Brining is the secret to moist pork chops, and this copycat recipe is de-li-cious!

Brining Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup coarse kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 gallon cold water
1 tablespoon black pepper

Copycat Shake 'n' Bake Ingredients:
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon minced onion
1/2 pinch dried basil leaves
1/2 pinch dried parsley
1/2 pinch dried oregano

Instructions:   A heavy-duty plastic tube, stainless-steel bowl, or re-sealable plastic bag can work as a brining container, as long as the pork is fully submerged. Weight with a plate, if necessary, to keep the meat fully covered by the brine.  Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add it to the cold water; add pepper and stir to combine. Chill brine completely in the refrigerator before adding pork. Place your pork in the water and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine all the Shake 'n' Bake ingredients in a large re-sealable plastic bag.  Seal bag & shake all ingredients together.  

Rinse THOROUGHLY your pork chops, then shake each piece in the coating bag.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Cook 15 minutes or until done (160 degrees).

By the way, this goes great with Grown Up Mac and Cheese!

Found in the fridge:  leftover spinach artichoke dip, leftover bowtie pasta with tomato sauce.  Well, it's not the prettiest pasta I've ever seen, but combining these two together yielded a YUM-MO lunch pasta. 

Yum!  These are so easy to make, taste delicious, freeze well (for unexpected company) and are good for the heart to boot.  Melt 1/2 bag of dark chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power.  Add your favorite heart-healthy trail mix.  Be sure to save some of the prettier pieces for the top of the bites.  Cover a baking sheet or plate with wax paper, and spoon the mixture onto the wax paper.  Decorate with the leftover trail mix bits.  Refrigerate until set.  Freezes wonderfully.

Ingredients:
1 lb. green beans, washed and trimmed
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 egg whites

Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Stir together the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in a shallow bowl or plate.  Whisk together the egg whites until frothy.

Dip the green beans into the egg white and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place on the parchment paper in a single layer. Repeat until all the green beans are coated in bread crumbs.

Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until green beans are nice and crispy, shaking the baking sheet once during cooking.