Okay, one more.....

On a Lighter Note....

Late Summer Harvest

The monkeys are running the zoo.....

While I'm not a vegetarian

I don't eat much meat at all.  And I don't generally get excited about recipes that include meat, especially beef or pork.  BUT...
This recipe for grilled pork chops with rhubarb chutney from Eating Well is an exception.  The chutney is so good it makes these pork chops delicious even if you don't especially like pork chops.

Grilled Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Rhubarb Chutney, (recipe follows)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 4-ounce boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed (see Tips)

Preparation

1. Prepare Rhubarb Chutney. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Mix coriander, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly on both sides of each pork chop, rubbing to coat the meat evenly.
3. Lightly oil the grill rack (see Tips). Grill pork chops over medium-high heat until browned and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with chutney.

If grilling isn't an option it works just as well to cook them in a cast iron skillet with a little oil on the stovetop.

Rhubarb Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced rhubarb
• 3/4 cup diced red apple
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or cherries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste

Preparation

1. Combine rhubarb, apple, cranberries (or cherries), onion, water, honey, ginger, vinegar and crushed red pepper to taste in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until rhubarb is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Serve warm or cold.

Of course, alternately, you could just eat the chutney with a spoon......

The Nest Empties

It's not that easy to send child # 3 off to college, even when he's only going an hour away, and even when the school is a WONDERFUL place for him, with an exceptionally caring staff and faculty, and excellent academic reputation, and a really positive and fun atmosphere.

It's amazing how quickly boys can get settled in a dorm room!

Just need to get used to communicating via skype......

 

The End of Summer

I was out picking the last of the apples today and I got this random urge to climb the tree.  It looked so inviting.

I resisted though.  It would have been so awkward explaining to the paramedics.

Some pictures truly are worth a thousand words.....

I  came across these earlier this summer as I was sorting pictures for Chris' graduation.  They are of Jonathan, waiting for the bus on the first day of kindergarten.  (He insisted on riding the bus, so I had to follow by car.)

I

The Sunflower House

Last Spring, Ava and I planted a sunflower house.  Instread of using one of my raised beds for tomatoes like I usually do, I planted tomatoes in a variety of sunny spots throughout the yard.  Ava and I planted sunflower seeds around the perimeter of the 4 x 8 raised bed.

It didn't take long to see some results..

The end result was a playhouse for Ava and a great hang out spot for the many birds who enjoyed it all summer.

Aloha

Ron, Chris, Chris' friend Eric and I spent a LOVELY relaxing week in Maui in August.  What a beautiful place! 

This was the view out our window:

We stayed in Kihei.  One night we drove up to Lahina and went to some art galleries and had dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

The boys are standing in front of a banyon tree that was so big it filled an entire city block.

Another day we went for a hike at a beautiful state park.

Lots of sunshine, lots of time on the beach and at the pool, and lots of fun!