Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

My Aunt Kathy makes very delicious Pork Carnitas.  Meat usually isn't my favorite thing at food gatherings (I'm more of a sides and dessert kind of girl), but when she makes these pork carnitas, it is my favorite thing.  This is her recipe for cooking the pork.  She takes the pork from this recipe and stores it in ziplocks until she is ready to use it.  When she is ready to use it, she puts pico de gallo in a skillet until it starts to warm, then adds the pork meat until it starts to brown a little.  It is so so good.  You can make tacos, tostadas, nachos, potato nachos, use your imagination.

 I prepped this the night before so I just had to put it on the warmer in the morning

 This is what it looks like when you get it shredded

 We made yummy tacos with it and...

Potato nachos..our favorite!

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes

1 ½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 onion, peeled and halved

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 cups water

1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

Preparation:
Place all the ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded.  Remove oranges and shred pork using two forks.  Cool completely and divide into ziplocks bags for future use. 
You can eat the pork just like this or if you want to try something really yummy, heat a skillet over high heat.  Add a little oil to the skillet and some pico de gallo (really your preference but probably 1/4-1/2 cup).  Let that cook for about a minute or two and then add your pork and cook until it starts to brown (I like to put a little garlic salt on it too).  Enjoy
*Note, I doubled this and made a 9 pound pork butt.  It made a lot, we had 4 freezer bags and one container that we ate on for the week.  I recommend using the smaller pork unless you have a lot of freezer room. 

Easy Crock-pot Chicken

One of my co-workers gave me this recipe and said it is amazing.  After she told me what was in it, I was a little nervous about the variety of ingredients, but hopeful because of how easy it was.  Did I mention she said it is her family's favorite way to eat chicken.  This week was really busy so it was the perfect time to try it because it is a crock-pot recipe. 

 Into the crock-pot:  1.5 pounds chicken, 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 packet dry onion soup mix, 2/3 cup Catalina dressing.  It is that simple, and it makes an awesome sauce

It was delicious served over brown rice

Easy Crock-pot Chicken

1.5 pounds raw chicken breast

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 packet dry onion soup mix

2/3 cup Catalina dressing (she used and 8oz bottle)

Place all ingredients listed above in a crock-pot and cook on low heat for about 4 hours.  Crock-pot cooking temps vary, so your time may vary.  We actually cooked ours for 4 hours on high and it was dry, so I would recommend cooking it on low.  If it is still looking raw after 3 hours, turn it to high for the last hour!

Enjoy with rice and veggies.

I have a lot more recipes to post about this weekend, I am excited.  Hope everyone is off to a great weekend.

We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

I'm Back!

Okay the past few days have been a little insane...in a good way.  I started a new job and am happy to say I love it!  It is going to be a day job so I will no longer have to work nights.  In the transition I will be working both jobs, so it has been crazy.  My new job is faux painting and it is wonderful.  I am so excited for all the things I am going to learn.  I have still been taking pictures for the blog, so I will try to give you a brief update on all the goods that I have been eating. 
First of all, this weekend I house sat for my Aunt.  I also went to a women's retreat at our church, so I did not cook much.  One night at my Aunt's I raided her pantry and found the stuff to make delicious tortellini.

 It was herb chicken tort and it was delicious with this sauce.

 I also took her 3 dogs for a walk which they loved.  Two golden retrievers and a shih tzu.

 This one gets depressed when you don't feed her extra treats.

 Simple breakfast of pb, nutella, raisin toast with chocolate milk and ice blended

 When I got home I wanted ice cream so bad...in a huge way.  So I kept my dinner very light with a veggie patty and cheese so I could indulge in this sucker.

 Chocolate and cookie dough custard with:  reese's, pecans, pb, butterfinger, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and bananas!  So flippin delicious.

 I have been having "My Favorite Smoothie" every day before I head to work.

 Delicious!

 My first wall!  It is hard to see...this is one of the simple things we do.

 Ordered some awesome Papa John's

 Made a roast.  First I browned it in a hot skillet with oil.  Then added an onion, 1 envelope of onion soup mix, 1 cup water and carrots and potatoes.

 Crock-pot on low for about 9 hours

 Dinner on our patio with cran-grape juice!

 Dark chocolate chips.

Hope everyone is off to a great week so far.  Can't believe it is Wednesday.  Tonight we are eating leftovers and I am going to try and come up with something inventive for our roast leftovers so stay tuned!  I want to leave you with this verse which is so beautiful and true.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

Toasty Goodness

I was dragging big time this weekend.  Ha, I felt like I could hardly function.  We live right on a walking/running/biking trail so most weekends I ask Cliff to go riding.  He doesn't like to go very often (so I always give him a hard time), but this Saturday I convinced him.  He met me at the end of my shift and we rode to Redbox to get a movie (6 miles round trip).  I was such a baby...I felt like I wasn't going to survive it because my legs were like jelly.  We got to Redbox and they did't even have the movie (even though online it said they did)-we were laughing pretty hard.  We ended up just watching Roxanne on Netflix (it is an old movie and it is kind of slow moving).  We had fun anyways.  For dinner I made a new recipe that is really easy.  Philly Chicken Sandwiches!

 Oh the melty provolone!

 Basically chicken, peppers and onion.

 With some Ora Ida fast food fries.

 Toasty and delicious.

I made the chicken in the crock-pot.  Frozen chicken, a little water, Tony's creole seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper.  Let that cook on high for about 2 hours then it shreds perfectly.  Then I heated some oil over med-high heat and put the peppers and onions in until tender.  These sandwiches are supposed to be baked so I just did them in our toaster oven because the fries took up our oven.  Toaster oven to 350 and place the sandwich (meat mixture with provolone) on a lightly greased pan.  Let bake for about 8 minutes.  It makes the bread toasty and the meat and cheese warm and melty.  I feel like these were too easy.  We have leftover chicken and peppers and I think it will be great on an open-faced melt or in pasta.  It kind of reminded me of chicken fajitas.  Putting the chicken in the crock-pot really makes this simple.  We had cookies and coffee for dessert:)

This morning I woke up and went walking then came back to make breakfast.  Scrambled eggs and sausage with cheese and fresh hash browns.  I also skilleted some English Muffins.  It was really good.  After church we went to Chili's and it was fun.  I got really full at lunch so I kept it simple with some milkshake cereal and cookies for dinner!  Hope everyone has had a great weekend.  Can't believe it is over.  See you tomorrow, I will be making some yummy stuff with leftovers this week.

Meals That Remind You of Home

Our dinner last night was definitely one of those meals that reminds you of home...which is comfort to me!  My Mom cooked a lot growing up (and she is an awesome cook), and we almost always followed menus that my Mom and Dad worked on together.  That is a great way to save money for sure.  One thing I remember having a lot is pinto beans and tortillas.  Okay, to be honest at the time I hated beans and would eat about 3-4 tortillas with butter that I dipped in bean juice.  This always annoyed my Dad because I would always beg them to make the beans runny so I could have all the juice (and obviously they are better thick...I have come to my senses).  Anyways, beans in the crock-pot will always remind me of home.  So, I have two new recipes for you:  Cowboy Beans (from Mom) and corn bread (from All Recipes that is officially my go-to cornbread recipe from now on).  I loved every bit of this meal and it is very affordable.

 These beans are a little sweet it is kind of like baked beans meets chili!

 They have ground meat with onion in them.  I also put about 2 slices of bacon and 1 Tbsp. bacon grease (yes, I keep bacon grease in my freezer-hello cholesterol!).

 Weird angle but you get the picture.  The cornbread was so good that I didn't even have to put butter on it (that is a first).

Cowboy Beans

(takes about 7-8 hours in the crock pot)

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey

1 chopped onion (I used yellow)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. Worcestershire

2 tsp. chili powder

 2 Tbsp. wet mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 cup dried pinto beans, soak them the night before

1 cup dried great northern beans (they are white), soak them the night before

3 cloves garlic (I just threw in the whole clove)

cooked bacon, optional (recipe calls for 1/2 lb, I used 2 slices that were cooked and diced)

In morning rinse beans that you have soaked overnight.  Place them in a large crock-pot with enough water to cover them by about 2 inches (may add water later).  Add salt, pepper, and garlic cloves and turn to high heat for 1 hour.  Turn the heat down to med or low and cook for about 6 hours (adjust heat to high again if they are not soft after 4 hrs).  About an hour and a half before dinner, cook your meat and add onion when you meat is almost done.  Cook until well browned; add bacon if you desire.  Add meat to crock-pot along with all your other ingredients (ketchup, BBQ, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire, chili powder, mustard).  Stir and let simmer for an hour or a little longer.  If you are making corn bread you can start that now!  Great with cornbread or tortillas.

*you could use canned beans if you want, the recipe calls for 4 cans of beans and you could use butter beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, pork 'n beans (I like the dried beans because they are cheaper)

Amazing Cornbread

6 Tbsp. Butter

2/3 cup sugar (I used a little less)

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 Tbsp. vinegar mixed with milk, let sit for 5 minutes)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/4 cup oat flour (oatmeal blended until resembles flour consistency)

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 and place empty 9 in. square pan in while it preheats.  Melt butter in a large sauce pan or skillet.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar.  Let cool a little then add in eggs and mix well.  Combine buttermilk and baking soda then add to pan.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, wheat flour, oat flour and salt (I mixed all of these in a bowl first, but it doesn't matter).  Stir until well blended and a few lumps remain.  Take square pan out of oven (be careful), and butter the edges.   Pour batter into the pan and then place in the oven.  Cook for 25-35 minutes (my oven cooks really fast so I checked mine at 20).  Insert a toothpick, when it is done it will come out clean.  Serve warm!  

I feel like this recipe is a lot easier than it sounds.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I adapted the recipe from AllRecipes.

This morning I made Cliff and easy breakfast then did pilates.  I got ready then made myself some breakfast.  I know it is kind of repetitive but I love this pancake.  You can see my James scripture I am memorizing...love it so much!  Hope everyone is having an awesome day.

Happy Thursday!

Rainy Day

I woke up and went for a run this morning before it got rainy.  It was 58 degrees outside and really nice.  I needed a good run because I woke up feeling anxious for no real reason.  I felt better after my run and made a refreshing smoothie (my favorite smoothie) afterward.  I also had a repeat of the huge coffee you saw yesterday.  I am pumped because our good friends Kourt and Keith are coming to town tomorrow!  That means we get to hang out and I get to cook and it will be fun.  It is going to be Keith's B-day so we are making him chicken and dumplings and apple cake.  Anyways, last week I made potato soup for my Aunt and saved a little for Cliff and me so here's that:

It was so delicious and I pulled Lion House Dinner rolls out of the freezer.

This is a really easy crock-pot meal and I have made it often.  I recommend cutting the potatoes different sizes because it gives it a good texture (some thickness and chunks).  I used a few red potatoes this time also and it was great.  Other than this I haven't really made anything the past few days.  I have been working on leftovers.  Danielle was nice enough to bring me some roast, potatoes, and carrots which was my dinner!  I am pretty pooped so I'm headed to take a shower and go to bed.  Good night:)

Merry Christmas Merry Christmas

The past few days feel a little blurry.  Christmas Eve morning, Cliff's Uncle Curtis had us over for breakfast!  He is a bachelor so he made us a hearty, country boy breakfast and really good coffee:) 

 Thick, stick to your ribs gravy.  Cheesy eggs (I made those), bacon, sausage, and hash browns!

I was plenty full after eating this breakfast.

During the day we kind of prepped for Christmas and got things ready for dinner.  We went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at their church then headed to Grammer's for Potato Soup and grilled ham and cheese.

I made the potato soup (recipe below), and the grilled ham and cheese was tasty!

 

His Uncle Jody (who is out of town), sent this awesome fruit bouquet!  I had a couple pieces of this too!

Christmas morning we woke up to stockings and presents.  His parents spoiled us this year.  I was completely surprised when I opened up a sewing machine!  I have been wanting one for a long time and now that we have room in our apartment I was considering getting one.  I couldn't believe they got me one.  They got Cliff a lot of business clothes-and he was very happy:)

 Aren't these cute little stockings!  I got some great perfume in here:)

 Sewing machine:)

Their cute Christmas tree!

Cliff's Dad made a big breakfast of pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, and banana bread!  It was so delicious.

 Can I just say I ate way to much today and have a big ol' stomach ache!  Yikes, but all the food they had was really good.

Brent's Dad made chocolate chip cookies and put peanut butter M&M's in them while they were still warm.

We went to Brent's sisters house and they had a huge spread!  I ate lots of green bean casserole, potato casserole, wheat thins, ham, and 2 huge pieces of cinnamon chocolate cake (oh my gosh this cake was so so good).  

This was the cake that took me down LOL!  I could not stop eating it!

It also snowed all day so we had a white Christmas.  We went to his Grammer's for enchilada's in the evening!  Not that we needed more food, but we ate anyway:)

Today's Cliff's Birthday!  We are headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast with friends (though I probably have eaten enough for the whole week already).  We may go to a movie but we aren't sure.  Hopefully my stomach will get better as the day goes on, but I think I have been on food overload for too many days in a row!  Hope everybody had a great Christmas:)

Potato Soup  

(Can be made in crock-pot or on stove)

6 large potatoes, cubed

1 chopped onion

3-4 stalks celery

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 T. parsley flakes

5 cups water  

Salt and pepper to taste

5 Tbsp. butter

1 regular size can evaporated milk

Saute onions and celery in butter (optional).  Put all ingredients in a slow cooker except for the evaporated milk.  Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours (high 3 to 4 hours).  Stir in evaporated milk during last hour.
*We like to put bacon and cheese on top and serve with tortillas or homemade rolls!

Warm and Delicious

Ohhhh I'm excited-the dinner I just ate was so good!  Ready for it?  I made Split Pea Soup for the first time.  I got this recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe and I can't tell you enough how good it was.  I guess I was worried about it because I have never made Split Pea Soup.  Also, I have never cooked with split peas or barley.  I found comfort in the fact that Mel hadn't either when she made this recipe:)  I used a ham bone with ham chunks on it instead of the chopped ham in her recipe.  Other than that I followed it exactly.

This is the finished product which was so warm and cozy in my stomach:)  I'm glad it is a cold night.  Check out the process:

 Best part of this is I used more leftovers:  celery, carrots, onion, and the ham bone...or ham hock...I always call it a ham hock but it sounds funny.

 It looks funny too but here are the ingredients, you place them in the order listed on the recipe.  It did not take long to put it together.

 Crock-pot on low for about 7 hours and this is what you get.  I had to take the ham off the bone and chop it up...that was not the best.  Good thing I have no heat sensors on my fingers (from working in the food service and burning them so much)! 

 Ham back in the pot and stir until it looks like this.

I have only had Split Pea Soup about two times, so I put it in my bowl and I was thinking....cheese?  No!  I am trying to eat things without cheese sometimes LOL.  Cliff and me eat A LOT of cheese if you have not noticed.  I was glad I did not put anything on it.

It was delicious as is with a side of a leftover Thanksgiving Roll toasted with butter!

Split Pea Soup

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dry split green peas
1/2 cup medium pearl barley (not quick-cooking barley)
2 cups chopped ham or ham bone with a little meat left on it
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
5 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules)
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium round slow cooker (about 4-quart), layer peas, barley, ham, carrots, onion and celery. Do not mix. Pour in the water and add spices, bouillon cubes, and the bay leaf to the slow cooker. Don’t stir! Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or on low eight hours, until the peas reach the desired creamy, soft texture. Remove the bay leaf, stir well, and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately. Upon sitting and/or refrigerating, this soup thickens considerably. Simply add water or chicken broth to thin the soup to the desired consistency before reserving.

**Adapted slightly from Mels Kitchen Cafe

I was so excited to blog about this because it is always nice to have success the first time you cook something.  I loved this and it made plenty for leftovers (probably lunch for the next few days).  If you have ever wanted to make this soup...let this be your first recipe-you will not regret it.

I was reading Iowa Girl Eats blog and she is doing a 20 Day Workout Challenge!  I am thinking I need to get in on this.  I workout almost every day anyways, but this might be a good way to mix up my routine a little bit...plus it will be a little extra motivation to get moving even when it is cold outside!  As you can tell...I probably won't be cutting back on sweets this month:)  I ate a mixed nut cluster for dinner...I only have one left:(  Help Aunt Kathy!!!!  Hope everyone had a great Monday.