A request from Hillshire Farm made me think about my daughters starting school last week. It was so odd to wake up to on the first day of school with a definite sense of fall in the air. Seattleites had been enjoying a late summer that seemed to end abruptly when we woke up to the undeniable signs of autumn. As I drove them to school the streets were dotted with trees showing signs of the changing season. Leaves were beginning to change colors from a sea of green into beautiful shades of copper, cold, and dark purple. Although summer is over I do look forward to this truly Northwest scene every year.
I walked my daughters into their classrooms and they nervously met their new teachers. Slowly I could see that their anxiety decreased with every familiar face they reacquainted themselves with. Walking back to my car I could feel a slight morning chill on my face reminding me that my usual longing for a morning iced latte had been replaced with a new desire for my first pumpkin spice latte. Yes, it was definitely fall. [click to continue…]
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Making pulled pork sandwiches would be a heck of a lot easier if I used a slow cooker and started the process in the morning. But since my slow cooker is packed in a box somewhere in the attic I decided to prepare tonight’s dinner on the stove top using a heavy duty pot with a lid.
Instead of braising the pork in my favorite bbq sauce, I decided to try something different. I found a dry rub recipe for Kansas City barbecue ribs on About.com. I adapted the recipe ever so slightly and massaged the rub into the large cubes of pork. I decided not to sear the meat but instead added water and a couple chicken bouillon cubes to the pot and let the pork first come to a boil reducing the heat to a low simmer for two hours. Two hours later I grabbed a few pieces of the pork with metal tongs and was very happy to see the pork pull apart so beautifully.
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Today’s post is brought to you by… the practical side of me – which is pretty much is all of me. When I used to work at my uncle’s deli, one of my responsibilities was making chicken salad. Because the deli also sold fried chicken, I would use the leftover fried chicken, remove as much of the crispy outer shell, and use all the meat I could pull off the bones. Looking back, I can see what a valuable skill this was for me to learn.
Earlier this week my husband brought home some Ezell’s fried chicken and we had several pieces left over. Being the resourceful good girl that I am, I decided to make chicken salad the old school deli way. Keep in mind, this recipe is pretty simple, basic, and forgiving. You can use any type of cooked chicken you have on hand and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. [click to continue…]
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[donotprint] One of my most favorite sandwiches is made with turkey and cranberry sauce. When I was in jr. high school my uncle owned a deli. Every summer I worked the sandwich counter making several of these turkey cranberry sandwiches. They were a hit with the patrons and soon became my one of my all time favorites to make year round. If you have left over turkey from Thanksgiving [click to continue…]
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