Polly Deen

Now that Matt is off of second shift, I decided it was time to get back into the kitchen. Welllllll, I have been wanting to try one of Paula Deen's pork chop recipes. You need pork chops, cayenne (red pepper), bell pepper, onions, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, salt/pepper, garlic, and all purpose flour. I'm going to copy and paste the recipe instead of trying to remember it all ;) Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:
4 center-cut pork chops, 1-inch thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper Ground cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spread on a plate 2 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, cored, and membranes removed, cut into strips 2 yellow onions, trimmed, cut lengthwise 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken broth 2 to 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Trim the excess fat from the chops and season well with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly roll the chops in flour, shake off the excess, and slip them into the pan. Brown well, about 3 minutes per side, and remove them to a plate.
Add the bell peppers and onions, to the skillet, and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Push the vegetables to the side of the skillet. Add chops to pan and place vegetables on top of pork chops. Pour in the broth and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Cover pan with foil and allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until chops are tender.
Recipe courtesy Damon Fowler
Servings: 4 servingsPrep Time: 15 minCook Time: 55 minDifficulty: Easy
Show: Paula's Best Dishes

Let me tell you...I have never had pork chops as tender as these...They were SOOO good! I've been on the Paula Deen kick, you know..just trying different recipes here and there. Today, Mama told me that my new name is "Polly Deen"..haha...I didn't expect it to take long to cook, but it did take a while. Good thing Matt didn't get off until late last night.

We started really getting into tennis last week. We played Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Saturday and Sunday went well. On Monday, Matt got off a little late, so we didn't get to the courts till around 8:35. Well, at Idle Hour's tennis courts, the lights cutt off at exactly 8:45 and it's impossible to get them back on. We decided to try the other courts at Cliff Farrar...but, they closed at nine. Our last effort was lakebottom..They were open. We played until 11:15. We had a great time and the more I played, the better I got. When we came home I noticed that my back was hurting a little. (Side story: For those of you who do not know, I slipped two discs in my back during my time of cheerleading in highschool. My doctor told me that I needed surgery soon because I was beginning to get nerve damage. I had surgery August 13, 2003 at the age of 16. Since surgery, I have had ups and downs. I take one day at a time and try to keep my limits in mind. Sometimes I have flair ups and a few years ago I tried cortisone shots. For the most part, it has been in check. My doctor has made me aware that I will eventually need another surgery, but that I should wait as long as possible.) The next morning after playing tennis, I could barely walk. It wasn't like an ache or throbbing pain, it was excruciating. It was the kind of pain that made you grunt and cry out in pain. I felt as if the nerve was being twisted in all directions...it was awful. I just knew that I had really hurt it. School was difficult; whenever I got up from a chair, something would catch in my back and pain would shoot down my leg and leave me breathless. 2 days later and I am feeling MUCH better, thank the Lord. I'm not going to give tennis up, but I will be more mindful next time.