When Pigs Fly!

Amy will catch them and turn them into Pulled Pork sandwiches for dinner!

Tonight, I made this yummy dish!  I haven't been making it that long and was only inspired after my husband was craving it and the local pork restaurant was closed for the season.

Let me tell ya....I have NO idea why I didn't start making this sooner.  It's so simple and delish!

I have had a number of people ask me for the recipe and decided to just do a blog about it...because I want to keep up on my blogging and I wanted to make you all hungry!

First off....just know that this recipe is one of those recipes...one of the ones that has no actual real ingredient list, just a bunch of stuff thrown in together.  It is also one of the 4 things I use my crock pot to make ( I have a previous post about my love/hate relationship with the crock pot)

First, assemble all the items you need.  You need a cheap cut of pork, I use the shoulder.  Also, an onion, some garlic, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and marinade.  I use clubhouse's, steakhouse mesquite marinade. The liquid smoke is optional, I have made it without and not really noticed any difference.

Place the pork in the crock pot, liberally salt and pepper both sides, rough chop an onion and a couple cloves of garlic and pour over about half a bottle of marinade.

Now personally, I like to do this the night before so that Brian can start it when he goes to work, but you could do this all the same day.   I cooked it on high and actually, it was done in about 4 hours, so by the time Brian put it on and I got up, it was ready.  I turned down the temperature and had my sitter turn it off around noon.  That will give it enough time to cool down before you pull it.  I don't see why you couldn't cook it on low overnight and pull it the next day.

The next step is messy but totally worth it.  Now you need to "pull" the meat or shred it.  The meat is so tender that it easily pulls with a fork.  Pick away any fat, you don't want that, but it makes the meat tender and juicy.  Once it's all pulled, put it back into your crock pot and add your favorite BBQ sauce.  Mine is Bullseye with Guinness.  Add as much or as little as you like.  It's a great way to finish off those bottles you have in the fridge that don't have enough to use on a regular basis but would do in a pinch.  Just add some water and pour it in.  Then just mix it all up to coat the meat.

Next, get a baking sheet and either spray it with Pam or parchment paper.  Put on some french fries and fish sticks

Wait...Hold up a second you are saying....FISH STICKS??

Yup, it's for the kiddies that won't eat pulled pork!  At the same time, put in some onion rings, because I feel they are the perfect compliment to this dish.  These are our favorites.....you make them in the oven, but still get all crispy like you have fried them

Now you need some buns.  I prefer an onion bun, but you can use your favorite.

This next step is optional, but increased the yum factor!  Make a garlic spread and put it on the buns.  Toast them in the oven like garlic bread.

Now, this is about where the pictures end.  The kids were screaming and we were all getting hungry.  My hunger took over and I forgot why I took all these other pictures.  Anyhoo, once the buns are toasted lightly, remove them from the oven, spread on some pork and a slice of cheese if you like.  I add a Havarti cheese with jalapeno peppers.  Put it back in the oven to melt the cheese.  Slice the sandwiches in half and serve with onion rings.

There you go.  PLEASE!!!  Try this just once in your life and tell me how much you love it!!

Adventures at Wonderland

Ok, so I have intended to do a couple more blogs about what we did over the holidays....BUT, obviously, I haven't gotten around to it yet. 
I have a good excuse though!

Mom and I are planning to participate in a craft show at the Keene Pumpkin Festival and suddenly, it occurred to me that it's only about 2 months away and I had NOTHING ready.  So that is what my nights have consisted of.  So, please bare with me as these posts develop.

The day after the cottage, we planned a trip to Canada's Wonderland.  We had talked about going, but made no concrete plans.  At about 6:30 Monday night, we decided to go and also decided to invite our niece and nephew along for the day.

That Tuesday morning, we headed out bright and early.  We had to make a pit stop at Costco for discount tickets and then had to drive past the entrance to the park about 3 times (sorry hun, but it's still funny to me!)

THEN, we waited in line to park! 

THEN, we waited in line to buy a ticket for Hayden, cause you can't get them at Costco.

THEN, we waited in line to get into the park!

But once inside....memories came back to me.

In clear view was the mountain and waterfall.  My childhood came rushing back, with the help of the expression on Hayden's face.  He was in complete awe and shock!  It was more crowded than any place he has ever been, there are people selling toys and gifts the moment you walk in, Charlie Brown and Snoopy are hanging around.

We found ourselves a park map and headed straight for the washrooms and then the kiddie area.

We made the trek over the Rainbow Bridge into Planet Snoopy.  When I was a kid, it was Hanna Barbara Land, with all the good old characters like Scooby Doo and Fred Flintstone.

I wish it was still the same actually, because thanks to the Retro Cartoon channel, Hayden knows who all these characters are.  He has no idea who Snoopy and Friends are!

I mean, I remember you could ride Scooby Doo on the Merry-Go-Round, eat lunch in Fred's car, walk through Smurf's Village and if you were real lucky, Captain Caveman would eat your father' hat!  Ok, perhaps that last one was just our experience...AND, his "handler" did make him spit it out!

Just see for yourself what it used to be like!

Please ignore the fashion....apparently, dad and I liked to wear short shorts and neither one of us had any fear of skinning our knees if we fell with THOSE socks!  Actually, I can bet my last dollar that mom dressed both of us, but she stayed behind the camera...probably because she matched us!

This is what it's like now!



It was great day and fun was had by all!  It was fantastic to have our niece and nephew go with us and it also gave Hayden company on the rides.

We have discussed going one more time this year, but on a Wednesday once all the kids are back to school!  We'll see!

I'm Dirty Like That!

I must admit, now that I have kids, I no longer get to watch the news.  Not that I was ever a real news junkie.

The only place I get to catch up on the news is on the Internet and I must also admit that I only read the catchy headlines on Yahoo News, and that is not top quality for up to the date stories.  But they are fun and easy to read.  My personal favorite was :

"Woman Shoots Husband Accidentally While Aiming For Puppy"

Anyways....

One of the more recent Yahoo News uproar is the news of a pending Dirty Dancing remake!

I can't tell you how upset people are with this idea.

I loved this movie and still tune in when it's on tv.  And I wonder, are people more upset with this idea because Patrick Swayze is dead?  My guess is probably...but in my eyes, it was a wonderful movie and I will not bother to watch a remake (same goes for Footloose, btw)

I have fond memories of watching Dirty Dancing with my parents.  I wanted to be graceful like Jennifer Gray's character, Baby.

Actually, I even remember insisting my dad catch me and lift me up into the air, like at the end of the movie.

Keep in mind that I was about 9 and could picture the scene being JUST like in the movie.  I had it all planned...we had a very long hallway, I would start at one end, run on tiptoe, as to look all dancer like, and leap into the awaiting arms of my hero (again, I was 9...my male hero WAS my dad!)  He would scoop me up like nothing and my mother would applaud at how wonderful we were!  Now that I am older, I am pretty sure in real life, it would have been more like that scene out of Dodgeball, when the nerdy kid lifts the fat girl in cheerleader tryouts! (If you don't know what I mean, go rent the movie NOW....very funny!)

So, all in all, the original was great, I don't think it needs a remake and Patrick Swayze was damn sexy!!

Back In The Hot Seat

Yesterday, I did something I have not done in about 10 years!

Rode a bike!

My old bike was hanging at my parents and if I didn't want it, it was going to the dump!  So, my dad brought it over, and Brian got it all cleaned up.   Now, it needs new tires and he wants to paint it, but other than that....still slick!

The old saying goes "It's like riding a bike"....meaning, you never forget how.

Ok....that may be true.

I certainly remembered the mechanics of it

HOWEVER

It felt awkward, turning was not smooth, and I think I have shrunk a bit over the past 10 years.  Last time I remember, I could have my butt on the seat and my feet on the ground.  Not now!

Anyway, once I know it is secure...I may take the old beauty for another little spin...but on flat surfaces only!

No way am I ready to attack hills yet!!

Anyone Up For A Game Of Pool?

Now that we have a bigger house, I'm wishing my dad didn't give away the pool table a few years ago.

I've got a couple Q balls kicking around and could make good use of them

See, the story goes like this....

Last time we got Hayden's hair cut, we decided that next time, we would skip the hair salon and just use the largest attachment of the hair clippers.

So yesterday, we borrowed mom and dad's clippers and I attempted to do his hair.  Now, about the only thing I can chalk this experience up to is the clippers are getting a bit dull, but because Dad's hair is short, you don't notice.

All Hayden did was cry that it was pulling his hair and it clearly was NOT cutting it.

I got one side burn trimmed:

But I just couldn't get the clippers to cut any more and torturing my son was not part of the game plan at 7:00 pm.  At this point....he now just looked like a dork!  Brian's job the next day was to take him in to get it buzzed off.  Brian's so embarrassed by this look that he planned to just tell the hair dresser that Hayden got into the clippers himself and we need them to fix it!

Today, Brian took him in to finish the job correctly

I almost cried when Brian sent me a picture at work.  Before it was even done, I wasn't quite coming to terms with shaving it off.  I mean, I know it's only hair and in about a month, it will be back

BUT

HIS HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everytime we go out people still say:

"Oh look at his hair...I LOVE the colour!"

Well, now it's not as startling red. 

But he likes it and I still love him!

Weird Meanderings of Amy's Mind - Take 2

So, I'm sitting watching my husband play golf on the Wii.....and I notice, each time he hits the ball it says:

FIR 100xp

Finally I say...."why do you keep getting points for hitting past Fir trees?"

He looks at me with that expression....you know the one...that stare that says....Seriously?  Are you that clueless?

"Fairway In Regulation, that is what FIR stands for!"

"Oh, well, who is expected to know THAT???"

"Golfers"

"Oh, well, yeah...I don't golf, so MY explanation makes complete sense!"

He just continued golfing...but at least now I know he's not getting extra points for the type of trees along the fairway!

Holidays Are Here Again!!

Well, it's that time on the calendar that I both look forward too and dread each year! 

HOLIDAY TIME!

To me, it means both a break from work to spend with family AND busy days that leave me longing for a holiday from my holidays!

This year, along with my parents, we were going cottaging.  It took me a week to pack and shop for the trip.  On Friday, I loaded up the van, packed to the brim, for our 4 day trip to a cottage located just 5 minutes down the road!

Yup, seemed like a lot of stuff for that much time, but with 2 kids, you have to plan. PLUS, we still made a couple trips home for stuff we forgot!

The cottage is one I went to every summer as a child and have wonderful memories of it.  When we moved here from Brampton about 20 years ago, we stopped going to the cottage, because we lost sight of what the cottage gave us.  A chance to re-connect and view a bit of different scenery!

Truthfully, I'm a wimp!  I really do hate travelling with my kids.  It's an ordeal to pack everyone and everything up and at home, I know they can't get into much trouble and things are "ABBY PROOF", but somewhere else?  I can't be sure!

It really was great though!  The cottage has been upgraded since my time.  And the bonus...HOT TUB!!

The cottage belongs to my Great Uncle Jeff's family and he lives right next door, so it was nice to also visit with him and he took us on a nice boat trip!

Here are a few pics from the cottage adventure!

The introduction to the water started with the hot tub.  Hayden was a bit scared of the river and Abby wanted nothing to do with it.  She loved the hot tub though and had NO fear of it at all!  She jumped right in and could care less if she went under and got water in her face.  Hayden was not so brave!

He did eventually migrate to the river.  He could touch bottom in a few places and hung out there.  Liked chilling in the tube with Dad and Grampa and even got to jumping in.  When I was his age, I was the same...no fear of swimming in the river...but as I got older, I got wiser and realized what also swam in those same waters....Frogs, Snakes, Fish, Turtles and who knows what else!  Let's just say, I didn't even stick in a toe!

Kids now a day's, this is how they enjoy a boat ride!

On Saturday afternoon, Uncle Jeff took us for a ride on his pontoon boat while Gramma stayed back at the cottage and had a quiet rest.  It was nice and peaceful.  The kids enjoyed it, but a 4 year old being a 4 year old, was ready to go back after about 10 minutes.  Sorry Buddy!  Hitch yourself up for a bit of a trip.  He did get to help Uncle Jeff drive the boat and took his job VERY seriously!  We convinced him that Uncle Jeff got lost and it was only because of his good driving skills that we made it home at all!  Abby loved it too and liked to look over the front of the boat at the water.

This is just one of the many beautiful homes on the Otonabee River...if you look real close, you will see a banner on the side of the house?  What does it say you ask? 

Here's the close up!

It's not real clear but it says "Will You Marry Me?"  I couldn't make out the name in the heart, but someone was going to have a memorable boat ride....perhaps not as memorable as my first boat ride with my hubby..but that is a story for another time!

The rest are just a few random pics from the rest of the weekend.  I can't wait to do it again.  It was fun and the kids had a blast!