Autumn Pork & Squash Stew

First, the bad news...

Guys, I have been looking at my calendar and it's not looking good. December's schedule is going to be busy. Busy with a capitol B! I've started physical therapy again, 3 times a week. Christmas shopping needs to be finished. Our niece's birthday is at the end of the week, and we've planned a shopping trip and a sleepover. Not to mention making her a cake and getting her back home for her official birthday party at my sister-in-law's. There's Christmas with our Kentucky relatives. Packing to go to Oregon in 12 days. And goodness knows what we're going to get into while we're on the West Coast! We may only have a trip to Southern Oregon and a wine-tasting date planned, but that always changes. Fast. 

25 Rice Recipes

Rice. I love rice. It's a simple, affordable, and versatile grain product that's very familiar to most Americans. You can fry it, and come up with fried rice or even pan-fried rice cakes. You can bake it inside stuffed peppers, or casseroles loaded with veggies. You can serve it with a saucy stir fry with the sole intention of using it to soak up that sauce. One of my favorite ways to eat rice? In a bowl with a little soy sauce drizzled over it. Simple. Yet delicious. I credit rice with helping our budget when we first moved to Kentucky. Due to its low price, I added rice to a ton of dishes and served it often in our first years in the bluegrass state. We still eat a lot of it, even though things are much different these days. I wish I could get the hubby to enjoy brown rice, but you can't win all the battles :-)

Monte Cristo Sliders

Happy Friday friends!

I have exactly 6 more recipes that I put together with pictures from my old lens, so bear with me as I burn through my backlog.  I have to say (even with pictures that now make me tilt my head slightly and say "huh" perplexedly) that these little sliders still look yummy. If you are unfamiliar with the Monte Cristo, as the hubby was, this is what a Monte Cristo is:

A Monte Cristo is typically a fried ham-and-cheese sandwich, a variation of the French croque-monsieur. Typically in the United States, you'll find this also made with raspberry preserves and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Top Recipes of 2014

Well peeps, it's almost 2015. Only 2 more days. 2 days that are holidays to me every year. 2 days, you ask? Yes. Today is my birthday (!!!) and tomorrow is, of course, New Year's Eve. I coast right into the new year every year after 2 lively days of celebrating.

Oh my gosh, typing that sentence just brought Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" to mind. "Instead of 1 days of presents, we get 8 CRAZY nights". LOL. Instead of 1 night of celebrating on New Year's Eve, I get 2 crazy nights :)

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

Kansas City Style BBQ Ribs

Well, of course I'm going to talk to you about ribs, but first...

I got an interesting phone call yesterday as I was cleaning my house. I had a whole schedule worked out, with the little brother winging in from Portland on Thursday. I was cleaning the house (spring cleaning, ugh) Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday would be grocery shopping. Thursday I was going to make pesto, salsa, cookies, muffins, and Danish. Ha! The call I received yesterday was from my brother to let me know that him and his wife were on their way to the airport!

My emotions ranged from thinking he was joking to full-fledged panic when I realized he was serious. Maybe a true blonde at heart, I must have wrote down the wrong dates for his trip. I kicked my butt into high gear and managed to accomplish everything on my list except the making of the treats. Treats can wait, I've got a whole week to cook. The hubby and I left our house for Cincinnati at 9 pm last night, and we timed our arrival perfectly. If the little bro's plane didn't fly over us as we were pulling up to the airport, we were pretty close to that being the case. The Cincinnati airport has planes flying over the highway at a pretty low clip before landing. It was really cool (and really creepy) being that close to a moving plane. I'll admit, my stomach did a flip-flop at the sight of that plane seemingly right above our windshield. No bother, we were able to collect the brother, the sister-in-law, and hit the road. We all arrived back here at our house at 3 am, and everyone was in bed ASAP.

So today will be our first full day with everyone, and I think it's going to be a good day. I was up early (why? I must be crazy) and was greeted to a clear blue sky with the sun rising in the distance. There's something so magical about waking up to the sun. But back to the topic at hand...

Ribs. We don't eat ribs often, but when we do, we do it right. I think we have ribs twice a year, at most. We had a lovely sunny day last weekend however, and I knew it would be a perfect day to put a rack of ribs on the barbie and let them slow cook for a couple of hours. And then sit outside by the grill with a margarita and smell those delicious ribs cooking all afternoon. Heaven, I tell you. The secret to these ribs is in the dry rub, and that spicy-sweet Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce.

That sauce! I could eat it with a spoon. I love it so much. We like to baste the ribs with the sauce in the last 30 minutes of cooking. It never fails to char itself to the ribs, creating a lovely crust around the meat. The meat that's so tender it falls of the bone, by the way. Is it bad that it's 8:45 am and I'm wanting BBQ now? Hehe.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Ingredients (for 1 rack):

1- rack of pork ribs

Dry rub-

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp celery salt

3 tsp onion powder

3 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried mustard

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Barbecue sauce-

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp onion powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare ribs 2 hours ahead of time. Trim ribs and dry them. Place on a cookie sheet.

2. Prepare dry rub- in a small bowl, combine sugar through cayenne pepper. Stir to mix. Completely coat ribs in mixture, rubbing mixture into the meat. Cover ribs closely with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 2 hours. 

3. Prepare the grill. We have a gas grill, so the hubby places some soaked wood chips in a container on the grill along with a pot of water to steam. We set the temperature very, very low. At about 200º. Put the ribs on the grill, and slow cook for 2 1/2- 3 hours. The ribs are done when the meat seems to have shrunk back from the bone.

4. While the ribs are cooking, make the barbecue sauce. Place ketchup through soy sauce in a small sauce pan, and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from heat.  

5. When the ribs have 30 minutes left to cook, completely coat the ribs in a good coating of the sauce. Cook for another 30 minutes, then remove from heat. Place a piece of tented foil over the ribs, and allow them to rest 10-15 minutes. 

6. Dig in, serving with any extra sauce you may have.

Dry rub adapted from Fabulous Foods. Sauce recipe adapted from Simply Recipes. 

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Cunning Ladies' Friday Party.