Peppermints are more than just tasty! Se

Peppermints are more than just tasty! Serve your holiday goodies from them also! http://wp.me/p1SSXe-2R7

My Site Has Moved!

I made the jump!!  I got myself a domain name and now I am running on a self hosted wordpress site.  I manned the switch from the free version of wordpress (wordpress.com) to the self hosted version (wordpress.org) myself so please be patient as I figure out all the quirks!

While I fully figure out a few more things can you all do be a big favor and update your google reader subscription and/or feedburner subscription to my new site??? Almost all who subscribed via email should have gotten a “Activate Your Subscription” email already from FeedBurner. If not, you just need to re-enter your email in the “Email Subscription” box in my sidebar and you should be good to go! You can add my new site to your favorite reader using that cute Orange RSS beaker in my sidebar.  I’d appreciate the help!  I want to make sure you are all getting my updates and posts!!

My new site is:   www.thatswhatchesaid.net  You should be there now if you look in your address bar!  Links to my old site will redirect here for a year but please update your subscriptions now because after this post everything will come from my new domain!

Even though I have changed sites, not much will change for you once you update.  What this means for me is more flexibility, features, and options for my blog!  I am excited.

I appreciate you all stopping over to read my ramblings each day.  I love your comments and emails and the new friends I have made on Facebook and Twitter!  You all make my day!  I thank you very much for taking some time of your day to read my posts!

Rootbeer Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Stay with me!  I promise I have not gone completely mad!  This recipe is delicious!!

Items Needed:

• Pork Shoulder (3 lbs)
• 1 cup of rootbeer
• 1 medium yellow onion, thickly sliced, separated
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt/pepper
• Barbeque sauce of choice

I started out by placing one of those slow cooker bags in my slow cooker.  (more on it’s awesomeness later!)

Next I lined the bottom of the slow cooker with half the onion slices.  I left all the fat on the pork but coated the outside with salt and pepper.  I placed the shoulder on top of the onions.  I added the rootbeer.  I roughly chopped the garlic cloves and added to the rootbeer.  I covered the shoulder with the remaining onions and placed on low heat for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Once cooked, I pulled out the pork and let rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes.  I shredded the pork with two forks, and at this time I removed the fat from the pork and discarded the fat.  I did also roughly chop the onions and garlic pieces and mix those in with the pulled pork.  No need to waste that great flavor!

I like to keep the pork “naked” as each of our family members has a separate preference of BBQ sauce and it also makes it easier to repurpose this meat for leftover dishes.  You can certainly mix the whole batch with your favorite sauce though!

Add to some hamburger buns and you are set!  The rootbeer, I found adds a distinct flavor to the pork that is sweet but still has that little kick that makes your taste buds wonder “what’s that flavor?”.

This main dish would be awesome paired with my Apple Cole Slaw!  Yum!

Enjoy!

*Oh and the slow cooker bags were AWESOME!  Clean up consisted of me dumping the liquid in the bag down the drain and throwing the bag away!  Love it!

Kahlua Recipe

Yep, it’s exactly that.  Kahlua.   Like the liquor, and like, I make it myself.    I am mixing up a batch on this beautiful fall day and thought I’d share my recipe with you!  It makes your house smell fabulous!

Items Needed:

• 4 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 5 tsp. vanilla extract*
• 1/2 cup instant coffee*
• 4 cups 80 proof Vodka

*For the Vanilla Extract and Instant Coffee it is important to use good quality products on these!  They are the brilliant flavor!

Start off by mixing the sugar and water in a large stock pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Add vanilla and instant coffee.  Reduce heat and simmer on low to medium heat for 2 hours.  Cool to room temperature and then add the vodka.  Mix well.  It is very, very, VERY important to let your coffee mixture cool completely before adding the vodka otherwise your alcohol will burn off!

I have an actual Kahlua bottle that I refill and keep out in our liquor cabinet and I store the rest back in the vodka bottle or other sealable bottle.  Old washed out half-gallon milk jugs are good for this also.  You can store the extra in a pantry and keep refilling the pretty bottles you have 🙂

You will be seeing some of my favorite drink recipes using this Kahlua soon!  For some reason fall and winter makes me want coffee/Kahlua type drinks!  Have a fabulous weekend!!!

Enjoy!

Apple Chips

Got Apples?   Yeah, remember we went Apple Picking a few weeks back with my parents in St. Louis?  Well we still had some Honeycrisp apples left and I wanted to give this recipe a try!   The verdict:  DEEEE-LISH-US!!!    I really hope you give this a try!  This will be something I do all year round as we are a family that loves fruit…in all forms!

Items Needed:

• Apples
• Parchment Paper
• Sugar (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)

After preheating my oven to 200°F, I started off by using my mandolin and slicing 2 large Honeycrisp apples in thin slices.  I just gave them a wash and left the skins on.  You can use a sharp knife also if you do not have a mandolin.

Next I arranged the slices in a single-ish layer on baking sheets that were lined with parchment paper.   DO NOT skip this step!  I did the first round without parchment paper and we played “scrap the apples from the cookie sheet’ on several of the slices!  Boo!

If you are using apples that aren’t naturally sweet, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  I used delicious honeycrisp and choose not to add either the sugar or cinnamon.  (Great decision by the way, mine were delicious naked!)

Bake in the upper 1/3 of your oven at 200°F for about 2 hours.  Depending on your slice thickness will depend on your time in the oven.

Let cool and enjoy!

The first batch I made didn’t make it past the cookie sheet, before they were gobbled up (except those few that stuck like GLUE!)  I made several more batches after and I stored them in some gladware once they were completely cool.

Not to mention this is an awesome snack because there is nothing there but apple, also while they are baking, they make your house smell yummy!  This is a great way to use those apples!  I am guessing this winter, when sweet apples (Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Braeburn) are hard to come by, I will try it with the sugar and cinnamon.  I’ll keep you posted on that, however I loved them as is!