Since I've Been Gone: August (So Far)

Ok friends, let's wrap up this time period of me being gone forever and a day. I've finished up talking about July, so let's talk about August so far. August has been pretty typical around here, lots of humidity (oh lord, the humidity) and heat. Also, lots of rain. I'm happy with rain in the summer though, we get such crazy downpours that I don't have to water the garden for 2 days. Talk about shaving some time off the chore wheel. But honestly, when you are talking about August in the garden (at least for me) there's not a lot to do. This downtime feels so crazy after the frenzy of landscaping the hubby and I did during the early summer. I can't complain though, it's a lovely contrast. I much need the rest after having such a full house. And August of the family's stay here was pretty busy-

Since I've Been Gone: July

Hi friends! It's been soooooooooo long. I didn't even mean to take such a long break, it just kind of... happened. I've had a pretty full house since I've been gone, but sadly, it's now empty. My family came to visit for almost a month, and it was AWESOME. Awesome to see and have all my family here, but I did suffer a touch of writer's block. I meant to post the week before everyone got here, but each day was crammed with chores to get the house ready for family. It seemed like every night I went to bed before their visit with a to-do list for the next day pounding in my head. This left little thought for writing.

Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream

+ Cinnamon Ice Cream Whisky Shooters!

My goodness, friends. That weekend? A blur. Is it over already? Where did it go? I feel like I've been going non-stop since Friday.

I know I say that every weekend, but this weekend was something else! What happened this weekend? Here goes!

Friday- The hubby and I had to drive to Columbus to meet with a neurosurgeon about my back. We got a speeding ticket on the way up. We cursed the holiday weekend and powered on to meet with the doctor. I really liked the doctor I met with, he was very professional and a lot of his patients are athletes. After studying my MRI, he's not sure if the problem is with my joint or with the actual disc. He agreed injections into the joint were the best place to start, or at least the least invasive choice. Twas' a good appointment and the hubby and I headed for home. We grabbed some sushi from Kroger, scarfed it down, and headed out to visit with the hubby's family. A little too much red wine was enjoyed, and we returned home around midnight.

25 Side Dishes

Hey hey! We've got a holiday weekend coming up y'all!

The Memorial Day Holiday weekend is upon us. I don't know about you, but ever since we moved to Kentucky, Memorial Day has been spent with the hubby's family. The hubby's cousin and his wife drive in from out of town, and we all gather together for a family barbecue. This time, the hubby's cousin and his wife are bringing their new baby girl for everyone to meet! We are excited. The weekend is promising to be very sunny, right now they are forecasting a high of 90º. Whew! Good thing the hubby's-cousin's-wife's-mother (whose house we party at) has a pool. The pool is the best part of the get-together, at least as far as all the nieces and nephews are concerned :-)

Soy & Citrus Marinated Chicken

I have found THE marinade.

The marinade above all marinades, the one that will make your toes curl and your mouth do the happy dance. It adds flavor. Saltiness. Moisture. And, it's oh-so pretty.

This happened on a typical weekend day for me and the hubby. True to form, we'd gone for a run and come home to collapse on the couch. Normally, we grab something while we are out to eat (usually beer and pizza, ahem), but we had decided to come home instead. I have a habit of always asking the hubby what he wants me to make for dinner. He has a habit of telling me to make whatever. He's notoriously non-committal when I needle him for suggestions. Not that day.

The Best Grilled Burgers

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? I spent mine around the homestead. I literally did not leave the house. I had no intention of doing that, but somehow it just happened. I woke up with tons of energy on Saturday. The kind of productive, house-cleaning energy that doesn't pop up everyday. You have to take advantage of those moods when they come along, you know what I mean? Which I did on Saturday morning. Hello clean bathrooms, waxed bedroom furniture, and freshly scrubbed baseboards! 

25 Easy Chicken Recipes

Happy Friday! Happy March Madness! 

The NCAA tournament has been going as planned for the hubby, with Kentucky chugging right along. My bracket is looking awfully precarious, though I do have Kentucky winning it all. As long as Kentucky can keep on winning, I'm still in it. But barely, and by the skin of my teeth. I'm in 4th place in the family pool. Out of 5. I guess you can't win em' all.

Pineapple Pulled Pork Pizza

Did you try my Texas Pulled Pork? If so, you can turn this-

Flavorful and tender BBQ pork, made over into pizza!

All you need is some handy-dandy homemade crust, a smattering of toppings, plenty o' cheese and you have yourself an economical and tasty dinner!

I know I wax poetic about home economics quite often. It is a topic near and dear to my heart, as I suspect it is for a lot of people. We may have a tiny household of 2 people, but we also live on one income. It's not like the hubby and I are eager to throw away money. I think discussing ways to save money is interesting to just about everyone, I mean, who doesn't want to keep more of their hard-earned money in their own pockets? I've already told everyone how many meals I get out of pulled pork, and this pizza is just one example. It's super-easy to turn leftover pulled pork into just about anything. Which brings me to another point- small households. If you run a small household, you might feel adverse to cooking such a large amount of meat. A 4 lb roast sounds quite large, doesn't it? The fact of that matter is that you don't find many roasts that are smaller than that. I mean, I usually find the smallest pork shoulders to be around 8 lbs. Don't be afraid of this, small household. Cut that roast in half, and freeze part of it. And make the 4 lb roast! Just have a game-plan for the leftovers. And honestly, wouldn't it be nice to spend one day cooking the protein, and then have it ready to work with for several dinners throughout the week? 

Well, I'm not afraid to tell you- It's wonderful!

Here are few other ideas for leftover pulled pork:

Pulled Pork Empanadas by Confections of A Foodie Bride

Pulled Pork Huevos Rancheros by Foodie with Family

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese by Nutmeg Nanny

Pulled Pork Nachos by Iowa Girl Eats

Pulled Pork Hash by Serious Eats

Can I tell you how much I heart food bloggers? I think we are some of the nicest and most creative folks on the planet. Not too mention people's photography skills. Wow! Definitely something I strive for every day.

Ok, I think I've demonstrated more than a few methods for leftover pulled pork. If you have a small household, please, don't be afraid. Be very, very excited! 

Have a great day everyone!

Ingredients (makes 1 pizza):

Basic Pizza Dough

cornmeal

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

1 cup Texas Pulled Pork

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced

1 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, torn

Directions:

1. Prepare dough according to directions.

2. Preheat oven to 550º for 1 hour, placing a baking stone on very top rack. Remove dough from fridge, allow to come to room temperature.

3. After 1 hour, turn oven off. Turn broiler on. Sprinkle flour on a large working surface. Roll dough into a large circle. 

4. Remove baking stone from oven and place on baking stone rack. Be careful, the stone is hot! Sprinkle cornmeal over baking stone. Move pizza dough circle onto baking stone. Brush BBQ sauce onto dough. Distribute pulled pork, pineapple, and red onion evenly over dough. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over dough. Broil in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizza has begun to form blistered pockets all over. Remove from oven (carefully!), sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and slice. Serve immediately!

Printable Recipe

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these-

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Pepperoni and Green Olive Pizza

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party

Texas Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Creamy Coleslaw

Oh yes, it's time for a slow-cooker treat!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I don't pull out the crockpot near enough. I don't know why this is, because crockpot dinner days are my favorite. It's a magical feeling, almost like going out to dinner. As if you didn't have to cook. I'm one of those people who's filled with energy in the morning and during the day, but by 6 pm? I'm tired. Cranky. I don't feel like working anymore. So if there's a meal in the crockpot, and all I have to do is pull out some hamburger buns and coleslaw I made in the morning- I'm a happy camper. I'm an especially happy camper when that dinner in the crockpot is tender, delicious, and coated in a delicious concoction of BBQ flavor.

Pulled pork is so versatile. I started out over the summer with an 8 lb roast. I cut it half, and froze the half that became this Texas Pulled Pork. The half that I cooked in the summer probably made us 6-7 meals. This half that I cooked this week also made that many meals. We had sandwiches for dinner one night, and then sandwiches for lunch another day. I made Hawaiian Pizza out of a large quantity of pork. And then last night for dinner, we had sandwiches again. And there's still a little bit left. Pulled Pork Hash might be in the works...

I can't advocate pulled pork enough. Seriously. Nuff' said. 

If you like pulled pork, you are going to love this recipe. The sauce is lip-smackin' good, and only seems to flavor the meat more the more days after it's been cooked. The meat, literally, just falls apart when it's done. The sweetness of the coleslaw is the perfect foil for the slightly spicy pork. Gosh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about these...

Ok. Trying...not...to...think...about...BBQ :)

It's Friday! Does anyone have anything exciting planned for the weekend? I think I'm on the tail end of my cold. I'm feeling like I've gotten most of the crap out of my lungs. Therefore, I'm thinking I might try an experimental run tomorrow. I actually went to the gym yesterday, but I noticed I was getting very fatigued and out of breath after 20 minutes of cardio. I know I've lost some fitness in this almost-3 week hiatus from exercise, but I think the fatigue yesterday was because I still had some crud leftover in my lungs. Either way, every day I'm feeling better. And thankful for that! I'm also planning on making cookies, tackling that pumpkin I didn't get around to yesterday, making a trip to the library (I've been devouring books lately), and making a trip to Lowe's. Some evil animal in the backyard has made off when not 1, but 2 of my suet feeders. Not only did they take off with the suet baskets, but they completely broke another feeder I have out there. I'm a little irritated with whoever is doing this, my best guess being a raccoon. More than a little irritated, because as I look out the window now there's a poor little woodpecker looking for his missing suet. Poor little guy. 

One more thing before I run off, since I mentioned the library. I've really been trying to branch out this year and read some books I wouldn't normally choose. I do this by going to the library and haphazardly picking up a book. Or by going to different sections and picking the first book my hand lands on. I've found some really good authors by doing this. However, I just finished a book last night that has left me puzzled. It was "Love Me Back" by Merritt Tierce.  It ended on one of those notes where you ask yourself when you finish, "What was the point of that?". It's weird, because the book read easily. And fast. But when I turned the last page and discovered I was at the end... I was flabbergasted. The book just suddenly ended. The other odd thing about this book is the author wrote in a weird tense the whole book. I think I'm going to have give this book some thought, because I'm sure there is some meaning buried somewhere. It felt like a "fluff" book, but I'm not entirely convinced it was...

Anyhoo, I think I've covered enough topics for today. I'm all talked-out :) 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients (serves 10-12):

Pulled Pork-

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2- 1 tsp crushed red pepper 

1 (4 lb) pork shoulder

Coleslaw-

2 tbsp white vinegar

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups cabbage, shredded

hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Combine BBQ sauce through crushed red pepper in the bottom of crockpot. Stir to combine. Place roast in pot, spoon sauce over roast until it's covered. Place lid on crockpot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Remove lid, and shred pork with 2 forks. 

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine white vinegar through black pepper. Stir to combine. Add cabbage, and toss to coat.

3. To serve, ladle pulled pork onto hamburger bun. Top with slaw. Serve immediately. 

Printable Recipe

Pulled Pork recipe adapted from Allrecipes. Slaw recipe adapted from About.com.

Looking for other sandwich recipes? Try these!

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Mom's Sloppy Joes

Turkey Pesto Avocado Sandwiches

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Treasure Box Tuesday

Grilled Heirloom Tomato Caprese Sandwiches

There is something to be said for a simple tomato and cheese sandwich. This bad boy uses farmer's market fresh heirloom tomatoes and melty, fresh mozzarella cheese. Add in some fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and you've got yourself an extremely tasty sandwich!

Sometimes I set out at dinner time having no clue what I'm making. This sandwich happened at one of those times. Since I've started frequenting the farmer's market, I find myself staring down a variety of produce in the fridge. What am I going to make with what I have? When my eyes skipped over these maters' and the ball of fresh mozzarella sitting next to it, an idea began to form. An added bonus? I have more basil than I know what to do with. And what goes best with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil? The answer to that question is obvious- balsamic vinegar. I decided to grill the tomatoes and bread, and make a stacked sandwich. Boom! Dinner decided.

Aren't these tomatoes gorgeous? Heirloom tomatoes are some of my favorites. So juicy and flavorful, and that texture! Summer is gooooood.

A couple tips for making these sandwiches- I sliced my tomatoes before I grilled them. This turned out ok because I cut the tomatoes so thick. I don't recommend an amateur does this. If the tomatoes are overcooked, they become mushy and slide through the grates on the grill. No good! I think grilling the tomatoes whole or cut into halves is the way to go though, and then slicing after the trip to the grill. Also, these tomatoes are so juicy that you want to eat your sandwiches immediately. Grilling the bread makes it nice and crispy, but given the opportunity (say, 15 minutes for photos) these sandwiches will become soggy. Also no good. 

A side note about that basil- as I was harvesting a gigantic bowl yesterday, I happened to start thinking about how much I've received from the herb garden. If you cook a lot, like me, you're probably buying fresh herbs often. Expensively. After yesterday's harvest, I've frozen a total of 8 bags of pesto this summer. Each bag holds an estimated $6 worth of fresh basil. That's $48 I've saved already! Not to mention all the times I've ran outside and grabbed a handful of basil leaves to add to a recipe. Even the smallest container of fresh basil at the grocery store is $3! Basil grows like crazy and is fairly low maintenance. In fact, all my herbs grow easily with little to no attention. An herb garden is a great way to dive into gardening without taking on the headache of growing vegetables. I highly recommend trying to grow your own herbs. 

The hubby and I actually have big plans for the weekend! We are heading up to Cincinnati for another weekend with his cousin. On Saturday, we're all headed to King's Island, which is a huge amusement park in these parts. Last time the hubby and I visited the park, we had a serious struggle over what to do. Due to my headaches, I don't really like to ride coasters. They rattle my brain around. The hubby, on the other hand, is my polar opposite in that department. Needless to say, our previous trip was spent mostly on kiddie rides and staying in the water park. This time, the hubby and his cousin can ride coasters to their hearts content, and the cousin's wife and I will stay quietly in the water park. This arrangement is much more up my alley, so I'm looking forward to a fun weekend. I've got some errands to run to prepare for the weekend, so I guess I better get going!

Happy Thursday friends!

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches):

2 ciabatta rolls, cut into sandwich halves

3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into halves

1 (8 oz) ball of fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced (you'll have leftovers)

Handful of large basil leaves

Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat gas grill to high heat.

2. When grill is hot, turn top and bottom burners to low. Turn middle burner to medium.

3. Place tomatoes on grill, cut side down. Grill for 3 minutes. Turn tomatoes over and grill for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Place ciabatta rolls on grill. Grill for 1 minute. Flip, and grill for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4. Assemble sandwiches. Slice tomatoes. Place a tomato slice on a half of roll. Place a slice of mozzarella on top. Place a couple basil leaves on top of cheese. Place another slice of tomato on top of basil, and repeat process. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over last layer of basil. Sandwich other half of roll on top, and serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

Looking for other sandwich and/or bread recipes? Try these!

Buffalo Chicken Mozzarella Melts

Grilled Tomato Basil Bread

Mom's Sloppy Joes with Garlicky Potato Wedges

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday

Everyone Gets Homesick...

A funny thing happened. I was editing photos for this week's recipes in iPhoto. I had just finished up the work I wanted to do that day, when an older photo album caught my eye. Actually, it was the first photo album the hubby and I have on iPhoto. I'm not sure why, but I felt compelled to browse through the photos. That album happened to be the first trip the hubby and I ever took to Hawaii. Looking at that album inevitably led me to looking at quite a few other albums. Which led me to feeling a touch homesick. I've been here for 3 1/2 years, but I still get pangs of homesickness that are as strong as they ever were. It's hard living so far away from everything you grew up around. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Kentucky. I love the weather, the wide open spaces, the old-fashioned politeness people still have around here. But, I love everyone and everything I left behind too. Well, maybe not the weather, but you know what I mean! I'll be back with recipes tomorrow, but here's what's on my mind today:

Well,  duh. The main reason I always get homesick. My parents and little brother. Yes, I said little brother :)

Boating with friends at Fall Creek Reservoir.

Grilling out at my parents house.

Autzen Stadium!!!

Oregon football. It's tough watching games out here on the East Coast. First of all, you're lucky if the game is on a channel you have. Second, you're lucky if the game starts before 11 pm. Damn prime time!

Multnomah Falls.

Haloti loves the falls :)

Going to the coast whenever you feel like it. Heck, having fresh seafood whenever you feel like it!

Being so close to California. I was only a {long} day's drive away from San Francisco.

Camping at Detroit Lake.

Fresh crawfish from Detroit Lake. I didn't eat them, but the boys sure gobbled them off. Could be all the cocktails they downed with them... :)

I miss all the evergreens! Taken from a bridge that my brother jumped off. Yep, the hubby and I watched the little brother bungee jump from here. I stayed up high with my feet safely on the bridge.

Dog parks. Actually, I think both Haloti and I miss the dog parks.

Uh, my friends. Another duh :)

So many gorgeous parks. This park was near the hubby and I's last house in Beaverton. 

One of the last sight's the hubby and I saw as we were leaving Oregon in December 2010. 

Annnnnnnd, I think it's time to book my trip home this year!  

Happy Monday everyone!