Super Supper: Use Your Words

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I'm using: friend ~ super ~ supper ~ sweet ~ savoury
They were submitted by Diane of On the Border.
                         
Imagine the friend I'd be to moms everywhere if I came up with a super supper recipe that was both sweet and savoury.

~ The end ~

Thank you, thank you very much (read that in an Elvis voice, OK?)  Not only nailed those words, but in one sentence. And in order. Am I good or what? Don't answer that.

Truth is, as most of you know, I no longer have little ones. My boys are grown and aren't even here for dinner a majority of the time. I was under the impression that at this stage in my life I'd mostly be cooking just for two. Surprisingly, not so much.

My boys don't cook. At all. When it comes to sweets, baking, I would have loved it if the boys had some interest. When they were little they would help me mix ingredients. Yeah, I know, it wasn't about the baking it was about the results. Well, it was about licking the beaters and then enjoying the results. Anyway, I guess I'm not terribly surprised that they don't have an interest, and as hopes and dreams for my boys go, enjoying baking is pretty far down the list.

When it comes to savoury, however, it's less about what you want and more about what you need. 

Barbecue Thick Cut Chops

PurDude lived in a house with a couple of friends last year and he ate fast food pretty much every day for dinner. I was shocked, really, because he spends so much time in the gym I would have thought that eating right would be a priority. Not so much. Convenience apparently supersedes all.

With College Boy living within 45 minutes of home, cooking was more a skill I wanted him to have but less a need. He would frequently pop in to join us at the supper table. Or raid the fridge for leftovers. Either way I knew he wasn't eating a ton of crap. Not every day, anyway.

But for PurDude, learning to cook a few things was more of a need. Well, in my mind anyway. He was living far away so he couldn't stop by for meals. He needed to be as healthy as possible since missing classes his senior year could cause all kinds of problems and he obviously wanted to graduate on time. Ultimately once he did graduated and started his career, he could end up living pretty much anywhere and I'm pretty sure would still be needing to eat on a regular basis.

So every time he came home from school (that's pretty much 4 times a year for 4 years, in case you're keeping track), I'd talk to him about coming into the kitchen and just learning a simple recipe or two. But this kid had his priorities. And sleep was it.

Now he's off working his first job and living in his own apartment. Against his protests I outfitted his kitchen with a set of dishes, glasses, pots, pans, utensils . . . not a lot, mind you, just a few basics. All of which I know will remain exactly where I put them. Seems while we were shopping for apartment essentials, he bought out all of the paper plates and plastic utensils. It's all he used in college so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And what will he eat on those paper plates? I'm guessing most nights it'll be takeout, sprinkled in a few nights a week with leftovers from Mom's house {{sigh}}.

Although it's clear that I've failed to teach the boys to cook, or even to make them understand that they need to learn how, I'm going to end this post on a positive note. I'm happy to report that I've actually seen an iota of progress on this front. Yesterday I walked into the kitchen and actually witnessed College Boy preparing food. He had a knife in his hand and was miraculously even using the cutting board too, chopping and mixing like he'd done it before. 

And a mighty nice looking salad it turned out to be, too.

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

On the Border
 The Bergham Chronicles
The Blogging 911
Cognitive Script  
Climaxed 
Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

Barbecue Thick Cut Chops

                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

4 thick cut boneless pork loin chops
1 TBSP garlic powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided

Directions:
*Mix together the garlic powder, cumin and apple pie spice. Rinse the chops and pat dry. Place them each on a piece of plastic wrap, sprinkle both sides with the spice mixture, wrap securely and place in the fridge for 4 hours. 
*Unwrap the pork chops and place in a sealable plastic bag. Add 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, be sure all sides of all the chops are covered. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
*Heat your grill to medium high. Place the chops onto the grill and reduce the heat to medium low. 
*Cook 5 minutes, turn each chop 180 degrees. Cook for 5 more minutes. Flip the chops over and, using a pastry brush, sauce them with the remaining barbecue sauce. 
*Cook for 5 minutes, turn each chop 180 degrees and cook 5 more minutes. Be sure they are cooked through (not pink) before removing. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.