Pulled Pork With Coleslaw For Two

I have tried a lot of bbq pulled pork recipes but none of them come close to being as good as this recipe. It is a must try! 

Here is what you need to make this perfect Sunday dinner. :)

I also made homemade hamburger buns for this meal. It made the meal even better. Here is the link to the recipe for homemade hamburger buns. 

Ingredients:

Pulled Pork

2 Pounds Pork Chops; Cut Into Long, 1-Inch Thick Strips

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar; Divided

2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika

1 Teaspoon Ground Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Slices Raw Bacon; Chopped Fine

1 Small Onion; Chopped

1/2 Cup Ketchup 

2 Tablespoons White Distilled Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

Coleslaw

2 Cups Shredded Cabbage 

1 Small Carrot; Peeled And Shredded

1 Tablespoon Chopped Onion

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Milk

1 Teaspoon White Distilled Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Directions:

Pulled Pork

Preheat oven to 300F degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Pat pork pieces dry with a paper towel then rub with spice mixture.

In a large ovenproof Dutch oven or other large pot with a lid, cook the bacon until crisp, 4-6 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add half of the pork to the pot and brown on both sides, roughly 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pork.

If there isn't a lot of grease left in the pot, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, roughly 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, honey, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil.

Return the bacon and pork to the pot and cover with a lid. Bake in the oven for 1 hours or until the pork is fork-tender. Cool for 10 minutes then shred into bite-size pieces using two forks. 

Serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw.

Coleslaw

While the pork is baking, make the coleslaw. 

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, and onion. Whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, and sugar then add to the cabbage mixture. 

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! 

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Here is the only recipe you will ever need for hamburger buns. They turn out light and fluffy. And super delicious! 

Ingredients

2¼ Tsp Active Yeast

3½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, Divided

1 Cup Warm Water

1 Large Egg

3 Tbsp Butter, Melted

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tsp Salt

Butter, For Brushing Bowl And Dough

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, or other bun topping as needed

Directions

Stir together yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl. Let sit until mixture becomes foamy, 10-15 minutes.

Stir the melted butter, egg and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the  flour and knead by hand until smooth and elastic.

Form dough into a ball and brush lightly with oil. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for about 2 hours.

Form dough into a thick rope and cut into 8-14 pieces. Form each piece into a ball, tucking the ends underneath. Slightly flatten the ball with the palm of your hand. 

Place dough patties on a baking sheet that is well greased. Allow to rise about 1 hour, until doubled.

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush the butter on top of each bun, being careful not to collapse the dough. Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake buns for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Enjoy!!

Finishing Up Go Set a Watchman & Starting All the Bright Places

It was very sad that this week as I finished up Go Set A Watchman I heard that Harper Lee had passed away. She was a fantastic writer and I have to say Go Set A Watchman was an amazing book. I thought To Kill A Mockingbird was great but Go Set A Watchman took her writing to a whole new level. 

I am glad I got the chance to enjoy this amazing book. I have a couple questions below about Go Set A Watchman. What did you think of the book? 

Questions About Go Set A Watchman 
1. Why publish Go Set a Watchman now?

2.What issues addressed in Go Set a Watchman are still relevant today?

3.How have the characters of Atticus and Jean Louise changed sinceTo Kill a Mockingbird?

4.Go Set a Watchman is set in a different time period than To Kill a Mockingbird. How has the South changed in those twenty years? How have Civil Rights changed? How does Harper Lee's depiction of her black characters differ, if at all, between those two books?

The next book on our list is All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. We are going to start today Sunday February 21st and end Sunday March 6th. 

Synopsis From Goodreads:Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Lets Get Reading! 

Sweet Cacao Nibs Protein Cookies

Have you ever tried PB2. If not go check it out. It has 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter.

I love using PB2 in my smoothies so why not try it in some protein cookies? 

If you are craving an afternoon snack try these cookies that are packed with healthy fats and protein. This recipe makes six cookies.

Ingredients:

-1/4 Cup Of Ground Flax Seeds

-2 Tsp Ground Chia Seeds

-1 Banana

-2 Tbsp Sweet Cacao Nibs 

-1 Scoop of PB2

-2 Scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl add 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder and 1 scoop of PB2. You can also use natural peanut butter if you do not have PB2.

Mash the banana, PB2 and protein powder until creamy.

Add the flax seed, chia seeds and dark chocolate chips

Grease a baking sheet and drop about 1 1/2 tbsp sized drops onto the baking sheet. The cookies will not rise so spread them out in a circular shape.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies are firm and edges are golden brown.

Nutrition: (Per Cookie) 90 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 123g Potassium, 10g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 5.5g Sugar, 8g Protein

Enjoy! 

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I love to make homemade bread. It tastes so much better and I love that I can make it organic. 

A couple weeks ago I decided to make my own tortillas for Taco Tuesday. They turned out great. I have been making them whenever we have tortillas now. 

They are tasty and not hard to make. Give them a try! 

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3/4 Cup water

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. 

Makes 8 tortillas.

Enjoy! 

Molly Mutt Dog Bed Duvet

I have to tell you about the new bed duvet I just got Sancho. I love it because it you get to fill it with whatever you want. You just buy the Stuff Sack along with the Dog Bed Duvet and you are good to go! No more stinky dog bed!! I found Molly Mutt on Amazon. 

If you are in need of a new dog bed I recommend checking out Molly Mutt bed duvets. They have a ton of different sizes, shapes and patterns. They are also very reasonable. Molly Mutt even has pillows you can attack to the ends of the duvet. :) 

Sancho loves his new bed too! I filled it with some of our old clothes and he likes that it smells like us. Don't mind his face. I woke him up to take this picture and he was not to happy with me. 

Enjoy! 

Matcha Latte

I ordered Matcha last week from Amazon and finally got it today!! I was so excited to give it a try. I was looking online at recipes for Matcha and there are so many different ways.

Has anyone ever tried Matcha and if so do you have a go to recipe?

I might actually try and swap out my morning coffee with matcha for the antioxidant boost. Here is the recipe I tried today.

Ingredients

2/3 Cup unsweetened flax milk
1/2 Teaspoon matcha powder
1/3 Cup Water
Stevia

Directions
Bring 2/3 cup unsweetened flax milk to a bare simmer in a small pot over medium-high heat.

Place 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder in a heatproof cup. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup boiling water, then flax milk, tipping cup slightly to help create more foam. 

Sweeten with stevia. 


Another option is to pour it in a mini blender for 10 seconds and it blends it perfectly. 

Benefits of Matcha

-Boosts metabolism and burns calories.

-Does not raise insulin levels. 

-Fights against viruses and bacteria.

-Enhances mood.

-7X more antioxidants than dark chocolate 

-Provides potent cancer fighting properties.

-Helps to safely cleanse and detoxify the body.

-Helps curb those annoying afternoon snack cravings.

-Does not raise blood pressure or heart rate.

-Natural boost of energy and focus.

-Rejuvenates skin 

Enjoy!

Cranberry Oat Bread

The other day when I went to the Commissary they had fresh cranberries. I love cranberries so I picked some up and decided to make this bread with them. 

It turned out really good. Give it a try! 

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Honey

1/3 Cup Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Fat Free Milk

2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

2 Cups Fresh Cranberries

1 Cup Chopped Nuts

Directions:

Combine honey, greek yogurt, eggs, and milk in a large bowl and mix well.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix well. Stir honey mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold in the cranberries and nuts.

Spoon the batter into two 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch greased and floured loaf pans. 

Bake in preheated oven at 350ºF for 40 to 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean. 

Cool in pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Remove the cranberry oat bread loaves from the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire racks.

Enjoy!

Finishing Up To Kill A Mockingbird & Starting Go Set a Watchman

I love reading To Kill A Mockingbird again. It was just as good the second time. I have a couple questions about the book and I would love to hear your opinions. 

This book is really great to sit back and reflect on. So much goes on in such a short amount of time so I had fun thinking about these questions and the book.

Let me know what you thought! 

Questions

1.How does Jem and Scout's views of Boo Radley change during the book? Why does Jem cry when the hole in the tree is filled with cement?

2.What do you think of Aunt Alexandra? Did your opinion of her change during the book? Can you understand why she was concerned with Atticus' parenting?

3.How does the trial and everything surrounding it change the town? Change Jem and Scout? Did it change you?

4.At the end of the book, Scout says that telling people Boo Radley committed the murder would have been "sort of like shootin' a mockingbird." What does that mean? Do you agree that Boo is like a mockingbird?

The next book on our list is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. We will be starting it today February 7th and ending on Sunday the 14th. Hope you all are as excited about this one as I am! 

Synopsis From Goodreads: Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Now lets get to reading! :) 

Move Of The Day - Armed Warrior

I love Jillian Michaels! She is one of my favorite trainers!!! I saw this workout and had to share one of the moves for the move of the day. 

Armed Warrior

To do start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides, a 5-to 10-pound dumbbell in each hand 

Hinge forward at hips, lowering torso; raise right leg. Lift right arm out to the side while bending left elbow and pulling dumbbell to chest

Return to standing and repeat on other side. 

This is 1 rep. Do 4 sets of 20 reps.

Check out the entire circuit here : Jillian Michaels: This 7-Move Circuit Will Change Your Body

Enjoy! 

Paleo Coconut Flour Brownies

Sometimes after a long week you just need a brownie. That is how I was feeling tonight. My husband and I have been working out really hard and eating super clean all week so I decided we deserved a little treat. Moderation is everything! 

These are a great option when you want a treat but don't want to totally kill your clean eating. They are dense and fudgy and totally delicious! 

Coconut flour is a great alternative for normal flour because it provides healthy fats as well as fiber and protein to fill you up. Honey is a great alternative to sugar because it is a natural sweetener that has beneficial antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. 

Here is the recipe. Give them a try! 

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Minus 1 Tbsp. Coconut Flour 

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 Cup Plus 2 Tbsp. Organic Butter, Melted

3 Eggs 

1/2 Cup Plus 2 Tbsp. Honey or Pure Maple Syrup

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 300 and grease a glass baking dish (8x8 or 9x9).

-Mix together all ingredients.

-Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

-Cool for 30 minutes before cutting or removing from the pan.

-These store well at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days. Make sure you keep them in an airtight container.

Enjoy! 

Numi Organic Tea

My new favorite thing is buying organic. I found this really awesome organic tea called Numi. Not only it is organic but it is super tasty. 

This particular green tea is different because it is packed into tight little balls which makes for a more flavorful tea that preserves and releases flavor to a remarkable degree. 

The taste of this green tea is excellent and it is not bitter at all! 

Numi also has over 20 different kinds of organic tea. The next one I want to try is Numi Organic Chocolate Pu-erh, Full Leaf Black Tea. Um yummy!! 

Product Description From Amazon: A combination of two well-beloved indulgences: tea and chocolate. Using a rich backbone of dark pu-erh tea, Numi blends organic cocoa and real spices for a decadent treat and a healthy way to satisfy your cravings. The velvety infusion is accented by whole vanilla beans, sweet orange peel, and a dash of rooibos. Rounded off with a finish of nutmeg and cinnamon, this tea is sure to delight chocolate lovers and tea fans alike.

If you are a tea lover like me you should check Numi out! There tea is delicious and worth the price!

Enjoy! 

Breakfast Power Smoothie

Happy Monday! Wanted to share my new favorite morning breakfast smoothie. 

It is delicious and super easy. It will boost your energy and start your morning off right.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Organic Strawberries
1/2 Cup Organic Coconut Water
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix until smooth. 

You can add a little bit more coconut water depending on what consistency you like. 

Enjoy!