Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

I admit, I'm a total Dr. Pepper addict, so when I came across this recipe (found at Crockin' Girls) I knew it had to be good!  It definitely did not disappoint and what is even better is I didn't have to heat up my kitchen because you  make it in your crock pot. :)

Ingredients

• 1 Bone-in Pork Shoulder
• Seasonings for pork (Season salt, garlic powder, pepper etc)
• 3/4 Cup BBQ Sauce
• 1 Can Dr. Pepper

Directions

1. Step One

   Season the pork (the night before or the day of) and place it in the slow-cooker. I used Lawry's Season salt, pepper, dried onion flakes, cayenne pepper & some minced garlic.

2. Step Two

   Then add the BBQ sauce and soda, and turn the heat to low.

3. Step Three

   Let it cook for about eight hours, or until you return home.

4. Step Four

   Shred it with two forks, remove any skin/bone/gross bits, and let the remaining meat soak up all the sauce.

I served it with homemade rolls and veggies with ranch.  Hawaiian sweet rolls would be really good too.

 

Julia Child's White Sandwich Bread

I had this genius idea that I wanted to start making my own bread instead of buying it from the store, but the trick was finding a really good/easy recipe that I could make every week.  After SEVERAL failed attempts at some recipes, I tried making this recipe (which I found over at Dinner With Julie) and it was super easy and super yummy.  The first time I made it, we noticed that it was really missing something....it needed more sugar, so the next time I made it, I added 4 TBS and it was perfect.  So now, I guess you can say that we are homemade bread snobs. :)

Julia Child’s White Sandwich Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
4-5 Tbsp. sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, softened

Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl (preferably that of a stand mixer) and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, unit foamy. (If the yeast doesn’t do anything, toss it out and buy fresh yeast.)

Add the rest of the water and 3 1/2 cups of the flour. Stir until well blended. Add the rest of the flour, the salt and butter and stir with the dough hook (or by hand) until well combined and shaggy.

Continue to knead (I let the dough hook go for about 8 minutes, poking it down once in awhile) until it’s smooth and elastic. You could do this by hand, too. If you used the dough hook, turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead a few times to make sure it’s evenly smooth.

Shape it into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until it’s doubled in size.

Butter two 4″x8″ loaf pans. Punch the dough down (love that part!) and pat each piece into a rectangle that’s about 9″x12″ – or a bit bigger than a standard piece of paper.

Starting at a short end, fold it in thirds, like a letter. Place seam side down in the loaf pans, tucking the ends in. Cover with the tea towel again and leave them for an hour, until they puff right up out of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the loaves are honey brown. Immediately turn the loaves out of their pans and onto a rack to cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

I had some bananas sitting on my counter that just kept getting more ripe by the day and I finally got around to making some banana bread.  I went looking on Pinterest to find a yummy new recipe and I think I found one that I will keep making over and over.  I found the recipe on Heidi Bakes and the struesel center she uses is beyond amazing.  I don't think I'll ever make banana bread without it!

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons buttermilk or milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease one loaf pan
2. Mix sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, buttermilk, and bananas in a mixing bowl. Combine completely.
3. Add in flour, soda, and salt, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts.
4. Pour into the pan, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts over the top of the batter slightly pressing in the walnuts.
5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Use a tester to check if it is cooked internally.
6. Cool and remove from the pan.

Struesel Layer
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(these are approximate amounts. add more or less struesel, depending on your taste)

Mix together & sprinkle the mixture over a thin layer of batter in a prepared loaf pan. Cover with additional batter and bake.

The best homemade ice cream. Ever.

Whenever we get together with Bo's family, it is always mandatory that my brother in law make his famous homemade ice cream.  Nothing beats homemade ice cream, but this recipe takes it to a whole new level.  You will seriously be the talk of the party if you make this for your next get together. :)

For 1 gallon of ice cream:

3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
1 quart 1/2 & 1/2
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Mix all together and then add what ever flavoring you are wanting to make (i.e. 4 bananas & walnuts or 1 1/2 cartons of frozen sweetened strawberries. We also love the mint oreos!)

Pack ice around the canister and add rock salt to the ice and let the machine work its magic.

Enjoy!!

MEXICAN STREET CORN

It's summer and that means BBQ time--and here in AZ that means 100+ temps--today 115, no joke!! However, we endure this heat so we can brag about our weather from Oct-May.  No shoveling or sliding off the roads!

This is a great variation to the normal corn-on-the cob and can be done on the grill or in the oven under the broiler.  You can even boil the corn first if you don't want to grill it, then just slather on the mixture.  Delicious either way. My daughter-in-law found this recipe and it reminded me of the street corn I ate as I grew up as a child (in Mexico).  I know there are lots of you who don't like mayonnaise so there is an option to use Mexican "crema". You can buy it in most grocery stores--it's a slightly sweeter version of sour cream.  Also, the Mexican "cotija" cheese is sometimes hard to find--it's crumbly and salty, thus you can use feta or goat. I use goat--it's a little milder.  

6 ears of fresh, sweet corn, shucked and silk removed
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. mayonnaise or Mexican crema
1/2 cube softened butter (1/4 c.)
2 T. minced fresh cilantro--I use more
1 oz. of crumbled feta, goat or Mexican cotija cheese
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 clove fresh garlic, minced very fine
1 t. mild red chili powder

If grilling the corn, place on your outdoor grill and cook just until done and lightly browned.  If broiling in oven, place rack 5 inches from top broiler and coat all the ears of corn lightly with the 1 T. olive oil.  Broil for 10 minutes, turn and broil for 10 minutes more, just until beginning to lightly brown.  If boiling corn, add to boiling water for 5 minutes and remove.  

Mix mayo (or crema) softened butter, cilantro, cheese, lime juice, garlic and chili powder together in a bowl.  I actually pulsed all this in a food processor for just a few minutes.  Brush onto hot corn with a pastry brush.  Serve with extra lime wedges if you like.  So delicious!!