Crockpot Pulled Pork (or Chicken)

Sunday's are my favorite days to do crockpot meals. I can put it in before church and when I get home dinner is about done, all I have to do is make some sides. Yesterday Brooklynn caught my nasty cold and hasn't been herself so I wanted something easy and low stress. I decided I wanted to make pulled pork but didn't have a good recipe for it. So I turned to my recipe book and saw Regina Smithson's pulled chicken recipe and took a shot at it with pork. IT WAS FANTASTIC!! This recipe really reminds me of home being from TN. When I was in highschool my friends and I would go to a local place called Strouds that has the best pulled pork sandwiches. What makes it so good is their tomato based BBQ sauce. If I could perfect that recipe I would be set. For now, I have my homemade, easy peasy, 3 ingredient pulled pork.

This recipe makes a lot so I usually half it. 

3-4 lbs chicken breast (or pork loin)

1 20 oz bottle coke or dr. pepper

1 small bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce 

salt/pepper to taste

In crockpot mix coke or dr. pepper with 1/2 the bottle of BBQ sauce and salt/pepper. Place chicken (or pork) in crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours then reduce to low for 4-5 hours. Once cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of juices; set aside.  Discard the rest of the liquid.  Shred pork. Return reserved juices to crockpot. Mix in other half of the BBQ sauce. (keep in mind that if you are halfing the recipe be sure to half the BBQ sauce too. It will be way too much sauce).  Serve with hamburger buns or hawaiian rolls. 

Aaron likes to top it with a little tabasco sauce and I like a dab more of BBQ sauce. We eat it with either green beans or corn and sometimes a variety of potato. 

Enjoy! 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

So I am getting sick and can't breathe/sleep so I decided to blog instead of lay in bed bored. This recipe is a staple in the Smith house. We eat it every other week if not every week. It is super easy and only uses one pot. What could be better than that? 

This recipe is actually the last meal I had before Brooklynn was born. I jokingly said to Aaron "I'm gonna spice this baby out of me". Little did we know about 6 hours later my water would break. It really isn't that spicy but I definately couldn't eat it while nursing and was super bummed. Hope you guys enjoy! 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

(serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender. I sometimes add a little extra water or cream because it might take a little longer. 

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. 

Brooklynn Elizabeth Smith

So I decided I wanted to post Brooklynn's birth story so I can have it written down somewhere (that I wouldn't lose). So here it goes... 

It was a Tuesday night (Nov 19th) and I was making dinner. I jokingly said to Aaron that I was going to make something spicy to see if she would come early. I made spicy sausage pasta (one of our favorites). We ate it and then started to watch TV. I started to get really uncomfortable with back pain and feeling lots of pressure in my lower abdomen. I told Aaron and he thought I was just having Braxton Hicks.  We decided to go to bed but before we did I had a feeling I needed to put down a towel in case my water broke since my due date was coming up. 

Well, good thing I put that towel down. At exactly 2:00am I rolled over in bed and felt a pop and then a gush. I ran to the bathroom thinking that I peed my pants (I guess pregnant women do that sometimes on accident). When I got to the bathroom another gush happened. So my final test before waking Aaron up was to go lay on the couch. In our birthing class they said that if you think your water has broken go lay down. I guess the babies head plugs up the hole if you are standing up so if you lay down the baby will shift and more amniotic fluid will come out. Sure enough it did. Now it was 2:15 and I woke Aaron up. I said "Aaron we need to go to the hospital... my water broke." His words were "are you sure... is this happening." I started to freak out a little bit because this really was happening. I got on the phone and called the doctor on call. She assured me that my water had broken and I needed to get my things and come to the hospital but to take my time. She could tell I was starting to freak out so she tried to calm me down. She said she was going to meet me when I got there. I called my mom to tell her my water broke. She told me she would get on the next flight to get to NJ and to call her when we got to the hospital. 

I got some last minute things together (I had a feeling the day before that I needed to do laundry and clean the house) and aaron packed a bag. Now it was about 3:00 in the morning and we headed to the hospital. We drove through Highland Park (a small but busy town during the day) and not a soul was on the road. We joked around about how this would be the only time that would be the case. Aaron also joked that this was not how he expected things to go. He thought that I would start with contractions and then the water breaking would come later. He thought I would be screaming at him the whole way to the hospital but it was actually quite pleasant. We arrived at the hospital and parked the car. We hurried through the hospital to labor and delivery (still no contractions). 

When we got to labor and delivery the nurse asked "how can I help you?" I thought to myself "Seriously." I said "I'm here to have a baby, can you tell me where to go." She showed me to my room and got me all hooked up and checked in. The medical student and resident came in and asked a bunch of questions (still no contractions). I kept having nurse after nurse come in and the med student and resident came back frequently and I later learned that I was the only person on the labor and delivery floor at the time. 

They confirmed that my water had broken and that I was 3 centimeters dilated and wanted to start me on pitocin to speed things up. I guess since my water broke I had 24 hours to deliver Brooklynn before they would have to do a C section. The thought of being in labor for 24 hours freaked me out. I was sure that I wanted to get an epidural but wanted to experience labor pains for a little bit. The doctor came in and we discussed the pros and cons of the pitocin and decided against it because she felt I was progressing just fine. The contractions finally started and then I got uncomfortable. Throughout my whole pregnancy I had back pain so it really intensified during labor. Aaron was great at rubbing my back and helping me get into comfortable positions. 

The doctor would come in every so often to check on me but couldn't check to see how much I was dilated because of risk of infection. By about 6:00am I was ready for the epidural (I experienced enough labor pain). Since I was the only one there the anesthesiologist was there in 15 min which was great. The birthing class nurse was telling us horror stories about making sure to get the epidural quick because some people have to wait hours till they can get to you. She came in and gave me the epidural which wasn't too bad. The only thing that was hard was when a contraction would come she would tell me to not move (which is really hard). After the epidural was put in my right leg was completely numb but my left leg felt like it was asleep (times 1,000). It was really uncomfortable so they gave me an extra shot of something and both legs went numb. Like numb to the point I felt like I didn't have legs. The doctor advised me to try and get some sleep so I zonked out. Aaron said he was too nervous that he couldn't sleep. He and the doctor sat on the couch and chit chatted. I would periodically wake up and be shaking or nauseous but the doctor said that was normal and I was just progressing. She said once the next doctor came on shift at 8:30am they would check me again. Aaron once again said that he didn't expect labor to be that way. He said "I would look over at you in the bed and you were just snoozing through your contractions" EPIDURALS ARE GREAT!!! 

When the next doctor came on shift they gave her the run down and she checked me at about 9:30. I was a 9. She said that she wanted to do some practice pushes to be sure I was doing everything okay. So we did that and I couldn't feel a thing. They then turned down my epidural drip so that when I did actually start pushing I could feel what I was doing. About 30 minutes later I started to get a lot of pressure and the urge to push. My nurse (who was fantastic) came in and I started pushing. I pushed for an hour and a half before Brooklynn was born. By the end I was so exhausted I don't think I could have done it any longer. Also, I felt everything by the end because my epidural had warn off. Aaron was my saving grace. He helped count while I was pushing, got me ice chips, and cold washcloths. He put on calming music for me to relax during the break in the contractions. He later said to me "man that was brutal"... I said "I know". 

When Brooklynn was born she came out with the cord wrapped around her neck. Before my last push the doctor said to stop pushing (which is really hard) because they couldn't get the cord unwrapped. They finally did and they placed her on my belly. Now this is the scary part. Before I started pushing the doctor said they would leave her on my belly as long as everything was okay. About 10 seconds after her being on my belly she was still blue and not crying. The nurse grabbed her and rushed her over to the warmer. I freaked out because I couldn't see her. Aaron and I were both crying from joy and now from fear. The nurse kept saying that it was normal but I knew something was wrong. Suddenly about 5 more doctors and nurses rushed into the room. My nurse kept trying to calm me down. A guy came over and said he was from the NICU and explained that since the cord was wrapped around her neck for so long she wasn't able to get the fluid out of her lungs or absorb some of it. They tried to suction it out but it wasn't helping. He said they needed to take her to the NICU for Xrays and to be on a CPAP. I really started freaking out and told Aaron he needed to go with her. He was worried because that meant that I would be left alone but my nurse said she would stay with me the whole time. The wheeled her up and my doctor finished working on me. 

Right when Brooklynn was born was when my mom's plane landed. She tried calling us but neither of us answers so she knew something was wrong. Once they got Brooklynn taken to the NICU my nurse got my phone so I could call her. I was crying so she really knew something was wrong. Our friend Drew was picking her up and they were on their way when I called and my mom said that Drew started to drive really fast (and also went down a one way street when they got to the hospital). She got to the hospital right when they were wheeling me up to the NICU. By that time Brooklynn was off the CPAP oxygen and just hooked up to monitors. I finally got to hold her. The NICU lactation consultant came down and I fed her for the first time. After that I wheeled down to my postpartum room and we waited till Brooklynn could be released from the NICU (it felt like forever). By 8:00pm that night we had her back and boy was she cute. We spent the next 3 days in the hospital. I am so glad my mom was able to fly out because Aaron was in school and had a couple tests he had to finish. She stayed in the hospital with me so that Aaron could sleep at home to get enough rest for his tests. He would come to the hospital after class and in between studying. We were released from the hospital on a Saturday and since then we have been in love with our sweet Brooklynn. Here are some pictures to prove it!! 

Brooklynn Elizabeth Smith

Born at 11:29 am 

8 lbs 12 oz

20.5 inches long 

This is Brooklynn in the NICU right before I got to see her. She was a huge baby and looked like she could eat all the tiny babies in there. 

First time getting to hold her!! 

Paul and Christine came to visit at the hospital and she took some precious pictures. 

3 weeks old. Auntie Christine came over and took some glamour shots!! 

First Predators game at 4 months old!!

At Jakes 1 year bday party in Nashville

First time to the beach!! She loved it! 

My little princess at church.. 9 months old! 

Cafe Rio Nights

Since moving to NJ we have met some pretty awesome families and had some awesome dinners. By far my favorite is our Cafe Rio Nights. Each family is assigned to bring something and we all gather to indulge and gorge ourselves on delicious sweet pork burritos. Our most recent Cafe Rio night was this past Sunday. A new family moved into our ward (he is apart of the PA program that Aaron is in) and so we invited them over along with the Frandsens (because we absolutely love them). I love making the pork and have a 5 ingredient recipe that is sure to make your mouth water. We sure do miss our original Cafe Rio night family (Drew, Kerri, and sweet little Kate) and hopefully soon we will get to see them. 

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (served 8-10 people)

3-4 lbs pork 

2 cups brown sugar

16 oz. red taco sauce 

1 can coke (not diet)

1 TBSP cumin 

Place pork (thawed or half frozen) in crockpot on high. Pour water until it is halfway up the pork. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Remove pork and discard water. Return pork to crockpot. Take a fork and pierce the pork a couple times (do not shred yet). In a large bowl whisk together all the ingredients. add ingredients to crock pot. Cook on high for 4 more hours. Ladel out the excess liquid. Shred pork. Return desired amount of liquid and mix (sometimes there is an excess of liquid and I just dump it out). 

Other things that we layer with the pork. 

Tortillas 

Cilantro Rice 

Black beans

Cheese

Romaine Lettuce 

Tomatoes

Lime juice

Cilantro Ranch

Guacamole 

And there ya have it folks!! Enjoy! 

Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Sesame Chicken Potstickers

• I have always loved PF Changs lettuce wraps and have never found a recipe that tastes good. I finally found one from Damn Delicious and so I wanted to share it. It was super easy and has tons of flavor. I paired it with homemade postickers and it was the perfect meal. Aaron really enjoyed it and said that he would eat it again. I gave Brooklynn some bites of the potsticker meat and she ate it up. 
• 
  
• KUNG PAO CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 head butter lettuce (I just used iceburg) 
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, optional
FOR THE SAUCE
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 
  
•  INSTRUCTIONS

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, dry sherry, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in garlic and zucchini until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce mixture until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style, garnished with peanuts, if desired.

SESAME CHICKEN POTSTICKERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 36 2-inch won ton wrappers
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Soy sauce, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large bowl, combine chicken, mushrooms, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar and white pepper.
• To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potstickers in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.
• Serve immediately with soy sauce, if desired.

NOTES

To freeze, place uncooked potstickers in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight. Transfer to freezer bags. 

Wow It's been a while!!!

So I have completely forgotten about this blog. Since I wrote last Aaron and I have moved twice (long story for another time) and had a baby. Her name is Brooklynn and she is the sweetest and funniest little girl. She is 8.5 months old and keeps me very busy. I am a stay at home mom now and love it. The first 6 months were rough but we have gotten a routine and are better now. Here is the most recent picture of her. In another post I will tell her birth story and show more pictures.  

Now i want to kinda turn this blog into a recipe/craft/current events/brag on my cute baby blog. People are always asking me for the recipes/pictures of Brooklynn so now I can direct them here. Take to you all soon!! 

NYC & Hurricane Sandy

So this post is a little late but better late than never. In October, Aaron's mom came to visit for the weekend. At the time I was still working so Deanne headed into the city by herself on Friday. She walked up and down the streets trying to see all the things people told her to visit. On Saturday, Aaron and I joined her to the city. We took the train early in the morning and set out to our more of the city. Below are pictures that we took.

 Project Runway!!!

 I have never been to Central Park so we took a walk through there. The leaves were starting to change and it was really pretty.

 There was a synthetic ice rink in the middle of central park.. wasn't open though

 It was crazy to be right next to the city and we couldn't hear any of the commotion..

 Aaron and his momma

 Me and the hubby

 Really cool bridge in Central Park

 Me and Deanne

 Always wanted to see The Flat Iron

 We went to this restaurant that Aaron's cousin Lisa loved (can't remember the name). It was really cool because it was a rooftop restaurant and a night club and also an apartment building. The brunch was WAY out of our price range but we took a couple pictures.

 I have never been to a Broadway play so we decided to go see Phantom of the Opera... SOOO GOOD!

 Walked through Times Square

 We showed Deanne the cafe that we ducked into on our first trip to NYC.

 Our next adventure was Hurricane Sandy and the nor'ester that hit the east coast. The hurricane was kinda scary. My mom called to make sure we got prepared before the storm started. I got my water, candles, batteries, flashlights, canned foods, and propane canisters. We were prepared. Monday night came and the wind started to pick up. A about 7:30 we got a text from the EQ president that he had lost power (he lives around the corner) and it was Aaron's assignment to check if the power went out at the bishop's storehouse (we are the closest in the ward). Aaron and I went out in the storm to check if it still had power- it did. We got home and about 30 min later our power went out. We got the candles out and sat around. We decided we should take a shower just in case the water got cold. After that we headed to bed. That entire night the wind was so loud it was hard for me to sleep. We woke up and our power was back on (we got lucky). Most of the people in our ward still had no power. I had to go into work that day to field calls from storm damage- most people were still out of power so not a lot of people called.

Side note: That ended up being my last day at work. I couldn't take the lying and disorganization within the office. It wasn't a good environment and I was miserable everyday.

On Wednesday we got a call from Kittrick and Jess Kane (Kit goes to school with Aaron) that they were out of power and if they could hang out (they didn't get their power back till 10 days later). They and another couple from our ward brought their food and stored it in our freezer. We got another call that day that a couple in New Brunswick had to be evacuated from their apartment due to flooding and the couple they were staying with had no power. They headed over to our house and stayed with us. They didn't get power back until Sunday.

I am glad that we were prepared for the storm. My mom is the queen of preparedness and I am grateful for her. I think if we would have lost power for longer I might have gone a little crazier but I am grateful that we were able to help so many people. It was a little stressful at times but I know Aaron and I will be blessed.

My heart hurts everyday for the people that have been devastated by this storm. So many people are still without power even 2 weeks after the storm. They have lost homes, belongings, cars... everything. I am trying to give all the time I can but I know that I am making only a small dent. I pray for the people that are still without power, heat, and food. May the Lord be with you and bless your families.