Grilled Pork Chops with Maple Syrup Sweet Potatoes

I'm back! I've been at my parents the past few days dog sitting and tonight was my first full night back in the apartment. My only personal computer is a desktop and I forgot to ask what my parents' password to theirs was before they left. Oops.

I should definitely consider a laptop since this desktop is 6 years old, but even $400 seems like a lot to spend. I have plenty in savings.. but I have trouble parting with that much money. I suppose I could cut back somewhere else and patiently set money aside? Probably the best way to go, but it's still tempting to sock that money away. It's funny, though, what a difference a few years makes. I never used to be a saver.

Are you a spender or a saver?

Speaking of saving money, one of my new favorite places to shop is Aldi. Even in the 6 months I've been shopping there they've improved. More and more healthy options like whole wheat pasta and "fancier" items like bagged mixed greens are showing up on the shelves. And the pasta sauce I bought the other day actually had ingredients I could pronounce.

Over the weekend I picked up these pork chops for less than $3 a pound. I knew they were destined for the Grilled Pork Chops with Maple Syrup Sweet Potatoes I saw in a recent Real Simple.

Now, my sweet potatoes aren't nearly as perfectly grilled, but the rest came out great. The maple syrup added just a bit of sweetness to the potatoes, but not too much. Just the way I like it, actually. I cut back on the oil a bit, though, and compensated with high heat cooking spray. Otherwise it was as originally written.

A great dish for a quick summer meal.