HOMEMADE SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK BBQ

I cannot take credit for the genius that is this recipe. It comes from my husband’s grandmother. It is the easiest, most wonderful thing you could ever do in the crock pot!

You’ll need:

• 1 Small (8lb) Boston Butt
• 1/2 cup Water
• Salt & Pepper to taste

MY MONDAY RANDOM RAMBLES.

Today, I’m linking up with my friend, Carissa, for MISCELLANY MONDAY! I do this every so often when I’m feeling extra random. Hope you can relate and aren’t scared away…

1. I’m not tremendously fond of how sickness lingers after you begin to feel better. Really ready to feel like myself again. Plus, I am spending way to much on Lysol & Clorox.

2. My boy turns THREE THIS WEEK!! Seriously, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s doing weird things to my heart. I guess I should get used to it, because it doesn’t look like it will get any easier as my babies get older. Ayden is getting so big & becoming more and more grown up everyday. I am crazy in love with him. God has blessed me way over my head with that boy.

MEET JENNIFER…& HER PUMPKIN BREAD

Today, I’d like for y’all to meet my friend, Jennifer. She writes a cooking blog, Savory Concoctions, that you MUST check out! I asked her to come over here and share one of her favorite holiday recipes with you. I should not have been surprised that she chose to share her Pumpkin Bread recipe. It is so, so good. And she is famous for it around here. I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe and make it to have on Christmas morning with a big ‘ol cup of coffee! And…check out all the awesome recipes on her blog!

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When people start talking about Christmas baking the first thing that comes to my mind is pumpkin
bread. Each December my kitchen becomes a pumpkin bread baking factory because it’s my favorite
gift to give local friends for Christmas. And let me tell you, freshly baked pumpkin bread is the best air
freshener in the world! I love playing with the dogs in the backyard for a few minutes or checking the
mail just so I can walk back into the house and be greeted by that most wonderful aroma.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 16 ounce can of pure pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

–Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
–Grease the bottoms of two loaf pans with Crisco.
–Mix the oil and sugar in a large bowl.
–Add the eggs, pumpkin, and water and mix well.
–Blend in the remaining ingredients, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula
part way through to make sure everything mixes evenly.
–Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
–Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean
and the bread springs back at your touch.
–Cool on cooling racks for 5-10 minutes, then gently run a table knife around the inside of the
pan to loosen the sides of the loaves. Invert the pans over a cooling rack to remove the loaves,
turn them right side up and finish cooling on the racks.

‘TIS THE SEASON

It’s that time of year again!! Time for filling your home with the smell of freshly baked confections to share (or not), and time for trying out some new recipes that just might turn into family traditions. So, I wanted to share two of my holiday recipes with you. The first is one that has been a favorite of ours for a long time, and the second is one that is brand new to me this year.

I originally found this recipe at Starbucks when William and I were first married. It is absolutely amazing, and the holidays just aren’t the same without it. I like to enjoy mine with a medium roast coffee. I try to make several batches each year so we can enjoy some, and for us to share as gifts with friends. There’s nothing quite like it. Try it out and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

• 3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• pinch ground ginger
• pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 cup decorating or sparkle sugar

 

• Preheat oven 375 F. Grease two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Make the Chocolate Batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans, shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.
• Make the Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust: In another small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the decorating sugar. Sprinkle with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool completely, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads and remove from pans.
• Approximately 16 servings. Prep Time: 30 minutes. Cooking Time: 50 minutes.

(Confession: this is another Starbucks recipe.)

What you’ll need: your favorite chocolate, roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder.

How it’s done:
1. Melt chocolate by breaking it into pieces and warming it slowly in a saucepan over a very low heat.
2. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the roasted coffee beans.
3. Keep mixing.
4. When they are coated with chocolate, lift them out with a spoon or fork and place them onto parchment paper.
5. Separate the beans from one another, then drop into cocoa powder and leave to harden.
6. Remove the beans with a knife and keep in a sealed container.

 

I hope y’all will enjoy these and make them a part of your holiday tradition. They make great gifts too!! Happy baking!

sticky buns!!

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I love to bake. Yesterday, I attempted homemade sticky buns for the first time, and it was a success!! So, I thought I would share the recipe with you. I’ll admit, I was a little bit intimidated by the amount of time and work that is involved in these. Mainly because I have 3 little ones and it’s difficult for me to be in the kitchen that long, but this recipe was actually really simple. I hope you’ll try them out for your family this holiday season!!

Sticky Buns:

Dough:

• 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
• 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Filling:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Topping:

• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Method

1 Begin with the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, salt and 3 cups flour. Mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low speed, slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding a little more flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat with the butter from the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or 2 hours if not in an entirely warm place). After the dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.

2 For the filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.

3 Roll dough out into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 15 slices.

4 For the topping: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan and sprinkle pecans on top.

5 Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving room for the buns to rise, and refrigerate overnight.

6 Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the oven pre-heats. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake buns until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately (and carefully!) invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.

Enjoy!

crock pot lasagna.

try it. you will love it. this will become a new favorite.

8 no-boil lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp italian seasoning
24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 c water
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Break noodles. Place half in the bottom of a greased slow cooker.
Brown ground beef and add italian seasoning. Spread half of beef over noodles.
Layer half of sauce and water, half of ricotta cheese, and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layers.
Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

It’s that simple. Enjoy!

outrageous oatmeal cookies.

I wanted to share the cookie recipe I used the other day! It is actually a Starbucks recipe, and it is extremely amazing, not to mention super easy!! Enjoy!

Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C dark raisins

1/4 C golden raisins

1/4 C dried cranberries

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/4 C granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oats, flour, raisins, cranberries, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl and set aside. In another bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, cinnamon, and vanilla until combined. Gradually beat in oat mixture until combined. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon-fulls, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheet. Top each mound of dough with a few raisins. Bake approximately 12-14 minutes, until golden brown, but still soft.

Hope you love the cookies! Merry Christmas!

banana blueberry goodness.

this morning i experimented with my blender and was pleasantly surprised with the results!

1 cup apple juice
2 bananas
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 kiwi
3/4 tsp vanilla
4 ice cubes

surprise! it’s actually so yummy and a fantastic way to start the day! enjoy!



chocolate cinnamon bread.

This is way too good to keep all to myself. I found this recipe at Starbucks several years ago. It is absolutely amazing, and the holidays just aren’t the same without it. I like to enjoy mine with a medium roast coffee. There’s nothing quite like it. Try it out and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

• 3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• pinch ground ginger
• pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 cup decorating or sparkle sugar

• Preheat oven 375 F. Grease two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Make the Chocolate Batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans, shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.
• Make the Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust: In another small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the decorating sugar. Sprinkle with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool completely, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads and remove from pans.
• Approximately 16 servings. Prep Time: 30 minutes. Cooking Time: 50 minutes.

let the festivities begin.

Recently, I have been struck with the holiday spirit. It usually doesn’t hit me this early. In fact, I typically roll my eyes at those people who begin decorating and listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. But for some reason, this year is different. I have found myself strangely attracted to the holiday isles at stores. I’ve listened to one of my favorite jazz Christmas CDs, and I have everything I need for my holiday baking. What else makes this spark in me so odd is that for the first time since William and I have been married, I am not hosting Thanksgiving at my house. Also, I have decided that with Ayden’s increased mobility, a Christmas tree would not be so smart. Yet, I want to decorate, bake, make the house smell and look like Christmas…

So, this is not traditionally a holiday treat, but over the past couple of years I have made it one. I really only make it once a year…and it’s amazing. I am sure that you make this too…but just in case you’ve never tried it, or you haven’t made it in a while…here’s the recipe. This is the first thing I’m making this season.

Puppy Chow!

9 cups Chex cereal (any combination of varieties)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter/margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Measure cereal into large bowl and set aside. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Coat the cereal pieces with powdered sugar. (Some recommend doing this inside a 2-gallon plastic storage bag. I find this to be more trouble than it’s worth.) Store your Puppy Chow in an air-tight container in the fridge! Enjoy your new holiday tradition of yumminess!!