Pork roast and a reflection

Snow, snow , snow ! Happily we are not getting as much as a lot of areas in the country, but we seem to be getting our fair share here. Snow, from the perspective of looking at it through a plate glass window from a warm house is pretty. Looking at is from the perspective of the mess you must shovel, drive or walk through is not ! As a kid, a snowstorm represented a day off school and the opportunity to go sledding in the local hilly ravine turned opportunity to catch serious air. As an older adult, snow represents yet another time to contemplate bone density, the laws of gravity and stiff joints. I don't think I took as much time with the kid perspective as I should have ! Then again because of some of the time spent in that kid perspective, the adult perspective looms large( I broke some ribs sledding and my collarbone while skiing back in the good old days and they inform me of the approach of damp weather these days).

For some reason, winter weather makes me think pork roast. No idea why, but I always do. Perhaps it is something about the nutritional make up of pork- it is a good source of B6, B12, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc . Then again it can be something about the pig's role on a farm. Pigs were kept because they were an amazing animal that could convert household scraps into meat. Slopped with the leavings of the family table, cooking scraps, bits and bobs of various organic matter, pigs were kind of like bone broth on the hoof. Take what is thought of as useless, and transform it into something very useful. It has always struck me as interesting that one of the very reasons why I consider pigs to be valuable , some religious thoughts consider this to be reason to declare them unfit for human consumption. Where as they see it as the animal being unclean because it has consumed an unclean thing, I see it as a tribute to nature that this animal has the capacity to take the unclean and clean it for other use. Kind of like the water cycle when you get down to it. Did you know that the amount of water on the planet has been the same since the day it was formed ? It is made clean and usable through the water cycle. All of the snow and rains that are happening are evidence of the melting polar ice caps. We are going to have a very wet time for a long while now it seems !

But back to pork- I came across yet another recipe for a pork loin roast that said "make me". This one was to be served with a sauce, and it made me mourn the loss of my gravy boats over the years. Serving sauce in a coffee cup just seems wrong !

Asian Pork Loin

  2 lb  Pork Loin
  5 cloves garlic
  3 onions, sliced
  1 apple, chopped
  1  can  pineapple chunks, drained
  2 cups  chicken broth
  1/2 c.  splenda
  1/3 c.  balsmic vinegar
  2 t.   soy sauce.

Toss pork loin, garlic, onions, apple , pineapple and chicken broth in crock pot- cook on low for 4-6 hrs. Pour sauce into pan, add Splenda, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, heat to boiling. Dissolve 2 T cornstarch in cold water, add to sauce to thicken.Slice roast and serve with sauce

Here it is , served with the sauce, soaked rice and saute'd Kale. Chard, kale and other dark greens seem to be so much better in the winter than salads are !

The gravy boat loss was contemplated by me deeply. Part of it was because of an upcoming anniversary. On the 17th we will have been living together for 30 years, and married for 30 years this coming August ( yes we were bad kids and lived together without benefit of marriage- something a lot more shocking at that time than it is now to be sure). As I was hunting down something to serve sauce in, I realized that in our 30 years of housekeeping I have only had one gravy boat, and should have had more. In comparison I have had 10 wine cork removers and have used them very infrequently ( perhaps 15 times in our entire history together) and 3 melon balers that have only been used twice. I still have one coffee cup that was given to me at one of my bridal showers, and the two original sets of cutlery I received as wedding presents. Other than that, nothing about me or my kitchen equipment is the same as it was in those days. I am different, as is he, and the amazing thing is that we have managed to change in ways that still complement each other. That is a good thing.

It's getting better all the time

Oh, my little herb friends, I could kiss you !! You may be common, green and thought of as weeds by many, but you have never let me down ! Yesterday was one of the "bestus" days I have had in a long time in regards to pain. Not only was I able to function in comfort, but I was able to get in some actual exercise ! Check out my activity log for the day

Exercise
20 minute walk outside
Using guide at Safe exercise for arthritic joints here
50 wall push ups
20 wall slides
40 standing leg abductions
10 counter squats
25 Bridging( it's the Yoga position The Bridge)
30 straight leg raises
20 calf raises
20 Power Knees (Sit in a straight-backed chair and cross your legs above the ankles.
Your legs can be almost straight, or you can bend your knees as much as you like. Try several positions.
Push forward with your back leg and press backward with your front leg.
Exert pressure evenly so that your legs do not move. Hold and count out loud for ten seconds.
Relax. Change leg positions. Be sure to keep breathing.)
40 back kicks

I also slept so well that I woke up very, very early with the feeling that I have had enough sleep and I could start my day.I am sure that will fade, but it was very nice to be awakened by something other than pain. This stuff ROCKS !!! I have great faith in herbs because unlike drugs they have never let me down. Drugs always seem to work partway on my body and create a wake of problems in that course of action. Herbs have always gotten to the root cause, addressed it and the symptoms of the problem fade away. it is like the symptoms are the messenger of an imbalance and once the imbalance is addressed, there is no need for a messenger .

Food was also very good. Here is the log :

Food log
Breakfast
1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup assorted melon cubes, 2 T ground flax. 1 T sliced almonds, coffee, 32 oz water
Lunch
1 c 15 bean soup, 2 c cut veggies( carrots, celery, broccoli) 1/3 cup hummus, Diet Rite, 16 oz water, sugar free fudsicles ( we need to get these out of the freezer so we can make ice cubes)
Snack
2 c air popped popcorn, 16 oz water
Dinner
Aloha pork with brown rice, roast broccoli and green salad with fruit and rosemary roast pecans, Diet Rite
Snack - nonfat plain yogert, blueberries and 1/3 cup Kashi crunch ( not Core so i had to count it)

Dinner was a spur of the moment change that involved the crock pot. I was feeling so good and wanted to just accomplish as much as I possibly could lest I started feeling a backlash of pain, and I did not want to be tied down making dinner at a specific time. The crock pot would give me the freedom to roam as I want to, so I grabbed this recipe from my files- Aloha Pork served with roast broccoli and a green salad tossed with the last of the melon cubes and rosemary roasted nuts ( THESE are potential crack !!)

Aloha Pork ( Gluten free, Core)

4 lean pork steaks ( Boneless skinless Chicken breasts would work fine as well)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 fresh pineapple, cored , peeled and sliced
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar twin
2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
2 Tbsp - cat sup
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp - dry mustard
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

In a large skillet brown the pork steaks on both sides in hot oil. Transfer the steaks to slow cooker.
In a bowl combine drained pineapple, water, brown sugar twin, tapioca, catsup, soy sauce, and dry mustard; pour over steaks.
Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours). At the last half hour, add the cherry tomatoes Skim fat from sauce.
Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Makes 4 servings

Pork chop casserole and weigh in

Last week as I was planning the menu , I was searching for pork recipes to use with the planned purchase of a big pork loin, and suddenly one of the best food related childhood recipes came to mind- Mom's pork chop casserole ! Every time she made it, it was a special event it seems. No real reason why- we would eat pork chops and rice for many other occasions. In fact, for breakfast she often served rice with butter and sugar and milk ( try it sometime- it is yummy !). However , when she combined them in this casserole, it was something special

Mom's Pork Chop Casserole , updated

3 pork loin chops
2 cups brown rice, cooked according to directions
1 c green onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped celery
1 carrot, chopped
1 green pepper, cut in rings
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, cut in rings

In a skillet, brown the pork chops,remove from pan and set aside. Add 1/4 cup of water and saute the celery, carrot and mushroom 5 minutes.
Combine vegetables with cooked rice and green onions. Place in a casserole dish, sprayed with pam. Place pork chops on top of rice mixture
and top each pork chop with slices of tomato, onions and green peppers. Sprinkle with basil if desired. Cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr.

I served it with roast broccoli and a salad of romaine, watercress, dandelion, grapes and sliced almonds

Weigh in this morning. It seems that gluten free is not doing a lot for my weight, but it is making some pretty unexpected changes in the rest of my body, and I will keep on this way of life. So weight specifics are

Me- DOWN 1.4
Bob- DOWN 0.4
Nick- unknown...still asleep !