Sizzled Pork & Pineapple Tacos

Why yes, I am going to lead with this picture of Naoto trying to look like a pineapple!

This summer, we want to perfect our grilling skills and go beyond the steaks, hot dogs, nachos, and sweet potatoes that we attempted last summer. (“We” is doing some heavy lifting here since it’s really Naoto that does all of the grilling work!) So far this summer, we’ve attempted to grill bratwurst, (way harder than you think!) chicken, veggies (using this Smitten Kitchen recipe!) and salmon. Basically, if the weather is cooperating and Naoto is home, we’re grilling.

Naoto has been testing out cookbooks from the library and he’s really excited about Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To.) We’ve made the Sizzled Pork & Pineapple Tacos a few times and we really enjoy them. They are so sweet and summery and just so easy since everything can be done on the grill.

Sizzling Pork & Pineapple Tacos from Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To)

1.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into 1/2 inch thick steaks (Or you can use the boneless pork chops from Trader Joes. They come in a pack of three which was plenty for us with leftovers.)
1 fresh pineapple
1 orange
2 limes
4 cloves of garlic
1 fresh chile
8-12 tortillas (the recipe calls for corn, but we used flour)
olive oil
salt & pepper
avocado (diced)

Heat your grill to medium high. Season your pork with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Peel the pineapple and cut into 1-inch spears. Place onto a shallow pan. Zest your orange and set the zest aside. Cut the orange in half and add it in with the pineapple. Drizzle both with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Zest the two limes and add to the orange zest. Chop the four cloves of garlic and the chile and add those to the zest with a teaspoon of salt. Mix together to make a paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the juice of the two limes and 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir to combine.

Head to your grill with the pork, fruit, and tortillas.

Oil the grates with olive oil and add your pork, pineapple, and orange over the direct heat. Ali recommends cooking the pork 5-8 minutes per side, but we have more success using a meat thermometor to make sure the pork was cooked through, but not overly dry. (The CDC recommends cooking pork to 145° F.) The pineapple and orange will need 3-5 minutes per side, as both should be charred when they come off the grill. As things are ready, remove from grill and set aside.

Once the fruit and pork are done, cut the pork and pineapple into bite sized pieces and add to the sauce. Squeeze the charred orange juice into the rest of the sauce and stir to coat. Cut up the avocado into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Head back to your grill with your tortillas. Char each side of your tortillas before filling each one with the saucy pork and pineapple and topping with avocado. Serve with an extra lime wedge for an extra dose of freshness.

Enjoy with a tiki drink and some Hawaiian music in the background.

Spring Has Spring in the Circle Garden

The circle garden is blooming again and our plots are finally fully planted for the summer. It’s our second spring here, so it was fun to anticipate was going to return. Early spring, I was greeted by daffodils, hyacinths, Columbine, and hellebore.

Now my iris, clematis, and roses are in bloom with more things opening up every day! I am also happy to report that all of our hydrangeas, which we planted last spring, and then transplanted later in the summer because they were getting too much sun, are back and look like they’re going to be fine. Hopefully they will start blooming soon!

The spiderwort and foxglove just started opening this weekend. The spiderwort was here from the previous owners, but I added the foxglove last summer. The color was a total surprise since it wasn’t in bloom when I bought it. I think it goes nicely along that side of the garden though.

If you remember from last year, we have three raised beds along the south side of our house. Last year, this bed was full of garlic, so we didn’t really use it (except for the garlic.) This year, a couple of garlic came up, but I was able to fill the rest of it with seeds and tubers to make an edible flower and cutting garden. So far, there are dahlias, ranunculus, poppies, nasturtium, zinnias, borage, and calendula coming up. I also planted cockscomb but sadly, none of the seeds have germinated. I’m so bummed because I have wanted to grow giant cockscomb since high school. There was an older gentleman who used to bring his crop to the golf course where I worked and I just love those velvety blooms!

In the middle bed, we have basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and marigolds alongside cherry, Black Krim, Purple Cherokee, and Brandywine tomatoes. Naoto also tucked in some daikon radish.

In our third plot, we have another cherry tomato variety, some leftover potatoes from the previous homeowners (that are probably planted too close to the tomato,) cardinal basil, edamame, Japanese melon, and Japanese cucumbers. We are hoping that the bunnies leave this bed alone, but history tells us otherwise. Our friend gave us a trellis for the vining plants, so I hope we actually get something to vine this year before the rabbits have a snack!

Since I was planting a slew of things I’ve never grown before, I made some plant markers to keep track of everything. They aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing project, but they get the job done!

I always love the garden this time of the season, all tidy and full of possibilities! We all know our plots will be tomato and zinnia jungles soon enough!

Dive Bar Letter Writers June Meet-Up

Our next Dive Bar Letter Writers meet-up is next Sunday, June 12 at 2pm. We’re back at Goldyburgers yet again! After this month, I’m trying to schedule the meetings for the third Sunday of every month, just so it’s easy for people to remember. If you’re in the area, join us for letter writing, drinks, and conversation! I’ll have supplies on hand so don’t be afraid to come empty handed (though you will need cash for Goldy’s snacks and drinks!) If you would like an email reminder about our meetings, go to the Dive Bar Letter Writers page and follow the link!

16th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to this guy, who sometimes feels like a third wheel with Presley and me. Life wouldn’t be the same if you hadn’t stopped by my table on that fateful Wednesday evening at the Daily Grind. I’m so grateful for every single day.

Finally! A New Mailbox

We’ve lived here just over a year and we finally put in a new mailbox! Isn’t she lovely?

When we removed the old box, we made a discovery–the house’s original mail slot! It literally goes nowhere! There isn’t a slot inside. It has all been insulated and dry walled over.

Our house was a flip in 2016. Apparently the flippers cared enough about the mail slot to cut the siding around it, but not enough to clear out the mail that was left inside!

We pulled out the mail and found it was from 2016!

Part of me is a tiny bit bummed not to have a mail slot in our home, but I did love choosing a mailbox and I found one big enough for small to medium sized packages so it’s nice to have a little bit of extra security to keep our mail hidden.

More projects for the front of the house are planned–chopping down a tree and adding different plantings, painting the porch, and more! Hopefully it won’t take all summer before we get it all done!