Oven Kalua Pork

Oven Kalua Pork

I make this recipe all the time because it is so yummy, it is so quick - I am done before the oven even finished pre heating, I have all the ingredients on hand all the time (I only have to buy the roast) and because it makes a lot! Ross and I will eat it for dinner the first night with rice and steamed veggies. For the rest of the week we use it to make different dinners (i.e. I make the BBQ sauce found here, serve it on hamburger buns with a salad or corn on the cob if it is corn season one night. We will use it with beans, rice, guacamole and salsa the next night in burritos. I will use it with this sweet and sour sauce , add pineapple tidbits and chopped green peppers over rice another night). Pretty much anything goes. But then it only takes 15 minutes to make dinner the rest of the week - which is how I roll

1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 small piece of fresh ginger root, crushed (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
1 clove garlic, minced
5-6 pounds boneless pork roast
1 tsp. liquid wood smoke flavoring

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. Mix well. Lay 3 sheets of aluminum foil out, one on top of another. Place roast in center of aluminum foil; rub with soy sauce mixture and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Fold all 3 sheets of aluminum foil over top of roast and secure tightly. Place wrapped meat in a baking pan. Roast at 375 for 5 hours. Shred the pork before serving.

** Recipe from the Lion House Entertaining Cookbook**

Mint Brownies

Mint Brownies

I love these brownies because they are easy to make and I always have the stuff on hand to make them. Enjoy!

First Layer:
2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. Salt
2/3 Cup Baking Cocoa
1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Second Layer:

3 cups Powered Sugar
3 Tbsp. Milk
6 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. mint flavoring extract
couple of drops of green food coloring (I use red and also orange for different holidays)
Blend all ingredients together and then spread on cooled brownies. Place into freezer for 30 to 60 minutes to set.

Third Layer:
4-5 Tbsp. Butter
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Melt in microwave oven and stir until melted. Pour over top of mint frosting. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

Magic in the Middle Cookies

(picture from My Kitchen Cafe)
Magic in the Middle Cookies
from King Arthur Flour Blog
Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
4. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
5. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls. (after I formed them into balls, they were pretty sticky, so I froze them for a little while, and it made it a lot easier to work with.)
6. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
7. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
9. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
10. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
11. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell the chocolate. Remove from the oven and cool on the rack. (I couldn't tell when they were done so I cooked them longer, and I overcooked them. They came out hard on the bottom, still good, but not as soft...so make sure you only cook them 7-9 min)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4-6 Tbsp shortening or butter

About 1 and 1/4 cups warm water

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt

Cut in shortening or butter

Add water little by little, not allowing dough to get sticky

Separate into 12 equal parts and roll out into tortilla shaped flats

Either bake tortillas under the broiler for about 30-60 seconds each side or pan-fry them in a frying pan for a few seconds each side

Enjoy!