Pot Roast

Pot roast has always been a favorite for me, my mom would make it a lot. I loved how the beef would just fall apart and how soft and tender the vegetables would be. This meal reminds me of home. My version uses my Mom's recipe at its base but I have added my own seasoning as my mom has never been a big fan of using herbs. This meal can be made in a low cooker but I prefer to cook it in a pot on the stove for a few hours. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2-3 lb Boneless Chuck Roast
3 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups baby carrots
5 red potatoes, quartered
1 tbs dried rosemary
1 tbs dried thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Salt and pepper the roast and then sear all sides including edges. Place roast in a large pot. Add onion, garlic and herbs. Add water until roast is covered.
2. Bring pot to a boil and reduce heat and simmer. Cook 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add vegetables and cook an additional hour. Check vegetables for tenderness and cook longer if desired. Serve and eat.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Blondies are definitely a favorite of mine. I mean, who doesn't love a brownie that tastes like a chocolate chip cookie? Well I for one, do! Here is the best recipe I have found for these delicious little bars of bliss. We like to make brownie blondie sundaes, where we make a batch of both blondies and brownies and add ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour, all purpose
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup semisweet morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 11x7 cake pan with parchment paper.
2. In mixing bowl (I use my Kitchenaid mixer) add flour and sugar. Add the egg, melted butter and salt, mix well.
3. Fold in baking powder and chocolate morsels. Pour mixture into baking dish and spread evenly.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let stand and serve.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know about you, but I love big chewy chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite cookie and pretty high up on the list for my favorite sweet. I have tried many recipes and they came out too crunchy or too cake-like so when I found these I was completely in heaven. Everything from the chewy delicious batter to the gooey chocolate chips, this cookie is divine. My son tells everybody that mom makes the best cookies. I'll take it!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, all purpose
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (12 tbs) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
12 oz semisweet morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl ( I use my stand up Kitchenaid Mixer) add butter and sugars, mix well. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Mix until it is well incorporated and looks creamy.
3. Add salt, baking powder and flour. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand, making sure they are evenly mixed within the batter.
4. Take 1/4 cup of batter and roll into a ball. Place one and a half to two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 11-15 minutes per batch, rotating the tray about half way through. In my oven 12-13 minutes tends to be perfect, but ovens can vary and baking can be tricky.
5. Allow to cool about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Coca Cola Pulled Pork

Another favorite in my house is pulled pork. I personally prefer to use boneless country style ribs, because it is easier to deal with then a large pork shoulder and doesn't require me to pick out bones, like the bone-in counterpart. I am sure this recipe would work with other cuts, so feel free to experiment to your hearts desire. This easy, 3 ingredient recipe is fantastic! We love the way this sauce comes out and have not been able to find anything better since I started using this recipe 5 years ago. We like to pair it with my Dill Coleslaw. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork boneless country style ribs

1 cup Heinz ketchup

1 cup Coca Cola

Directions:

1. Mix the ketchup and cola together.  

2. In your crockpot, pour a layer of the ketchup/cola mixture.  Add your country style ribs, spreading them out on the sauce layer.  Add the remaining sauce.  

3. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.  I like to shred the pork at the 5 hour mark when on low or the 2 hour mark when on high,  This leaves time for the flavor to soak in really well for at least the last  hour.

4. Once the sauce has been absorbed, it is ready to serve.  We like to pair it with my Dill Coleslaw and fries or macaroni and cheese,  

Dill Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a staple in our house.  We always serve it when we have pulled pork, well really barbecue of any kind.  But our favorite coleslaw recipe is this one, the dill adds an extra layer of depth to the dish.  Very simple to make but really delicious.  Even my 9 year old loves it!

Ingredients:

5 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbs dill paste or 1 tbs fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, add 5 cups coleslaw mix, mayo, vinegar, and dill.  Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend.  Serve as a side or as a burger/sandwich topping.