Tip Of The Day

Are your dishes- especially your glasses- getting that foggy, etchy, unclean look to them? Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the bottom of your dishwasher every single time you run it and your dishes will sparkle!

Luau Menu

Luau Menu: This is what we did for my Hubby's Surprise 40th Bday bash:

Pulled Pork - minus the hole in the ground and a trip to the butcher ($$$)

Tropical Coleslaw

I cheated on the Mac salad and bought it from Costco (shhhh) but I did add peas and shredded carrots.

Lemon Tres-leches cake (ok, not very authentic luau food, but it is delicious and goes well with everything else!)

Coconut Nutella Bites- See note above- but YUMMY!!

Mango Punch

Please leave comments if you have tried any of my recipes or if you were at the party and had any of this food. I need testimonials :)

PULLED PORK

1 Pork Shoulder (7-8 pounds fits perfectly in a larger crock pot)

Pork Rub-Mccormick has one that will save you time , or make your own:

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons mild paprika

1 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon powdered sage

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce or BBQ sauce- My kids like it without any sauce.

Turn your crock pot to high while you get everything together. Turn to low once its in the pot, ready to go. Cook fat side up to let the juices run down into the meat.

Cook at least 8 hours - no less! I often put it in at night at let it go all day, its soooo unbelievably tender!

Once its cooked take two forks and shred the meat. Its easier to put the roast into a large bowl and as you shred it, put the meat back into the crockpot, and the fat into a garbage sack. Easy clean up that way. Now you can keep it warm until you are ready! Top with favorite sauce.

You can make this into pulled pork sandwiches or serve over rice (jasmine rice is my fave)

TROPICAL COLESLAW- healthy and so delicious!

1 pkg Coleslaw mix or one head cabbage

1 Avocado

1 red bell pepper

1 mango (or 1/2 c. frozen, thawed)

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

4 oz. package sliced almonds

3 scallions

1 bottle lemon ginger salad dressing- needs to be a vinaigrette

1. Add coleslaw to large bowl.
2. cube avocado and mango. Julienne pepper. Thinly slice scallions. Add to coleslaw.
3. add almonds, and sesame seeds. Toss to mix.
4. Add desired amount of salad dressing Serve immediately, or let your guests put the dressing on themselves.

LEMON TRES LECHES CAKE

CAKE:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice

LEMON MOUSSE TOPPING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 drop yellow food coloring
1/3 cup heavy cream

SWEET CREAM
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

WHIPPED CREAM
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


GARNISH
Caramel

Preheat oven to 350

Sift together flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. In a separate larger bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add eggs and beat until mixture is a light yellow color. Mix in vanilla and juices.

Combine flour with wet mixture a little at a time while beating until batter is smooth. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is golden and toothpick comes clean. Let cake completely cool.

Lemon Mousse

Beat cream cheese with mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, while blending with the electric mixer on low. When all of the sugar is incorporated, add lemon juice and drop of food coloring. In a separate bowl, beat 1/3 cup heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold this whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until completely combined. Cover and chill.

Sweet Cream

combine half and half with sweetened condensed milk in a large batter bowl or pitcher. cover and chill.

Whipped Cream

Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in alrge chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Cover and chill.

When cake is cool, poke hundreds of holes with a skewer or fork. Run a knife along the edges of the cake.

Pour the sweet cream mixture over the cake while in the baking pan. Frost with lemon mousse, serve each slice on a plate that is drizzled with caramel. Top with whipped cream. Serve COLD.

NOTE: DO NOT double this recipe. It does not turn out the same. There's a lot of steps, I know. It is so worth it. I usually bake the cake the day before and refrigerate it. Then do everything else the day you need it. Try to give it time to sit in the fridge once it's completed. Enjoy!

NUTELLA BITES

1 cup Nutella

1 cup butter, softened

2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup (Or more)coarsely crushed pretzels (if eating in less than 2 days) or other coating of choice; coconut, chopped sliced almonds, crushed candy bars, macadamia nuts, etc..

Mix first 4 ingredients together until well-mixed. Refrigerate about 5-10 minutes. NO LONGER. Shape into 1-inch size balls. Dip in crushed pretzels or coating of choice until well-coated. Chill to firm and store in refrigerator. Best eaten after sitting at room temp for a few minutes to soften slightly. Makes about 36 'bites' This recipe can be doubled. This recipe is very fast and very easy, and very impressive for such a simple little thing.

MANGO PUNCH

1/2 gallon mango nectar

1 liter Ginger Ale

Add pineapple sherbet to float around and look interesting.

Put it all in a punch bowl, and enjoy!

Yummy Salad

Gorgonzola and Grape Salad

Spring salad mix

1/4 of an apple per salad, diced

about 10 grapes per salad, halved

A sprinkling of walnuts per salad

2-3 Tbsp gorgonzola cheese crumbles per salad

Top it off with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette! My fave- Annies Raspberry Vinaigrette

Add cooked chicken for a complete meal. (When I know I'm going to be in a time crunch, I pick up a rotisserie chicken from Costco.)

Big Project!

I'm working on a cook book. I guess I think I don't have enough to do, so let's throw in another project! But, I need your help! Please leave comments if you have used one of my recipes and let me know only if you liked it. Just kidding. I'm up for feedback either way. Constructive criticism is good, right?

Sausage and Spinach Soup

Don't be turned off by the name! I made this other night when my daughters had friends over and they had seconds! So I know they weren't eating it just to be polite. It also took less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook.

SAUSAGE AND SPINACH SOUP

4 Chicken sausages

1/2 cup Chopped onion

1 can Cannelloni beans

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 Qts. Chicken Stock

1 Cup Shell Pasta

3 Cups Fresh baby spinach

2 Clove Garlic, minced

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated

1.Remove sausages from casings. Cut into bite sized pieces. Pour olive oil in stock pan. Brown sausage and onion in olive oil. Cook sausage thoroughly.

2.Add chicken stock, rinse and add beans, garlic salt and pepper. cook until stock is boiling.

3.Add pasta, cook approx. 8 minutes.

4.Turn heat to med. Add spinach and cheese, cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Prime Rib for Christmas Eve Dinner

You can find 'rib eye roasts' on sale at winco, fred meyer, and albertsons right now for under 4.00 a pound which is a great deal! Christmas time is the only time they are on sale for that price!

I am going to try a new recipe this year, it sounds delicious, and fairly easy:

Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust

• bone in prime rib beef roast, 3 ribs, about 6 pounds
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
• Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or white grape juice
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups canned chicken or beef broth

Oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Pour off some of the pan drippings and place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat.

Add the white wine or grape juice and bring to a simmer, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the flour, then add the broth and continue to cook, whisking until sauce thickens into a gravy, about 10 minutes.

CRANBERRY & ORANGE PEPPERED PECANS

1 egg white
1 tbsp. water
1 pound pecan halves
3/4 cup white sugar (or 1/2 cup Agave nectar)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
zest from one orange

3/4 cup craisins
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

Oven to 250

In a mixing bowl, whip the egg white and water together until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, salt, zest, cinnamon and pepper.

Add pecans and craisins to egg white, stir to coat nuts evenly. Remove the nuts and toss them in the sugar mixture until well coated. Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil.

Bake for 1 hour. Stir every 15-20 minutes.

These are delicious on a salad. Start with mixed baby greens, some diced pear, these candied walnuts and some crumbled feta cheese. Top with any type of vinaigrette dressing.