ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI: BARBECUED PORK CHOPS A TURTLE FAVORITE

As I walked a sun soaked beach recently, a fond memory returned to me. It was thoughts of one of the most unusual pets that anyone had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

On a hot afternoon in 1967, a good friend brought me a surprise from Florida. Their he sat in a small bowl of salt water with a flat rock for company. This little sea turtle with the chipped shell easily fit in a tablespoon. Thagmorton was a character out of one of my childhood stories, who was not fair of face, but his heart was full of grace. So the littlest turtle of them all became Thagmorton.

Thagmorton's new home was an 11x15 inch glass dish featuring a sunning rock formation nestled beneath his own sun lamp. Salt tablets were added to this water along with a few green plants. His daily diet of flies and spiders arrived on schedule, but his favorite treats were raw ground beef and barbecued pork chops.

Now Thagmorton and I got along like sand and sun, but I can't quite make the same statement about him and my mother. It was as if, this tiny creature thought that it was funny to see her run from my room in fear. Every time she would get in a corner, Thagmorton would extend his little neck, which was quite long, and scream at the top of his lungs. And believe me, he could scream.

In return for Thagmorton's treatment of my mother, was Tinker the cat's insistence upon fishing in his bowl, or at least threatening to. Try as I might, I couldn't keep Tinker form sneaking into my room. When Tinker approached Thagmorton's bowl, the sounds of swishing water, and this unearthly sound filled the air as cat fur flew. Needless to say I was his favorite.

In 1969 Thagmorton went to college, and was the toast of the dorm. By 1970 he had begun to grow and salt tablets and sun lamps were not keeping his cheeks perky green anymore. A friend of mine had a large well equipped salt water aquarium and offered to let Thagmorton to be the resident sea turtle.

Thagmorton lived happily for several years in that aquarium. When I came to visit, he would climb on his sunning rock and make sweet chuckling sounds. By the time Thagmorton had gone, I was old enough to understand what a treasured gift that he had been. As you can see, to me, he was not only full of grace but, became very fair of face.

Thagmorton's Favorite Pork Chops

4-6 large pork chops

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 can golden mushroom soup

1 cup tomato catsup or barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

1. Place pork chops in 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

2. Mix well golden mushroom soup, tomato catsup or barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over pork chops. Bake for 2 hours, or until tender and brown, at 300 degrees.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Visit Angie at her Web site, www.cookingwithangie.com

Angie Holtzhouser is author of Drop Dumplin's and Pan-Fried Memories ... Along the Mississippi. Her cookbook is available at local bookstores. In addition, it can be purchased through the mail at: Drop Dumplin's, P.O. Box 10, Lilbourn, Mo. 63862. The price is $19.95, including tax and shipping.