Scot's favorite! Pork Chops

Pork Chops

Ingredients:
Four center cut or loin cut bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 cup or so of flour to coat pork chops
Salt and pepper
garlic salt
Olive oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Coat pork chops in flour.  Discard flour. Season with, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  In heated skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Once oil is hot, place coated pork chops in skillet and brown chops on both sides.  Reduce heat and add the water.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until done.  Don't overcook.  For gravy, once pork chops are fully cooked, remove them to a warming plate, add flour to skillet, stir until well mixed, if desired.

You can also put these directly into a 375°F oven once browned if using an iron skillet instead of simmering on top of the stove.

Note:  My mom always browned her meats before putting them in the oven.  It took me years to understand this, that is, until I stopped doing it.  Browning or braising, as the French call it, keeps the moisture in the cut of meat.

"Pink" cheesecake

This recipe comes from a favorite, old cookbook of mine "American Baptist Women Versailles Baptist Cook Book, 1829-1981" that was given to me in 1982 by my paternal grandmother.  This recipe was contributed by Imon Webb.  It's labeled Easy Cheesecake, but my family always called it pink cheesecake because of the color!
Pink Cheesecake

Ingredients:
16 graham crackers (crushed)
1 stick margarine, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar divided into 1 cup and 1/3 cup
1 - 3 oz. (small) box cherry Jello
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1- 12 oz. can Milnot or other evaporated milk (well chilled)

1.  Blend together crushed crackers, 1/3 cup sugar, and the margarine.  Reserve some for garnish.  Press crumbs into bottom and sides of 9x13 pan and chill in refridgerator.
2.  Mix Jello with boiling water and let cool in refridgerator until mixture starts to jell.
3.  In large bowl, cream 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese.  Combine with Jello mixture once chilled.
4.  In a chilled stainless or glass bowl, beat chilled milk with mixer until stiff and fold into the cream cheese/Jello mixture.
5.  Pour into prepared crust and chill.

Note:  You can also make this with about any flavor of Jello that you like.  I've used orange and lemon before and they are both good!

Sausage Gravy

Sausage Gravy

Ingriedients:
1 roll breakfast sausage
6 Tablespoons cornstarch or flour
5 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown sausage in pan on medium heat.  Once fully cooked, stir in the cornstarch until sausage is completing coated.  Stirring constantly, add milk once cup at a time til thickened.

Serve over my drop biscuits!

Drop Biscuits

So easy and quick to make for breakfast or dinner!

Homemade Drop Biscuits

Ingriedients:
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all together.  Drop on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  To brown the top easier, I turn the broiler on for the last two minutes.

Yield: 5-6 biscuits