...aND NoW THe FiNiSHeD PRoDuCT

I've been slaving in the kitchen for the last 20+ hours and now it's time to reap the rewards of my labor :o)



I'm including a photo of tonight's dinner. I'm already planning future meals since I only had 4 mouths to feed with this one, I have PLENTY of leftovers. I'm thinking chimichangas or enchiladas, or both!

You can freeze this with some of the juices for a later meal. This could easily be one of those recipes that you can make several meals out of it. I'm even thinking some type of rolled up lasagne roll would be great with this :o)

I hope you give this recipe a chance. I've never made it with anything other than a boston butt pork roast but I'm sure you can easily substitute a pork loin roast. There is no additional liquid needed in this, I'm sure you noticed that immediately after reading the recipe. If you are using a leaner cut, I would definitely recommend adding some liquid to the pot before starting. Since I used the boston butt roast, I needed to add NO other liquids and I have a lot of juices remaining. If you are squeamish about fat, you can refrigerate this the day before and then remove the fat with a spoon and toss as the fat will solidify overnight. I just ladled it off of the top and disposed of it in the garbage after it cooled.

Enjoy :o)

KaLua PiG... MiNuS aLL THe WoRK :o)

I came across this recipe on allrecipes a while back and have made it several times. I've never had a complaint and rarely have leftovers! Quite a feat considering that I usually use a roast upwards of 8 pounds :o)

I think it's an outstanding recipe, perfect for company coming or your next 'non'cookout. This is one of those recipes that people will think you spent a long time slaving over the stove and it just comes down to having a few key ingredients.

Hawaiian Sea Salt is a great salt for roasting any meats. I absolutely LOVE it for PRiMe RiB! It does a great job adding to the flavor of this simple recipe. I love recipes that call for liquid smoke, I got the Pecan version from my soul sista, K and I have to say, it's my FaVoRiTe. I also like hickory flavored liquid smoke on occasion and find that I tend to use mesquite the least. I think mesquite leaves a slight aftertaste in the mouth(imho), something I'm not fond of.



I also recommend a nice crockpot :o) It's all about the tools and having the right tools for the job. Pina is always testifying to that effect, although for her it is mostly skill. She does have a 'magic pot' that does a fine job of cooking anything that touches it :o) It just may be magic after all. My hubby got me this crockpot a year or so ago 'JuST BeCauSe ' (just because he loves good food). :o) He bought it at another store that is in my Top 10, really really close to number one actually...Williams Sonoma. This crockpot is not only an amazing 6.5 quart capacity (perfect for entertaining or large families or families with GROWING CHILDREN.)... anyway, I digress...it also can be set up for long periods of time. Another great feature of this is the High/Low/Warm temperature settings and it's ability to switch from high or low to warm automatically. That makes it sooooo worth it in my book :o) The insert is a black ceramic, easy to clean and looks beautiful on any table. Any crockpot can be used, but this really puts the 'set it and forget it' into cooking this dish.


Here is the recipe, compliments of Kay:

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker
"This is a simple way of making traditional Hawaiian kalua pig without having to dig a hole in your back yard."

Original recipe yield:
12 servings

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 20 Hrs
READY IN 20 Hrs 10 Min


INGREDIENTS
1 (6 pound) pork butt roast
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
DIRECTIONS
Pierce pork all over with a carving fork. Rub salt then liquid smoke over meat. Place roast in a slow cooker.
Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time.
Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.


I'm including some photos of the before and will be posting the delicious results tomorrow :O). I hope you try this one. I like to serve this pork with King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. They now make a sandwich size (which I was unable to locate), ergo I bought the dinner roll size version. I would use the smaller ones for a potluck or for entertaining.

Now I ask you...Could there be a more perfect recipe for 'MAN' night???



Last year when we had our roof replaced, I made this along with lumpia and supplied endless water for the laborers. I think they did a fine job on our roof and totally appreciated the effort. When I look at my roof, I remember how hot it was that day and the unlikely smiles on their faces while doing such a labor intensive job.

Relax and create your OWN memories (with a little help from your crockpot). :o)

TRaDeR Joe'S To THe ReSCue aGaiN!

On our recent trip to Trader Joe's, we purchased the homemade style flour tortillas and sun-dried tomato & basil tortillas on a whim. I usually make my own tortillas but I'm always looking for a good substitute because frankly, I don't always feel like making homemade tortillas. I cannot, however, enjoy a meal made with store bought tortillas if they have that 'odd' taste. I'm sure you know what I mean...like they've been sitting in plastic on the grocery store shelves for a while.

Trader Joe's has pulled it off! They have accomplished something that many a tortilla manufacturer has been unable to do in my book. When we lived in San Diego several years back, we used to go to a butcher called the 'Iowa Meat Farms'. I'm not sure if they are still in existence but they used to carry tortillas that were like homemade in that you would have to lightly cook them before eating. Why more manufacturers don't do that is beyond me. Maybe the shelf life isn't so long... but I'm sure they are better for you and they definitely tasted better.

These were definitely worth blogging about. If you are fortunate enough to live close to a Trader Joe's (or crazy enough to drive nearly one hour to get to one), you must try these tortillas. Very delicious! So good I ate one PLAIN! I did follow the serving instructions found on the plain flour tortilla package.

Here's wishing you many happy tortilla dinners :o) Pick some up for your next tortilla creation!

iNDuLGeNCe, THY NaMe iS TRuFFLeS (aND WHY i LoVe WoRLD MaRKeT...)

I love a slow day. I enjoy the slower pace and today was one of those days for us. We went for a Sunday drive to Newport News today to visit 2 of my favorite stores and came back with a few goodies. We went to Trader Joe's and World Market. I just love TJ's! What a great selection of food and you cannot beat the prices! We got 2 new bottles of wine to try. We are red wine drinkers and they have such a great selection! It's hard to make a choice. I always see so much great stuff there, I get inspired! I'm really hoping they build one in Virginia Beach, that would be much closer! Still, it's well worth the drive :o)

What can I say? Nothing speaks to a girl's heart more than chocolate and what better form of chocolate than truffles :o) Needless to say, after the World Market portion of our shopping trip, I'm a happy woman!

What a deal! These little babies came in a box that weighed 42.33 ounces and there are 3 individual foil bags with them inside. Very handy since I need absolutely NO excuses to overindulge,such as 'if I don't eat them, they'll go bad.' Or, 'there's only half a bag left'. You get the point :o) Especially with these since one serving equals 4! That's right. F. O. U. R ! Who can do that? (Was that a giveaway?)

There's no describing the melt in your mouth creaminess that erupts when you place one of these in your mouth. YuM-Me-LiCiouS! These are definitely a must have around the holidays and I am feeling an anxiety attack coming on worrying about whether or not it's a regularly stocked product. I'm mentally planning my next trip :o)

Looking for a tiny indulgence with a smooth finish? Give these a taste. Fantastic for entertaining. I would recommend dusting with a little more chocolate. I am DEFINITELY going to need some serious self-control to ignore this desire for more TRuFFLeS!