Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

 

Make normal pancakes, as directed.

In a small bowl, combine: 

• 1 stick butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Immediately after you have scooped the pancake batter onto the griddle as you would do for normal pancakes, use a baster or ketchup bottle to evenly squirt a swirl of the cinnamon mixture into the top of the pancake.

Then cook as normal. 

These are great with syrup, or you can make a cream cheese icing to drizzle over the top:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons milk

Mmm mmm mmm! Enjoy!

The Sweet Potato Casserole We All Love

Here's a solid Thanksgiving recipe we keep going back to, year after year.

* Preheat oven to 325.

SWEET POTATO FILLING:

• 4 cups sweet potato, cubed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 Tbsp softened butter
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk (or can substitute heavy cream)
• 1 tsp vanilla

TOPPING:

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. flour
• 3 Tbsp softened butter
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans

ORDER OF EVENTS:

1. Preheat to 325.
2. Boil sweet potatoes - then drain and mash
3. In large bowl: mix filling ingredients together & spread in bottom of 9x13 pan
4. Medium bowl: mix brown sugar & flour. Then cut in butter and stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over the sweet potatoes.
5. Bake 30 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned.

Easy peasy, and it cooks at the same temp as turkeys, so you can make ahead and slip in in the final 30 minutes. 

Salmon Fish Head Soup

Ingredients

• 2 salmon heads, or one salmon frame (head, tails, and scraps)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 large bunch fresh dill
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup cream, or to taste
• —
• To garnish:
• About 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. 1.
   Over medium heat, melt the butter in the sauté pan. Add the onions and sauté until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the salmon parts, the potatoes, bay leaves, salt, and all but a few stalk of the dill. Add enough water to just cover the fish. Bring the water to a steady simmer and cook until fish and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. 2.
   Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish parts from the liquid. When the fish is cool enough to handle, separate the meat and other edible parts (eyeballs, cartilage, etc.) from the skeleton. 
3. 3.
   Add the fish parts back to the soup. Reheat gently at a low simmer, taking care not to break up the fish flesh. Add the cream and the chopped fresh dill. Add more salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheated over a low simmer.

   
   

   from this site: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/01/salmon-head-soup-recipe.html 

Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

YUM YUM YUM!!!

Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake 2 cups quinoa (or rice), cooked 2 large chicken breasts 1-2 heads broccoli 1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise pepper squirt of lemon juice 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese Cook and spread 2 cups cooked quinoa (or rice) evenly across 9x13 baking dish. Cube and pan fry 2 large chicken breasts, set aside. Chop and steam 1-2 heads of broccoli, set aside. Combine broccoli, chicken, 1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of mayo, pepper, and a squirt of lemon juice in a large bowl and mix. Spread the mixture on top of the rice/quinoa. Melt 1 stick of butter. in another small bowl combine melted butter, 1 cup bread crumbs, & 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese. Spread bread crumbs/cheese mixture on the top of casserole. Cover and freeze, or bake covered at 350 until heated through. Remove foil for last 10 minutes to crisp bread crumbs.

Laghman

(authentic/ from Sara W/ in XJ)

Dough: 
1 heaping C flour, 
1 scant tsp salt, 
1/2 C water

slowly mix water into the flour. When you push your finger into the dough and it leaves a small imprint, it is ready. Knead dough well until it slowly rises back after pushing on it with your finger. Let sit 10-15 minutes. When you notice bubbles in the dough, it is ready, but holes means it needs more time. Flatten dough about 1 1/2 in thick. Put oil on each side and cut into strips 1 in thick. Stretch each strip a little by squeezing in your hands. With one hand holding the strip, rub your other hand back and forth across the other end moving down the strip until it is long and about 1 cm in diameter. oil the plate. Coil each strip, coiling from the middle of the plate out. Rub oil on each layer. cover and set while preparing vegetables


topping: 
3Tbsp-1/2C oil, 
150-300g mutton, cut in strips, 
ginger, diced or 1/8tsp powder, 
1 small onion, cut thinly, 
2 tsp salt,
2 Tbsp soy sauce, 
green beans, cut in 2 cm pieces, 
1 potato, but in thin cubes, 
2 leaves Chinese cabbage, cut in narrow strips, 
1/2 large very red tomato, diced thinly, 
3 hot green peppers, seeds removed, cut in chunks, 
1 dried hot red pepper, soaked 10 minutes, sliced finely, 
3-5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, black or white pepper
* Can substitute other veggies like spinach or eggplant if you want


cook the topping: 3 Tbsp oil in pan or wok and heat. Fry meat and then add chopped ginger and onion. Cook briefly and add salt and soy sauce. Add beans, potatoes, eggplant if using, red pepper, cabbage, and tomatoes, stirring a while in between each. When potatoes are almost cooked, add green peppers, garlic, pepper, and black vinegar if using. Add spinach if using, and some water. Bring to a boil. Taste. Remove from heat and cover while preparing noodles.


make and cook the noodles: boil water. Stretch the noodles (run through one hand and the other, roll to keep round as you stretch,) for stiff dough, do this twice, for soft, only once. Wrap around hands, one under, one over, until hands are covered and dough is used up. Stretch and slap several times. Boil 2-3 minutes. Lift the noodles from the pot and dip first into a basin of cold water. If you want your noodles hot, redip them in the hot water briefly. 

To serve: Put noodles in a bowl and then pour topping over the noodles. Make sure there are at least a couple of pieces of meat in each dish. Serve with chopsticks. Left over dough can be frozen, and dough can be made days in advance and frozen.

Tasty Egg Roll Rice

(Before starting the main dish, set your rice to cook.)


In a large soup pot, combine:

• 5 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 5 lbs. ground pork

Cook fully, until no pink remains.

Add:

• 1-2 large onions, chopped
• 1 head purple cabbage, thin-sliced & cut to bite-sized strips
• 1 head green cabbage, thin-sliced & cut to bite-sized strips
• 1-2 large carrots, shredded (I use a cheese shredder for this)
• 5 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 1/4 c. minced garlic
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 5 Tbsp. liquid aminos

Stir & cook for 3-7 minutes, until cabbage softens & onions are transparent.

Generously salt before serving. Serve over rice.

This was easy and EVERYONE in the family loved it. Various kiddos said: "tasty," "filling," "super-good.

Easy Crock Pot, Dump-and-Eat Taco Soup

I could already tell that today was gonna be one of those get-to-5-o-clock-with-no-dinner-plan days unless I took the bull by the horns. 

So I took the easy way out & dumped all these things in the crock pot and plugged it in. Easy. Tasty. No 5 o'clock rush. Win-win-win. 

Dinner will be ready at the time of my choosing and all I'll have to do is pull out the cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream. YUM! 

In the crock pot, dump these ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 pounds of ground beef (or pork) 
• 2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 envelop taco seasoning
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 lb. frozen corn
• 1-2 tsp cumin
• 2 c water or broth.

Set the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cornbread, sliced avocado, or shredded cheese, & enjoy!!!

Pork Stew with Irish Soda Bread

These two delicious recipes swirl together to form a perfect meal (and perfect leftovers) for cold winter nights. The stew takes longer than the bread, but they are both worth the time they take. 

(Thanks, Mark, for the mouth-watering Facebook photo that led to the asking for, and giving of, these recipes.) 

ENJOY!

SAVORY PORK STEW:

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces.  (Note that sometimes this is really fatty.  I had a 4lb shoulder, and by the time I'd trimmed out most of the fat there was barely 3lbs left.)

2-3 oz. thick-cut bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 to 3 Tbs. coconut oil or olive oil; more as needed  (You can use vegetable oil, I just don't like to)

Kosher (preferred) salt and pepper

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1-2 Tbs. minced chipotles in adobo (I'd make it 3, it wasn't spicy at all really)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano (or 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried)

1 cup beer (I used Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery, but Edmund Fitzgerald Porter or Salvator double bock would be interesting too.  These have good flavors that aren't overpowering and they complement the stew well. You could also substitute a red wine, or just use water -- but I don't recommend that.  You're using it as a deglazing liquid and it gets boiled and then stewed for a long time so all of the alcohol should boil away - so you don't need to worry about your kids.)

2-1/2 cups chicken broth  (I prefer the swanson or central market brands if I'm not making my own)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Core vegetables:

6 cups total of Shallots, Carrots, Potatoes, and red peppers.

I actually went over a bit.  I used 1 shallot (quartered), 2 3/4 cups potatoes, 2 3/4 cups of carrots, plus what was supposed to be 3 roasted red peppers, but turned out to be 1 because two had gone bad.  :-)

Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. (You want it to be hot and ready, but I tend to delay this until the last couple batches of meat are done so I'm not wasting energy.)

Spread the pork on paper towels to dry for 10 to 20 minutes before browning. (You can use this time to chop the veggies and dice the chipotle peppers). If the meat is very wet, pat it dry first.

In a 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, cook the bacon in 1 tbsp. of the oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned but not crisp, (6 to 8 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Do not wipe out the pan!

 If your bacon was really lean - you might need to add some oil.  You want about 3tbsp worth in the bottom of the pan.  You'll want it good and hot. Season about one-fourth of the pork with salt and pepper and arrange it in a single layer in the pot (there should be at least 1/2 inch of space between the pieces).  (Personally - I find it takes smaller batches for my dutch oven - but yours might be larger.) Brown well on at least 4 sides, adjusting the heat as necessary; each batch should take about 10 minutes to brown. Transfer the pork to a bowl.  Repeat with the rest of the pork, seasoning with salt and pepper before browning. Once all of the pork is browned, remove the pot from the heat to let it cool for a few minutes.

Pour all but 2 Tbs. of the fat from the pot. (If there is not enough, add oil to equal 2 Tbs.) Return the pot to medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and (single) carrot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the chipotles, garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Return the bacon to the pot.

Add the beer, stirring with the wooden spatula to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium high and boil to reduce by about half, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil.

Return the pork to the pot along with any accumulated juice. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer.

Crumple a 12x16-inch piece of parchment paper, then flatten it out. (Crumpling makes it easier to manage.) Place the parchment directly on the surface of the stew, allowing the ends to come up the sides of the pot. Cover and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

During this time, chop the carrots, potatoes and shallot.  The carrots and potatoes should be in decent sized chunks.  The shallots can be added whole if they're small or quartered if large.  If you have more time, this is a good time to roast the red peppers.  (Unless you just bought them roasted.)  Just use an open flame (grill, gas stove, whatever) to char every inch of the surface.  When this is done, put the peppers into a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.  The longer it can sit like this and steam the better.  

After the 30 minutes are up, add the carrots, potatoes, and shallots to the pot. Cover with the parchment paper and lid, and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes. 

Towards the end of this time, take the peppers out of the bowl and with a pair of tongs (if they're still hot) and a knife scrape off the skin.  It should come off fairly easily.  Then slit the pepper from stem to base and cut around the stem - the stem and the seeds should come out easily.  Cut the rest of the way through, and wipe away any seeds and cut out what membrane you can.  Then chop.

When that second 30 mins is up, add the peppers. Cover with the parchment paper and lid, return the pot to the oven, and cook until the pork is fork-tender, about an hour more. 

Stir in the cilantro.  I also like to, degrease the stew by laying a clean paper towel over the surface of the stew and gently pushing it into all the bumps and dips, then quickly peeling it off - repeating as needed till you don't see the sheen of oil on the surface. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now -- I find that the stew is always better the next day.  So I like to let it cool to room temperature, put it in the fridge, and then warm it up in the oven again the next day (usually ~300 degrees until hot).  Or at least - that's the idea.  I've not yet done it a day ahead as everyone wants to eat it.  I did manage to make it in time for lunch and let it sit at room temp all day and then heat it for dinner though -- definitely worth it. 

IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE:

The bread is actually really easy to make. Preheat the oven to 450. Make sure you do this first! Once you finish mixing the dough you need to get it in the oven quickly, you can't let it sin while it preheats. Lightly flour a baking pan now too.

Sift together a pound of flour (3 & 1/3 c. sifted-- not packed-- flour), 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt in a largish bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in about 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. 

Using your hands mix it together. Spread your fingers out like a rake and mix it in a circle around the bowl. You want a light touch here, and don't overdo it. The baking soda interacts with the buttermilk to create air pockets in the dough and you don't want to break them. Just mix until it starts coming together well. You might need to add more buttermilk - just do it ~ a tbsp at a time or you risk getting it too moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a well floured surface and shape it into a round. A little over six inches across and about an inch and a half high in the center (no higher!). Then flip it over onto the pan so the floured side is up and make a shallow X cut from side to side about 1/4" deep. This cut isn't just in the top, it stems all the way from edge to edge.

Put it in the oven for about 15 mins, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake until it's brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom (20-30 mins). I prefer to rotate the bread when I drop the temp as well - it promotes more even baking/browning.

Let it cool completely before cutting. 

It's really fast to make, and doesn't require anything special. (If you didn't know, you can even make the buttermilk for this pretty easily because of the chemistry being used. Just measure out a cup and a half of milk and add a tbsp and a half of white vinegar to it and let it sit for ~20 mins.)

Pretty sure this is the easiest bread recipe I know, and it's definitely the quickest.

My FAVORITE Most-Used Knife EVER

It's a 7-inch hollow-edge Santoku knife. Santoku is just a fancy word for Chef's knife that has a brilliant edge but lays flat to the board (rather than curving). It has become my go-to knife for pretty much everything.

Sturdy enough to cut through something hard like acorn squash, but light enough to slice onions, thin-slice potatoes, chop garlic… it holds up to whatever you put it through, and keeps chopping beautifully. I love the weight and feel of this Wusthof. It's a touch pricey, but for a gal like me who's in the kitchen multiple times a day cooking for a hungry crew, the cost per use is pennies, even in just one year's time. I got mine over two years ago and it's still going strong, and is absolutely my favorite knife in the world. I highly recommend it!

Amazon sells it in this lovely set:
Wusthof Classic 2-Piece Asian Santoku and Paring Knife Set

Cate's Chicken and Wild Rice Soup!

serves 8 ... Triple to feed a crowd!

• 2 tsp oil 
• 1/2 yellow onion chopped 
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 lb. cooked and shredded boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (4.5 oz) quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter
• 2 cups half and half

In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tsp oil and saute onion and garlic for one minute. Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes or until they start to soften. Add chicken broth, water and chicken. Bring to a boil, stir in rice (reserve seasoning packet), cover and reduce heat to low. 

In a bowl combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then add in flour mixture, stirring to form a roux. Pour cream in slowly, whisking until smooth. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes. 

Creamy Bacon Parmesan Pasta

Just made this sauce on a whim and I want to write it down so I won't forget to make it again.  I served it over medium pasta shells, and it was a hit with everyone in the family! Start to finish, this takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.  Serves 6-8.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil or butter, or some mix of the two
• 1/4 c. chicken broth, then also 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 - 1/3 c. flour
• garlic salt
• salt
• pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 10 thick slices of bacon-- the good thick, real stuff, not Oscar Mayer/whatever, chopped against the width/grain (so each piece of bacon in your sauce is roughly 1 inch long, but in thin slices, hope that makes sense-- I stacked the strips of bacon into one tall stack, and sliced down the stack, widthwise)
• 1 c. heavy cream 
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• Shaved parmesan/asiago/romano cheese to taste

Heat the oil/butter over med-high heat, with 1/4 c. chicken broth and add the chopped onion.  Lightly salt the onions.  Cook 3 minutes, or longer, until softened w/ good aroma.  (While the onions are sauteeing, put water in your pasta pot and start your water boiling.) Add in the bacon and garlic.  Cook approx. 5-8 minutes, still on med-high heat, until meaty part of bacon has turned bright red and is cooked, but not hardened.  Add in 1/2 tsp. salt, and as much flour as is necessary to soak up the oil/juices into the flour.  This will be similar to a roux, except your meat is already in there.  Make sure you scrape the bottom clean, to get up any flavorful bits and keep it from sticking.  Now, add your remaining chicken broth, stir in, and then add your cream, stirring occasionally.  Add in 1/2 tsp. garlic salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary.  Stir until thickened, then add in the whole milk, and wait for the sauce to thicken again.  (This whole thickening process can take anywhere from 1-3 minutes.)

Serve over the hot pasta of your choice, and use shaved parmesan/asiago/romano generously to garnish the top.  Enjoy!  (We just did!)

Crock Pot Recipe Round-Up

A few links from around the web that sound like great crock-pot recipes worth trying out:

• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas -- for this tasty recipe, all the sauce/meat/cheesiness cooks in the crockpot, then you spoon it into tortillas & bake 30 minutes before dinner-- so it's a partial-crock-pot recipe.
• Honey Sesame Chicken -- oh goodness, this sounds tasty over rice!
• Chicken Chili -- I normally do beef chili, so this might be worth a try
• Beef Stew -- Sounds simple and tasty, just right for cold weather!
• Crock Pot Salsa Chicken -- the blogger says this can be served as a soup, over tortilla chips and garnished with cheese, or if you strain with a slotted spoon, you can stuff tortillas or taco shells with it for a meal.  Sounds versatile & tasty!
• Chicken Noodle Soup -- the kiddos LOVE chicken noodle soup, so I definitely want to try this one.
• Chicken & Corn Chowder 
• Crock Pot Taco Soup
• French Dip Sandwiches -- YUM!!!
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches -- another YUM!  (Plus, her comments are funny to read.)

I need to be more diligent & efficient & put my crock pot to more frequent use!  Hope this gives you ideas too!

Southwest Soup

This is an easy dump-and-heat soup that tastes great!

• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 can corn (drained)
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 cans cooked chicken breast (or 1 lg. cooked chicken breast)
• chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (if desired)

Mix & simmer.  Add water as desired; salt & pepper to taste.  Tear up flour tortilla in soup bowl; serve soup over tortilla w/ cheese sprinkled on top. 

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 3 1/2 pound pork shoulder, trimmed & cut into 4 pieces

In a 6-quart crock pot, mix all ingredients except pork.  Once combined, add pork, and turn to coat in sauce.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  Remove pork and shred w/ two forks.  Return pork to crock pot & stir in sauce.  To serve, spoon 1/2 cup onto a sandwich bun.

SOUNDS GOOD!

Skillet Elbow Pasta

Got this recipe off the side of a De Cecco pasta box, and I don't want to forget to try it:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. elbow pasta
• 3 ounces chopped bacon or pancetta
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 4 Tbsp. fresh cream
• 4 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp. chopped onion
• Salt

Cook the elbow pasta for 5 minutes in boiling salt water.  In a skillet, saute the chopped onion in butter until golden brown.  Combine the tomato paste with a little water in a cup and add to the skillet.  Then pour the drained pasta into the skillet & remove from heat.  Mix, and add the 3 Tbsp of fresh cream.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese & serve.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

Pumpkin Cornbread

This sounds intriguing:

Pumpkin Cornbread (from LLL's Whole Foods for the Whole Family cookbook)

2 tsp oil
1/3 c. honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. mashed cooked pumpkin
1/4 c. cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c. dry milk powder

Combine oil, honey, eggs and vanilla in bowl. Stir in pumpkin. Combine cornmeal, baking powder, salt and dry milk powder. Add to egg mixture, stirring to moisten. Pour into greased 5x9 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool completely. 6 servings.

Note: Be sure to cook for the entire 40 minutes even if you think the edges are going to be over done. It is extremely moist and needs the cooking time to be done in the middle. 

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas & Crock Pot Pinto Beans

Just wanted to share this recipe that has delighted my family twice in the last 10 days--  it's easy as pie & I've altered it to be completely done in the crock pot.

Here's the link to the original:
Simple Carnitas Recipe

Here's how I've adjusted it:

CROCK POT CARNITAS
Turn your crock pot on high & put in these ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 Oranges, peeled & quartered
• 1-2 Onions, peeled & quartered
• 1 whole head garlic, peeled & chopped
• 1/4 cup salt (kosher/sea salt would be better, but table salt works fine for us)
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Add hot water until meat is just covered inside crock.  Cook on high for 4 hours, OR cook on high for 1 hour and then reduce to low & cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork; reserve juices in crock pot.  The meat is delightfully tender, so simply use 2 forks to shred the meat.

Use for carnitas tacos/burritos, garnishing with cheese, salsa, beans, lettuce, tomatoes; or use as a tender flavorful meat over mashed potatoes; or for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.  

CROCK POT PINTO BEANS
A great part of doing it this way is that because you removed the pork from the juices, there is a flavorful broth in which to cook your pinto beans.  You can either start right away, or refrigerate the juice overnight and make it the next day.

• Leftover cooking broth from pork carnitas
• 1 pound pinto beans, with any bad beans sorted/removed

All you have to do is pour your 1 pound of beans into the reserved juices from the carnitas, then set your crock pot to high for 3-4 hours, and cook on low an additional 2 or more; OR you can cook on low for 7-8 hours.  The beans are amazingly flavorful; just be sure to use a slotted spoon to remove the orange quarters and large onion slices before serving the beans.

These could be used for bean & cheese nachos, as a side item for Mexican food, in chili, or whatever else you want to use them for.  They are so very tasty!

The Best Cheesecake? ... so says a friend

Here's what a friend says is an amazingly good cheesecake recipe.  If you try it, leave a comment.  I hope to make it sometime soon!

Janet’s Cheesecake Recipe and Baking Instructions

This recipe came to me from a woman who had the nerve to walk into a Christmas party at my sister in law’s house after I had spent hours making apple pie from scratch.  I was sure my dessert would be such a blessing to everyone there.  However, when this lady walked in with this beeeeautiful cheesecake with cherries on top, all heads turned and mouths gaped.  Turns out this lady was a former caterer and this was her best recipe.  By some sort of luck, I managed to wrestle the recipe out of this lady, and have used it so many times to bless my family and others.  It is such a blessing to be able to truly make a wonderfully delicious and beautiful dessert like this.  It’s not hard, but just a little fussy. 

Crust:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

½ cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

Cheesecake:

3 Pounds Cream Cheese softened

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons vanilla

6 eggs

15 oz can sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup lemon juice

Optional Toppings:

Cherry Pie filling

Cool Whip or frosting

Melted chocolate chips

Take your springform pan and find a larger pan that is at least 2-3 inches deep that you can set your springform pan down into for baking.  I use a large aluminum 10x13 pan.  This is called a ‘water bath’ and isn’t totally necessary, but helps make a smoother, less dry cheesecake.  Wrap a double layer of heavy duty foil around the springform pan, to prevent seepage of water into the pan. 

Grease springform pan. (note to self:  didn’t I put waxed paper down in a circle the first time?  Helps it come out easier to transfer, or reduces cut marks on my pan when cutting) Mix crust ingredients in the pan and press up the sides and bottom of pan to make the crust.  Keep in mind this will be visible when you serve the cheesecake, so try to make the sides as even as you can.  I just put my crust a tiny bit up the side and that was great.  Put your springform pan down into your larger pan to prepare for the ‘water bath’.

With electric mixer, beat all cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat till creamy.  Add 6 eggs and sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice.  When mixture is creamy, pour into crust. NOTE: The cheesecake batter makes a lot more than fits into my springform pan so I make some cupcakes with it.  I might even be able to make two smaller cheesecakes if I had another springform pan. 

Put 1-2 inches of water (your ‘water bath’) into the larger pan that surrounds your springform pan.  Be careful not to let any water seep into your cheesecake pan, nor spill in as you are putting it in the oven.

 Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min to an hour (maybe longer), OR until the cheesecake begins to rise a bit and a little bit of browning on the edges.  Do NOT let it rise too much or it will crack.  The cheesecake will be almost set.  Let it cool at room temperature and then chill overnight (or a couple of days). It will come out of the pan easily when it’s cold. 

Before serving, you may add a border of Coolwhip with a pastry bag around the edges to make a pretty border, and add a can of cherry pie filling in the middle.  Or you can drizzle melted choc chips over the top (if they don’t melt well enough in your double boiler, add a little bit of Crisco).  This looks fancy but is really easy.  The cherries also hide any imperfections on the top of the cheesecake, and they look beautiful and very festive!

Sugar-and-Spice Candied Pecans

A friend of mine brought these to our Sunday school party, and I had to ask for the recipe.  These taste like candy (I'm not particularly a pecan fan, and I loved these!)... they are inCREDible!  Such a great Christmas dessert, and they go great with hot chocolate!

Sugar-and-Spice Candied Pecans 

½ cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons melted, salted butter
1 ½ cups pecan halves
1 egg white, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, and cinnamon, making sure mixture is well blended and there are no lumps; set aside. Pour melted butter over pecans and toss to cover all the pecans. Beat egg white and vanilla until frothy but not stiff. Add pecans, and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper (I used Silpat). Bake for 30 minutes, removing from oven every 10 minutes to stir and return promptly to oven. You will do two good stirs…completely turning and rotating all the pecans. Don’t skip this step!

Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, use a metal spatula to scoop the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

Homemade Dog Food

I know, I know.  That title alone is enough to make some of you want to hurl.  Well, for those of you who are still with me, I need to share up front that MY FIRST ATTEMPT at making dog food was today, so I have not yet seen the results.

But having just gotten our precious little Ziggy, I want to try to feed him in healthy, natural, less expensive ways.  And he seems to GREATLY prefer Cesar-style wet food to the dry kibble.   So I'm going to try my hand at some varieties like the ones I share below, and make it like baby food (freezing it in muffin trays for perfect-sized portions).  I think it will be much cheaper and much healthier for him, with less fillers and better quality foods.  We'll see.

As I've reviewed a variety of websites & recipes, here are some tips I've found helpful (even if you don't feed a raw diet, the percentages in this one are helpful:

"I usually use raw meat, each recipe contains about 40-50% meat, fairly lean chicken/turkey/beef/heart-liver-gizzard, or salmon (with bones). The next ingredient in volume, about 20-30%, would be an orange cooked vegetable, pumpkin/yams/carrots/or a winter-type squash. Then about 20% is cooked oats/beans/barley/brown rice/quinoa or red potato with skin. Next in volume would be apple/banana or pear. Sometimes a bit of blueberry or cranberry too. Then hard boiled eggs & ground egg shell. Also a green veggie.. cooked and minced; kale, spinach, peas, green beans, broccoli, parsley, or asparagus. Sometimes I'll add PLAIN cooked, diced beets. Then trace amounts (relatively small amount in the entire batch) plain yogurt, a bit of cheese, garlic, flaxseed, Flaxseed or Fish oil, &/or apple cider vinegar."  ~One dog owner, Denise

According to one website, raw meat diets are preferable for dogs:

Raw dog food advocates maintain that all grains should be eliminated from our dogs' diets. They also cite that grains have been blamed as culprits for pancreatic stress and tooth calculus, that our dogs were not designed to process these items, and that asking them to thrive on grains is like asking a human to thrive on a red meat diet - most experts would advise against it.

Let's start by discussing what a raw-food dog's diet should consist of. All meat should, obviously, be uncooked, and may include: Eggs (with shell), beef, buffalo, venison, elk, chicken, turkey, emu, ostrich, rabbit, and fish. Small animals, like rabbits and fish, may be fed whole - dogs love it this way.

At least 60-80% of your dog's raw food diet should consist of raw meat. Further broken down, that meat allowance should be roughly 20% organs, 20% skin and fat, and 35% muscle meat.

Vegetables may be combined with meat, to account for 20-40% of your dog's diet. Appropriate ones include: Broccoli, squash, Romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage, celery, and asparagus. 

This recipe sounds extremely simple:

• 6 cups water

• 1 pound ground turkey

• 2 cups brown rice

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination

One commenter suggests an alteration:

I've substituted ground beef for the turkey, and oats for the rice, and she likes both combos. I add 3 eggs, one egg shell very finely ground then strained (for calcium) and 3 Omega 3 tablets. I sometimes use peas and carrots, sometimes a large squirt of catsup and a very tiny sprinkle of garlic.  

Tips from other commenters:

I will sometimes add one or two of the following: yogourt, cottage cheese, sardines, lentils and fruits, such as pears, apples, peaches, bluberries and local beef hearts and liver, in small quantities. 

 A key to success I believe is adding variety during the week: My husband asks if I've "Snacked" the dogs today. They get an extra nutritious something every day: Cottage cheese, canned tuna or mackerel, scrambled eggs, some cheese, yogurt, etc.

I cook fresh ground turkey, add brown rice, cooked chopped carrots and a 1 TBS of plain yogurt and 2 TBS of cottage cheese. My vet told me that cottage cheese and yogurt are great for dogs with upset stomachs. Also adding a touch of canned plain pumpkin (not the kind with spices) to their diet is very good too. Canned pumpkin also helps with constipation! 

 One natural dog feeder raises some important points:

Also important to note many nutrients, minerals and vitamins come from different sources, therefore ensuring you alternate between ground and root vegetables, adding ground/powdered egg shells for calcium and different oils for the omega fatty acids is a must. Our dogs may look great now, but it is when they hit their older years we will see the affects of what we fed now. Also, soft foods will not promote healthy gums and teeth. Therefore, feeding RAW (and I stress RAW) meating bones are also mandatory. 

This website provides information about dog's nutritional requirements.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS avoid these foods, as they can be harmful, and even lethal, for dogs: grapes, raisins, onions, chocolate, garlic (sometimes debated), artificial flavorings, and some organizations advise against raw meat.

This homemade dog food recipe sounds great, and has a ton of "likes" on all recipes.com.

I just used that recipe as a foundation for the wet dog food I just made.  He just scarfed it down, mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with dry kibble.  Here's my recipe, made with items I had on hand in my fridge, freezer, and pantry:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 can tuna
• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1 large can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• handful soy nuts
• handful frozen blueberries
• 2-3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 c. cooked carrots
• 2 c. cooked broccoli
• 3 c. cooked quinoa
• small mix of leftover pork roast, potatoes w/ skin, and juice left in that pan.

This mixture filled 4 muffin trays, and I still have a large mixing bowl full of it, ready to refill the muffin tins once the others freeze.  Like baby food, I will freeze these in muffin tins, and then heat up before each meal, or let them thaw 1-2 at a time in the refrigerator a day before he'll eat them.

Given his reaction today, it's a tasty mix.  Given what I've read on the internet, it's a healthy mix.  The only remaining factor is how it will do in his digestive system.  If everything goes well, I'll just let the post stand.  If we have any problems at all, I will come back and post/remove the recipe.