This has been an amazing weekend.  A Feis in Muskegon, Michigan and a day of relaxation with a bit of cider tasting thrown in.

We saw a full rainbow on the way to Muskegon.  It was amazing.  The kids were saying how long it has been since they had seen one so full and bright.  Then we could see the double rainbow.  It lasted for most of our drive to the Feis.  It just made us all happy.

On Sunday we went on a quest to find cider, donuts and other apple treats.  We ended up at two cider mills and of course had to get donuts and cider at the first place and at the second we got cider and caramel apples.  My daughter was ecstatic because this was the first real caramel apple she has had since she got her braces off.  Needless to say we have lots of cider and apples to last for awhile.

But, I still had to make dinner.  I love my slow cooker!  It is probably the most used small appliance that I own.   I try to use it at least 2-3 days a week.  To me it is wonderful to put all the ingredients (or most) in a pot and return home at the end of the day to this delicious meal.   Now, some meals take a bit more preparation than others.  I prefer the ones where you dump everything in the slow cooker in the morning but sometimes it is best to add an extra step or two.

This was one of the dishes that had an extra step but it was well worth it.

Verdict:

This was delicious dish!  Because the pork chops were seared first before adding them to the slow cooker they held together well at the end of the day.  That is the trick.  If your meats are falling apart at the end of the day while cooking in the slow cooker try searing them first in a hot frying pan.  They will stay moist but not lose as much of their texture and become “mushy.”

The sauce was sweet without being too sweet.

I served this with mashed potatoes and a side of mixed vegetables.  This would be delicious over rice but I couldn’t convince my daughter to eat rice for the third day in a row.  But, in the end even she said it would be really good over rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. pork chops or loin steaks
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup teriyaki marinade
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple – tidbits or crushed are best
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 TBSP cold Water

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Allow pan to become hot before adding pork.
2. Salt and pepper each side of the pork as it sears.  Allow to cook 3-4 minutes on each side before flipping to become well browned.
3. Remove pork chops from frying pan and layer in the bottom of your slow cooker.
4. Pour the teriyaki marinade, soy sauce and pineapple over the pork.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
6. Turn pork on high.  Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until cornstarch has dissolved.
7. Pour into slow cooker and mix well.  Cover and let cook about 20 minutes or until thickened.
8. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.