I feel bloated. What the fudge. I haven’t even had any fudge as of late. Maybe it’s because I had a smoothie yesterday. Why does fruit make me bloat. Damn you fruit, damn you to hell.
All I want is the sweet potato tots from Sonic. Damn commercial, damn you to hell.
Speaking of tots, I need to back off some of those. I have multiple vacations planned for this summer, almost all include swimsuits. New swimsuits. So I’d appreciate it if they fit. So I’ve made a plan. Ever since I stopped competing and became more social, my life has included more delicious food and alcoholic beverages, aka fun times. Which I’m totally cool with. BUT, before I try to pull plastic wrap like bottoms over my tush, I need to tighten it up a bit. Raise and poke. Who doesn’t want a bum that pokes out. That sounds weird.
Anywho, my plan includes more GHD sit ups, more running, less sugar in the form of naughty treats AND fruit, and only drinking once a week and eating one cheat meal a week. I feel like those two things will go hand-in-hand. But being antisocial just ain’t gonna work for me, so hopefully the plan works. Since I started this plan on Monday, I’ve already had fruit. In smoothie form. Damnit. But the man in my life makes really good ones. AND I’ve had some sugar in honey form. Damnit. But I gotta taste my 2nd cookbook meals that I’m creating. Stupid blog, you make me bloat. Wow, look at me making excuses for myself. Get your sh*t together JB, you disappoint me.
I can say one thing, I am super excited for my cheat day on Saturday. I don’t really consider the things I eat cheats, but since starting this plan, they feel more naughty. Like this Saturday. It’s my friend Kam’s birthday, so we are starting off with a CrossFit workout, then we are going to go run Red Rocks, then have bloody mary’s to celebrate our health. Makes so much sense. Either way, we are doing everything we love in one day: working out, playing outside, drinking fun drinks, eating delicious food, and hanging out with cool people. AND THEN, it’s my friend Beth’s birthday that night. Oh hells yeah. Looks like I’m going to have lots to talk about next week in my blog.
What’s your plan to fit into your ittybittyteenyweenyyellowpolkadotbikini?
Cherry and Apple Giant Stuffed Pork Chops
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in, thick cut pork chops
- 1 sweet potato or yam, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 apple, cored and diced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup red cherries, seeded and cut in half (I used frozen sine they are not in season)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons bacon fat
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 405 degrees.
- Cut sweet potato in half lengthwise, and place cut side down onto a baking sheet.
- Bake sweet potato for 20-25 minutes until completely soft. Once you pull the sweet potatoes out, turn oven down to 375 degrees. Let sweet potatoes cool, then remove the sweet potato from the skin and mash with a fork in the a bowl.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, then toss 2 garlic cloves. Once garlic becomes fragrant, add in the apple and onion.
- When onion becomes translucent, add in halved cherries, apples, along with the mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, garlic powder, ground cloves, and a bit of salt and pepper. Mix well until you have a big mess of goodness. Place goodness in a separate bowl and keep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops, then take a knife to cut the meat side of the pork chop, trying to create a pocket. Imagine you are cutting a pita pocket to stuff it with goodness, same thing with the pork chop. Use your knife to dig as deep as you can in the middle of the pork chop, making sure not to cut fully through it.
- Stuff each pork chop with the sweet potato mash.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of bacon fat to the pan, then add the pork chops (making sure not to crowd the pan).
- Sear pork chops on both sides for 4-5 minutes, turning them carefully so all the goodness doesn’t fall out.
- After the pork chops are seared on both sides, place directly in the oven and baking for 6-8 minutes, until completely cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Eat up buttercup.
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HEAVENLY ~ Never liked stuffed chops.. Now I LOVE THEM!
I am making these right now for dinner tonight… they smell and look amazing!!!!!! I’m training for a marathon in may and started gaining tons of weight from eating everything a 500lb man would eat… Started Paleo about a month ago and I’ve lost 10lbs and feel fantastic with the help of your recipes!!! Love it!! Thanks so much!! 🙂
Made these the other night. Couldn’t find cherries, so I substituted a plum. Turned out super delish!!
I have been wayyyy to lenient recently with what I am eating. I get bloated so easily and yet I will still randomly eat too much of a good thing or just eat something that I know is bad, might not even taste that great, but I get some satisfaction from knowing its bad, logical? No? I am going to just focus on saving pennies for vacations and eating all my meals at home and not buying food outside of my grocery run!
I’m apparently the first one to spot what I’m nearly certain is a typo.
“Ingredients
…4 tablespoons bacon fat
Instructions
4. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon fat, then toss 2 garlic cloves.
…..
8. Add 2 more tablespoons of bacon fat to the pan, then add the pork chops”
——-Did you mean in step 4 to add ONLY 2 tablespoons to that skillet? So the recipe uses 4 tablespoons *TOTAL*?
In which case, step 4 needs to be updated and the ingredients list should also say, “4 tablespoons, divided.” (Well, either that or the ingredients list should say “6 tablespoons bacon fat, divided.”)
We made these last night & the flavor was decent, but the stuffing was a bit too greasy, and I’m willing to bet you meant only 4 TBS total.
Thanks, as always!!
sorry that wasn’t super clear meg. 2 tablespoons for the stuffing ingredients, 2 more for the pork chops. i’ll change that asap!
Can’t wait to try this, it looks delicious ! Do you add the diced apples in at the same time as the cherries ? Forgive me if I missed it in the recipe but I swear I read it like 5 times and did not see.
sorry, fixed that. apples and cherries together.
I mean I kinda figured but wanted to be sure, so thanks ! (: Planning to make on Sunday ^_^
This sounds amazing, but one thing I’ve been a bit confused about is the bacon fat. How…why…..is that healthy?? Also I don’t quite get how bacon is bueno either… I’m relatively new to paleo, as in I’ve been doing it for like, three maybe four days now and the bacon thing, especially regarding the fat doesn’t (yet?) make sense to me. Oh, and what about the sugars in the fruits included in this? Do they cook out a little or something? Or is it just one of those “in moderation” dishes?
Can’t wait to hear back! I really wanna try this one and like, every other one you have too lol
I love your recipes! Thank you!!! Made this tonight and it was DELISH
Personally, I can’t cut out fruits – they’re too much of a staple in my new bread-free diet. I never wear bikinis (never had the body for it), but I’ve been eating paleo since the beginning of february (made a number of your recipes – all amazing!), and have lost almost 15 lbs. Went summer/Easter dress shopping yesterday and was so excited that my normal size was big on me! Also started doing some beginner cross-fit workouts last week, and they’re definitely already helping! Lots and lots of air squats for the butt 🙂
Also, showed these to my bf last night – we’re so excited to make them soon!
As always, so so so good. Made exactly as written b/c with Juli, you KNOW its going to be amazeballs!