Carnitas: Our Official Christmas Dinner

Carnitas are our official Christmas dinner now. Neither Justin nor I are crazy about turkey and we get plenty of that with Thanksgiving. So we decided to devote Christmas dinner to one of our favorites! An added plus of this meal is that it's simple to get a low-protein version for Micah. Turkey...not so much.

Mexican is the way we go. We have refried beans and Mexican rice with these carnitas. I make Pioneer Woman's pico de gallo to go with it because how can you go wrong? And I roast some corn. (Put frozen corn on a pan, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then roast under the broiler until the corn around the edges gets brown. Most delicious corn in the world!) 

Sometimes this meal seems complicated in my head because you need several hours to cook it. But you need less than ten minutes at the start if you have someone else cut up your meat (20 if you don't) and then 30-40 of supervision at the end. That's not more time than I would usually spend cooking dinner and you get this deliciousness. 

(Why yes, I did turn the camera on two different angles for your viewing pleasure. Or maybe I didn't realize I had done that. Either way.)

Ingredients: 

Boston butt pork roast- you pick the size: we typically get a 4-5 pounder

1 cup orange juice

juice and zest of 3-4 limes, plus more limes for serving

3-4 tsp. cumin

3-4 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt (Or use garlic salt)

2 tsp. pork seasoning, optional

water

tortillas- you can always make your own! 

toppings: lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, onions, etc

Cut your meat into 2 in. cubes. Seriously, this is so much easier if you ask them to do this in the meat department. But if not, you can handle it. Just use a sharp knife.  Cut as much off that bone as possible and toss the bone in too. Do NOT remove the fat. You need it later. (I did not say that you needed to put the meat into a pot. I just assumed you knew. Sorry if that caused you problems.)

Side note: the pot you use is important. I use a nonstick pot and it works beautifully. I used one of my regular aluminum pots with a copper bottom the first time and my meat stuck horribly. Don't waste the deliciousness. 

Add orange juice. Zest and juice your limes. Or have your husband do it because he's stronger and can get more juice out.

Add remaining seasonings. Just sprinkle all over the top. Use more or less for your preference. 

Cover meat with water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for two hours. Do not touch it. Don't stir it. Don't cover it. The water is supposed to cook off. You will soon smell it though. 

After two hours turn up the heat to medium high and let the rest of the water cook off. Pull the meat off that bone and remove the bone. The meat is very tender and will flake right off. The fat will be left in the bottom and your meat will start to brown in it. Turn down to medium and flip the meat occasionally. The meat will start to brown on the bottom and get crispy. Sample it here, of course, and add more garlic salt and cumin if you want.

When you turn the temperature up to let the last of the water cook off, start prepping everything else. Cook your rice. Warm your tortillas. Heat your refried beans. Chop your veggies. 

Continue turning the meat until the rest of the prep work is done and everyone is starving. Place meat on a plate draining off as much grease as you want. Or leave it there and let it drip down your arm while you eat. 

Assemble your tacos in whatever order you prefer. Eat. But please, squeeze some more lime juice over that meat before you eat it. It's the crowning touch. 

Repeat the last two steps until all the meat is gone and there's just some grease stains in the pot and on the plates. Then put carnitas on your menu for next month, even though it's not Christmas. They don't really taste any better at Christmas. They're good anytime. 

Christmas Food Traditions (Or Why We Eat Carnitas at Christmas)

My husband read that title and said, "Because they're good." True, but not quite where I was going with this post. 

Traditional holiday food is turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, deviled eggs, and desserts. Along with other items that vary by family and region. These dishes are all high in protein. (Seriously, count the protein in your food one day. It's a little shocking.) That means Micah can't eat them and there aren't many low-protein substitutes for turkey. 

So we have carnitas. Of course, the pork is high in protein as well. But the whole meal involves rice, refried beans, tortillas, pico de gallo, avocado, lettuce, cheese, etc.  Micah has a veggie mix in place of the pork and quite happily eats quite a few of the sides. 

Traditions are great- until they don't work for your family. We don't like having meals that aren't adaptable for Micah, especially the ones that contain so many memories. I don't know how Micah will react to his metabolic disorder at any of the stages of his life besides this one. But I don't want to unnecessarily draw attention to the fact that he can't eat all the same things we do. I want our meals and traditions to be happy memories for him as well as everyone else. 

That's what you do for your children, for your family. You change. You grow to serve them. Having children changes your life. You don't have them to be happy or fulfill your own emotional needs. If God blesses you with children, you are to assist in raising God's children. Is there any greater honor? Is that not worth any sacrifice? (Not that carnitas are a sacrifice.)

Yea, that's the kid I'm talking about :) 

So we changed our tradition. We changed it to something we felt would better serve our family. And we are quite happy with it. We love carnitas and I hope it's a fun tradition we can continue for many years to come. Perhaps even when grandchildren are gathered around our table. 

What about you? Have you changed any traditions for your family? 

BBQ Chicken

A couple of weeks ago we had BBQ chicken and I tried a new way of making it. This stove-top to oven technique is one of my favorites for chicken now. It's quick and leaves the chicken juicy. I was skimpy on pictures when I remade it again but it's so easy you don't even really need pictures! 

3 chicken breasts, flattened (size up or down to what you need)

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)

sliced cheese (if you so desire)

Hawaiian sweet rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Sprinkle seasonings liberally over both sides of chicken. Place in hot pan with a little oil and sear that side.  Flip and let cook for three minutes. Then place pan in oven. That bottom side will get a nice crust on it in the hot pan. 

See that nice crust? 

Cook in oven for twenty minutes, then pour BBQ sauce on top and cook for five more minutes. 
Remove chicken from pan and then shred into large chunks. Return to pan and cover with sauce. Place in oven until sauce is hot. 

Place cheese (if desired) and chicken on a Hawaiian roll. 
Eat. 
Repeat until all the chicken is gone.
Cry. 
Make more chicken. 

Just kidding on the last two. 

Maybe. 

Food We've Been Eating

I love food. And I love food pictures. It always makes me hungry to look at them though. But regardless of that I wanted to share some pictures of what we've been eating. 

I marinated some chicken in mesquite (McCormick at Wal-Mart. It's seriously amazing!) and then put it over a salad. Romaine, carrots, and Ranch. I would eat a whole plate of that right now.

Amish Friendship Bread....except simpler. You just mix it up and bake. It was delicious.

I used the rest of the mesquite chicken for some tacos. I would also eat that right now.

Skinny chicken florentine. So yummy! Think alfredo but much healthier. And I love the spinach in it. Mushrooms would be a great addition!

Blueberry bagels! Hello! These are my favorite. I made these and we took them to Pigeon Forge on our trip. I might tweak this recipe a little...not sure yet. But they were delicious.

But now these raspberry bars are some of the best sweet things I've ever eaten in my life! So delicious and buttery and raspberry-y (?). Anyway, take my word for it. You MUST make these. Try not to eat the whole pan. But if you do, you don't have to tell anybody.

Then for some more real food....sesame chicken! I loved this meal. I actually modified my stir-fry sauce to include sesame oil and poured it over the stir-fried veggies. Justin worked late the night I made this and I had to make myself leave him some.

And chicken fried steak. I had never made chicken fried steak before. Actually I had never eaten chicken fried steak before. It's amazing! Justin rated it as better than Cracker Barrel. That's an A+ in my book. Go, Pioneer Woman!

What have you been eating lately?

Hard Shell Tacos

Geniuses live on Pinterest. Or at least behind the websites that get pinned. Make your own hard-shell tacos?? Seriously, so easy. All you need are corn tortillas, an oven, and some Pam. (Off-brand, of course, for me. But for the life of me I can't think of what else it's called. Spray? Then you might use hairspray. I can see that having bad results. I'll think of it after I post this and then I'll feel stupid.)

Warm your corn tortillas in the microwave (oh, you'll need a microwave too) until they are soft and pliable. You don't want them to crack. Spray both sides with cooking spray! (There ya go!) Drape them over two of the wires on your oven rack that you have preheated to 375. Yes, they will look like they laying more straight than draping. That's ok. They will drop.  Bake for 5-10 minutes or until they get crispy and slightly brown. Go check out this tutorial for pictures. I refused to photograph my dirty oven. 

Then you fill with all kinds of deliciousness! 

Last night I just did regular taco meat, refried beans, lettuce, salsa, and cheese. Yum!! They were delicious. We had our go-to Mexican rice with them. And check out this corn. Seriously, one of the best things I ever ate. I think if I fixed the whole bag this way I could eat all of it myself. Just pour frozen corn onto a cookie sheet. Add a little oil, salt, and pepper and broil for five minutes. Simple! 

I even made a veggie one for Micah. I sauteed carrots (until soft) and added mushrooms and cooked another three minutes. He had lettuce on his. The boy loves lettuce. And he loved this taco.

Today for lunch, (getting tired of tacos yet?) I cooked up a chicken breast with cumin and garlic and chopped it up. I threw it on top of refried beans and lettuce all nestled down in those shells and topped with cheese. Delicious!  Oh, and I made more corn for lunch today. Seriously, it's that good.

Good food doesn't have to be complicated. Just wait until I show you French bread pizza. I could eat it every day too. With that corn.

Favorite Meal Comparisons

Justin and I sat down over the weekend and tallied up our favorite ten meals. It was a fun conversation for both of us over lunch. I thought I would share our lists; I was surprised at how little overlap there was. 

Justin's list: 

1. Beef wellington and mashed potatoes

2. Carnitas

3. Potato cakes

4. Pork roast

5. French dip sandwiches

6. Chimichangas

7. Beef roast

8. Sloppy joes

9. Chicken mushroom melts

10. Taco Salad

Lisa's list: 

1. Ham and cheese sliders

2. Chicken alfredo

3. Easy bacon pasta

4. Hamburgers and twice-baked potatoes

5. French bread pizza

6. Stromboli

7. Carnitas

8. Spaghetti

9. Easy Chicken Quesadillas

10. Taco Salad

 Justin's meals were heavy on the meat and mine on the carbs. Can you tell our first food loves? 

This little exercise will definitely help me meal plan! I would like to have a good balance between meat and carb concentrated meals, for health as well as enjoyment. (Yes, yes, we'll have vegetables too!) And we've only had French dip sandwiches once; I'll have to remedy that. 

Have you ever compared your favorite foods to your husband's or a close friend's? 

Friday Favorites

Bread! I love bread!! This honey oat bread is amazing! Check it out :) 

 Ok, I made the french bread again today. A double batch this time. And it turned out even better than last time. I think the trick is to let it rise four or five times. It really doesn't take any longer as long as you're home because you just punch it down and go on. It freezes great too.

Birthday money= birthday shoes!! $8 on clearance!! I love clearance. Aren't these gorgeous? My old pair of black heels I bought before I was pregnant with Micah. They were well over-due for the trash can. Seriously, I hadn't worn them in forever because they were sad.

We had company for dinner last night. That means company mashed potatoes. So not healthy. 

 My baby love investigating the sunlight! Isn't he the most adorable little thing in the whole world?? 

This is the cutest picture of Micah! 

And this is the funniest picture of Micah! haha 

 Baby fun before bed! 

Carnitas

Apparently this is officially our Christmas dinner now. We get plenty of turkey and ham on Thanksgiving and at our parent's houses for Christmas so we decided to mix it up. And there is nothing better than carnitas. It's true. 

These are a little more time/labor intensive than meals I typically do with two small children. But it's totally worth it. 

Pork roast: butt or shoulder either one

1 cup orange juice

juice and zest of 3-4 limes, plus more limes for serving

2-3 tsp. cumin

3-4 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pork seasoning, optional

water

tortillas

toppings: lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, onions, etc

Here's our lovely ~4 lb. roast. It does have a bone in it. Don't worry about that. 

Cut your meat into 2 in. cubes. Just cut as much off that bone as possible and toss it in too. And do NOT remove the fat. You need it later. Side note: the pot you use is important. This is a nonstick pot. It works beautifully. I used one of my regular aluminum pots with a copper bottom the first time and my meat stuck horribly. Don't waste the deliciousness. 

Add orange juice. Zest and juice your limes. Or have your husband do it because he's stronger and can get more juice out.  :) 

See all that deliciousness on the meat?? 

Add remaining seasonings. 

Cover meat with water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for two hours. Do not touch it. Don't stir it. Don't cover it. The water is supposed to cook off. 

After two hours turn up the heat to medium high and let the rest of the water cook off. The fat will be left in the bottom and your meat will start to brown in it. Pull the meat off that bone and remove it. The meat is very tender and will flake right off.

Turn the meat until there are lots of pieces that are nice and crispy on the outside! 

Place meat on a plate draining off as much grease as necessary. 

Yum!! 

Layer on a tortilla with desired toppings. And it is imperative that you squeeze lime juice over the meat right before eating. It's the crowning touch to the flavors! Enjoy! 

Christmas Wreath Bread!

It's that time again! Time for Christmas Wreath Bread! This stuff is totally amazing. For whatever reason I only make it around Christmas. I think I should ignore the name and make it all the time! 

The only change I make is using pecans instead of almonds. But I'm sure almonds would be tasty in it! It's super easy to do so go dazzle your friends with this impressive-looking bread!

Pinterest!



 

I signed up for a Pinterest account several months ago and left it sitting because it seemed like a great way to waste more time online :) But after much persuasion I checked it out a couple of weeks ago....and I'm a huge fan! I try to refrain from pinning cute pictures and quotes and go with things that are actually helpful like recipes and toddler activities. (Not because I don't love quotes...I DO! But in the interest of time managment I've avoided them.)

 

Last Friday night I made these baked donuts. They were amazing and really simple. And much healthier than I would have expected! I am so excited about doing my meal plan this week with the new recipes I've found too! 

 

 

 







 

 

If you click on the picture of the donuts it should take you to the website with the recipe. Yum! I shouldn't make these very often!  Expect to see some more Pinterest-inspired meals over the next few weeks!

 

I've also found some fun sewing projects for whenever I carve out some time to sew :) 



Freezer Cooking: Last Update

This will be the last update because, well, my freezer is full! As in, if I put something else in there I would have to sit in on the ice :) And I'm glad about this because if there were more room I would feel compelled to make more to go in there! Now I'm just done with it! 

 

So for the countdown:

2 bags shepherd's pie filling
2 bags chicken pot pie filling
6 bags of pancakes (3 apiece)
3 bags mashed potatoes
4 bags of Micah's mashed potatoes (1 serving apiece)
1 lasagna
1 pizza casserole
1 broccoli chicken casserole
7 hamburger patties
5 sausage patties
8 pounds browned and seasoned hamburger
4 bags cooked cubed chicken
8 individual sized pizza crusts
3 balls of pizza dough (1 large pizza apiece)
1 pound meatballs

And then, of course, there's hamburger, chicken, fish, and vegetables in there too. I'm so glad to be finished with that!

Freezer Cooking

So it's officially time to start cooking for my freezer for after this baby gets here! And by officially time I mean I'm going to feel really behind if I don't get a good start this week. And I'll stock some extra staples too for quick meals.

At some point I had a nice list of things I wanted to make for the freezer. However that was pre-iPad and, of course, I have no idea where that list is now. But I can think of a few things...I'll have to brain storm later.

1. Pizza Dough. Super easy. Mix up and let rise. Then punch down and  freeze.
2. Pizza Crust. Same as above, except roll out and fry before freezing.
3. Casseroles- pizza casserole, lasagna, shepherd's pie
4. Mashed potaotes? I've never done this but my mother-in-law has and they are always really good.
5. Soup.
6. Browned and seasoned hamburger meat. That could come in really handy!
7. Cooked, chopped chicken. That could save a few steps in any meal!
8. Cookie Dough

I think I'm most excited about the hamburger and chicken. And I think that's a nice starting list! Any other ideas that could help? And not take up a lot of room in the freezer :)

New Diet Plan

I use the term "diet" very loosely here. It's more likely to mean lifestyle change (hopefully!). But I only have one body and I like being able to use it. I know I can't prevent everything but it's like maintenance on a car. Plus, I intend to be losing weight after I have this baby. And I'm all about having as little to change as possible while adjusting to life with a newborn. So let's fix it now, right?

So here we go....

Protein and fruit with breakfast
Salad and two veggies a day
Fruit for an afternoon snack
6-8 glasses of water a day
Limit sugar (dessert and pop)

Nothing dramatic. I'm all about workable changes with reachable goals. I'm not going to try to cut back on carbs (we all know how I love those) or drastically change how we eat because it's not that bad. But I know these changes will help me eat better and feel better. I can already tell a difference.