Apple Butter Pork Chops and Indoor Conference

I hope everyone's last week went well. It is finally beginning to look a little like summer here in Florida. My last week was a bit chaotic but fun nonetheless. As everyone knows Valentines day was last Wednesday. I would have loved to go on a super cute date with my super cute boyfriend, but instead I spent nine hours on a bus ride to Virginia for our indoor conference track meet. My boyfriend, Chris, was on the bus as he is also a track runner. While I love him sitting on a bus isn't really in my definition of fun. 

Regardless, he is very sweet and came over to make me breakfast before we got on the bus. He also bought me my favorite flower, an orchid! To make up for our lost Valentines day I decided to make him a delicious dinner when we returned home. 

A little about the track meet, the women's team placed third overall. I ran the 1200 meter in the distance medley relay and we placed first and broke the school record by two seconds! It was a team effort for sure but God blessed us with a really great last leg by one of my teammates. I also ran in the 5k and it was awful. The last two weeks I had run as little as 20 miles because I was coming back from the flu. I just didn't have the endurance and grit that I usually do, but I have an amazing coach who was very understanding. 

It is so easy to get lost in one race and sit in your disappointment. I've learned through six years of running that failure is a learning process and accomplishments are fleeting. It is so important to find joy in the process. Thankfully, my coach also understands this and has complete faith that I will get my fitness level back and be ready for outdoor. How do you guys get through failure? I would love any advice! 

After a long weekend of racing I was determined to make a delicious meal for myself and Chris. I love apple butter, my great grandma had an amazing apple butter recipe that I will make one day! The apple butter from Aldi isn't the same as my grandma's but it is still good. I decided to take my love of apple butter and combine it with my distaste for pork. I'm really not a fan of pork it is probably my least favorite meat. But, by combining it with apple butter it was delicious. I also wanted to use apple butter because it is red and Valentines-ish. Hence, I made apple butter pork chops with roasted asparagus and potatoes! 

Here is the full recipe:

Ingredients:

2 pork chop filets
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup of apple butter
2 gala apples, cored and sliced, do not peel them
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup heavy cream 

Asparagus
Tri-color Potatoes
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
garlic powder

Instructions: 

1. Salt and pepper the meat. 
2. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a skillet. 
3. Cook meat for three minutes on each side, take off heat and let rest. 
4. Cut apple slices and add remaining butter to skillet.
5. Cook apples for a few minutes until they are soft. 
6. Add brown sugar, apple butter, cream, chili powder into skillet and bring to a boil.
7. Add meat to sauce and make sure the bottoms are touching the skillet (no apples underneath them). 
8. Cook meat for four more minutes on each side or until meat is cooked through. 
9. Serve with sauce and apples on side. 

For the Sides:

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Cut potatoes in little bit size pieces and place on sheet pan. 
3. Place asparagus on sheet pan. 
4. Season potatoes with garlic powder.
5. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and potatoes.
6. Cook for 20 minutes. 
7. Turn oven off take sheet pan out and toss some parmesan cheese over the asparagus. 
8. Place back in the oven for three minutes or until the cheese has melted. 
9. Take out and serve.