Pork Chops and Apple Crisp

     Good morning, Cottage Friends! This morning we have fog over our little valley and temperatures in the 50s, but it feels much more chilly~brrrr. How is the weather where you are? I am hoping that you are warm and comfortable no matter how chilly it might be outside. 

     Last night we had our fried pork chops for dinner and I made the apple crisp that I had intended to bake for Monday evening. Monday ended up being a real busy day with the focus on floor care; vacuuming, sweeping and so on. My sweet hubby cleaned out from around his computer area. He has an older one just for his favorite older games. There was a LOT of tools and CDs and cassette tapes in that area and he took the time to organize them and find homes for everything! See me smiling! Anyway, by the evening we were both pretty tired and so we opted for some pizza for our supper. But I digress, back to the Apple Crisp. 

     I always use my mom's good old recipe as it is really simple. She used to make them quite often for us in the fall and winter especially if we were having a big pot of pinto beans, corn bread and fried wienies. It was always a bit of heaven to walk into our house from the cold after a L-O-N-G day in school to the smell of baked cinnamon and apples back then. Sweet memories! If you have never baked an apple crisp then you are missing out on a real treat. Here is mom's recipe: 

Mom's Apple Crisp

Filling

4-5 Large Apples 

(I like Rome or Gala but any kind will do)

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Slice the apples into either a 9" x 9" or a 9" x 11" buttered baking dish.

Pour the water over the apples and then sprinkle with the lemon juice. 

Sprinkle the top of the apples with the cinnamon. 

Topping

1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 cup All Purpose flour

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/2 stick cold Butter 

Mix the oats, flour and brown sugar together in a large bowl. 

Cut the butter into small pieces as you add it into the bowl.

With either your clean hands, a large fork or a pastry blender, mix

in the butter until you have a loose sand texture to the topping. 

You don't want it lumpy or dough like. 

Spread the topping over the apples evenly and loosely. Don't pack

it down as this makes for a hardened topping when it is done.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. 

That's it! 

     You can add other ingredients if you like. My mom was an "eye-ball-it" cook most of the time. If she thought something else might make things taste better, or if she had raisins or nuts that she needed to use up, well those might end up in the crisp, too. If she didn't have oats, well she just did the recipe without them. She believed in keeping things simple and good and we loved her for it! 

     I coated my pork chops with round butter crackers finely crushed and a little bit of seasoned salt before frying them for the first time last night. No flour, no extra seasonings, just the crackers and the seasoned salt. We LOVED them! I think this is how I am fixing them from now on. Who says an old girl can't learn new tricks~lol! 

     Well, I am going to leave my little blog for now. It feels so good to be back at this again. I have so missed writing here and reading other beautiful blogs. I am beginning to feel more and more like my old self again and am glad that I have all of you to share things with. My syntax might not be perfect, my content may be simple, but you all love me just the way I am and I love you for that. 

     I am hoping to get more organizing done today and we are still sorting out things to donate to the rummage sale being held by the youth at our church on the 18th. Wishing you all a wonderful and productive day!

Stay Warm and Cozy!

Charlotte