BBQ Pulled Pork

I had a request on my Facebook Page for a Pulled Pork Recipe. Since I never made it before, I wanted to try it out myself before sharing it with all of you. I'm not a huge fan of BBQ Sauce, which is why I added some honey to cut down the tartness of the flavor, but I had one of my guinea pigs (a.k.a. my husband and nephew) taste it and it was a hit!  I also tried it myself and it was pretty darn good.

BBQ Pulled Pork(Serves 6-8)
1 1/2-2 lb. Pork Tenderloin
1-12oz. Can Birch Beer (or Root Beer)
1 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 Cups Prepared Kraft Original BBQ Sauce
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tbsp.Garlic Powder


Put the pork in a slow cooker on low heat for 6-7 hours. Sprinkle with dried minced onion, add Birch Beer and let simmer on low heat for 6-7 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours.  Drain the liquid. Using a fork, pull apart the pork tenderloin until it's shredded. Add BBQ sauce, honey, water and garlic powder and mix together. Put mixture into an oven safe baking dish and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes to help evaporate the excess liquid. Serve alone or on rolls. 

Do you have Celiac Disease?

I don't. And I know this because I was tested for it several years ago. Blood tests that measure your body's response to gluten, ordered by your physician, are the first step towards diagnosis. Approximately 1 out of 133 Americans suffer from this disease every day. Astonishing! For those of you not familiar with the disease, it means that you have a gluten intolerance. For instance, that pizza my kids want for dinner tonight? A person suffering from Celiac wouldn't be able to have any. 


May is National Celiac Awareness Month and since I won't be cooking dinner tonight (and we still have some time before May is over) I thought I'd educate you a little bit on the disease. We, as a whole nation, tend to take food (or people or things, don't get me started) for granted until something affects someone you know personally...it's human nature I guess. 


Several years ago I was having gastrointestinal issues and this was one of the tests they gave me to rule it out. While waiting for results, I started doing some reading on the subject, only to find that if I did have this disease, I'd be in REALLY big trouble..Hello Carb Queen coming through! Once I was cleared, I really didn't give it much thought again until one of my oldest and dearest friends' daughter was diagnosed with this disease. She was in town visiting, and we were making plans to get together with the kids. Since it was around lunchtime, I was trying to figure out what I would make. Now, with my own kids, I'd just make them a sandwich or some macaroni and cheese or even throw in some chicken nuggets into the oven, but then I realized that my little friend wouldn't be able to eat that. So, out I ventured to my local supermarket, only to find that their gluten-free section was practically non-existent! 


According to U.S. News and World Report, nearly 15%-25% of consumers report looking for gluten-free products. Continuing growth in the gluten-free food industry is expected to continue, reaching $2.6 billion by 2012. That got me thinking about how hard it must be to live a gluten-free life where everything you eat could potentially make you sick. Forget about going out to dinner! I don't know how they do it. Just one dip in all-purpose flour vs. a gluten-free version could send some people running for the bathroom!

If you suffer from Celiac Disease, you can not eat any products containing wheat, barley, rye, and additives containing these ingredients. Those who are gluten-free eat a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, meats, beans, and legumes. Nuts and most dairy products are naturally gluten-free, and safe for people who do not have allergies to these food groups. Most people go undiagnosed, sometimes for many years. What does this mean? No bread, pasta, cookies, crackers, etc. or it could make you very sick.

There are a variety of alternatives that naturally do not contain gluten such as: Almond meal flour, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Coconut flour, Corn, Cornstarch, Guar Gum, Pea Flour, Potatoes, Potato Flour, Quinoa, Rice, Sorghum flour, Soy flour and White rice flour. 

Once diagnosed by your physician, a gluten-free diet is safe, and can help alleviate symptoms such as: fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, headaches (including migraines), infertility, insomnia, joint or muscle pain (which is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia), lactose intolerance, mood disorders, weight gain or loss, respiratory distress (including asthma) or skin disorders (often misdiagnosed as eczema). 

To learn more about Celiac Disease, visit the National Association for Celiac Awareness at www.CeliacCentral.org. Here you will find information including a symptoms checklist to share with your physician, training and education as well as living a gluten-free lifestyle.

Pizza with Spinach Salad in a Vanilla Fig Vinaigrette

Did you ever wander into a store not expecting to buy anything? 

Well last week while I was in Home Goods shopping for some gifts, I came across some specialty vinegars from Wine Country Kitchens. Now, this was probably only my third or fourth time in the store, and I didn't realize they carried these kind of items. I was thinking that I still had some feta cheese left from the other night so I picked up a bottle of the Vanilla Fig Balsamic and thought it would be something new and different to try (and for only $6.99 a bottle it was truly a great find!) The sweetness of the vinegar, cranberries and pecans mixed with the sharp flavor of the feta made this a great salad. 

Spinach Salad with Vanilla Fig Vinaigrette

6oz. Bag of Fresh Spinach; de-stemed and washed

1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans

1/4 Cup Craisins

2 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/4 Cup Prepared Dressing(see below)

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Serve chilled. 

Dressing (makes 1 cup):

1/4 Cup Vanilla Fig Balsamic Vinegar

3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp. Crushed Black Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together or store in a sealed, air tight jar and shake. 

After leaving the store and was headed back to my car, I realized I was parked in front of a Pizza place. So I stopped in, purchased a ball of dough (yes, you can do that usually at any pizza place and it was only $3 and change) and thought some pizza and salad would be a nice, quick dinner.  My kids prefer the non-traditional kind of pizza without the sauce whenever we make it at home so we opted for some fresh tomatoes and basil. You can add whatever toppings you'd like and we've even made white pizzas with ricotta cheese. 

Pizza with Beefsteak Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

1 Pizza Dough, room temperature

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

1 1/2 Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

1/2 Chop Fresh Basil, chopped

2 Cups Part Skim Mozzarella, shredded 

Heat oven to 425°F. Coat a 17x11 (approx. size) cookie sheet with oil and stretch out the dough until it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some garlic powder over the dough. Next, add your sliced tomatoes to the top of the dough, leaving 1/4" border around all four edges. Add the basil on top of the tomatoes and then the cheese. Using a brush, lightly coat the edges with the oil. Bake in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot. 

*Tip: A small, inexpensive brush can be purchased at any local hardware store for under $1 if you don't have an "official" pastry brush and works just as well!

Enjoy!