Ummmm.... Heck Yes!

I've had some pretty amazing culinary adventures as of late, but I only have pictures from one of them. Yesterday, I tried recreating Cafe Rio's Pork Barbacoa Salad. I think I came pretty close, but I haven't had it in a while, so I may not be as close as I think I am. Any way, after searching for some recipes, I made up my own. Here it is:

Pork Barbacoa Deliciousness

• 3-5 lb. Pork Roast
• 1 7oz. Can of chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic minced
• 1 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 1/2 cans of Dr. Pepper (or 18 oz)

Mix all ingredients except for the roast in a bowl, chilies and all. Place the pork roast and the sauce into a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. At the end of the 6 hours take out the roast and shred the meat. Put about half aside for other purposes (like yummy barbecue later!). In another bowl, mix the following ingredients:

• 18 oz Dr. Pepper
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp (or more if you like the heat) Franks Red Hot Sauce
• 1/4 cup Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic minced

Once you have the sauce mixed, reduce in a pot on the stove until the sauce is slightly thickened (about 5-10 minutes on medium heat). Mix in with the shredded meat and eat.

I think it's pretty good regardless. It know it's a little labor intensive, especially with making a whole new sauce, but the chilies added a great kick to the meat, but left the cooked liquid too spicy (It stings the nostrils). Any way, we used it to top a Cafe Rio-esque salad. Basically layer the following:

• tortilla
• rice
• beans
• lettue
• pico de gayo
• pork
• cheese
• squeeze o' lime

Also, I found a goo tomatillo dressing here. I actually used the recipe for the initial cooking liquid from her blog as well. I made up the second sauce on the fly with what I had. :) Any way, it was delicious.

My second adventure happened this afternoon on my way home. I stopped into the bakery on Salem Street in downtown Apex. I told the lady I wanted chocolate something and she suggested this.

I can't even remember what it was called, but I think it was something like, "The most delicious chocolatey thing you'll ever put in your mouth, ever." Ok, not really, but it should be called that! It was rich and creamy, but not too rich (which given it's size is a good thing!) I didn't eat all of it in one go, because I had to run, but boy did it fix my chocolate itch. If you ever find yourself in downtown Apex, you should definitely stop in and get this, or one of the many other delicious desserts they offer!

Imagery

"If you select 'Yes' we will include your blog in Google Blog Search and ping Weblogs.com. If you select 'No', everyone can still view your blog but search engines will be instructed not to crawl it."

So I was perusing my settings for my blog and read this statement. It is weird that the image that popped up in my head was that of a personified search engine dragging himself with his hands, bloodied and burnt to the point of cracking and bleeding, across the desert, half starved and reaching up toward the oasis that is me and my blog.

I think I might have an overactive imagination.

Photo courtesy of Annay's picasa web album.

Recipe time Part Duex!

It occurred to me that I haven't been very good about posting Teri-original recipes on here, so I thought I should share with you one of my new favorite things: smoothies!

Now I know it doesn't take a genius to make a smoothie, but there is a science to it (sort of). A good smoothie should never require too much extra ice to be added, as it dilutes the flavor, and it should have a wide variety of flavors. Here's my favorite one right now:

Teri's Berry Smoothie

• 1 cup frozen tropical fruit (My mix had mangoes, pineapple, kiwi and melons)
• 1 cup frozen berries (My mix has blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries)
• 1 small container of strawberry yogurt (think yoplait sized containers and the like) 
• 1/2 cup or so (you might need extra depending on your blender) apple juice
• roughly 4 ice cubes

Put the liquid and yogurt into the bottom of the blender and pile the fruit in on top. Blend. Add more apple juice if needed. One of the tricks to getting a smooth texture is letting the blender run for about a minute once the mixture become visually the same. You want there to be a hole down the middle of your smoothie while it's running, so that everything can get down to the blades eventually. Once you've let it run for a minute, add the ice cubes one at a time until the hole down the middle disappears. (You may need more of less than the amount of ice cubes indicated. It's not going to be the same for everybody) I've also experimented with adding protein powder. While this makes a pretty good, easy breakfast for me, it makes the smoothie really frothy, so only add the protein powder at the very end so it doesn't explode out of your blender like mine almost did this morning.

If you have any left overs, store them in an airtight container in the freezer, but use it within the next month. To thaw, set it in the fridge for about an hour and half. That will get it to a similar consistency as when you started out! I hope you enjoy!!

Teri's Ridiculous Frosting

Ok, so my first day of work was... interesting. I pretty much screwed up big time in the first 3 hours of work, met with a client, became a running joke, and subsequently fell in love with the ladies I work with.
Any way, we're having a potluck tomorrow for a client who's turning 103. (Yeah, I know! That's amazing!!) I volunteered to bring chocolate cake. It's the same cake recipe I used for my sister-in-law's wedding. But, because I messed up the batter on the first time around, I didn't have enough cocoa powder for the frosting recipe. So I made one up. And it was ridiculously good. :) Here it is!

Teri's Ridiculous Frosting

• 6 oz (or half a bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbls chocolate sauce

 Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave and stir until smooth. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer (because this next part will be *really* difficult without it) beat the softened cream cheese into the melted chocolate. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and chocolate sauce and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy. If you want your frosting stiffer, add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Likewise, if you want your frosting more fluid, add more chocolate sauce.

I think I might be in love with my new creation. *sigh* I'll try to get a picture of the cake tomorrow before we cut into it. :)

*update* So, I got to work that morning and frosted the cake (so it wouldn't get smeared all over the lid to my cake pan) and then they told me that I would be going on a client visit during the party. I got to meet and read to a pretty amazing woman, but when I got back, the cake was gone! So, no photos of the cake other than the ones taken by the official A Helping Hand camera, so I don't know if I'm allowed to post them or not... Any way, everyone said the frosting was delicious! I'm glad the cake was a hit!

My Web Happy Places

Here they are in reverse order of how happy they make me:

Bloom Floral Design

This lady down in Atlanta has some beuatiful and unique flower arrangements! I love looking through her work. The only downside is that she doesn't post very often, so it's like waiting for Christmas to see some of the new things she's doing. I would love to be able to be a florist one day. I just love flowers!

 Photo Courtesy of bloomfloraldesign.blogspot.com

Tastespotting

I *love* food. I always have. It's the reason I pay good money to Mike (my trainer) to beat me up at the gym. This website is the food porn mecca! There are beautiful photographs of the different foods and links to the websites or blogs they came from. Most of the blogs I've been sent to have had the recipe or a link to the recipe, so you can make it too. IF I had any kind of photographing skills, I would put some of my recipes on there, but alas, I am not Emily.

Photo Courtesy of theurbanbaker.blogspot.com via Tastspotting.com

Adventures in Dressmaking

I like crafty websites, but I like this one the best so far. She has a little bit of everything, but mostly sewing. I feel like that is a craft I can do well(ish). I love her tutorials on how to take old shirts and make them pretty in a new way! I also love seeing all the dresses she's made

My Blogger Reader

I love having all the blogs of friend, family and complete strangers all in one place. And I know my husband is saying, "Finally!! I've been telling you all along!" But until recently (read: since I've been unemployed and out of school) I didn't have that many blogs that I read with any kind of consistency. Now there are too many to go to individually everyday. My reader makes my life easier (blogically speaking, of course).

I can has cheezburger?

What can I say? I love cats and I love snarky humor. Both are in rich supply at my favoritist of web happy places. I love a lot of the other off-shoot sites, like the ROFLazzi and the oh so popular Fail blog. I can honestly look through the archives for hours and laugh my head off!

Photo Courtesy of icanhascheezburger.com