Pulled Pork Deliciousness

Playing in the kitchen has really become fun for me. I used to be so afraid. What if something comes out bad? What I have learned is sometimes things come out bad and that's not fun, but then you try again and make adjustments and it could turn out to be your favorite meal!

My mom recently cleaned out her extra freezer and had some pork shoulder she wasn't going to make, she donated it to the feed the Cindy fund and I happily cooked it up. I did some research first online..the usual places..google and pinterest. I wasn't really sure what to do, but the crockpot seemed like the best option. I found a couple of different recipes, took what I liked about each one and made my own recipe hoping for success. I can tell you I was not disappointed! Hello melt in my mouth and happy belly food pork shoulder.

Recipe time...

This is just one of many many ways to cook the pork shoulder

** I forgot to add 1/2 cup of water to the above recipe. **

Done and shredded. Ready to be eaten!

I couldn't believe how juicy and tender it was when it was cooked and the flavor blew me away. I made that! And my condo smelled delicious for days.

In the past I didn't really share my cooked food, especially if I made up the recipe. I was afraid no one else would like it, but then I realized I wanted to know. I wanted other people's opinions and I wanted to know if there are tweaks I could make to make it even better.  Thankfully my dad and a few coworkers are brave and have been my go to testers. They all approved and asked for this dish again!

Happy dad, happy daughter!
He loved it and trust me he is not an easy sell.

I had plenty for the week and loved mixing it up with different sides.

Broccoli and zucchini 

String beans and caulirice,
I also added a little balsamic dressing to this dish

Enjoy!  If you make it I would love to hear your thoughts.

Condo Grilling

My love of grilling has definitely been stifled a little by the fact that I can't have an outdoor grill in my condo complex. I am on the second floor and it's a fire hazard. So for those of you out there with similar situations, I feel your pain...until now!  My parents surprised me this weekend with an indoor electric grill by Presto. At first I was a little skeptical; I had owned a George Foreman in the past and was not impressed at all. My mom said she read reviews online about it and it came highly recommended. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, but was really wishing this would be the answer to my grilling dreams.

Presto Indoor Grill - Goes for about $40 in the store and so worth it!
Fits perfectly for smaller kitchens like condos and apartments

So what's a girl to do with a new grill? She goes food shopping! I picked up a pack of rib eye steaks, assorted pork cuts and spare ribs, zucchini and salmon.. I decided to start with the assorted pork cuts/ribs. There were calling my name. A little salt and pepper, brushed them with olive oil and on they went. I preheated the grill to 400 degrees so when I put them on it was instant cooking and boy did it smell cook. I left them on there until they started getting that little bit of crispy look and then turned them over. The excess grease and fat dripped off nicely and was caught by the drip pan attached, helping to keep it a healthy meal.

You can see the charred crispy grill marks...drooling yet
The little hole at the bottom is catching the excess grease and fat

They looked amazing, but how did they taste?  Well, I was impressed and very stuffed because I didn't want to stop eating them. They came out a little crispy, a lot juicy, and so filling. I will definitely be making them again and really soon.

DELICIOUS!!!
I still can't believe these were made on an indoor electric grill
Thank you Presto!

Now that I told you how easy it was to make the ribs, I have to tell you the cleanup was even easier!! Once the grill cooled off a little I disconnected the electrical portion of the unit (it just pops out), ran some warm water and soap over it. No scrubbing needed. Tada all clean. Come on you can't get easier than that. Oh wait you can, if you really dislike hand washing, the entire unit is dishwasher safe.

I can't wait to try more things on there. I think next is rib eye steaks with grilled zucchini. The best part is I can make them in my own condo space and it doesn't even matter what the weather is outside. The fun has just begun!