Friday Favorites

The First Book

by Rita Dove

Open it.

Go ahead, it won't bite.

Well...maybe a little.

More a nip, like. A tingle.

It's pleasurable, really.

You see, it keeps on opening.

You may fall in.

Sure, it's hard to get started;

Remember learning to use

knife and fork? Dig in:

You'll never reach the bottom.

It's not like it's the end of the world-

just the world as you think

you know it.

20 recommended reads from Buzzfeed -This book I've heard much buzz about lately from friends.

 https://www.buzzfeed.com/terripous/books-to-read-right-now-before-everyone-starts-talking?utm_term=.qgRKpN0YD2#.csRzvJ3Xyd

Pork Chops, Pears and Butternut Squash 

Cook's Notes: A roasted sheet pan meal of meaty pork chops with a side of butternut squash, sweet pears and savory red onion. Bosc pears hold up well to cooking adding a sweet flavor and butternut squash gives a hefty dose of vitamin A. But the shining star is the sauce drizzled over the pork, pears and vegetables.  

Recipe for two and was adapted from cuisineathome

Ingredients:

• 2 TB. olive oil or lemon olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 1 large Bosc pear, cut in chunks
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut in 2 inch pieces 
• 1 cup red onions, cut in chunks 
• 2 pork chops

Sauce

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1-1/2 TB. butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 1/4 tsp. Saigon cinnamon 

Directions: 

• Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone pad.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Make sauce, mix well and set aside.  
• In a large bowl place butternut squash, pears pieces and red onions. Mix with olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. 
• Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast 10 minutes. 
• While this mixture is roasting sear pork chops in a fry pan 3-4 minutes a side.
• Remove squash mixture from the oven. place chops on top and drizzle most of the sauce over the top (reserve 1 tablespoons) and roast 10-15 minutes more. Pork is done when thermometer inserted registers 145-150 degrees.    
• Serve pork chops with pear mixture and a drizzle of sauce.