Carnitas

Pork tacos! Yum! My husband grew up eating carnitas while growing up in San Diego and we've been looking for a good recipe to make at home. 

We've found it! You'll start enjoying the slow cooking aroma long before you put the first bite into your mouth, but it will be worth the wait. 

Be sure to finish your tacos off with cilantro and lime, plus any other favorite toppings.

(picture from all recipes.com)

Carnitas

Ingredients:

1 t. salt

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. cumin

½ t. crumbled dried oregano

½ t. ground coriander

¼ t. ground cinnamon

1 (4 lb.) boneless pork shoulder roast

2 bay leaves

2 C chicken broth

Toppings: cilantro, lime, salsa, onion, cheese

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat the pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

Serving: 10 (223 calories each)

Recipe Given By: allrecipes.com

Breaded Baked Tilapia

I made a quick, easy and delicious meal this week of baked fish. The picture included on Taste of Home showed green beans so I paired it with green beans, as well as, parmesan couscous. So yummy! This one is going right into my arsenal of go-to fish dishes.

Breaded Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

1 large egg
3/4 C soft bread crumbs (I just used dry Panko)
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. dried oregano
4 tilapia fillets (5 ounces each)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, garlic salt and oregano. In a second shallow bowl, use a fork to lightly beat one large egg.  Coat fillets first in the egg, then follow into crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Servings: 4
Recipe Given By: adapted from Taste of Home

(picture by Taste of Home)

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

We first had these kabobs at Tara's luau birthday party, but enjoyed them so much it will now become a staple summer grill food at our house! Super yummy served with rice and veggies.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

1/2 C reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 C unsweetened pineapple juice (we used the juice from the pineapple chunks below)
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinned chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. cubes
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
12 medium sized fresh mushrooms
18 cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion cut into chunks (our addition)
3 C. hot cooked rice

Combine first 8 ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes; let cool. Pour mixture into a shallow dish, add chicken. (My hubs uses a baggie.) Cover and marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Alternate chicken, pineapple, green pepper, mushroom, tomato and onion on 12 7-inch skewers.  Grill over hot coals 20 minutes or until done, turning and basting frequently with marinade.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

Yield: 6 servings.
Recipe Given by: Cooks.com

Poppy Seed Chicken

I first had this dish at our Small Group Bible Study and my family begged me to get the recipe. It's a tasty dish  - great for a potluck or meal to someone in need.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked & cut into bite-size
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C sour cream
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1 T. soy sauce
1 tube of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter, melted
2 T. poppy seeds

Mix together the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and spices. Pour into a glass 9x13 inch dish.  Mix the Ritz crackers, melted butter and poppy seeds. Sprinkle on top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Recipe Given by: Susan Rebeiz

There are lots of Poppy Seed Chicken recipes on the web, like this one. 

I just might give a few of them a try and see which one we like best.

Butterfinger Cookies

There's a new treat in town (my little home-town, that is.)

I like a good warm cookie, but I would say that cookies, in general, don't temp me. I can pass up a cookie.  However, this one might just be the ONE...the one that does me in. I love it's peanut-y goodness and the delicious chunks of Butterfinger. When you open the container the nutty goodness greets you and the chewy cookie calls your name...at least mine.  Enjoy!

Butterfinger Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
2/3 C packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/4 C chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 C flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
5 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 oz each), chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg whites; beat well. Blend in peanut butter and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in candy bars. Shape into 1 1/2 in. balls and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.

Yields: 4 dozen
Recipe by: Taste of Home

So Yummy!

Coated Cookie Drops

I've got one more cookie we make at Christmastime, but it could be made at any other time of the year.

Coated Cookie Drops

Ingredients: 

 1 pkg (20 oz) oreos (1 pkg, plus another 1/3)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 bags of candy coating, coarsely chopped for dipping
1 bag of candy coating, coarsely chopped for drizzle

 Place the cookies in a food processor; cover and process until finely crushed. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and crushed cookies until blended. Roll into 3/4-in. balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt candy coating for dipping, stirring until smooth; dip the balls to completely coat. Place on waxed paper until hardened. Melt and drizzle remainder candy coating over balls. Store in the refrigerator.

Servings: about 7-1/2 dozen.

Recipe Given By: Taste of Home

These are the first to be eaten!

Snowmen Cookies

Here's a highlight of Christmas baking day 2012.

The gang is working on Snowmen cookies, probably their favorite creative "dish" of the season.

Why do you ask?

Because over the years our snowmen have morphed into aliens, cartoon characters and even Ipods.  There's rarely a snowman among the creations. I think the snowman 2nd from right bottom row was Grandma's.  The clown (center) was a new idea this year. Thank you, Rhett.

This recipe is basically candy-coated Nutter Butters. How can you go wrong with that! It's snowman season for the next couple of months; these would make a fun treat.

Snowmen Cookies 

Ingredients:

(16 ounces) Nutter Butter cookies
1-1/4 pounds white candy coating, melted
Miniature chocolate chips M & M's
minis Pretzel sticks, halved
Orange and red decorating gel

Using tongs, dip cookies in candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Place two chocolate chips on one end of cookies for eyes. Place M & M's down middle for buttons. For arms, dip ends of two pretzel stick halves into coating; attach one to each side. Let stand until set. Pipe nose and scarf with gel or frosting.

Servings: 32 cookies
Recipe by: Taste of Home