Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This is such a quick easy budget friendly recipe, and so savory.   I serve this on fresh buns, and some kids choose to top with BBQ sauce.  It's good just the way it comes out of the slow cooker also!  The next day I freeze the leftovers or save some to add for a coleslaw salad for myself.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

3-4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder (I always have to remember the shoulder is the one that shreds the best)

1 tsp paprika

2 tsps garlic powder

2 tsps cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp kosher salt

3 TBS brown sugar

1 onion, chopped

In a small bowl, mix together the seasonings.

Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and coat it with the seasonings and onion.  That's it!

Cook on low for 8 hours.  When time is up, shred the meat with two forks until it's all mixed up.  It's ready to serve!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

These muffins are easy and delicious.  If you don't have lemon extract, use vanilla, and if you don't have half-and-half cream use milk.  I almost always put all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients into my mixer at once to make it easier, but add fruit last and just mix gently. They will still be delicious!

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

This is our second favorite muffin, first being the lemon blueberry muffin.  Easy and quick, no tricky ingredients.  I bought new muffin "tins" and I LOVE them.  Why did it take me so long to switch over?  I hated cleaning the stainless ones, and I also always ran out of muffin liners.  All my problems solved!  These are so easy to use and to clean.  I'm adding these to my list of favorite kitchen supply purchases ever.

Red Silicone BPA Free Muffin Pan

Here's the recipe!

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

2 TBS butter, melted

1 TBS vanilla extract

For Topping:
4 TBS butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   

In a large bowl whisk together milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.

Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir just until no big lumps remain.  

Fill muffin pan about 2/3 full.

(If use the silicone muffin tins, you need to put them on a cookie sheet first before pouring-this is how they bake in oven since they are wobbly.)

Bake 20-24 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping.

Once the muffins are cool, remove from pan and dip the tops of the cupcakes in the melted butter that was set aside for the topping, and then roll the top in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

Ready to eat!

The Best Pumpkin Bread

A friend gave me this recipe, and I love it.  It is a simple classic pumpkin bread with a crunchy crumb topping. Feel free to use a little less sugar, it will still be great.

I make six mini-loaves out of this recipes.  Yes, the first time I made it, I had to run out and get mini-loaf pans, wondered if I'd use them again, but I have regularly and love them.  Perfect for sharing.

I think you could split this recipe between two normal loaf pans but bake longer, making sure the middle is baked through.

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

For topping:
Mix together with fork:
4 TBS softened butter
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup white sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together.
Spray six mini-loaf pans with cooking spray.
Evenly divide mix (pans will be about 2/3 full).
Sprinkle topping on each loaf.
Bake for 50 minutes.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Glaze:

3 TBS butter

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2-2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and the sugar together still fluffy.

Blend in pumpkin, egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt.

Mix flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture.

Drop tablespoonfulls 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake the cookie for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges.

Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks.

Let cool completely for at least one half hour, then frost with glaze.

For glaze:

In a medium sauce pan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly.

Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened.

Beat in the milk.

Blend in confectioner's sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable.

Keep the sauce pan over the stove on the lowest possible heat to keep from hardening.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I made this for a quick dessert one evening when we had friends over and it was delicious and it's now a requested item here.  The bars taste just like a sugar cookie but is so much easier (and less messy) to make.  It could also be served with a small side of berries to garnish the top, or sprinkles.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Crust:

1 box white cake mix, dry, not prepared 8 TBS melted butter 1 egg

Topping:

8 oz cream cheese, softened 2 eggs 16 oz powdered sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine cake mix, butter and egg in a bowl and beat until smooth. 3. Press dough down evenly into a 13x9 greased baking pan. 4. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, eggs and powdered sugar and beat well. 5. Pour over crust and spread to corners. 6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350.  It will look slightly under-baked-you don't want to overbake it.  The top will still have the consistency of frosting. 7. Remove and let cool and garnish as desire.

Delicious Apple Tart

This is pretty easy and fun to make and SUPER delicious.  Top it with a little vanilla ice cream.

Delicious Apple Tart

1 pie crust-I use one roll of crust from the Pillsbury pie crust in the refrigerated section 5 Granny Smith (or any) apples, peeled and sliced (a job for a kid) Mix: 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt For The Crumb Topping_ 1/4 cup cold butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup flour Preheat oven to 400. Spray the inside of a tart pan (or you could use a shallow pie pan) with non-stick spray. Press the crust into the pan. Put the sliced apples in the crust evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. Mix the crumb topping ingredients together (use a fork)-it will be a coarse mixture.  Sprinkle on top of the cinnamon/apple mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is slightly browned.

Jenny's Eggy Casserole

My friend Jenny made this for us when I was sick and it was gobbled up so quickly I had to ask for the recipe.  I've made it many times since then and it is always a hit.  It refrigerates well after baked, so the kids can have a piece before they go to school in the morning (high school growing boy breakfast for sure) if there are any leftovers.

Jenny's Eggy Casserole

Grease a 9 x 12 pan (I use cooking spray).
 Whip 8 eggs.
Add 3 cups of milk.
Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Tear up 8 cups of bread-I've always used 5-6 English Muffins, but any bread would do.
Add 8 oz of ground cooked sausage (I only use 1/2 the 16 oz. package and save the rest so it's not too heavy on meat.)
Pour into the pan.
Top with 2 cups of shredded cheese (I've used provolone or cheddar.)

Chill overnight.

Bake for 40 minutes, at 350 degrees.

Apple Fritter Bread

This is so delicious! I doubled the recipe because it looked so tasty and was glad I did so since it went fast.  Matthew requested his own loaf and then topped the slices with vanilla ice cream.  He knows how to do dessert.

 Apple Fritter Bread

 Heat oven to 350.  Coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together in a bowl:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Set aside.

In a different bowl combine:
Two apples, peeled, cored, chopped.
2 TBS white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
Set aside.

In a mixer bowl combine:
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Pour half of the batter into loaf pan.  Add half of the apple mixture, and then half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Repeat.  Lightly press apples into the cinnamon mixture and swirl through batter gently with a knife (I just made a figure 8 with the knife through the whole loaf pan once). Bake 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

 To make glaze mix:
1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk.  Wait for 15 minutes after bread comes out of oven and drizzle on top.

The Most Delicious Garlic Bread

A little twist on the normal recipe I use for garlic bread.  I serve this often as it fills up hungry boys. 1 baguette (or any kind of bakery bread) sliced lengthwise Mix together:
1/2 cup (or 1 stick) softened butter
1/4 cup of mayo  
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (I use chopped garlic from a jar)
about a half dozen fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese I honestly don't measure any of these ingredients, I just estimate, and it's never turned out anything but delicious. 

Spread mixture evenly on bread. (There should be nice thick layer.) Leave open, and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown..