Jane and Jodie's Pulled Pork

I have been reading for a LONG time on the Internet about people raving about pulled pork. I wasn't even sure what it was. Then somehow we got to talking about it the other day in the office and Jand and Jodie told me how they make it. I kind of took their two recipe and combined it into one. I cooked it in the crock pot most of yesterday and then on low this morning while we were at Sunday School and church. It was sooo good! I'm already thinking this will be a great summertime recipe. Cook the pork, get some buns, baked beans and chips and you've got an easy meal! It wasn't too expensive, either. I got a larger than usual pork butt (it was the smallest the store had (4 pounds), so we will get two meals out of it. it would take at least a 2.5 pound one to feed our family of four. The pork was about $10 and everything else totalled about $6. So it still came out as a pretty cheap meal-especially when you consider the leftovers. Grace said she can't wait to put the meat in a tortilla and eat it as a wrap! Even though I liked it, when we go out to eat BBQ, I don't know that I could get myself to order pork instead of beef!


Jane and Jodie's Pulled Pork

1 pork butt (at least 2.5 pounds)
1 large jar BBQ sauce (I used the kind with chipolte in it)
1/2 20 ounce bottle Coke (Jodie uses a whole bottle)

Throw in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours or until pork tests done. When you lift the meat out of the pot, it will literally shred, so be careful and be ready!

Enjoy!

Beef tips (sort of ) over noodles

It has been beautiful weather here! Sort of overcast but highs in the low 70's.....I cleaned out my closet and did chores around the house yesterday then cooked for lunch today. With both girls not wanting to play soccer this season, looks like more easy Saturdays may be in my future once we get finished with JoGail's basketball season! I can't wait!!!!  Looks like her tournament is the weekend of March 5, so bring on the spring! Maybe we will be able to get some day trips in as a family, too! We've been wanting to do that more.

I need advice.....we are looking into Florida and Disneyworld for our vacation. Where do I go to look for great discounts, etc? We've always said we wold take the girls when they were about this age, so that time is coming-either this summer or next. We just don't know where to start! Any websites, books, etc would be appreciated!

Making Laurie B' s beef patties in gravy got me to thinking.....why not try something like that with cheap round steak bites? I'm really not sure if I used cheap round steak or not, but it was a cheap package of meat labeled steak strips. Not much fat. I browned that.Started cooking the noodles. Put the rolls in the oven. Added my soups, then let that simmer while everything finished. It was delicious and brought back memories of my mom cooking. (Yes I had to taste the gravy with a piece of white bread!) It was truly remarkable for me because I have such difficulty making gravy.....I couldn't find the beefy mushroom soup, but I improvised. I will definitely stock up on the beefy mushroom soup when I go to Wal mart, since that's about the only place I can find it around here! :(


Beef tips over noodles

1 package of egg noodles-cook while making beef tips
1 package cheap cut of meat (about a pound and a half ) I used steak strips
2 cans french onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup with garlic
1 teaspoon oil
1 small can mushrooms-my girls love mushrooms

Put oil in skillet and turn stove on high. Cut meat into bite size pieces and put into the pan. Sear on both sides, turn heat down. Add soups and stir well. Let simmer while noodles cook. Serve over noodles and with bread and a vegetable.  I bet this would also be great over rice, too!

The whole meal for my family of four cost around ten dollars and we were all satisfied and full. Oh I forgot...we had butter cake with chocolate icing for dessert! Just a plain old 13x9 cake!


~Laurie

Laurie's B's hamburger patties and gravy

Wow! It's been a long day.....L-O-N-G day! We started with an early basketball game in Teague-I tried to work on work stuff in the truck on the way.....I finally gave up I swear Coy was trying to hit every pothole he could just to see me grab all the papers! Then we came home, watched a movie (I finished up some reports) then went to JoGail's game in Scurry Rosser and ate at KFC /Taco Bell. That chicken was soo good. I was ready for some good fried chicken!!!!

Here's recipe I tried this week and and WILL definitely be making again. Laurie B gave me the recipe and I think she got it from her mother. It's really good, especially served over mashed potatoes. I mean really really good! I will definitely be stocking my pantry with Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Soup!

6 hamburger patties-either premade or homemade, which ever you prefer
2 cans Campbell's Beefy Mushroom soup
1 onion cut into rings
Either fresh or drained canned mushrooms (my addition for my mushroom loving family)

Fry your patties in a skillet. Don't cook all the way through. (They'll cook some more later)
Drain your patties on plate. Wipe your skillet out with a paper towel. Get most of the junk out.
Fry your onions in the remaining junk. Put the patties back in the skillet. Cook over med low. Add mushrooms and the 2 cans of soup. Note: Do not add water to this or the gravy will be watery.Cook until patties are cooked through and everything is hot!!! Awesome over mashed potatoes and probably just as awesome over cooked noodles!!!!

Thank you Laurie B! And if you have never checked out her website, it's amazing what that lady can paint!!!  Check out her website Laurie Cole Designs .   What's really cool about Laurie is not only do we have the same first name spelled the same way, but her mother's (I think) maiden name was Cole which was my maiden name! She use to work at the administration office in Eustace until she started full time. She's an awesome person and a truly talented artist!




Enjoy, Laurie

Taco soup

AAAhhhhhhh  Taco Soup!!! I took several recipes and created my own. Well, it may be someone else's but if it is, I don' t know it! I'm glad I made a big ol' pot last night. We go a snow day today, so we had it for lunch with cornbread. It really hit the spot! There's maybe enough for 1 person to have leftovers for supper, so I would say it was a hit!

Taco Soup

1 can chili beans, drained
1 large can pinto beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can green chilis, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can rotel
1 package ground turkey meat
1 small can tomato paste
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
4 cups water

Brown ground turkey in bottom of soup pot. While doing this, drain the first 5 ingredients in a strainer. I have a large one, so I just throw them in all in at the same time. After meat is browned, add first 5 ingredients. Add rotel and green chilis. Add seasoning packets-and stir well. Then add the tomato paste and water. Let simmer to heated through. As with most soups, it is significantly better the next day! It is great topped with some shredded cheese. Coy loves it with cornbread baked in his Grandma's pan.

I'm not sure what we're having for supper as this was supposed to be supper, so we'll have to see!

Laurie