Pulled Barbecue Pork Sandwich

Barbecue pork is a perfect meal for those warm spring/summer days.  The smell of a good barbecue outside just warms my whole insides :) Cock-pot meals are so easy and take very little preparation and that is why this is a perfect meal for those lazy dinner days.

Ingredients 

1 (2 pound) pork roast 

1/2 can of Dr. Pepper soda 

1 (18 oz.) bottle barbecue sauce 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

Hamburger Buns 

Directions 

Step 1: Place thawed pork roast in the crock-pot.

Step 2: Cover pork roast with Dr. Pepper, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar.  Mix together slightly with fork. 

Step 3: Put the lid on the crock-pot and cook on low of 4 hours.  Check occasionally to make sure pork is not being over cooked. 

Step 4: Once the pork is cooked all the way through shred pork with a two forks.  

Step 5: Place some pork on a hamburger bun and enjoy! 

Spring Wreath

Spring time is here!  Its time for spring time crafts and wreaths are my favorite craft to make.  I love everything tulle! I love my son, but man do I wish I had a girl to put her in tulle tutus, headbands and all that good stuff, so I have to fill my need for tulle with my wreaths.

I found this tip on Pinterest, of course, and I will forever use it!

Go to a hardware store and get a 1/2" ,or any other size you would like of foam plumping tubing.  It is $2 and you can get 2 wreath forms out of it.  Much cheaper than buying a wreath form at a craft store.  Cut the tubing to the size you would like your wreath and tape it together with duct tape.

This project was less than $10, I got those big rolls of tulle at hobby lobby for 80% off after Christmas, so watch for those good sales at hobby lobby when they're trying to get rid of holiday stuff.  You can pick any colors of tulle you would like and a cute accent piece.  Fabric flowers are always cute or anything that makes it your own.


Step 1: To cut many pieces at the same time and have them be the same length.  Cut a piece of card board to the length you want your stripes, mine were 15".  Wrap the tulle around the cardboard about 30 times, put a rubber band around one end to hold it together while you cut the ends.  Cut both ends and there you have your stripes.  You might have to cut more throughout the project.  

Step 2: Start tying stripes around the wreath form, I change colors every other stripe that way the colors mesh together.  I also used a square knot, but you can use which every type of knot you like best.





Step 3: Once you have tied a few stripes onto the form push the ties together, make sure they are as close together as you can get them.  Continue doing this until they cover the whole entire wreath form.





Step 4: Once the form is completely covered comb out the wreath so it isn't so messy.  Tie ribbon to the wreath to hang it from your door and add the accent piece where you would like it.

Step 5: Hang it on your door for all to see!

Bowtie Chicken Salad

I love pasta salads and this is a good recipe! This is a really good spring salad, it makes me excited to be having picnics outside. This recipe makes a lot so there is plenty to go around. It is a good salad to take to a party, everyone will love it.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 pkg. Bowtie Pasta
1/2 cup slivered almonds
5 stalks celery died finely.
1 c. seedless grapes halved
20 oz. can pineapple (drained)
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (drained)

Sauce
3/4 cups mayo
2 T. milk
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

Directions

Step 1: Cook bowtie pasta to direction on package, let cool and set aside. Cook chicken and dice into cubes, set aside ( I like to grill my chicken on the George Forman grill)


Step 2: Chop celery finely and put into a large bowl. Halve grapes and put into large bowl.



Step 3: Combine chicken, pasta, almonds, celery, grapes, pineapple, and mandarin oranges in a large mixing bowl and mix together.
Step 4: In a separate bowl combine mayo, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper and mix till smooth.
Step 5: Drizzle sauce over pasta salad and mix till it covers everything.

Lemon Bars

I had never made this lemon bar recipe and I was pleasantly surprised!  It was so easy an fast and tastes amazing.  They are not a good recipe for your waste line though :)  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Crust
2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. softened butter

Filling
4 beaten eggs
4 T. lemon juice
2 c. sugar
4 T. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Directions

Step 1: Combine flour, powdered sugar, and butter to form a dough.

Step 2: Press dough in bottom of 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Beat together eggs, lemon juice, sugar, 4 T. flour, and baking powder.  Pour over the baked crust.

Step 4: Return to oven for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over top and cut into small squares.

Chicken Pillows

Chicken Pillows are my husbands favorite.  He is always begging me to make them for dinner.  Both of our moms make a version of chicken pillows, but I decided to put up my mother in-laws recipe.  I know I say this all the time, but I love this recipe because it has my favorite things, cream cheese and butter.

Ingredients 
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
2 c. cooked cubed chicken
2 to 3 T. milk
2 T. chopped celery (diced)
1 T. chopped onion
3 T. melted butter
8 oz. pkg crescent rolls

Bread crumbs mixture
3/4 c. bread crumbs
2 T. melted butter

Gravy mixture
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk

Directions

Step 1: Chop up cooked chicken into cubes and place into large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix chicken, cream cheese, milk, copped celery, chopped onion, and melted butter in large bowl until smooth.

Step 3: In a separate bowl mix bread crumbs and 2 T. melted butter together.

Step 4: Unroll individual crescent rolls and spoon 2 T. chicken mixture to each crescent.  Roll filled crescents into bread crumb mixture and evenly spread on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 16-19 minutes (or till golden brown)

Step 5: While chicken pillows are cooking heat up gravy.  In a small pan mix cream of chicken soup and milk.  Put the stove to medium heat and warm gravy mixture till the sides are slightly bubbling. Drizzle gravy over chicken pillows and enjoy!

Heavenly Banana Bread

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it is the best banana bread I have ever had.  The sour cream makes it extra moist and heavenly.  It only took me 5 minutes to mix everything together and that even included popping my sons pacifier in his mouth :)  so it is a very quick recipe.

Ingredients

1 c. softened butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
3 mashed bananas
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. sour cream

Yields: 2 loafs

Directions 


Step 1: Mix the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl till smooth.

Step 2: Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add into sugar mixture.  Mix in thoroughly.  Mash bananas in a plastic bag.  Add to sugar mixture and mix till smooth.




Step 3: Add in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix till smooth.  Add in vanilla and sour cream and mix well.







Step 5: Spray bread pans with pam and evenly poor mixture into two pans.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes

Tortellini Soup

This is my FAVORITE soup!  This is my sister in-laws recipe and she knows how to cook!  We always make this recipe on cold winter days at my house.  It makes a lot of soup so it's a good meal to make for a big group.  This is my go to soup because it is so easy and it tastes like Christmas morning :)  I hope everyone enjoys this recipe as much as I do.

Ingredients

7-8 cans Italian diced tomatoes
4 cans beef broth
1 big bag green beans
2 lb. sausage, browned and drained
2 big zucchinis
2 bags tortellini

Directions


Step 1: In a large pot poor in Italian diced tomatoes, beef broth, and green beans.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Let soup simmer for 1 hour.






Step 2: Brown sausage in a frying pan and add into soup.  Cut the zucchini into small cubes and add to soup.  

Step 4: Add tortellini into soup and mix together with the other ingredients.  Simmer for 45 minutes.