Pan-Seared Lamb Chops

Lamb chops were one of my favorite meals growing up. We don't eat them very often because they can be hard to find and sometimes are pretty expensive. I saw some great looking ones at Kroger the other day though and had to splurge. When I was little, I always ate lamb chops with mint jelly. Some people may think that's gross but I still like a little on the side. If you had a sweet pepper jelly, a little of that would be great too. This recipe is from Epicurious.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

As I've mentioned, I'm not big on baking so this recipe is right up my alley. You don't have to measure much and it takes about 15 minutes. This is a great dessert to put out at a party or take to a friend. It makes great Christmas gifts too. My mom shared this recipe with me and I'm not sure what the original source is but I do hope you enjoy!

Baked Penne with Eggplant

This is really more of a method than a strict recipe. I do baked pastas sometimes with just tomato sauce and sometimes with any veggies I have on hand. This is really similar to my Pasta with Roasted Veggies with the added step of topping it all with cheese and baking it. When you bake it, the edges get a little crispy and let's face it - melted cheese makes anything better. Hope you enjoy this!

Chile Verde

This is one of those all-day dishes that I have to make when the weather is cold. Chris and I first experienced Chile Verde at Z'Tejas in Austin as a special but I think it's permanently on their menu now. They serve this yummy, spicy, green pork stew in a small cast-iron skillet with cheese melted on top and fresh tortillas on the side. I may not have the small cast-iron skillets but my chile verde is pretty darn good. I started out with this recipe from Simply Recipes but I've changed so much about it over time that I think it's safe to claim it as my own recipe. Another good version of chile verde can be found in the Tacos de Puerco en Salsa Verde at Benito's restaurant in Fort Worth. I think this is one of Chris's favorite meals. Luckily, this recipe makes a ton and freezes well so we can enjoy it several times.