In the year of 39

One of my best friends told me that turning 39 was worse than turning 40. One reason for this was the constant mention of turning 40. It is as if 39 doesn't really exist because you are always "almost 40." Another reason she cited is that people just think you actually are 40 and are lying.
I guess I can see that.

I just saw a quote that said "The best years of a woman's life are the ten between 39 and 40."
I read it twice. The first time I didn't get it. Sometimes I miss the obvious.

I woke up today as I do every day only with a bit of apprehension. I don't like endings and today is the first day of the end of my 30s. I got up like always and made the bed, packed lunches and made two trips to the school bus stop.

I spent the day with my mom which I always like to do on my birthday. My dad called from work with birthday greetings. Mom gave me their presents. I got really pretty earrings and an awesome, new nonstick frying pan with a lid. I also got a really nice (Easter) card. My mom's vision isn't what it used to be and she thought it was a birthday card. She asked my dad to check it and he must have skimmed over the details. It was still a really nice card though. We enjoyed a nice lunch together and laughed a lot.

The well-wishing continued throughout the day as I got calls, texts, voice mails and emails. It is really nice that everyone remembered.

Things got even more pleasant as the day went on. We had a great dinner at home (my choice). I felt like having some old school, comfort food and opted for spaghetti and meatballs. My daughter, Emily, baked and decorated a cake for me all by herself.


Natalie made me this awesome card:


And my husband picked out some beautiful and very thoughtful gifts. Check out this gorgeous necklace and earrings by Isabelle Glass:


I also got a new apron from Cafe Press, a watch (I never know what time it is!) and a book that I had looked at but didn't buy myself (I still don't know how he knew I wanted it). Maybe it has something to do with my new found interest in reading books about Ancient Rome since we went to the Ancient Rome exhibit at the National Constitution Center a few weeks ago.



So my first day of my last year of my 30s went pretty well. To make things even better, I actually heard from more than one person that 40 isn't so bad. I even heard that people kind of like it. So I have that going for me. And from the looks of today, I have a lot more than that.

Tara's Roasted Cabbage with Pork Chops

Usually the pork chops would be the main course but the only reason I made them is because I wanted to make my friend Tara's roasted cabbage. Tara knows I love to cook and is a frequent Loco Diner visitor (Hi, Tara!). She always lets me know if she makes something tasty or interesting. A couple of weeks ago, she told me she she threw together cabbage, olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven and it was delicious.

It sounded so easy that I had to try it. Tara is right. It is fantastic! As proof, I tested this dish on a self-proclaimed cabbage hater and he flipped over it. I tossed in the mustard marinated pork chops for good measure.

Notes: Tara's cabbage is a great make-ahead side dish. With the pork chops, this is an awesome dish for an Oktoberfest feast!

Thanks, Tara!

Tara's Roasted Cabbage
1 small head of green cabbage
1/4 c. + 2 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper to taste (I like a lot!)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice your cabbage.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the cabbage and 1/4 c. of olive oil.


1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt


and black pepper.

Give it a good toss to combine all of the ingredients. Put it in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes. I have a convection oven so you may want to add a few minutes to your roasting time.

Out of the oven, the cabbage will look like this. It should be soft and tender when you bite into it.Give it another sprinkle of salt of you would like.

You can begin to prepare your pork chops while the cabbage is roasting. When I think cabbage and pork chops, I think Oktoberfest. I quickly whisked together a marinade that I thought reflected this.

Note: You can also whisk these ingredients together for a great salad dressing or as a dressing for the cabbage!

Mustard Marinated Pork Chops
6-7 center cut pork chops, bone in (or whatever cut you like)
(I measured this when it was finished and it makes about 3/4 cup of dressing/marinade)
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
10 peppercorns (you can crush some and leave some whole)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
salt to taste

In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard seed, peppercorns, sugar, salt and mustard.


Whisk it together.

As you whisk, it will start to thicken. Taste it to adjust the flavors to your liking.


Take your pork chops out of the package and dry with paper towels.


Place your pork chops in a 1 gallon bag (I like to use Hefty one-zip bags) and pour in the marinade.


Zip the bag closed and work the marinade into the pork. Place it in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.


After 2-3 hours, remove the pork chops from the bag, discard the lmarinade and broil or grill the pork chops. The time will vary according to the thickness of the pork chops. The best advice I can give you is to put them on the grill or in the broiler and set the timer for 5-7 minutes using the thickness as your determining factor (if they are thicker, set it for 7 minutes, thinner for 5). Check them, if they look nice and brown on one side, flip them and set the timer for another 5-7 minutes. Check them for doneness and remove them from the grill. I only flip them once.


Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.


If you'd like a beverage with this meal, I suggest Schneider-Weisse's Adventinus Weizenstarkbier.
Raise your glass to Tara! If it wasn't for the roasted cabbage we would probably be eating something else right now!