annie blog

Hi there. Sorry about all of the recipes. What have I been up to? Well, the usual….teething baby, baby with ear-ache, made a jedi robe (without a pattern, thank you so much :)), cooking, washing clothes, mundane but important things. The school year is winding down. If I were the type to panic, I would be starting to right now. Am I the only mom who sort of gets nervous at the thought of having all the children home every day — all day long??? Yikes. I need to get some stuff planned. Social stuff for the 8 year old. Stuff to do for the always-needing-to-be-doing-thinking-etc. 6 year old. Stuff to learn for the 5 year old. Ah, well, at least the baby will be entertained since they will all be here. Of course, he won’t sleep nearly as well for naps, but we can’t have it all, can we?

Mother’s Day was nice. My 6 year old greeted me at 5:45 am with all of the things he had made me. He was so sweet and excited to be giving me his gifts. I couldn’t see straight, but I think that I managed to thank him properly. Then the boys took me out for breakfast before church…still can’t believe that we pulled that one off. (We live 20 minutes from church and it starts at 9…you do the math.) The boys gave me a tennis racket and a Keane CD. Very sweet. Now I will have go get back to playing tennis (haven’t really played since high school). And I love the CD. Nice to have some new music.

Well…I must go do stuff. My baby is asleep and now is the time to get things done. Have a good day. 🙂

Here is another recipe. Sorry if y’all are getting tired of recipes on this page, but I’m on a mission. What is this mission? To find recipes that my family likes and that are gluten-free so that my oldest can eat with us. I’m also trying to find simple recipes that the five year old will eat. Finally, I’m trying to find recipes that can be made on my budget and that (hopefully) will last for several meals. That is a lot to ask of a recipe, don’t you think? 🙂 This recipe is great. We had it over the weekend. Leftovers made into yummy sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 whole pork butt

Pork rub
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

For rub: mix all ingredients in a bowl.
For pork: Rub pork with rub.
Place in Plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Take out pork and re-rub.
Roast on rack uncovered in oven at 275 degrees until falling apart tender.
It will take 7-8 hours, the internal temperature of the pork when done should be between 195 and 200 degrees.
Pull pork into pieces, toss with sauce.

Vinegar Hot Sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

A few notes:
1. The pork butt has some fat, but the resulting pulled pork will not. It will get a yummy burnt-looking crust after a few hours, (leave it in there until it is the right temperature!), and the fat will melt away. The pork will just about pull itself when you get it out of the oven.
2. I used surgical type gloves for the rubbing procedure. Because I wear contact lenses, I wasn’t taking any chances with that cayenne pepper.
3. Next time I make this, I will use my rack, but I will substitute a throw away roasting pan. Less clean-up. Totally worth the extra dollar for the pan.
4. Use the vinegar hot sauce sparingly if you don’t like hot stuff. But please do make it and use it in combination with your own bar-b-que sauce if you make the pulled pork. It is great. It really adds a nice moisture to the meat. We added it to leftovers before re-heating them and it was really good.
5. Not only am I making this again, I’m buying a bigger roast and freezing leftovers next time — if there are any leftovers.

Enjoy.

Here is another recipe. Sorry if y’all are getting tired of recipes on this page, but I’m on a mission. What is this mission? To find recipes that my family likes and that are gluten-free so that my oldest can eat with us. I’m also trying to find simple recipes that the five year old will eat. Finally, I’m trying to find recipes that can be made on my budget and that (hopefully) will last for several meals. That is a lot to ask of a recipe, don’t you think? 🙂 This recipe is great. We had it over the weekend. Leftovers made into yummy sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 whole pork butt

Pork rub
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

For rub: mix all ingredients in a bowl.
For pork: Rub pork with rub.
Place in Plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Take out pork and re-rub.
Roast on rack uncovered in oven at 275 degrees until falling apart tender.
It will take 7-8 hours, the internal temperature of the pork when done should be between 195 and 200 degrees.
Pull pork into pieces, toss with sauce.

Vinegar Hot Sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

A few notes:
1. The pork butt has some fat, but the resulting pulled pork will not. It will get a yummy burnt-looking crust after a few hours, (leave it in there until it is the right temperature!), and the fat will melt away. The pork will just about pull itself when you get it out of the oven.
2. I used surgical type gloves for the rubbing procedure. Because I wear contact lenses, I wasn’t taking any chances with that cayenne pepper.
3. Next time I make this, I will use my rack, but I will substitute a throw away roasting pan. Less clean-up. Totally worth the extra dollar for the pan.
4. Use the vinegar hot sauce sparingly if you don’t like hot stuff. But please do make it and use it in combination with your own bar-b-que sauce if you make the pulled pork. It is great. It really adds a nice moisture to the meat. We added it to leftovers before re-heating them and it was really good.
5. Not only am I making this again, I’m buying a bigger roast and freezing leftovers next time — if there are any leftovers.

Enjoy.

Here is another recipe. Sorry if y’all are getting tired of recipes on this page, but I’m on a mission. What is this mission? To find recipes that my family likes and that are gluten-free so that my oldest can eat with us. I’m also trying to find simple recipes that the five year old will eat. Finally, I’m trying to find recipes that can be made on my budget and that (hopefully) will last for several meals. That is a lot to ask of a recipe, don’t you think? 🙂 This recipe is great. We had it over the weekend. Leftovers made into yummy sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 whole pork butt

Pork rub
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

For rub: mix all ingredients in a bowl.
For pork: Rub pork with rub.
Place in Plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Take out pork and re-rub.
Roast on rack uncovered in oven at 275 degrees until falling apart tender.
It will take 7-8 hours, the internal temperature of the pork when done should be between 195 and 200 degrees.
Pull pork into pieces, toss with sauce.

Vinegar Hot Sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

A few notes:
1. The pork butt has some fat, but the resulting pulled pork will not. It will get a yummy burnt-looking crust after a few hours, (leave it in there until it is the right temperature!), and the fat will melt away. The pork will just about pull itself when you get it out of the oven.
2. I used surgical type gloves for the rubbing procedure. Because I wear contact lenses, I wasn’t taking any chances with that cayenne pepper.
3. Next time I make this, I will use my rack, but I will substitute a throw away roasting pan. Less clean-up. Totally worth the extra dollar for the pan.
4. Use the vinegar hot sauce sparingly if you don’t like hot stuff. But please do make it and use it in combination with your own bar-b-que sauce if you make the pulled pork. It is great. It really adds a nice moisture to the meat. We added it to leftovers before re-heating them and it was really good.
5. Not only am I making this again, I’m buying a bigger roast and freezing leftovers next time — if there are any leftovers.

Enjoy.

Oh, are these good cookies! I made them this weekend with N and C. For the children, I only used oats and chocolate chips, for me, I used oats, walnuts, chocolate chips and the dried cherries. I’m not making the ones with cherries for awhile –they were just that good. I do have summer chothes that I want to fit into this year, after all. 🙂

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. table salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking instead)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I used walnuts)
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped coarse
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks about the size of chocolate chips (I used a scant 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips)
12 T. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark(I used 1 cup dark,1/2 cup light brown)
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries, and chocolate.
4. In standing mixer fittted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lunps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape doen sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Roll 1/4 cup dough between palms until 2 inches in diameter; stagger 8 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wore rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Yum! We are taking these to school this week for teacher appreciation. The recipe came from Cook’s Illustrated, May 2005.

Enjoy.

Oh, are these good cookies! I made them this weekend with N and C. For the children, I only used oats and chocolate chips, for me, I used oats, walnuts, chocolate chips and the dried cherries. I’m not making the ones with cherries for awhile –they were just that good. I do have summer chothes that I want to fit into this year, after all. 🙂

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. table salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking instead)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I used walnuts)
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped coarse
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks about the size of chocolate chips (I used a scant 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips)
12 T. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark(I used 1 cup dark,1/2 cup light brown)
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries, and chocolate.
4. In standing mixer fittted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lunps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape doen sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Roll 1/4 cup dough between palms until 2 inches in diameter; stagger 8 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wore rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Yum! We are taking these to school this week for teacher appreciation. The recipe came from Cook’s Illustrated, May 2005.

Enjoy.

Oh, are these good cookies! I made them this weekend with N and C. For the children, I only used oats and chocolate chips, for me, I used oats, walnuts, chocolate chips and the dried cherries. I’m not making the ones with cherries for awhile –they were just that good. I do have summer chothes that I want to fit into this year, after all. 🙂

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. table salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking instead)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I used walnuts)
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped coarse
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks about the size of chocolate chips (I used a scant 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips)
12 T. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark(I used 1 cup dark,1/2 cup light brown)
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries, and chocolate.
4. In standing mixer fittted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lunps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape doen sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Roll 1/4 cup dough between palms until 2 inches in diameter; stagger 8 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wore rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Yum! We are taking these to school this week for teacher appreciation. The recipe came from Cook’s Illustrated, May 2005.

Enjoy.

My baby said a new word today. He already says “Daddy”, “Mama”, approximations of his brothers names, “doggie”, “all done”, “again”, “uh-oh”, “no” (sometimes along with vigorously shaking his head, hoot!), “fish”, “Dis” (for Miss Liz) and “hi”, plus other words that I can’t remember right now. But, what was the new word that he said today? Well, he was in the kitchen with me and we were talking to Jon before the baby’s nap. He looked over at the counter and saw a syringe full of purple liquid. He sort of pointed at it and said, “avil”. Yes. He was pointing to the Advil in the syringe on the counter. Poor baby, he has had to take quite a bit of “avil” in his life. I guess that he should know the name of it!

My baby said a new word today. He already says “Daddy”, “Mama”, approximations of his brothers names, “doggie”, “all done”, “again”, “uh-oh”, “no” (sometimes along with vigorously shaking his head, hoot!), “fish”, “Dis” (for Miss Liz) and “hi”, plus other words that I can’t remember right now. But, what was the new word that he said today? Well, he was in the kitchen with me and we were talking to Jon before the baby’s nap. He looked over at the counter and saw a syringe full of purple liquid. He sort of pointed at it and said, “avil”. Yes. He was pointing to the Advil in the syringe on the counter. Poor baby, he has had to take quite a bit of “avil” in his life. I guess that he should know the name of it!

My baby said a new word today. He already says “Daddy”, “Mama”, approximations of his brothers names, “doggie”, “all done”, “again”, “uh-oh”, “no” (sometimes along with vigorously shaking his head, hoot!), “fish”, “Dis” (for Miss Liz) and “hi”, plus other words that I can’t remember right now. But, what was the new word that he said today? Well, he was in the kitchen with me and we were talking to Jon before the baby’s nap. He looked over at the counter and saw a syringe full of purple liquid. He sort of pointed at it and said, “avil”. Yes. He was pointing to the Advil in the syringe on the counter. Poor baby, he has had to take quite a bit of “avil” in his life. I guess that he should know the name of it!