GF Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

I know, I'm "on a diet" (I hate that but eating plan just makes me sound like an ass). Last week, my CrossFit Challenge team rocked the Paleo Potluck at Mary's Ridiculous House (Her kitchen is the size of my entire downstairs!) and my coach, as a treat to our sugar-starved and dessert-loving bodies made us these. I was skeptical at first. No sugar? NO SUGAR? But then again, wouldn't it defeat the point if it did? She did make a few Paleo-friendly substitutions that I kept in, and another one that I made just because I'm reasonably certain that in a fit of pique a few months pre-Paleo, I chucked my bottle of grapeseed oil. The original recipe is lovingly hijacked and then twisted from Elana's Pantry (www.elanaspantry.com) - THE site for gluten free deliciousness.

GF Deliciousness

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (73% cacao preferred - you won't find this in the baking aisle)
• ¼ cup coconut flour (sold in the bulk section of Sprouts for far, far less than the Red Mill GF)
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt (I used McCormick Grinder's Sea Salt. $2? Sold!)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey (we used this instead of agave nectar and it was AWESOME)
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
• (My addition - 1 tablespoon of hot/warm/cold/whatever coffee)*
  
1. Place ½ cup chocolate chips in food processor
2. Pulse in coconut flour, salt and baking soda until combined
3. Pulse in eggs, honey, oil, coffee and vanilla
4. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pyrex dish
   

So, as you can see above. I multilated this recipe. Took it out back and just beat it. I didn't even use the darn chocolate chips because (shock) my Walmart was really lacking in quality chocolate. I marched over to the candy bar aisle, girded my loins, and grabbed two bars of Lindt 70%. They worked like a charm! But a dessert that is good at taking substitutions and my husband and inlaws loved and I could eat? AWESOME. This isn't really "paleo" but truly, it's as close as you're going to get with chocolate!

*I add coffee because in any recipe containing chocolate - it just takes it to the next level. It makes chocolate have this insane depth of flavor. I used to cheat and add it to boxed brownie mix all the time - your coworkers will love and hate you at the same time

Brussel Sprouts and Kale? Oh my!

As many of you know, I love bread. I don't just mean, prefer it over other things - I mean love it. Stomach hurts? It's time for bread and ginger ale! Staying in for movie night? How about a warm grilled cheese? In fact, back in the old days (read: a few years ago), if I had a bad day at work, I would stop and pick up a loaf of warm french bread from the market, come home, and eat the whole damned thing. Not a great habit.

For Crossfit, I signed up for my I Am Crossfit Challenge - the same one I did last year, but in a heavier/harder weight class. Not that I'm heavier (though now that I think about it...) but I'll be using heavier weights, and having to do band pullups instead of jumping. Running portion is still the same, though I hope to not stop to walk at all this year. That's a big goal for me in and of itself. In order to not revamp my whole eating style when this kicks off this weekend, I've been sneaking in little changes here and there since after Christmas.

Currently, I'm opting for a more paleo/zone style of eating. No bread. None. It's a little rough the first week, but now I'm rocking! :) In this quest, I have discovered that I actually like brussel sprouts. No really. I do. Same with kale! You might not want this recipe as it's got some fat going on (DELICIOUS!) but it's a good way to start expanding your circle of veggies in a delicious way.

Kale or Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, Shallots and Garlic

• Either one bunch kale or half pound of brussel sprouts
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• One shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 ounces of thickly sliced pancetta (you can sub bacon!)

If you're using kale - make sure you rip the leafy parts off and discard the stem. It's very, very bitter and doesn't cook into anything you'd want to eat. If using brussel sprouts, cut them either in half length-wise, or in quarters length-wise.

Turn your stove on medium heat, and melt the tablespoon of butter in the pan. Once this is melted, toss in your pancetta and let it cook 5-7 minutes or until they're deliciously cruchy browned bits. Add in the shallots and the garlic and stir around for a minute or so until they start to soften. Do not let the garlic burn!

Now, if you're using kale - you toss it in here and let it cook for 6-8 minutes until it's turned a deeper, electric green color and is wilted and cooked. Raw kale is not great. Make sure you're moving the pancetta and the garlic and tossing it all together. This will make sure that the garlic doesn't burn and that your leafy greens are covered in deliciousness.

If you're using brussel sprouts, toss them in the pan and leave them alone for about 5 minutes. You want to stir them once to make sure they're covered in the butter/rendered pancetta. You want to get those crispy brown spots on the brussel sprouts. If you're worried that you're going to cook them too long - you can always cook them before the garlic and shallots, and then add those last (make sure to cook the garlic for at least 2 minutes to get rid of that raw garlic taste!)

I promise, it will taste much better than you think!

Nefarious but delicious...

Part of my new workout plan includes fattening up all my coworkers so I look smaller. Nefarious, but at least they'll die happy. I've been working all week on the secret Marco-family-recipe chocolate bark, my famous 81-calorie cookies, and finally, Peanut Butter Kiss cookies. These last lovelies are not even remotely healthy, unless you'd like to make the argument that peanut butter contains a lot of healthy fats and proteins. :)

The recipe below is for a triple batch (36 or so cookies) but you can by all means split it into one dozen each and enjoy that way... but your coworkers will never get fat off only a dozen. ;)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
- 3 cups Smooth Peanut Butter (I've used Jif reduced fat with good results)
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 bag dark chocolate or milk chocolate Hershey kisses

That's right. This has no flour. None at all. Trust me, it'll be okay. I use the confectioner's sugar to stiffen the batter up a bit, the brown sugar for some depth of flavor and the white sugar for some pure sweetness. Now, bust out your hand mixer and beat it to death (1-2 minutes generally works). I refrigerate my dough for about 20-30 minutes just to make it easier to scoop out and less sticky. Place on a greased or lined cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes (you can tell when they're done) in an oven set to 350. When they're done, pull them out and immediately press hershey kiss into the middle. I leave them on the cookie sheet for another 3-5 minutes just to let them settle a bit more.

One year, already?

It's hard to believe that Aaron and I have been married for a year already! We were lucky enough to spend our anniversary in Las Vegas and while my husband won first place in a national shooting competition - I won first place in the "best wife ever" category for sharing our anniversary with a national shooting competition. ;)

My best friend in the whole, wide world lives in Las Vegas and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful dinner with Deb and her awesome boyfriend, Barry at Mon Ami Gabi. My husband and I ignored our pledge to eat well, and instead - just ate like total gluttons. One of my favorites was the apple tarte tatin dessert, which I attempted to replicate with decent success below. I cheated a bit and used a store-bought Pillsbury pie crust, which worked like a charm and saved me the time of making my own!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 medium Golden Delicious apples, cut into thin 1/8" slices
• Ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter and sugar together in a 12" ovenproof skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add your thin apple slices and stir to coat them with the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cook them until the apples have softened slightly and start to take on a light brownish color - 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle them with a bit more cinnamon (depending on how much you like) and arrange them into one layer on the bottom of the pan. Try to make it pretty, this will be the top of your tarte!

Layer your pie crust over the top of the skillet and crimp the sides with a fork. Poke a few 'steam holes' in it and brush with the lightly beaten egg. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown!

Easy Lunch

I recently hosted a bridal shower for a friend of mine, the lovely Steph and made what felt like 40 pounds of this chicken salad. I've pared the recipe down (lest you make 40 pounds too) and decided to share the chicken salad that received rave reviews!








Steph's Chicken Salad

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken meat
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• optional: 1/8 cup dried cranberries

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, sweet relish and pepper until well combined and set aside. In a larger bowl, mix together everything else :) You just want to toss it all together until combined - not breaking everything into tiny pieces. Pour 3/4 of the mayo mixture onto the chicken mixture and stir together. If this is "wet" enough for you - you can ignore the rest of the mayo mixture or add it all! Serve it by itself or like I did on cute little tea sandwiches and enjoy!

mmmmmuffins!

As a raging carb-aholic there is little I love more than bread - but I do love a good blueberry muffin. With a cup of coffee in the morning, or really, snagged from the fridge at 2am where I eat it like a thief in the night - these are delish. :)

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I use 2% but whatever)
• 1-1/2 cups blueberries

Streusel

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, chilled

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line your muffin tin with liners (use them, you savage). In a small bowl, take 1 tablespoon of flour and toss it together lightly with your blueberries until coated - this will make sure they distribute through the muffins and don't just sit on the bottom of the muffin!

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and well mixed. Add in the eggs, one at a time - beating the batter until the egg is concorporated before adding the next egg, and then add in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, salt and flour and set aside. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, stirring between each addition until just combined. Fold in your blueberries last and then spoon the mixture into the muffin tin - filling each cup 3/4 the way full.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of flour, brown sugar and the cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a fork until mixture resembles course crumbs and sprinke over the unbaked muffins. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

For Jamie :)

This recipe is honor of Jamie Hart - the lovely sister of my lovely best friend, Deb. Being as she currently resides in England with her wonderful wife Tanya- it has been FAR too long since I've seen her! My scone recipe (being decidedly English!) brought her to mind.

Jamie & Tanya's Simple Scones

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, SERIOUSLY cold
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to mix it thoroughly. Next, take your butter and cut it into small cubes and drop into flour. Work it into the mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in raisins and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the egg until smooth. Then, using a fork stir the egg mixture into the flour until a large ball of dough forms. You may need to get your hands in there and press it around the bowl. Trust me, it's enough liquid.

Turn out the dough onto a floured board and pat into an 8 inch circle. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and use a super sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 triangles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 7 minutes before eating. It'll be difficult but at least you won't burn your tastebuds off!

Taco Time!

Tacos. I love them. We make them a lot at our place, and I got tired of buying taco seasoning when I was sure I could make it. One day, I was forced into trying it when I was mid-taco making and realized - no taco seasoning. Doh! I stumbled on this recipe and it's divine! Make extra and keep it around for your own taco emergencies ;)

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

Optional: for added heat, add in 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Mix together. Voila! Taco seasoning!

Cool Drink in the Hot Summer

Who doesn't love a little Sangria? Like a boozy adult-version of fruit punch, it's the perfect party drink for the summer time. A hot grill and a cool Sangria - and you're well on your way to the perfect gathering.

Classic Sangria

• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 orange
• 1.5 cups white rum
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 bottle dry red wine (like Blackberry Merlot)
• 1 cup pulp-free orange juice

Cut the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place into a medium sized bowl or shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the rum and the sugar and pour over the fruit. Let it "marinate" for two hours in the fridge before pouring into a glass pitcher. Mash the fruit up a bit with a wooden spoon, then pour the orange juice and the wine over the top of the fruit and stir.

Back to the Pork!

Every recipe seems to mention my husband, but he's my target market on cooking. :) In all likelihood, Mr. Travis might end up with the pork bone, provided it's large enough and I've washed the sauce off :) A meal for both my guys!

Pork Chops in Mustard Sauce

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (1" thick) pork chops
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (i use low sodium!)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the vegetable oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, pepper and flour. Whisk together. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture. Brown the chops for 4 minutes on each side. Combine the rest of the ingredients in another bowl and pour over the chops and cook for about 15 minutes, lowering the heat to medium-low.

Shellfish alert!

Even though I am allergic to (and a hater of) shellfish, I find myself constantly making it for my husband and our friends, because they love it! Though, I was once intimidated by them and afraid of overcooking them - I'm quite in my element now. Here's an easy little appetizer for you and your friends.





Grilled Shrimp

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons, hot sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined & peeled with tails on

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour about 3/4th of the marinade into a large Ziploc bag with the shrimp. Toss the bag around to coat the shrimp and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 is better!)

Preheat your grill on medium-low heat. Remove the shrimp from the bag and skewer the shrimp long-ways (through the tail and head, so they're "laying" on the grill). Make sure to throw away the marinade from the bag and only use the "clean" marinade. Oil the grates on the grill (I use olive oil on a paper towel) and cook the shrimp for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked and baste it with the reserve marinade while grilling.

Madeleines, how do I love thee...

For some reason, these cookies remind me of Sharon Chen. Maybe it's just anything French? I learned the recipe when my old roommate professed a love for these cookies. I have to admit - she was right. They're delicious and the perfect afternoon snack with a good cup of coffee.

Madeleine Cookies

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar (plus more for decoration)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and butter and flour your madeleine molds (if you have them) and set aside. In a microwave, melt the butter for 20 seconds and set aside to cool. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanila, and salt until light and fluffy. With your beaters on medium, add in the sugar, and beat constantly for 5 minutes. You want it to be light and fluffy.

Gently add the flour into the mixture, 1/4 cup at a time and fold into mixture - keeping the air in. Add the lemon zest and butter in by folding with a spatula. Immediately spoon the batter into your buttered molds (you can also use a cupcake tin though, they won't be true madeleines!). The batter will be a little bit over the top of the molds - this is okay!

Bake for 13-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned and springy. Wait 5 minutes, then turn the cookies out onto a rack and sprinkle with some additional sugar.

Spicy Corn Salad

Summertime was my favorite time growing up, as I'm sure it is for any kid. Living in Texas, well - not so much my favorite anymore. But summertime in California, is amazing. It reminds me of beach bonfires, kabobs on the grill and the smell of the ocean in the air. Since we are a bbq family, I spend a lot of time experimenting with sides. Here's one of our favorites.

Spicy Corn Salad

• 8 ears of corn, husked
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 chipotle peppers, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Preheat your grill to medium. Lay the corn on the grill and cook for 12 minutes, turning frequently to avoid burning. Remove the corn from the grill and set aside to let cool. Once cool, take a knife and remove all the kernels into a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the corn and toss to combine.

Sweet n' Spicy BBQ Sauce

I'm so excited to share this new BBQ sauce recipe. I stumbled on it today, and made it and it was a total winner! It's sweeter than the one I normally make - but I found I really liked it.








Sweet n' Spicy BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2.25 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Whiskey
• 2.5 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon ground chile powder

Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the vegetable oil, and add minced onion, cooking 5 minutes or until translucent. After the onion has cooked, add the tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and honey and stir until combined. Then, add in all the spices and whisk together. Turn the heat up until the mixture boils, and then turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 1.5 hours - stirring randomly with the whisk to check the thickness of the sauce. When the sauce is thick enough for you - turn the burner off and move the sauce off the burner to cool.

Enjoy! :)

Cake Truffles!

A large craze in Texas at the moment is cake truffles... or really, let's be honest - they're called cake balls. But calling them this in mixed company will result in your husband/male friends/significant others/brothers/whatever giggling like 3 year old girls. I was surprised at how easy and delicious they are to make - all you really need is cake mix, frosting, and chocolate chips. (well, and whatever the cake mix calls for!)

Cake Truffles a la Kelly

• Yellow cake mix (prepared according to package directions)
• Whipped vanilla frosting
• Chocolate chips

Bake the cake according to the package directions. Pull it out of the oven and set it aside to cool. After about 30 minutes, cut the cake into little slices and one-by-one drop them into a large mixing bowl and shred with a fork until it dissolves into tiny crums. Continue until you've crumbled the entire cake. Next, add the entire container of frosting and stir until combined.

Place the mix into the fridge for 30 minutes and use a 1" cookie scoop (or just measure it with your hands and wing it!) to scoop out even-sized portions onto wax paper. When you've scooped them all out, slide the sheet back into the freezer if you can. Next, melt chocolate chips on a double boiler. When 90% of the chips have melted, pull the glass bowl off and finish mixing until the chips are all melted. One by one, drop the cooled scoops of cake into the melted chocolate and then set on wax paper to harden.

Cream Cheese Frosting

For all of you who thought cream cheese was just for bagels - this post is for you! Why is it that we always drool at the thought of Cream Cheese Frosting but then we reach for a can of premade frosting at the first hint of baking? Here's my recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting - it's worth it!

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese frosting (Don't you dare get lowfat!)


• 1/2 cup butter, softened


• 2 cups, sifted confectioner's sugar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. (You can use a mixer on medium or just put it in your stand mixer bowl). Next, mix in vanilla until combined. Slowly add in the confectioner's sugar about a half cup at a time until completely combined. Store in refrigerator!

See? Now that wasn't so hard!

Biscotti

I love coffee. (Points to my mom who told me when I was grossed out by it at 12, that one day I too, would drink it.) I have a favorite memory of Rome, sitting at a little cafe, drinking a wonderfully made cappuccino and dunking an almond biscotti in between sips. This always reminds me of that gorgeous day, in the second home of my heart, Italy.

Almond Biscotti

• 2 cups all purpose flour


• 1 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped and toasted


• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract


• 2 eggs


• 1 egg white


• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small separate bowl, combine vanilla, almond extract, 2 eggs, and egg white. Mix together and then combine with flour mixture. Turn the dough out onto a flour surface and knead gently 8 times. Shape the dough into a large roll. Place dough onto a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray, and then flatten the roll down to 1" thick. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Decrease oven heat to 325 degrees, and slice the cooling dough on a diagonal - with slices about 1/2" thick. Place the slices about an inch apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the cookies over and bake for another 10 minutes. They'll look a bit soft in the center, but they will harden as they cool.

Let them cool and then enjoy with your favorite cup of coffee :)

Quick Fixes

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Who doesn't love them? But sometimes... you can get a little sick of them. They're usually on sale so I've got a few "quick fix" recipes to spin these into something you'll barely recognize!

1. Garlic twists! Take the Crescent Rolls out of the tin and lay them out flat. Sprinkle the dough with garlic and onion powder (you dont want to coat these! Use 1 teaspoon of each and you should be good) Take a knife or a pizza cutter and cut the dough into long 1/2" thin strips. Take two strips and twist them together and lay on a sheet pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown.

2. Pigs in a Blanket, Mom style! My mom always made pigs in a blanket this way, so here's my take on it. Use cocktail sausages (all beef is best, but whatever works!). Roll the crescent rolls out on a flat surface and cut each "triangle" into three pieces. Wrap each cocktail sausage in one piece of crescent roll and set on a greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until crescent roll is light brown. Serve with yellow mustard - delish!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches!

This week has been really stressful for me, so instead of baking a ton of desserts and eating them all - I'm just prepping my food early and trying to relax! Recipes like this one really satisfy and leave me with some time to relax with a glass/bottle of wine. :)

Pulled Pork in a Slow Cooker

- One 14 ounce can of reduced-sodium beef broth

- 2lbs of boneless pork ribs

- 18 ounce bottle of bbq sauce (I've tried everything from Chipotle-Jalapeno to Sweet Hickory - they all work! Just pick your favorite!)

Add can of beef broth to the slow cooker and place the pork ribs inside. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours. Whenever you get home, remove the boneless ribs and shred with two forks, pulling in opposite directions. Trust me, it'll work. Add the meat into a bowl and combine with BBQ sauce. Stir until coated and combined. Heap it onto a sourdough roll and go to town! :)

Pasta Salad!

My husband has a deep love of pasta salad. I love to make a big batch of it and just let him chip away at it all week long :) Perfect for those training days when he's gone from the house for 10 hours - he can just pack it in a cooler and go!

Pasta Salad

• One package fusilini (spiral) pasta - whole wheat or regular is fine!


• 3 cups of cherry tomatoes - cut in half


• 1/2 lb. of provolone cheese, cubed


• 10 ounce can of black olives, drained


• 8 ounces of Italian dressing


• 1/2lb of salami, cubed


• 1/2lb pepperoni - sliced and halved


• 1 jar, roasted red bell peppers (drained and chopped)

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until just al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside to let it cool off. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Add pasta and toss until coated with dressing and mixed with ingredients. It's ready to serve but it only gets better with time to hang out and let the flavors meld!