Homemade Pork Stock

This entry is going to kick off a bigger picture. Pork stock to make chile verde sauce to make pork chile verde from the pork that the stock was made. The stock is used in the chile verde sauce as well. It’s like the culinary circle of life…

 

This, is step one.

 

I went to the store and got my hands on a pork shoulder, on sale!

 

I brought it home and baked it up in the oven.

 

Shredded what was shred-able for bbq sammies and what couldn’t be shredded was cubed for chile verde. The big piece of skin was saved to flavor beans, as they cook, to use as refried beans. The bone was kept for step two!

 

Nothing went to waste!!

 

Step two is simple… Take the bone you’ve got left, with any undesirable fat, tendon, waste that was left and put it in a stock pot.

 

Since I was making chile verde that day too, I had veggies on hand to use in the stock. Onion pieces and such. Normally, I don’t use a bunch of veggies in my stock. You can use the granulated versions, because they’re only there for taste, but it’s up to you. I find cooking the seasoned skin and all that stuffs is enough.

I used the ends of the onions here, that’s what’s floating along with the bone, skin, fat, ect.

Fill the pot with water and boil away. As the water level goes down, I refill, tasting as I go. Once I have the desired amount and flavor, it’s done!

Quality over quantity!

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the shitty photo quality on the end here, but I didn’t Instagram the finished product for obvious reasons…

Maybe not so obvious, after all, I ig’d a shot of bones boiling in water.

My life… Is riveting.

 

 

 

Anyhoo, bag it, tag it and freeze it.

End o’ story! Enjoy!

Vanilla Granola & Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

The other day we made a trip to Sprouts, because they have like, THE best sales, EVER and a ton of bulk product.

 

I got my hands on some delicious, organic, vanilla granola. Think of it as the honey bunches part of Honey Bunches of Oats. Just vanilla granola and some almond slivers. Yum.

 

The other day, my Boo asked me to bake some cookies and so I tried something new and threw the granola in, where I’d usually throw in oatmeal or whatever else. And, of course, chocolate chips.

 

You’ve gotta have chocolate chips.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1c margarine/butter, softended
1c granulated sugar
1c brown sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
2c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
2 – 3 cups of granola, depending on what kind, how dense and so on
1c chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Cream butter and sugars until smooth; beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine and blend thoroughly flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; beat into creamed mixture. Stir in granola and chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

Tim McGraw!!

Have I mentioned my job doesn’t suck? Seriously? Have I?

Fucking TIM MCGRAW!

I don’t know about you, but I love me some Tim. From having a BBQ stain on my white tees shirt, to being an Indian outlaw or a Southern girl to having your last dollar or not letting anybody, EVER take the girl. I love, love,  love me some Tim McGraw.

Naturally, when I got the email that I was working the show, I reacted like somebody emailed me that I won tickets.

Nay, better!

I get to WATCH the show AND I get paid. What the HELL could be better?

Nothing. Nothing at aaaalllll.

Last night was incredible. I’m sick, sick as a dog I say and near my death bed, but I pried myself away to pour – over pour – Jack for the lovely concert goers and listen to Tim’s greatest hits, um, LIVE.

I got a great location, we weren’t swamped, which translated to less than stellar sales, but we had some regulars and great tippers so it went well. I usually work alone, don’t need no Robin, BUT my boss thought I was going to need the help and gave me a side kick. Which wasn’t bad, because I wasn’t lonely and I had someone to sing with, but had she not been there, I’d have stacked two car payments for my new baby.

It all evened out though, because I had time to walk away for a few songs here and there and actually enjoy the HELL out of this show.

He sounds, amazing. Just like on the radio. He played everything you’d want him to play, the crowd loved it, I loved it… I can’t complain!

I only managed to get two photos, one from either side of the back of the stage, but what can ya do? It’s a mile around that concourse, I didn’t have time or energy to hustle my booty around for a better view. Plus any fan of cowboys will agree, the shows better from the back side.

Enjoy my pics of tiny Tim. Some of the other Instagrammers got some GOLD. Go look…

I wish I had gotten a pic with the guys in the white tee shirts that had, “BBQ stain” written on them. It’s not often people get creative for country, much less, boys, but it was great.

Until next time…

Freezer Taco Chicken

Last week, I celebrated my sons birthday with a pool party “Fiesta” in which I cooked a bunch of chicken up to make some tacos with!

I had to feed about 30 people and wanted the most cost effective way of getting enough chicken to feed them all, as well as have some leftovers, hopefully!

Thanks to the amazing prices at Smart & Final I was able to get chicken for under $1 a pound… .79/lb I think, to be exact.

The leg quarters were huge and exactly what I needed.

I decided to bake the chicken, skin on, seasoned to death and it came out incredible!

Seasoned with just chili powder, garlic powder, dried onion, oregano, pepper and some tomato bullion and covered with foil while it cooks. I like to make my own taco seasoning, because the stuff in the pouch has too much sodium, things that AREN’T even seasonings in it and (I know sodium is salt) but it TASTES like you’re eating tomato salt, not food. Not a fan. The tomato bullion that I use for Spanish rice, has enough salt in it to taste, but not over power.

Enjoy!