Cheesecake Bites UPDATE!!!

Hmmm...that didn't come out right.  What I meant was...well...cheesecake bites.  Clear as mud!  Bite-sized cheesecake treats.  Does that make more sense?  Good.  No, I wish I didn't like cheesecake.  I could eat my weight in the stuff!!

I'm an idiot and forgot to take pictures...twice!  I made a batch for us the first time, then, after hubby declared them acceptable (I think his words were something along the lines of "damned good!"), he asked if I could make some more for him to take to work for a retirement party. No problem!  And still, I forgot to take a picture!  *sigh* 

So, I'm going to post the recipe and I'll just have to make more (the suffering I put myself through!), and get pictures then.

The original recipe, and no, I don't remember where I got it, but I didn't come up with it, called for a cinnamon-sugar coating, and that's how I made both batches because I always follow the original recipe the first time I make something.  With the second batch, I didn't want to change it when it was going to feed others until I had made it differently for us and was sure it would work that way.  What I want to try next will be a coating of graham cracker crumbs with a little cinnamon and sugar mixed in.  That would be closer to cheesecake, I think.

Cheesecake Bites

8 oz, cream cheese, room temperature
16 oz loaf of bread (not the thick sliced stuff)
3/4 C. powdered sugar
3/4 C. melted butter
1 pack Graham crackers, finely crushed
1 1/2 T sugar

Heat the oven to 350.
Cut the crusts off the bread, then, with a rolling pin, roll the bread slices flat.
Combine the powdered sugar and cream cheese and mix well.
Combine the cracker crumbs and sugar and mix well.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread slices, about 1 T. per slice.  Roll the bread up jelly roll style.
Now, for bites, you would cut each roll in half, or you can leave it whole and they're more like sticks.
Dip each piece in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes.

This originally called for 2/3 C sugar and 1T cinnamon to coat them instead of the Graham crackers and sugar, but that was REALLY sweet. I think the cracker crumbs are wayyyy better!

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops

Wow!  Seriously.  This dinner was a homerun! 

Hubby and I made a run into the grocery store after work and before dinner and I'm so glad we did.  We were both hungry, so, of course we bought more than we had planned to, but they had some pretty great deals.  Picked up some fresh asparagus for $1.99 a pound!  Thought that sounded like a great side for the chops I had out...and it was!

They also had deli ham on sale for $.99 a pound, so we loaded up on that.  While the butcher was getting that for us, my husband commented on some Cajun turkey they had, and he, the butcher that is, asked if we liked spicy food.  Um...YEAH! LOL  So there was a little back and forth on that and he asked if I had any spicy recipes.  Of course!  So now I have to print up my gumbo recipe (given to me by a dear, dear friend who was born and raised a Cajun), my chili recipe, which is posted on here, and, if I can find it, my jambalaya recipe.  I haven't made much jambalaya since I got the gumbo recipe.  I just prefer the gumbo.  Not that I'm complaining, because I LOVE sharing my recipes.  That's why I started this blog!

So.  The chops I made tonight.  I was looking through some pork chop recipes to get some inspiration and nothing really sounded right, so I looked at my spices, and just threw something together that, luckily turned out wonderfully.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops

4 pork chops

¼ C. brown sugar

1/8 t. cayenne

½ t. garlic powder

½ t. paprika

½ t. salt

½ t. black pepper

 

In a bowl combine the brown sugar and spices (salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).

Rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides of the chops. Use all of the spice mix.

 

Place the pork chops in a large skillet, over medium-high heat.  Cook the chops for about 10 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned and cooked through.

Yes, I cheated and made a box of Au Gratin potatoes to go with it, but we were starving by the time we got home from the grocery store and put everything away! The chops and the asparagus look as good as they tasted!