Happy Monday! Wait. Tuesday. Whatever.

Good morning, Kitschies!!  I was going to say something about it being Monday and all, but seeing as it's Tuesday, I guess that doesn't work.  My docs (aka: the bosses) have been out since Thursday and I've (basically) been out since Friday, so it's an *extra long* holiday weekend for me.  Especially since I'm taking today off to take Nate to Explora!  We've been there before but it's been a long time (I was still pregnant with Mason)...it should be fun.

We had a good holiday weekend.  We had our cousins over to spend the night Friday night.  The boys stayed up and played video games (the hubs and the older cousin stayed up til after midnight!) then got up bright and early and hit Lowe's for their Build & Grow program where all three of them got to build a by-plane!  Then we all hit the park and then came home for some lunch and pool time.  After a few hours, we were all a little pinker (the top of my feet got it worst!) but we had a good time.  I *finally* found a place in Albuquerque that sells tri-tip (if you know me, you know this is a BIG deal) and I made the BEST tri-tip I've ever made (also a big deal).  Other than that, we got some cleaning done around the house and talked about Mason's birthday party this coming weekend (he'll be 2 *gasp* on Thursday).  I think *all* weekends should be 3-day weekends!! 

Anyway...I have a great recipe to share with you today.  I was in the mood for a new pork recipe and did some searching and found a good one on Simply Recipes.  

Citrus Pork with Egg Noodles

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked, drained

Get the water boiling for your noodles...

In a small bowl combine cumin, salt and pepper. Add pork; toss to coat.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or until browned.

In a small bowl blend the broth, orange juice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Reserve 1/4 cup of the broth mixture. Pour all but the reserved broth mixture into the skillet with the pork and garlic. Add the carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook 7-8 minutes.

Blend corn starch into reserved broth mixture. Stirring constantly, pour the corn starch mixture into the skillet to thicken the sauce. Add the green onions. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 more minute.

Toss with the noodles. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

For once, the pic I got looked pretty similar to the pic they used on the site!  This was soooo good.  You could easily substitute chicken for pork if pork isn't your thing.  The boys even ate this without dispute (save for the obligatory 10 minutes of Nate complaining that he doesn't want to eat *that*). 

Well, it's after 7 and Nate is still in bed...I wonder how long he'll sleep?  I miss the days of sleeping in til whenever...but those days are long gone with the kiddos.  Especially now that Mason is in a toddler bed!  All I can say is: thank jeebus for child-proof doorknob covers!  I know...I'm a mean mom.

Pork 'n Taters

G'day, Kitschies!  We've almost made it through another work week.  Can you believe how fast time just flies by?  Wasn't it just Christmas/New Years?  Now it's almost Easter.  *sigh*  I'm ready to get off this ride for a little while...how 'bout you?

Anyway...we love having friends over but it doesn't happen as often as we'd like (with 5 kids between us, the besties and us...we get tired just thinking about it!).

This is my bestie's little guy, Cooper, and my little guy, Mason.  Two of the 5.  OF THE FIVE!

But, when we DO get together, we have a lot of fun.  And of course there's great food involved.  When the besties were over a few weekends ago, I tried a new recipe that was soooooo good.  I "found" this recipe when Jessie M from Lacquered, Painted, Polished gave me the head's up.  It's from Kevin & Amanda - they have a *bunch* of great recipes.  This is the first I've tried and I promise I'll be trying more (and sharing them with you, of course).  Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients or the number of steps - they are ALL worth it.

Perfect Pulled Pork

1 whole Boston butt

Dry Rub
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air-tight container.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 quarts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp dry rub mix


Add salt to cold water and stir until all the salt is completely dissolved.  Then add the brown sugar, dry rub and bay leaves.  Stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder prep:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container.  Pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered.  Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.  Remove pork shoulder from brine solution; pat dry with paper towels.  Place pork shoulder in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least an inch in length and width and at least 3-inches deep.  Sprinkle dry rub on to the surface of the shoulder and massage in so that it adheres to the surface.  Coat all sides and be sure to get in to all the nooks and crannies.  Make sure the fat layer on the hsoulder is facing up before cooking!  Place baking pan, uncovered, in a 225* oven on the middle rack.  Insert a probe thermometer into the center or the thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone.  Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this).  Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200*; shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven.  If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices), cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period.  When the temperature drops to 170*, remove from the oven.  Place on a large clean work surface, such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat off the top.  Pull apart with two forks; it will pull apart very easily.

NOTES:  This is a VERY looooong process.  I cheated and didn't let the pork get all the way up to 200 and then cool back down because we ended up being short on time.  I put the pork in the oven at 11 and it wasn't finished even at 7.  I had no idea it would take THAT long!  Either way, we loved this!

BONUS RECIPE!

Scalloped Potatoes
6-8 large baking potatoes
shredded Cheddar cheese - 1 small bag
Heavy Cream- 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Seasoned salt - as desired
Salt- as desired
Dried thyme- as desired

Preheat oven to 400*
Use 9x10 baking dish - grease lightly

Slice all potatoes thinly, add a layer in baking pan
Add a layer of cheese and spices
2 layers of Potatoes
Layer of cheese and spiced
Do this until all the cheese and potatoes have been used. Make sure you have enough cheese for the top of the potatoes.
Once you have layers complete, pour heavy cream over entire thing and sprinkle left over cheese on the top.

Bake for 60 minutes. 

NOTES:  This is my bestie's recipe and it's from memory, so it's not the most precise, but you get the picture.

I realize, now, that I added more pepper than the recipe called for.  It says cayenne pepper, but I added crushed red pepper, too.  So, I'm from NM...we like things extra spicy here (though the end result wasn't spicy at all).

Rubbed and ready to go!  That was the hardest part - rubbing in the spices.  Good thing the hubs pushes food service gloves.  Yes, Mom.  The hubs needs to send you a box.

I take it back.  The hardest part of this whole process was smelling the thing in the oven all day long.  It smelled so good!  My dad is becoming a smoking KING...could you imagine this smoked?! *hint hint*

The ingredients for scalloped potatoes...instead of adding salt on top of seasoned salt, I added ground pepper.  I don't know that it matters *what* you put in this dish - it comes out awesome!  Thanks to my bestie (aka: Makeup Zombie) for sharing your recipe with me/us.

The finished products.  SOOOO good!  We served the pork on fresh deli rolls and offered up a couple different BBQ sauces.  Not that the pork was dry, but because they were nice complements to the dish.

Have a good rest of your day.  I've got *lots* of pics to prep for the blog tonight.  Lots of good food to share with you!

Monday Meal

Where do the weekends go?  Seriously.  It feels like the last two days didn't even happen!!  I'm back here, at work, doing what I always do.  I think I spend more time at work than I do at home - especially when you factor in sleep.  *sigh*  If only I could afford to work part time.  Enough lamenting.  I am not complaining about my job.  I am complaining that there's never enough time in the day.

It's been a morning full of food here at the clinic, so I thought I'd share a recipe with you today.  I picked up Betty Crocker Simple Winter Meals way back in November 2006 (2006?  Really?) while waiting in the check out line at the grocery store.  You've seen those little digests full of menus, right?  One for each season, each holiday, etc.  I love cookbooks, and this one was less than $5 and FULL of great recipes.  SCORE!  I've made quite a few recipes from this book, and many of them are make-agains.  This is one of those recipes.


Skillet Ham & Vegetable au Gratin
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups cut up fully cooked ham
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 box (4.9 oz) au gratin potato mix
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bag (1 lb) mixed frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), thawed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook ham and onion in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.

Stir in potatoes, sauce mix from potato mix, hot water and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Cover; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in vegetables.  Cover; simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.

NOTES:  I don't use all the onion - it makes it quite onion-y if you use the whole cup.  This reheats very well.

We don't usually have ham, so I buy pre-cooked ham steaks.  What I don't use for this recipe, I save for scrambled eggs in the morning.  Looking at this picture makes me realize I buy generic a lot.  Not necessarily a bad thing...gotta save pennies when I can!

The recipe says to simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  I have a tendency to forget to thaw the veggies, so I usually end up simmering for closer to 10 minutes.

Mmmm! Cheese!!  Ham.  Veggies.  Potatoes.  Cheese.  It don't get much better than this!

Dished up and ready to go.  This is one of those recipes that the boys like, too.  It makes me feel like a good Mom when the boys gobble up their food.

Later this week, I'll be posting a recipe for a certain cookie (just for you, B!), a couple manis and hopefully a "My Favorite Things" - if I can remember to take the pics.  I've really appreciated all the suggestions of what you want to see more of on my blog.  I like what I'm doing now, but I like trying new things, too.  Speaking of new things...I'll be doing my first ever reivew!  WOOT!!  Hope you enjoy the rest of your Monday.  Why do the weekends fly by but Monday lasts forever?

Rambling (wo)Man

Good evening, Kitschies!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was kinda busy, kinda not.  Saturday we went to my bestie's first born son's 6th birthday party.  I made the mistake of jumping on the tramampoline and now my knee is not happy.  It already wasn't very happy, so now it's really not happy.  And neither am I.  The doc asked me why I did that and I responded: Cuz I'm stoopid.  He laughed and said he was glad I said that because that's exactly what he was thinking.  What?  It was a trampoline.  How could I *not*?  Then the bestie and I escaped and saw Eclipse at the dollar theater (gotta come up with a better name because it was two bucks, not one).  SHE already saw it at home (thanksalot), so she "humored" me and went with me to see it.  despite the usual dollar theater drawbacks, I really liked it and can't wait to see Breaking Dawn.  Part of me even hopes they split the last book in to two movies.  There's a lot going on in that last book.  Anyway, Sunday was spent just getting caught up on chores and such.  Oh, and I ran in to work for about an hour on Saturday before the party.  My docs are learning a new procedure and I wanted to see what was up with that. 

Enough rambling.  It's been super busy at work (still) and I won't really be able to do much blogging or stalking while I'm there for the next month or so.  I'm sad about that, but I'm training a student medical assistant and I don't think my docs would approve of me showing her the ins and outs of the internets.  LOL  So, if I don't visit your blog like I usually do, please know it's not because I don't like your post - it's because I don't have time.  I'll get caught up eventually.  Promise!!  Seriously - enough rambling.  On to the recipe.

I got this recipe from Biggest Book of 30-Minute Meals.  I love this book!  There are SO many recipes to chose from and in the sidebar of each recipe is a menu idea: usually a side dish (with the page of that recipe) and a dessert. 


Balsamic & Garlic Pork
4 bonless prok loin chops, cut 1/2 inch thick
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp bottled minced roasted garlic
1/2 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 Tbsp honey mustard

Trim fat from chops.  Sprinkle both sides of each chop with rosemary and salt pressing into surface of meat.

In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add chops; cook for 8 - 12 minutes or until done and juices run clear; turning once.  Transfer chops to a serving platter.  Cover and keep warm.

For sauce, in same skillet cook garlic in hot drippings for 30 seconds.  Stir in balsamic salad dressing and honey mustard.  Bring to boiling.  Serve sauce over chops.

NOTES:  I don't know what I did, but I think I used waaaay too much olive oil.  It just seems like it was swimming in the oil.  I couldn't get the rosemary to "crush", so I cleaned out my coffee grinder (by grinding up a piece of plain sandwich bread) and gave it a couple pulses.  Worked perfectly!  I also couldn't find my pre-made balsamic dressing, so I found a recipe online (maybe this is where all the extra olive oil came from).  I think it was an Emril recipe.  In the end, this wasn't bad, but I think I'll be sure to find my balsamic dressing instead of trying to make my own.

Seasoned and ready to jump in the pool.  I'm sure I didn't stick to the measurements when it came to the rosemary and salt.

Is it just me, or do you always have to cook meat longer than a recipes says?  I don't remember how long I actually ended up cooking these, but I can tell you it was definitely longer than 8-12 minutes!

The finished product.  The hubs really liked this and I didn't mind it, but I think I'd like it more with the prepared balsamic dressing.  But, both boys ate it, so it couldn't be that bad, right?  LOL

Well, I'm off to ice my knee and watch some Six Feet Under.  Hope you enjoy your evening!  I'm back to the grind again tomorrow and will be posting a mani tomorrow (probably evening).  At least, come morning, it won't be Monday anymore. *sigh*

Listening to: Somebody to Love by Queen
Mood: oooowwwww!

I loves me some grilled pork!

Another Monday is upon us.  I hope everybody had a good weekend.  Mine?  Well...we didn't do much of anything.  However, I got a bur up my booty yesterday and decided to do some Spring cleaning - totally cleaned the dining room and part of the living room.  It needed it so bad...and there's still more to do.  Nate was a turd yesterday - he actually took a nap but he woke up in a horrible mood.  Mason slept half the day away which was kinda nice.  I took him on a walk yesterday evening and I saw a baby horned toad - it was light brown and only about 4" from nose to tail.  The hubs asked why I didn't pick him up - ummm...didn't want my finger pierce, thankyouverymuch!  LOL

I have a tasty pork recipe for you today.  I did this one last week and we really liked it.  I'd say that Nate ate it, but I really don't remember if he did or not.  That kid is so hit and miss when it comes to eating.  Mason, on the other hand, is such a good eater - he'll eat pretty much anything.  Nate *used* to be a good eater - I'm sure it's just his general turdiness.  Yes.  I just made up a word.  LOL

Balsamic Pork Chops
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, sage or thyme
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 pork tenderloins
salt & pepper to taste

Combine oil, vinegar, and garlic with rosemary in a self-sealing bag. Add pork tenderloins and marinate them for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Remove from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Season tenderloins with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, for 15-25 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted reads 155-160 degrees F. Slice to serve.

NOTES:  I used 4 boneless loin chops instead of tenderloins.  If you use dried rosemary, use half as much as fresh (I used the whole 3 Tbsp and it was TOO MUCH!).  I let the chops marinade all day in a zipper bag.  

 

YUM!!  And, just a random pic of Nate-the-Turd.  We had our besties over for dinner last weekend and to keep Nate our of hair, we connected him to the Wii.  I came in from chatting with Wendi and this is how Nate was playing...

He wasn't very happy that I snapped a picture of him.  The pic immediately after this is him jumping off the couching yelling at me to not take a picture.  Anyway, this one made me laugh.  Can you say "Hi - You're Nate's girlfriend?  I have a couple pictures for you to look at."  LMAO!!

Just a reminder...I'm hosting a giveaway for a $40 gift card to CSN Stores.  Check out the original post HERE - you have until August 21st, but go enter now so you don't forget!

Listening to: Come on Get Higher by Matt Nathanson
Mood: disinterested

MmMmM - Tangy!

Happy Wednesday, Kitschies!  It's raining here in good 'ol Albuquerque.  Well, it was a few minutes ago.  That's what I love about weather here in the Land of Enchantment.  If you don't like it, wait 5 minutes and it'll change.  Such is the weather during monsoon season.

While surfing around the blogs I stalk, I ran across some *awesome* recipes on From the Kitchen of: Mrs Bettie Rocker.  I love this blog!  She tempts me/us with drool-worthy recipes on a constant basis, a few of which I've actually made myself.   A couple days ago I asked what I should do for entries on my blog and she mentioned that I could do some of her recipes.  Don't mind if I do!!

Tangy Breaded Pork Chops

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup prepared ranch salad dressing

6 bone-in pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick and 8 ounces each)

 

In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Place dressing in another shallow dish. Dip pork chops in dressing, then roll in crumb mixture.

Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

 

NOTES:  I used boneless loin chops because I don't like to eat things off the bone.  The recipe calls for an ungreased pan, but I lined the pan with parchment paper - it makes for super easy clean up.  I sprinkled a little extra shredded Parmesan cheese on top before baking.

 

 Ready for their trip to perfection.

 Mrs Bettie Rocker served hers with potatoes, but we did pasta and steamed carrots.

Kid tested.  Mother approved.

 

If you click on the link that's connected to the recipe title, you can see her original post.  She posted an awesome baked potato recipe with this one, too.  The potato recipe is also the awesome, but it's been too hot in the house to bake those, too, so we opted for some *cooler* sides.  I can't wait to make those potatoes again. 

All 3 of the boys (the hubs included) loved these pork chops.  They kinda remind me of Shake 'n Bake, but it has a better flavor, a tang (good thing - it *is* TANGY breaded pork chops, after all).  I'll definitely be making this one again.  Thank you to Mrs. Bettie Rocker for posting this great recipe!  The hubs thanks you, too.  She also "hosted" a recipe swap late last week.  The participants (including myself) got paired up with 3 other people - we wrote out 2 recipes (main dish and dessert) and sent them to our peeps.  I sent mine out yesterday: Spicy Baked Chicken, Bacon-Topped Green Beans and, as a special bonus, Fudge Pudding Cake.  I can't wait to get my 6 new recipes!!  Don't worry - I'll share 'em with you! 

Listening to: I'm Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado (meh!)
Mood: chillaxin

Fire up that grill

I don't know about you, but we use our grill year-round. I know some people are grill purists and insist on using *only* charcoal. To them I say: (said in my best Cartman voice *ahem*) WHATEVA - I DO WHAT I WANT! We have a gas grill and we love it! My parents gave us the grill we have when we moved in to our house almost 5 years ago - it's about time we start thinking about an upgrade. It's still reliable, but it could stand to be retired.

So, in honor of the 4th of July BBQ, I bring you an awesome marinade/recipe for pork chops. I know...I know. Who has pork chops for the 4th? We usually have hot dogs and burgers, but in case you're looking for something a little different that is very low fuss, I've got a good one for you. The really nice thing about this one is you can make it the night before and it's ready for you whenever you're ready to slap it on the grill.

Sweet Mustard Chops

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 (1" thick) pork chops

Combine mayonnaise, brown sugar, mustard and seasoned salt; mix well. Blend in vinegar. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add pork. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium coals, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

NOTE: I don't change a thing about this recipe. It is perfection as is! You can speed this up and only marinate for a couple hours, but it really is best if it marinates overnight. Both of my boys eat this without complaint (quite the feat - let me tell you!).





I meant to get a little better pics of those yummy chops, but the hubs and kids devoured them before I could snap one. Some people's kids!


In other news...for a couple weeks, we've been finding what looks to be owl pellets under a big tree in our front yard.



Yeah, kinda gross, but really cool at the same time. Anyway...I told the hubs that we had an owl living in our tree. We never saw it, so I figured he was out hunting at night in the vast expanse around our neighborhood and then decided to rest and eat in our tree. Whatever. It's cool either way. The other morning I was strapping the boys in the car and I heard a bunch of bird throwing a big fit in the tree. I look up and I see birds I've never seen in the area (pretty ones when usually all we have are the boring house finches). And what are they throwing a fit about? THIS is what they're throwing a fit about.


Yep! I was right - we have a barn owl living in the tree. He was not very happy that those birds were bothering him, but there he sat. He was out there that evening, too. But, of course, the next morning, he's nowhere to be seen. I hope he doesn't decide that there's too much commotion in our tree because I think it's awesome he took up residence in our tree! And if he waits around a few weeks, he could probably have a meal of the baby barn swallows that are in a nest above our front door. LOL Circle of life, girls. Circle of life.


Listening to: Make Yourself by Incubus
Mood: TGIF!

The Power of Pork Compells You!

You know it does! LOL My husband's work brokers for Hormel. And this is a good thing because...? Because I haven't had to buy pork loin, bacon or sausage for a very long time. Definitely a good thing! A good thing for the wallet, but not so much for the waste line. Either way, we love pork here in the Harmeyer house. Today I bring you a pork slow cooker recipe we tried a couple weeks ago. The title of the recipe is kinda boring, but the end result definitely is not. The version I am posting is altered from the original version that is available through the link.

Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker

6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper to taste


Place pork chops in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.

Cook on Low setting for 6 hours, until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).


I used a whole pork tenderloin instead of pork loin chops. It ends up so tender I don't think it really matters what form you start with. I also didn't use salt or pepper in preparation - it's plenty salty with the soy sauce and you can always add pepper to your taste later. This was very good the day after. A coworker of my hubs told him the smell reminded him of one of his favorite Cuban pork dishes. I give this recipe 5 full bellies!

Oh, and excuse the Worcersthire sauce in the first picture. It was early when I took that picture and that was near all the other ingredients so I included it. LOL

And a little side note before I send you on your way. My dear hubs called me in to the bedroom because he was in the process of cleaning the bathroom and told me he wanted to talk with me. I went in and he says "I found a new cigar for Groucho!" *sigh* He thinks he's funny.

It was kinda funny, actually. So, there. Now you know what I deal with on a daily basis. How lucky am I?!? *rolls eyes*

Listening to: The Boys of Summer by Don Henley
Mood: parental

Sunday Dinner

I decided to make Sunday dinner easy this week and made pulled pork in the slow cooker. Neil works for food brokerage company and occasionally gets goodies to bring home. Friday he brought home 5 lbs of pork cushion meat. Yeah. I know. That sounds...gross. But, it's basically like a pork roast. It's from the shoulder and has had the majority of the fat trimmed off which means it's a pretty lean cut of pork. I have never made pulled pork before and went on a hunt for a good recipe. I didn't know what else to have and Allrecipes recommended potato salad as a side. I came across a good looking recipe and decided to try it, too. It's a night of firsts.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 1/2 lb pork roast
1/4 cup water
1 cup spicy BBQ sauce
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp chili powder
12 sandwich buns

Place pork roast into slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup water. Combine BBQ sauce, red pepper and chili powder. Pour over pork. Cover and heat on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Combine with sauce in slow cooker. Serve on buns.

NOTES: I used 4 lbs pork cushion meat, Jack Daniels Spicy Original BBQ sauce, small orange pepper (the reds looked bad at the store), cayenne pepper powder and wheat burger buns. I had this two days later for lunch - I think it was better the second time around.

The finished product

Warm Dijon Potato Salad

5 medium red potatoes
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with warm. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain potatoes and cut into cubes; add to the mayonnaise mixture and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

NOTES: I ended up using 1 1/2 times the recommended amount of ingredients for the potato salad (save the potatoes). If you make as is, it would be really dry. My hubs liked this and he usually *only* likes his mom's potato salad.

The finished product

Listening to: Under the Bridge by RHCP
Mood: Productive