Crockpot Redemption? (BBQ Pulled Pork)

 I've had a love/hate relationship with my crockpot for years.  I used to make chili in it, until we realized it was becoming too watery for our tastes, so now I slow simmer it on the stovetop.  We also tried making various crockpot recipes in it and all came out with the same mushy-gray looking food.  So, it has been relagated to the back of my cabinet except for those occasions when we want to keep chili warm or maybe BBQ meatballs for a football party.

Last week, My Husband was traveling for work - something he does not do normally - and I really needed to have something that would be ready to eat before we had to head off to a cub scout den meeting.  After a few suggestions from people on the Family, Friends and Food Facebook page (check it out, we have some great conversations and share some ideas there as well), I decided to give my crockpot another shot.

I bought a 1 pound pork tenderloin and added half a diced onion and 3 cups of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce.  I covered it and turned it to low and let it cook for about 10 hours.  Check out the results:

This was without the sauce in the crockpot added to it... just the shredded meat.  The onions became so sweet and carmelized while cooking.  I served mine on a hamburger bun and My Boys had theirs as wraps.  Overall, everyone thoroughly enjoyed this meal!

 This would be a great meal to have cooking all day so you could come back after trick-or-treating on Halloween.  Make 2 pounds of pork tenderloin and share it with friends!  My crockpot is possibly on the road to redemption.


Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Halloween: Lady Fingers Breadsticks

 Time has gotten away from me this week.  I had planned on sharing some different Halloween food ideas here, but it just didn't happen.

I'm in the final countdown to a school Family Fun Night to celebrate Halloween and that has pretty much taken over my thoughts this week.  Going over lists and making sure everyone has gotten their games ready and various items purchased for the evening.  We have a bigger turnout than I had expected, so we are really hoping that it goes over well and that the kids have a fantastic time.

So, I'm going to share my first attempt at lady finger shaped breadsticks tonight.

 They expanded a bit while baking so I need to work on that for next time.  They didn't last 5 minutes on the table either.  Just can't go wrong with breadsticks, now can you?

I've got one boy who is going to be a soldier and another who has changed his costume at the last minute to a vampire (last year's costume) instead of a zombie convict.  Oh, the decisions these kids must make for Halloween!  What was your favorite costume growing up?   

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Halloween Treats: Spooky Eye Cupcakes

 If you drove through our neighborhood right now, you would know one thing for sure... we LOVE Halloween here!  Many people have elaborate cemetery set-ups in their front yards, others have giant spiders and webs on the front of their homes.  The night of Halloween, you MUST have a huge tub of candy ready and waiting because kids come from other neighborhoods to trick-or-treat here.  Yep, this is the place to be on Halloween!

Of course, I have to get in on the fun the week before the big day because well... it seems I must have a million things going at once in order to get through the day.  Ok, maybe not, but after last year's party I couldn't say no to My Boys who really wanted another party this year.

So, the planning began in early September.  I kept very good notes on what worked well and what didn't last year.   Even what eats and treats I couldn't fit into the plan last year but really wanted to try this year.  I had a fabulous blogging friend, Janet of LaDue & Crew,  send me a Halloween book with ideas that was key to some of my ideas.

We had a bigger crowd of kids ranging in age from 3 to 9 years old this year.  So, it was a wonderful surprise that we had a gorgeous night for our party and could play several games outside!  One of the big hits of the night was the mummy wrapping game - only we had the kids wrap 4 of the dads who are VERY good sports.  Then, of course, we had to torture them a bit by making them run a race all wrapped as mummies.  The kids loved every minute of it!

Now, for the food!  I didn't make everything from scratch (ok... send me off to the exiled food bloggers island now... I took ALOT of shortcuts for this party).  I'll share a few of the things I made this week, but first up are the cupcakes... because well... I am so proud of how they turned out!

 So easy to create!  I used gummy ring candy for the eyes, and added an M&M to the center of each one.  Then used red icing to make the bloodshot squiggles.  The kids loved the creepy look of these cupcakes!

What's your favorite treat during Halloween? 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Life as I know it: Challenging Yourself

Sometimes you challenge yourself without intending to…

I can’t say what really prompted me to wake up on June 1st and decide that I needed to start running, but that’s when it began. Perhaps it was our 3 days of feasting during our trip to Lake Gananoque in Canada to fish for Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe it was my upcoming birthday that was looming and having a harder time than usual keeping the pounds off in the last couple of years. Who knows what was really going through my mind at the time, but I that morning I began running.

I’ve stopped and started running many times over the last few years. Just couldn’t get past that first week or two of pain in my shins or not being able to level out my breathing. This time was different though. I didn’t follow a plan per se, but had a mental picture of how to increase my time running each week. I kept at it and even managed to use the hotel gym to keep up my training during a long weekend in Las Vegas with My Husband and two good friends. I just kept at it, and consistency has been the key to getting to a point where I am not huffing and puffing while running. I also found that it’s a great stress reliever when you know there’s a hard day at work ahead of you. It puts me in a better frame of mind before starting the day.

When I started I didn’t have the goal of running a 5k in mind, just that I wanted to be more fit and get to where I was maintaining rather than gaining weight. As the summer went on, I did start thinking that a goal of finishing a 5k would keep me motivated to stay on track with my running.

Well, recently, this non-runner finished a 5k! Now, I did have to slow down to a walk a few times and I’m totally ok with that. I finished in a run and it felt good to complete it. Now, I want to be able to run another 5k but with fewer stops to walk – if any – and decrease the time it takes to get through it. That is my next challenge and this time it’s intentional.

I know that this is a departure from my usual recipe sharing, but sometimes you have to go with what inspires you at the moment. You may see more posts like this going forward sprinkled in between recipes and other family related thoughts.

When was the last time you challenged yourself and how did it go?

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Halloween and Candy Corn Bark

 One of my favorite holidays is Halloween.  I love the decorations and all the fun treats that go along with it.  One of my favorite candies this time of year is candy corn!

These little candies are so irresistable... I can't stop eating them!  When I was pregnant with each of My Boys, My Husband would bring me these candies since they would kick like crazy every time I would eat them.  So, you can imagine... they both really love them as well!

I remembered a Candy Corn Cookie Bark that Recipegirl had posted, and made something similar for our Halloween themed Bunko night.   More of a spin on the Peppermint Bark that I've made in the past. 

So, I started by melting some chocolate in a double boiler. 

 Once that was melted, I spread it out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  I put that into the freezer while I melted white chocolate.  Then, spread that on top of the first layer of chocolate.   Then, I added the candy corns by pressing them slightly into the white chocolate.  

Then, I put it back in the freezer for another 30 minutes.  I pulled it out and broke it into pieces.  My Youngest snagged a few pieces before I shared it with my friends and Bunko and declared it one of the best things "ever".  Can't go wrong with a review like that... and the simplicity of putting it together, well that's just perfect!

What is your favorite Halloween treat? 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.