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Archaeologists working at the ancient Roman city of Heraclea Sintica in southwestern Bulgaria have uncovered compelling evidence that challenges our understanding of disability and social care in the Roman world. Six men who perished in a catastrophic 4th-century earthquake were discovered beneath collapsed ruins, their remains revealing both tragedy and compassion. Among the victims was a young man who likely suffered from Apert syndrome, a rare congenital disorder causing severe physical disability and requiring constant care from birth. Heraclea Sintica once thrived along the Struma River due to its strategic location between major Roman cities. The forum, serving as the civic center, featured monumental buildings and essential water cisterns. During the late 4th century AD, a devastating earthquake struck - part of the "earthquake storm" that ravaged the eastern Mediterranean - causing the collapse of brick-vaulted cisterns that became the final resting place of six unfortunate souls. Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later 

Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops with lots of onions and an intensely flavored gravy makes such a delicious southern meal. You’ll want to serve these pork chops over either white rice or mashed potatoes to soak up all the tasty gravy. Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops Warning- If you are looking for a dump and go type of recipe, keep looking. This recipe isn’t for you. This pork chop recipe is a little more involved, but in my opinion, the extra work is totally worth it. The pork chops get so fabulously tender in the crock pot. Fall of the bone tender. The extra time spent making the roux at the beginning created a wonderfully rich and flavorful gravy. This is a completely from scratch recipe. No canned soup or dry onion soup mix. A down-home southern meal doesn’t get any better than these Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops. Want to save this recipe?Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *Email *Save Key To Really Flavorful Pork Chops The key to really awesome flavored smothered pork chops is using lots of seasoning. You will think that it is too much seasoning, but trust me. It is not. A combination of Lawry’s seasoned salt, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper adds tons of flavor which is really important because slow cooker pork chops can sometimes be a little bland. Keep in mind that the seasoning not only flavors the pork chops, but the gravy too. And there is lots and lots of gravy. Recipe Tip I think it is important to use bone-in pork chops for this recipe. The bone not only adds flavor, it helps keep the pork tender and moist. What To Serve With These Pork Chops white rice buttered noodles mashed potatoes Steamed green beans Pocketbook Rolls Yellow Squash Casserole   Pin this now to find it laterPin It Try These Other Pork Chop Recipes Easy Oven-Barbecued Pork Chops Southern Fried Pork Chops Honey Pecan Pork Chops Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Chops Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops Print Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops with lots of onions and an intensely flavored gravy makes such a delicious southern meal. You'll want to serve these pork chops over either white rice or mashed potatoes to soak up all the tasty gravy. Course Dinner, Main Dish Prep Time 22 minutes minutesCook Time 5 hours hours 15 minutes minutesTotal Time 5 hours hours 37 minutes minutes Servings 6 Calories 451kcal Equipment6-quart slow cooker Ingredients1 tablespoon Lawry's seasoned salt2 teaspoons paprika1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper1 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper6 bone-in blade cut pork chops 3/4 to 1-inch thick1/2 cup vegetable oil divided3 cups thinly sliced onions1/2 cup all-purpose flour2 1/4 cups water1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon cider vinegar1 tablespoon cornstarch optionalsliced green onion optional InstructionsCombine Lawry's seasoned salt, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.Blot pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them all over with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture. Place in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet Add onions and cook for 5 to soften. Place on top of pork chops.Add remaining 6 tablespoons of oil to the now empty skillet. Add flour and whisk in. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it turns the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes.Once it turns the right color, add the remaining spice mixture. Whisk in for 10 seconds.Gradually whisk in the water. Continue to whisk until smooth and it comes to a boil. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and then pour into the slow cooker.Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 hours.Remove pork chops carefully to a serving platter. They will fall apart if you don't lift them carefully. Spoon of any oil on the top of the liquid in the crock pot. Add vinegar. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. If you want to thicken the gravy, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with an equal part of cold water and stir into gravy. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes.Note: Or you can transfer the gravy to a pot. Stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil. This will take less time but you will have an extra pot to clean. NutritionCalories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1249mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country The post Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops appeared first on Spicy Southern Kitchen.

Make your favorite jumbo Costco Double Chocolate Muffins right at home. Moist, rich, and packed with melty chocolate chips in every bite! A SWEET COPYCAT MUFFIN RECIPE If you’ve ever grabbed a pack of the famous Costco Double Chocolate Muffins, you know how irresistible they are. Moist, chocolatey, and loaded with big, rich chocolate chips, these jumbo muffins feel like a treat straight from the Costco bakery. Let’s be honest, they’re more like cupcakes than muffins – ha! But the best part? You can make them yourself right at home with no membership required! These copycat Costco muffins are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert and freeze beautifully so you can always have a batch on hand when the craving strikes! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Can I make these ahead of time? Sure. These are fine room temp and are nice if you microwave them to warm them up a bit too. What muffin tins did you use? I used a 6 jumbo muffin tin (paid affiliate link). You will need two of them or you can use a 12 jumbo muffin tin if you have one. If you only have one of the 6 well muffin tins, you can bake the first six, remove the baked muffins and then bake the rest of the muffins. Can I make regular sized muffins instead? Yes! This recipe makes about 24 standard-size muffins. Just reduce the baking time to 15-18 minutes. You could even make mini muffins, they’ll need even less baking time though. What else can I add to these muffins? If you like a little crunch, fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips. Can I freeze these muffins? These muffins freeze wonderfully. Once cooled, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Just thaw overnight or warm in the microwave. They’re the perfect thing to make an extra batch of and freeze for later. What’s the best way to store muffins? Any of these muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come to room temperature. This will help them mix into the batter much easier. oil – I prefer vegetable oil. You want a good neutral oil but use what you prefer. milk – for extra richness, try using all milk instead of milk and water. water – see above. You can use all milk instead of the water. vanilla extract sour cream – or you could use plain Greek yogurt. You do not taste this at all, it just adds moistness to the muffins. Devil’s food cake mix – any chocolate cake mix will work but after testing, we found this one was the most similar to the ones at Costco. instant chocolate fudge pudding – be sure to grab the instant pudding mix, not a Cook N Serve version. If you can’t find the chocolate fudge pudding mix, regular chocolate pudding mix can be used. This is going to really give us that chocolate punch we are looking for. cinnamon– this is the secret ingredient that sets the Costco muffins apart from just regular bakery style double chocolate muffins. If you don’t want to use it, you can leave it out but once you add it, you’ll know that this is that little special something that makes these different. semisweet chocolate chips – these could be substituted for white chocolate or even peanut butter chips! HOW TO MAKE COSTCO DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS: Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line (2) 6 jumbo muffin tin with jumbo cupcake liners (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) Note: Most jumbo muffin tins have 6 wells (not 12 – although you can sometimes find those.) I did this in two batches to make 12 jumbo muffins. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer) combine the eggs, oil, milk, water and vanilla extract. Next, add in the sour cream and stir. Then add in the cake mix, dry instant pudding mix and cinnamon. Stir until well combined. Start off on a low setting until the cake mix is starting to become combined so it doesn’t fly out of the bowl. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chips. Fill the lined muffin tins with batter until about 3/4 full. I find this easiest to do with a spring loaded cookie scoop. Top each muffin with the remaining chocolate chips.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, on the middle rack, or until a toothpick comes out clean. CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Lemon Blueberry Muffins Apple Streusel Muffins Zucchini Chocolate Muffins Banana Nut Muffins Cranberry Bliss Muffins Pecan Pie Muffins Cinnamon Streusel Muffins Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins Milk Chocolate Chip Muffins Print Costco Double Chocolate Muffins Everything you love about the double chocolate muffins from the big box store, but now you can make them at home. Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, SnackCuisine American Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 25 minutes minutesTotal Time 40 minutes minutes Servings 12 Calories 545kcal Author Brandie Skibinski Ingredients3 large eggs½ cup oil½ cup milk¼ cup water1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)1 box Devil’s food cake mix3.9 ounce box instant chocolate fudge pudding½ teaspoon cinnamon2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (divided use) InstructionsPreheat the oven to 375F degrees.Line (2) 6 jumbo muffin tin with jumbo cupcake liners (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) Note: Most jumbo muffin tins have 6 wells (not 12 – although you can sometimes find those.) I did this in two batches to make 12 jumbo muffins.In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer) combine 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Next, add in 1 cup sour cream and stir.Then add in 1 box Devil’s food cake mix, 3.9 ounce box instant chocolate fudge pudding and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir until well combined. Start off on a low setting until the cake mix is starting to become combined so it doesn’t fly out of the bowl.Stir in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Fill the lined muffin tins with batter until about 3/4 full. I find this easiest to do with a spring loaded cookie scoop.Top each muffin with the remaining 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, on the middle rack, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: Baking times can vary so go by doneness not strictly time. Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions NutritionCalories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 34g | Sodium: 459mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g

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