The recipes and more!

So, after all the wonderful smells in the house yesterday, dinner was a delicious success! Now that I know the recipes were good, I will share:)
The original recipe for the pulled pork spice mix (I believe originally from Cooks Illustrated) was as follws:

(I have added my modifications in the parenthesis beside the ingredients)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika (I did smoked paprika as it later calls for liquid smoke which I don't have...LOVED this change, I think it added a lot to the flavor)
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper (eliminated..you can just do additional black pepper if desired, I didn't though)

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, see above)
2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl. (it was enough mix to do 2 large roasts, and I still have close to half left for another time!)

2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

From here you would just add your bbq sauce and heat for another 30-60 mins.

One thing I dislike is dry bbq'd pork. So often I have been disappointed when ordering it at a restaurant as they can be rather dry. In order to prevent that from happening, I reserved some of the cooking liquid, skimmed the fat, and then added a little of it back in along with the bbq sauce to keep the pork nice and moist. Plus, with all the flavor from the spice-rub in that juice, it only helped to enhance the taste as well! Enjoy:)

The 'No-knead Bread' I pulled from here.
But I used active dry yeast instead of instant. Some places will tell you to 'proof' the yeast first when using 'active dry' instead of 'instant' yeast, but I just followed the recipe as it was and it turned out beautifully! Super easy to make, and super delicious! I will definitely be making more of those in the near future.

I tried another new recipe tonight as well. I was planning on making Spud Stuffed Green Peppers and was having a hard time deciding what to put with it as the pepper ended up being your meat, potatoes and veggies all in one. In the end I decided to try a Curried Cauliflower Soup as a starter. Success! It was pretty easy, basic ingredients, and delicious. The only change I made to this one, was serving it with a dollop of sour cream instead of the honey. Again, delish!


For about a month or so now Seth has been mobile. He moves very well and loves to chase the dog, and especially her toys, all over the house! Keeping track of these two definitely keeps me busy:)

I use cloth diapers, so usually after changing Seth I leave him in his room while I run to the bathroom to rinse the dirty diaper. I am currently changing him on a towel on the floor as I have yet to find a change table that goes with the baby-room. Actually, because I couldn't find anything that would work I am having one custom made. The pastor of our church does some woodworking on the side and was found willing to make one for us! I am super excited and can't wait to finish the room after the table/dresser arrives. Anyways, within a minute or so of leaving him this is what I see:
Sorry the image is slightly fuzzy, I took it in the mirror, which is where he is able to see me when he peaks his head around the corner in his room. I love the way he knows exactly where he can find me after a diaper change:)


My darling little boy!