CrockPot Hirino Psito, Slow-Roasted Pork

CrockPot Hirino Psito, Slow-Roasted Pork

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder
• 10 whole garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup beer

Directions:

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your crockpot, and pour on dry spices, and brown sugar. Flip the meat over a few times in the stoneware so the spices are kind of stuck to all sides. Peel garlic cloves and add whole. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, and cranberries. Top with bay leaves. Pour in the beer.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. I cooked on low for 12 hours, and while the meat was tender and flavorful, it did burn a bit on the top and sides. Serve over rice or pasta, or on your favorite sandwich rolls.


Source: Crockpot365 Blogger


My Notes: I liked it, but Dan did not. I thought it was better the second day, reheated with a little barbecue sauce. Honestly, since it was better the second day, I'm not likely to make it again soon. I'd rather just make a pulled pork in the crockpot to begin with...

Sprinkles (California) Cupcake Frosting

At the last GOMOTT meeting one of the girls made cupcakes to share. She bounded over to me and proclaimed she made them just for me. I admit, I felt pretty special. :-) Anyway, I raved over how cute they were and immediately ate one. (I then proceeded to sneak out of the meeting to grab a second one when no one was looking, but don't tell anyone!) I asked her for the frosting recipe, because really, that's why I even eat cupcakes. She shared her recipe with me, and I'm going to share it with you.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine butter sugar and salt. Beat until blended.

2. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Source: RecipeZaar

This stuff is great. It's perfect to use when you want to put a fancy decorator tip on a piping bag and decorate away. I only wish I had a picture to share of her cupcakes. So good!

Beer Bread

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 12oz beer (I like Amber Bock)
• 3 C. self rising flour
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar and cheese; stir in beer. Dough will be sticky.
3. Pour into prepared loaf pan and cover with melted butter.
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then turn out and serve.

Source: Me, thanks to some Internet reseach

My notes: I started making beer bread after having some at a Tastefully Simple party. This recipe tastes so close to the mix from Tastefully Simple that you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference! In fact, the only difference I can see is TS Beer Bread costs $5.00 for the mix, plus the beer and this recipe does not! I did some research online and took several recipes into account and then created this one. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

• 2 pounds browned ground beef
  
• 1 onion, chopped and sauteed with the beef
• 1 beer
• 1 15 oz can corn
• 1 15 oz can black beans
• 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
• 2 cans Rotel (hot or mild)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 pack ranch dressing mix
• 1 pack taco seasoning

Directions:
Dump all ingredients in a big ol' crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh chopped onions, broken up tortilla chips and beer bread.

Source: Southern Living, doctored up by me

My notes: This is another recipe I like to make for a family who has just had a baby, or needs a meal, especially in the fall/winter, although I did make this for a friend last month (yes, in June) and it was well received!

Frosted Cranberries

Frosted Cranberries

I have been asked for this recipe so many times that I've lost count. So, without further ado, here it is.



Frosted Cranberries

1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup sugar
1 bag FRESH cranberries
2 cups confectioners sugar (or more)

1) Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until all the sugar has melted. Remove from burner and cool completely. (This can be done by putting your saucepan in the freezer for five minutes or so.)

2. Wash and pat dry fresh cranberries. Pull out any that are soft and squishy and discard those.

3. Now you will need one or two dinner plates (last time I made these I needed a fresh one halfway through) and one or two clean, dry cookie sheets. Assemble your line. Cranberries, sugar water, dinner plate and cookie sheet all in a row.

4. On your dinner plate, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. (You will do this repeatedly throughout the process.)

5. Place a handful of cranberries in the sugar water. Scoop out the handful of cranberries with one hand (this is your wet hand) and drop them gently in the confectioners sugar. With your dry hand (which will get really gross!), gently roll the wet cranberries in the confectioners sugar, coating them completely. With your DRY hand, scoop them up and put them on a cookie sheet. Repeat this process until all cranberries are frosted.

6. These are better made the day before you plan to serve them. Also, the longer they sit out on the cookies sheets without being covered, the better they are.

These are super easy to make, and I've never actually sat down and typed out the recipe until just now. One year when Dan and I traveled to Minnesota for the holidays his mother was making these. I followed her lead and helped out that year. We've had them in Minnesota every Thanksgiving since! Dan and I brought the "recipe" home to Orlando and have been making them for holidays, parties and even gifts for years. The "recipe" has been given out at countless events. I hope you find them as easy to make and as good to eat as our family does! :-)

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 15-20 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Dash of Lemon Pepper
  
• Salt & Pepper

Directions: Place chicken thighs and garlic cloves in baking dish and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Pour olive oil, lemon juice and lemon pepper over the chicken. Cover chicken with thin lemon slices. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes. Serve with rice.

Source: B. Knowlen

My notes: I've only made this once, but it is so good. I should make this again!

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
• 1 small orange
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly

Directions: Peel, core and finely chop apples. Chop kiwi and strawberries. Place in bowl and zest and orange over mixture. Cut and juice orange and pour liquid over the fruit. Add brown sugar and apple jelly and mix gently. Refrigerate.

Cinnamon Chip Ingredients:

• 4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Let cinnamon chips cool and then serve with salsa.

Source: K. Dodzweit

My notes: The only change I would make to this is to buy Cinnamon Chips instead of making them. This is a nice, light salsa, perfect for a luncheon appetizer.