Valentine’s Day for Two (Food Storage Style :) : Grilled Pork Chops with Cranberry Applesauce

Okay, today and tomorrow I’m going to put up some very DELICIOUS (and amazingly EASY) recipes that you can make for your honey on V-day instead of eating out (expensive!). Personally, I decided a looong time ago that I HATE eating out on V-day so I always make a nice meal at home. If you need ideas for a gift, make sure to check out Food Storage Made Easy or for some great coupons for date ideas go to The Obsessive Shopper

Considering the recipe I made uses applesauce this is a great time to learn how to make applesauce from your dehydrated apple slices (see it’s so easy to make any recipe a food storage recipe!) It is easy, delicious and no one will know! You can use this in baking to substitute for oil or as a snack.

Applesauce-Food Storage Style!

To reconstitute apple slices use equal parts of dried apples to boiling water. For example:
2 cups dried apples 2 cups boiling water
Let: this set at least 5 minutes.

If you put this mixture through the blender you will have applesauce. For variety add 3 tbsp. Cinnamon Heart Candy to the mixture before you let it set or try some Cinnamon (about 2-3 t.) and Sugar (about 3-4 T.) mixture in it.

With the only thing consistant about gas and food prices is the fact that they are consistantly going up, my husband and I have been doing a lot more dates at home. It is so easy to swap baby-sitting with a neighbor (or if you kids are old enough, eat up stairs while they play downstiars) and spend some one on one time together with little effort and for CHEAP! (and of course some food storage mixed in :) This meal was SO delicious, easy and cost me about $4.00 to make. That wouldn’t even feed my husband and me at a fast food restaurant!

Grilled Pork Chops with Apple-Cranberry Sauce

Again, a great time to practice cooking with an alternate heat source! The topping is simply 2 C. applesauce (I made mine from the dehydrated apple slices) and 1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce (NOT jellied). The topping looks so gourmet with the chunks of cranberry and apple and takes NO time to make!

Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Potato pearls are great but I have heard of people not liking them. I want to suggest to you to add in some sour cream or cream cheese and butter to them. You add those ingredients into normal mashed potatoes so why not the pearls/flakes? If you really want to fake out the family, make sure and beat them just like you would “real” mashed potatoes.

3 cloves Roasted Garlic, chopped (I roast mine on the grill while I’m grilling the meat. You will need to turn them frequently so they don’t get burned. It will cook in about 3-4 minutes)
1 T. fresh rosemary spriggs or 1 t. dried rosemary
1/2-3/4 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Butter

Add the above ingredients to your 1 batch of potato pearls (directions are on the can). Beating your potato pearls or flakes gives it a great consistency and adds in a little air for that whipped creamy texture. It’s a great way to disguise using potato pearls instead of regular potatoes.

**Oh and before I forget, the girls over at Food Storage Made Easy told me that the Wondermill Wheat Grinder will be going up in price on the 15th. If you’ve had your eye on one make sure you send you significant other to THIS LINK to purchase it before prices go up!!

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

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  • gaby

    wow I never thought about doing apple sauce with my dehydrated apples!! thank you crystal. I do have dehydrated apple every time that apples are on sale I dehydrated in my dehydrator and love it
    thanks crystal for the tip

    please keep doing more videos I love to watch them !!!

  • gaby

    wow I never thought about doing apple sauce with my dehydrated apples!! thank you crystal. I do have dehydrated apple every time that apples are on sale I dehydrated in my dehydrator and love it
    thanks crystal for the tip

    please keep doing more videos I love to watch them !!!

  • Joyce

    Thanks Crystal! You always have the BEST ideas.:)

    Happy Valentine’s Day,
    Joyce

  • Joyce

    Thanks Crystal! You always have the BEST ideas.:)

    Happy Valentine’s Day,
    Joyce

  • Mary

    Thanks for the great dinner idea! I have found that the key to making potato flakes taste like real mashed potatoes is adding cream cheese. I don’t normally add that to my regular potatoes, but I thought I’d try it one night and not only did it taste great, but it made the consistency closer to the real thing. I love potato flakes!

  • Mary

    Thanks for the great dinner idea! I have found that the key to making potato flakes taste like real mashed potatoes is adding cream cheese. I don’t normally add that to my regular potatoes, but I thought I’d try it one night and not only did it taste great, but it made the consistency closer to the real thing. I love potato flakes!

  • Kaydee

    When ever I cook potatoes in water, such as for potatoe salad. I drain the water and keep it in the freezer. Pull it out when you need to use potatoe flakes
    When using instant/dried potatoes, I use the saved potatoe water and it gives the boxed stuff, the home mashed potatoe flavor.
    I have also dropped adding milk to freshly made mashed potatoes from scratch. Using real butter and if needed some of the water helps with our lactose intolerant family members

  • Kaydee

    When ever I cook potatoes in water, such as for potatoe salad. I drain the water and keep it in the freezer. Pull it out when you need to use potatoe flakes
    When using instant/dried potatoes, I use the saved potatoe water and it gives the boxed stuff, the home mashed potatoe flavor.
    I have also dropped adding milk to freshly made mashed potatoes from scratch. Using real butter and if needed some of the water helps with our lactose intolerant family members

  • http://southernseven.blogspot.com/ Holly

    Oh my goodness! We cannot eat pork chops without everyone walking around saying “pork chops and applesauce.” If you haven’t seen it it is from the Brady Bunch and Peter was having an identity crisis and was mimicing Humphry Bogart and asked Alice what they were having and he says that in the show. I have actually never had applesauce- I see it all the time on blogs showing how to make it- I guess it is not a Southern thing, all I have ever seen is people make apple slices with a glaze. I will have to try it!

  • http://southernseven.blogspot.com/ Holly

    Oh my goodness! We cannot eat pork chops without everyone walking around saying “pork chops and applesauce.” If you haven’t seen it it is from the Brady Bunch and Peter was having an identity crisis and was mimicing Humphry Bogart and asked Alice what they were having and he says that in the show. I have actually never had applesauce- I see it all the time on blogs showing how to make it- I guess it is not a Southern thing, all I have ever seen is people make apple slices with a glaze. I will have to try it!

  • http://southernseven.blogspot.com Holly

    Oh my goodness! We cannot eat pork chops without everyone walking around saying “pork chops and applesauce.” If you haven’t seen it it is from the Brady Bunch and Peter was having an identity crisis and was mimicing Humphry Bogart and asked Alice what they were having and he says that in the show. I have actually never had applesauce- I see it all the time on blogs showing how to make it- I guess it is not a Southern thing, all I have ever seen is people make apple slices with a glaze. I will have to try it!

  • Kati Carbonneau

    So do we let the apples boil in the water for 5 minutes? Or let it sit after boiling just a few minutes? It will probably make sense when I try it, but I never thought of using dried apples like this and I am SO GOING TO TRY IT!! THANKS so much!

    My sister had told me that you can substitute the applesauce for oil, but for something like brownies(where I am not so sure you want a fruit taste), she said you can substitute a black bean puree for the oil (or half the oil?)…have you ever tried that before?

  • Kati Carbonneau

    So do we let the apples boil in the water for 5 minutes? Or let it sit after boiling just a few minutes? It will probably make sense when I try it, but I never thought of using dried apples like this and I am SO GOING TO TRY IT!! THANKS so much!

    My sister had told me that you can substitute the applesauce for oil, but for something like brownies(where I am not so sure you want a fruit taste), she said you can substitute a black bean puree for the oil (or half the oil?)…have you ever tried that before?

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ Julie

    ya kati, applesauce in brownies would probably be gross!

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Julie

    ya kati, applesauce in brownies would probably be gross!

  • http://womenofcaliber.com/ Kellene

    Brilliant! Agreed, it’s not fun going out on Valentines day. Looks absolutely delicious…

  • http://womenofcaliber.com Kellene

    Brilliant! Agreed, it’s not fun going out on Valentines day. Looks absolutely delicious…

  • gaby

    well I had used applesauce when the recipe calls for shortening and it is good and something that I been doing for the last 8 months is that I cook whit beans and make puree with them then I freeze it in the ice cubes and I have a small jar in the refrigerator with some white beans puree and that’s what I use for any baking that I will be doing like if the recipe calls for 1 cup of oil I do 1 cup of my beans you will do the same amount that calls for oil and for butter 1 stick of batter (1/2c ) it’s equals a 1/3 c of beans ,
    so if you are afraid of doing in all at once try first doing have and have and you will see
    you do not see the difference so give it a try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • gaby

    well I had used applesauce when the recipe calls for shortening and it is good and something that I been doing for the last 8 months is that I cook whit beans and make puree with them then I freeze it in the ice cubes and I have a small jar in the refrigerator with some white beans puree and that’s what I use for any baking that I will be doing like if the recipe calls for 1 cup of oil I do 1 cup of my beans you will do the same amount that calls for oil and for butter 1 stick of batter (1/2c ) it’s equals a 1/3 c of beans ,
    so if you are afraid of doing in all at once try first doing have and have and you will see
    you do not see the difference so give it a try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Heidi

    Do you have any more baby food/food storage ideas?

  • Heidi

    Do you have any more baby food/food storage ideas?

  • vickyyanoshaw

    I've never made anything with the apple slices. They don't last but a day or 2 around here. That is like the ultimate snack food around this house. I have no issues with rotation on the apple slices. Just keeping them in stock. :P

  • vickyyanoshaw

    I've never made anything with the apple slices. They don't last but a day or 2 around here. That is like the ultimate snack food around this house. I have no issues with rotation on the apple slices. Just keeping them in stock. :P