Pulled pork sandwiches

I made this slow cooker pulled pork recipe for my company last weekend. I made it the weekend before through step 4, then froze. 2 hours before serving put the mostly thawed pulled pork back in the crock-pot combined with 1 cup bbq sauce. Todd LOVED this recipe and so did both boys. I know you are thinking, "you let Blake eat this?", but yes he LOVED it too! I am all about giving babies whatever the rest of the family is eating, but I really thought this was going to be too spicy for him because it does have a little bit of a kick. I was out running errands when Todd shredded the meat and gave some to Blake. He couldn't get enough! :) I found the recipe here.

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 cup barbecue sauce

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes(longer if you froze the pork), until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Ashley's blueberry oat bars

Ashley made us these delicious bars after we brought Blake home from the hospital. They are great for breakfast or a snack. The original recipe is from Real Food magazine.

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6 T butter, chilled
3/4 cup milk
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350
1. Combine oats, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and add to flour/oat mixture using a pastry blender or 2 forks.
2. In a separate bowl combine milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Add to oat mixture until combined. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a 9 x 12 pan. Set aside remaining 1/3 oat mixture.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and 1 cup frozen blueberries in mini food processor. Add to remaining 1 cup blueberries and spread over oat mixture. Crumble remaining oat mixture on top of blueberries.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. These also freeze well if individually wrapped.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I found this recipe off another blog, but I altered it just a little. It was originally called Bourbon chicken, but it doesn't have any Bourbon in it, so I decided to rename it! :)

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup orange/apple juice
1/4 cup agave nector or brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce


I usually prepare this the night before and let it marinade, but the recipe will work if you don't let it sit overnight. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and then mix all of the ingredients below the olive oil together and pour into a ziploc bag and add the chicken (you can make a double batch so you have one for later and put it in the freezer!) .

The next day remove chicken from marinade, but reserve the marinade. Cook chicken in olive oil until done. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add reserved marinade plus cornstarch to the same pan. Once this mixture comes to a simmer add the chicken back in. Bring to a hard boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. I also served this with steamed broccoli and carrots

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

I made this for my mom's birthday dinner and everyone enjoyed it. I love anything with sun-dried tomatoes. I got this recipe from a co-worker.

Ingredients:
8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Cook onion and butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, seasonings, salt/pepper, chicken, cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, and half of the Parmesan. Transfer to a 9 x 12 baking dish. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until golden.