts, wrap baking sheet in tin foil. Slice each sprout in half and toss in olive oil and seasonings mixture*. Lay the brussel sprouts out on pan, flat side up, and bake with chops for approximately same amount of time. Disclaimer: these are hard to get right time-wise because one minute too long and they're wilted, but if you take them out too soon they're still too hard! Experiment with timing by having a designated "test" sprout, and slide a knife into it every couple minutes. It should slide right in to indicate being ready to eat!
*Olive oil and seasonings mixture: olive oil, sea salt, and steak seasoning!
For the whole meal: 405 Calories! (8 ounce chop and 1 cup brussel sprouts)
My mom pre-warned me that she wasn't a big fan of brussel sprouts, so I wouldn't be offended if she didn't like them, but she was a HUGE fan! In her opinion, what converted her was that they were baked instead of boiled or steamed.
Have an amazing day and weekend!
♥MK
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