Slow cooker Pulled Pork

So, I just moved into the new condo, and.... it's still under construction. I still don't have a tap in the kitchen, or half of my counter tops. But, I just can't handle eating out anymore. So I tried to figure out what I could use to cook to make some kind of hot meal. As I was unpacking, I found my crock pot, and got an idea. I really wanted to make some pulled pork. I got all the ingredients, and found a delicious sounding recipe. I still had to turn on my stove, and I have a lot of dishes to do in the bathtub. But it was worth it.

This was my lunch, pulled pork and sandwich bread that I put together at school.

1.75 kg pork shoulder
3/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke

Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, and brown in a pan with half the oil. Put in the slow cooker once it is browned on all sides. It doesn't need to be cooked through, just browned. It will keep cooking in the slow cooker.

Add the other half of the oil to the pan, and cook the onions, garlic, chili, coriander and bay leaves, and cook on medium-high heat until the onions are softened. Then add the tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes, until brown. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Add the mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat, for 8-10 hours.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. With 2 forks, shred the pork.

Add the sauce to a pan, and skim the fat. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil until the mixture is reduced to about 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Serve with the pork, over buns, over salad, tacos, or however desired!

Non-homemade oatmeal, but good in a pinch!

So this is not a homemade oatmeal. Last week, I was in Toronto to move to my new condo. I did not have anything left in the fridge or cupboards to have for breakfast, so I had to eat out. I decided to go to Starbucks, and was really trying to figure out what I was going to have that would keep me full for a long time, and give me loads of energy. Lo and behold, I found oatmeal! I was worried that it was going to be too sweet, because a lot of places use some type of Quaker Oats mix. But I thought I would try it anyway, because I typically really like oatmeal. It turns out that you get plain oatmeal, and they give you mixins! I took just dried fruit and nuts, no sugar. It was fantastic (well, for something I bought at a store, it was also a little on the expensive side)! I highly recommend it, in case you ever need breakfast on the run!

Macaroni and cheese

I told Shawn that I would make him macaroni and cheese a long time ago so I finally followed through on my promise. Only problem was that we didn't have macaroni pasta. We also didn't have enough cheddar, so I used extra cheese we had lying around. I threw in some corn kennels because we have so much leftover from a garden share that he just took over.

The picture is terrible because I took it when I was packing in Toronto. I forgot to take a picture the first time around. Oops!
1 pound pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated old cheddar cheese
1 cup Oka cheese
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup proscuito
2 tomatoes sliced
Cook the pasta according to directions on the package.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and add the flour, stirring well to mix everything together. Slowly add the milk and bring to a small boil. Turn down the heat to simmer, and cook for around 5 minutes or until thick. Add the cheeses, and heat to melt.
Add I'm the pasta and the corn and proscuito and mix well.
Put the mixture into a baking dish, add slices of tomatoes on top. Cook in the oven at 375 to bake for 20 minutes.

Most delicious popsicles

I won't go as far as saying that I rely on Pinterest for new cooking ideas like some people, but I have definitely found some gems there. One example of that are these popsicles. I have been looking all summer for a good recipe for popsicles, one of my favorite summer time treats.

The recipe is so easy and so customizable. I made chocolate mocha, the best!


1/4 cup uncooked oats (not steel cut)
1 1/2 cup ground Chia seeds
1/4 cup milk (or any liquid)
1 cup yogurt (Greek is good)
2 Tbsp honey (or other sweetener  though I'm not convinced it's necessary)
2 small bananas
Extras
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 Tbsp espresso powder
Those are the ones I used. But you could add fruit, peanut butter, anything really.
I'm definitely making these again, just as soon as I get back my popsicle molds.