Kids Cook

Wednesday: Pork Chops stuffed with Apricots

6 Pork loin chops, cut 1 inch thick
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
6 slices prosciutto or ham
6 dried apricots
11/2 T Olive Oil
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup water
½ cup shredded gouda
Trim excess fat from shops. Slit a pocket in meaty part of each chop cutting toward bone. Season chops with salt and pepper. Chop prosciutto and apricots, mix with shredded gouda .Stuff each chop with stuffing
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add prok chops and cook turning once 3-5 minutes or until browned on both sides Remove from pan and place in pyrex dish. Add wine and water to frying pan, reduce over low heat and then pour over pork chops. Bake in 350 degree oven until done. Cover with foil until last 5 minutes

Reflections from the Backcounter: Sometimes we as mothers miss the end game. We get so caught up in the mothering, fixing, problem solving, and organization of lives that we forget our main mission. We are tasked with raising functional adults. Just like we taught our babies to walk, talk and run, we must help our teens learn and apply the life skills that they need to be successful in an adult world. Teaching our children self sufficiency in the kitchen and giving them the ability to plan and shop for meals is a key element of adult life. If we spend the time teaching these skills, our children may have the opportunity to pursue healthy eating habits as young adults. Take a chance, encourage your child to take ownership of dinner preparation one day per week. Using the preplanned menus and shopping lists on this site or other sites is an easy way to introduce the concept of meal planning and preparation to a kitchen neophyte. Remember, keep the end game in sight and ease your burden by delegating some of the kitchen tasks to the kids. This is a win -win proposition.

Four puppies survived. It was a tough night for our friends. Hope to have pictures to share...

Peace,

Julia