Where family meets food
Chocolate Cherry Sandwich Cookies are the perfect cookie to add to your exchange box this holiday season. The outside chocolate cookie is both soft enough to bite through but crunchy enough to hold firm in a sandwich cookie. Bursting with flavor from the dark chocolate …
When I think about Pecan Turtle Candies, one question comes to mind each time -what is there not to love about pecans, caramel and chocolate? That question is obviously rhetorical but the correct answer is nothing. There is nothing not to love about those three …
One of my step daughters favorite meals is tacos. If it were up to her we would have them daily. Now don’t get me wrong, a classic ground beef taco with cheese, sour cream, and all the fixin’s will satisfy that taco spot. BUT sometimes you want something AMPED UP. Something restaurant worthy. You want your taco to feel fancy, look fancy and taste fancy too. Enter these carnitas tacos. I’m telling you…these are LEGIT. They taste like they came straight from your favorite taco joint and will definitely get you out of your taco rut!
The idea for these tacos came to me gradually. My step daughter had been asking for tacos weekly, like normal, but each time I found myself saying “sorry not this week”. I was making more and more simple dinners with stuff I knew she would eat just so I could avoid tacos!! Stuff like a whole roasted chicken with veggies and rice, or simple buttered noodles with chicken cutlets on the side. All things I knew she would eat that would keep the “T” word from coming up around dinner time. Was I losing my love for tacos?! That would just be a travesty wouldn’t it??
Then one day it hit me. It wasn’t that I was losing my love for tacos, it was that I was craving a taco that was out of my norm.
BOOM! HERE COMES THE CARNITAS TACOS!
It was perfect. I knew they had to be perfect. How do I make them perfect? Tender flavorful meat-absolutely. Tortilla type- corn for sure. Topping options- keep it clean and simple. I was inspired by one of my favorite tacos from a restaurant called Don Juans. The taco is so simple its absurd that it could taste that good. Shredded chicken on a corn tortilla with cilantro and onion. THATS IT! Thats exactly what I was going for and these carnitas tacos are it!!
You would be surprised how easy the process is. First, you want to start with a nice sized pork shoulder. Then you start as you do most meat recipes, with salt and pepper. Make sure you season the pork nicely and add it to a pan with some oil. Now you’ll want to get it a nice color on all sides…this helps to develop the flavor in the meat. Next add in all the spices, seasonings and beer, put a lid on it and let it go. The pork will cook for multiple hours on low heat before it becomes carnitas.
Watch the clock…tick tick tick…just kidding! Go occupy yourself. Set and forget people!
Now that multiple hours have passed, you’re ready to shred it! The pork should easily pull apart. The juices that were released while it was cooking will slowly be absorbed back into the shredded meat so don’t worry if it looks like a lot. Remove the pieces of jalapeño and bay leaves and you’re ready to go! Add the meat to a warmed corn tortilla and add chopped cilantro, diced white onion, quest fresco, and some salsa if you’d like. But honestly, the carnitas are SO FLAVORFUL that they could be eaten alone.
That’s it! Surprisingly simple but restaurant worthy carnitas tacos that will become part of your dinner repertoire in no time.
Irish potatoes were a staple in my house growing up around this time of year. My step dad and I would fight over them because they were that delicious. They were a treat that I somehow forgot about 99% of the year but absolutely could …
Everyone knows I love a good breakfast hash…and this one by far is the easiest to make. It comes out perfect every time, is to versatile and your family will come running back for more. On second thought, better double up! I say this time …
Chocolate covered strawberry- the flavor of Valentines day. Now take that and think…PUPPY CHOW! Now if you aren’t familiar with puppy chow, no it isn’t for dogs. It is simply Chex cereal coated in melted chocolate and powdered sugar. Some people may call it muddy buddies but it is all the same thing, and it is DELICIOUS!
I have recently decided that puppy chow is my thing. You can flavor it however you want and it is so simple to make. No baking involved. No time consuming steps. Just melt some chocolate, pour it over the cereal and toss with powdered sugar. Not to mention everyone loves it, especially kids!
Since Valentine’s Day is approaching, and we all need more desserts to serve on Valentine’s Day, I thought what better way to celebrate than with some puppy chow? But how do I fancy it up? How do I make is scream I LOVE YOU! BE MINE! CALL ME!…and then it hit me. Chocolate. Covered. Strawberry. It’s perfect! Regular old chocolate covered strawberries are so played out (although I love them dearly) why not switch it up with something fun and something that will last longer than the berries that are leaking juices and rotting beneath their chocolate in your fridge? Your loved ones would never expect it. Plus, left overs would be an awesome addition to school lunch…just saying!
You know what I love most about this recipe? It’s not the fact that it fully encompasses one of the best flavor combinations. Or that is is just that simple. It’s that it’s a fabulous way to celebrate your kids this Valentine’s Day. We always tend to focus on our significant others around this holiday. Going on fancy dates, buying expensive gifts, writing sentimental cards. While this is all great, maybe this year we can make it about the kids! Make them the puppy chow, they’ll be sure to love you for at least an hour!
Now lets get into the nitty gritty. This recipe calls for freeze dried strawberries and you might be asking yourself…WHERE THE HECK DO I BUY THOSE?! Easy answer- Walmart. I found mine at my local Walmart but I am sure they are available in other stores as well. They are probably more common than you think they are. Of course, if you don’t want to process them or don’t have a food processor or do a lot of things with powdered strawberry, you could always just buy a bag of it already powdered online, although its a bit pricier.
The process for this puppy chow is very straight forward- melt chocolate, pour over cereal, coat in strawberry/powdered sugar, the end. I’m telling you, there is absolutely nothing that is hard about making this except trying not to eat it all in one sitting!
Valentine’s Day is really all about the desserts, if we are being honest. We cook the meal, buy the presents, set up the decorations, but what we really want is something decadent and delicious! Now, I know we are all busy but that is not …
Chocolate chip cookies- Everyone needs a good one in their repertoire and this is mine. It is absolutely perfect in every way. You get the crisp outer edge with the soft chewy middle. Melty chocolate chips spread throughout giving you the best bite every time. …
ITS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! No, seriously…Andy Williams wasn’t lying about this one. These delicious gingersnap cookies are bursting with the strong flavor of molasses and the perfect amount of warming spice that will have you craving another. These CLASSIC GINGERSNAP COOKIES will have you in the holiday mood in no time.
When walking in the grocery store at holiday time, my family ALWAYS grabbed the Swetzel’s gingersnap cookies before we went anywhere near the check out line. They were a staple in our household. Well this year, I was determined to make my own version that could hold its own against a staple and let me tell you, these classic gingersnap cookies so not disappoint. They are spicy and chewy on the inside while being perfectly crisp on the outside.
The thing that I love about these cookies is that they are coated in a nice layer of turbinado sugar. It gives them the perfect crust and crunch that you love in a gingersnap cookie. That on top of the fact that they are so easy to make and come together in no time make these the perfect holiday pick me up! Dunk them in your coffee, spread the bottom with butter, or eat alone…you can’t go wrong!
The process for these cookies is super simple. Just some good ol’ straightforward mixing, scooping and baking. There is no chilling necessary for the dough and even the rolling in sugar is optional (although, in my opinion, its a must!). Start by creaming together the shortening and the butter… and I mean REALLY creaming them together.
Get them all cozy and accustomed to each other and then add in the sugar and do the same.
Next comes your molasses, because you cant have a gingersnap cookie without molasses!
Then add in your egg. Make sure you’re scraping down the sides of the bowl between ingredients to make sure everyone is getting the chance to meet each other!
Here come the dry ingredients! The baking soda in this recipe is super important because it is what gives those classic gingersnap cookie crinkles!
Now, the fun part. Scoop your dough (I used a standard sized cookie scoop) and drop them into a pool of turbinado sugar. Give them a nice winter coat and plop them onto your cookie sheet. Then press ’em down ever so slightly to help the spreading along and into the oven they go! Can you even wait 9 minutes?!
And there you have it. The most perfect gingersnap cookies. I promise they will have a permanent spot on your holiday baking list!
Have you ever been sitting in your car, running some errands or watching TV and BOOM! It hits you…like a ton of bricks…an idea you just cant get out of your head?? That’s exactly how these decadent and delicious peanut butter and jelly rendition of …
