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As promised, I’m posting the recipe for a slow-cooker pork roast “barbecue.” All of the die hards out there will shudder to think that I could do something like barbecue in a crock pot, but it works for me. So there.

This little experiment started when Boston butt pork roast went on sale for $.97 a pound a week ago. I bought a 10 lb. roast, cut it in half, and froze one half to use for later. The other half, covered in a mix of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black papper, went into a skillet where it was seared on all sides. I can’t skip that part of the process because the caramelization that happens to the meat when seared adds such depth of flavor. Must.not.drool.

So, after it was seared, I put the roast into a crock pot and poured 40 oz. of beer (Sierra Nevada pale ale, to be exact) over the top. Then, I added 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce and 1 T. of ground cinnamon. Put the lid on, left it alone for 8 hours on high, and voila. Slow roasted pork, perfect for bbq sandwiches. This fed our family for a good four meals. All for around $6. Crazy! And if you’re wondering, by the end of the cooking process, all of the alcohol was cooked out, leaving a tender, juicy roast. Yumm yumm.

Slow-cooked Pork Roast
Adapted from a shared recipe from Katey.

Ingredients:
2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. paprika
2 t. black pepper
1 T. garlic powder
1 5-6 lb. pork roast
40 oz. beer
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 T. ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Mix first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub mixture into roast. Place roast in a skillet over medium-high heat, and sear on all sides, approx 2 minutes per side.

2. Put roast in a large crockpot. Add remaining ingredients, stir to dissolve sugar, and cover. Cook on high for 8-9 hours.

3. Take roast out of the crockpot and allow to sit for approximately 30 minutes. Shred with two forks (meat should fall off the bone, so this isn’t difficult at all). Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Filed under: Recipes on February 5th, 2010 | 4 Comments »

To put it mildly, over the past week, life snuck up and bit me in the ass. Tons of designing, family stuff. I could go on and on. Alas, my dear blog has been neglected. But I’m back. With some fun recipes and follow-ups.

First of all, I am rocking at managing our laundry. As previously mentioned, this has been an issue and struggle for me. One thing I’m realizing is that I don’t have to have instructions for how to manage day to day activities. My perfectionist self would like to have a handbook for all of life’s situations, but, obviously, this isn’t realistic. And when it all boils down, that probably wouldn’t be much fun. I just try to knock out a load or two of laundry a day (no real schedule) and it has worked marvelously. Go me.

Second of all, making homemade pork barbecue isn’t as intimidating as I thought. And a slow-cooker recipe works, regardless of what others might tell you. Tune in for the recipe tomorrow.

And lastly, spending an hour in bed with my husband, snuggling up to watch a House episode can break my stone-cold heart. I’m thankful for the work we’re putting into our marriage. I’m thankful for our daily commitment to make something beautiful out of what we have together, faults and all.

Currently reading Crazy for God by Frank Schaeffer (son of Francis Schaeffer, the late renown Christian Evangelist and author of books like The God Who is There and True Spirituality). I am… both saddened and comforted thus far. More to come.

Currently listening to Lady Antebellum (particularly “Run to You”), Joshua Radin (“Star Mile”), and Kings of Leon (“Sex on Fire” and “Notion”). Check them all out. You will not be disappointed.

Filed under: Family, Reading on February 5th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

You won’t find me eating mayo in or on anything else, but for chicken salad, I make an exception. And when I saw that chicken was 97c a pound at one of our local grocery stores, don’t you know that I stocked up big time.

I typically buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts somewhere between $2.10 and $2.30 a pound. While cheaper than beef, it’s still an expense that I like to cut down on. One way I’ve done this recently is by purchasing split chicken breasts instead of boneless/skinless. While a little more time-consuming to make, I find a couple more minutes (seriously, it’s not much time at all) is worth the dollar (or more) per pound I’m saving. Plus they go on sale more often, too.

Some don’t consider chicken salad a healthy meal choice, but I do. Especially when I make it myself, because I use about half the amount of mayo than most restaurants. Plus, if I use high quality mayo that’s enriched with flaxseed oil (omega 3s!) and add double helpings of celery and grapes, it’s a pretty good lunch alternative.

Ellie’s Favorite Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2 T. mayo
1/8 c. pineapple juice
5-6 cups of cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1 c. red seedless grapes, halved
1/8 c. pecans, chopped and toasted

Directions:
1. Combine mayo and pineapple juice in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.

2. Add celery and pecans, and stir to combine. Fold in grapes.

3. Chill for 15 minutes; best served cold between slices of whole grain bread, atop a greens salad, or inside a hollowed-out tomato (thanks, Lydia!).

I have tried umpteen recipes for chicken salad, and for me, this is the best by far. The perfect balance of crunch and creaminess, between sweet and tangy. I just can’t get enough.

Filed under: Recipes on January 25th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

It’s about this time every year when I start dreaming of springtime. Of course, it’s in the mid-fifties right now, but everything, for the most part, is still dark, dank, and depressing. One thing I like about design is that it transposes me to other places, and the design at left is one example. Commissioned to design wedding invitations for a possible September wedding with a sunflower theme, I got a creative bee in my bonnet and started trying some new Photoshop techniques (noise filters, etc.) to create the perfect design with a simplistic yet whimsical feel. Of course, we will probably go through numerous revisions (my favorite part of the design process, actually), but this is our starting point, and I’m pretty happy with it.

Sunflowers remind me of eating sunflower seeds and peanuts at baseball games with my dad, running trails at the Agricenter this past summer, and spending the night with my friend, Laurie, during middle school when the Sunflowers perfume was all the rage.

So, even in the midst of this gloomy winter weather, my mind (and attitude, no doubt) has been spirited and joyful, remembering treasured time with people I love, people who have helped make me the person I am today.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” – Helen Keller

Filed under: Design on January 21st, 2010 | No Comments »