Cilantro Lime Rice

This rice is so yummy with Cafe Rio style sweet pork tacos. I don't make it every time we have them, but I miss it when I don't. It's super easy, so if you have the ingredients, whip some up and enjoy on your tacos or as a side. 

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice. Cover and cook until done (about 14 minutes). Add in lime juice and cilantro. Stir to incorporate and fluff with fork. That's all there is to it! Enjoy :)

Cafe Rio inspired Green Sauce

I love this green sauce on Cafe Rio style sweet pork tacos. It's just the perfect finishing touch. I started with a recipe for Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing by Our Best Bites, but I've altered a few of the amounts and ingredients over time. This makes more than you need for a batch of the sweet pork, but I've learned that it actually freezes really well! Yay!! Then the next time you're craving sweet pork tacos, you don't have to make a new batch of sauce. :) 

1 pack (1 oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (honestly, I just use Aldi brand)
ignore directions on packet 
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk (I almost always use milk)
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (or more!)
1/4 cup green salsa* (I often double this one!)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend it up really well. That's it. 

*I've used various types of green salsa. I've even made my own. Just look for one that has tomatillos as the main ingredient and isn't too hot (a little kick is fine). 

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork

We love Cafe Rio. There are a few restaurants we try to fit in every time we travel out west and Cafe Rio is definitely on that list. Their sweet pork tacos are especially delish when you add their yummy green sauce and some cilantro lime rice. I know it looks like a lot of work, but it's really not hard and we almost always have plenty of leftovers so I can freeze some for later or just enjoy sweet pork tacos for lunch the rest of the week. I found this recipe on a blog called The Recipe Society and it's a keeper for sure!

Put a 3-6 lb. pork roast in the crock pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight*. Discard water. Shred.

When the pork is shredded, combine:

12 ounces of salsa
1 can caffeine-free coke
2 cups brown sugar

Pour over the shredded pork in the crock pot and continue to cook for another 3-4 hours. 

Eat on a tortilla with cilantro lime rice (or just plain rice), black beans, cheese, lettuce, yummy green sauce, and/or whatever you like on your tacos. 

*The problem with cooking this overnight is that the pork is ready pretty early in the day. So sometimes I start the pork at 6 or 7am and cook it initially for 6-8 hours. Add on the extra 3-4 hours with the additional ingredients and you should be able to eat dinner by 6pm. 

Hard Boiled Eggs

This is not rocket science and I'm sure there are a thousand recipes out there for making hard boiled eggs, but this has been my go-to recipe for years, so I'll keep using it. I'm posting it here just to simplify things so I don't have to search for the cookbook* anymore. 

Place desired number of eggs in a saucepan; cover with water. (Water should be at least 2 inches above eggs.) Bring water rapidly to boiling; cover pan and remove it from heat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Cool eggs quickly by filling pan with cold water.

*From the book Where's Mom Now That I Need Her (1993).

Glazed Carrots

This recipe from Lil' Luna has changed my go-to veggie side dish from broccoli to carrots. These are so satisfying and easy to prepare. Yum!

16 oz. bag of baby-cut carrots

1/2 c. water

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Bring carrots, water, butter and brown sugar to a boil in a pan over medium-high heat. Turn to low and simmer for approximately 6 minutes.

Here is where I sometimes venture off the directions for a bit. Not all baby-cut carrots are created equal. Sometimes they are thin and petite. In that case, skip this paragraph. The recipe, as written, will work just fine. But sometimes baby-cut carrots are short but very fat and will take longer to soften up. In that case, I cover the pan and simmer (on low or medium low) for an additional 6 minutes or so. Then remove the lid and continue on with the final phase. 

Turn back to high and cook until all the water is evaporated and carrots are tender, usually another 5-6 minutes. I like to stir occasionally to give every carrot a turn in the sweet glaze. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper and enjoy!

According to Lil' Luna, this makes 4 servings (94 calories each).

St. Patrick's Day Pistachio Cake Mix Cookies

I'm a fan of cake mix cookies. They are so easy to throw together and I love the chewy, moist texture. This particular recipe also adds a box of instant pistachio pudding mix and they are green so they are perfect for St. Patrick's Day. That's pretty much the only time they are on my radar so we usually only make these once a year, but they are worth the wait! (I found this recipe here.)

1 box white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

1 small box instant pistachio pudding

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil

3/4 tsp. almond extract

a few drops green food coloring (optional)

1 c. white chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add the eggs, oil, almond extract, and food coloring. Mix well. The dough will be stiff. Stir in white chocolate chips. Roll into 1" to 1 1/2" balls (or use a cookie scoop). Place on silicone baking mat (or lightly greased baking sheet). Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Grandma Stowell's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jeff's grandma, Mary Helen Stowell, always (Always!) had these cookies waiting in her cookie jar every time we made the 4 hour drive to her home our first year or so of marriage. These have long been the favorite of at least a few of my kids and the recipe has been hanging in vinyl lettering on the door of my kitchen for ages. 

1 ½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. white sugar
1 ½ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
4 eggs
4 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
One bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
        Combine shortening, sugars, vanilla and water. Beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes. Recipe may be halved. (Certain family members prefer these without chocolate chips, i.e., “Chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips.”)

Fudge Cookies (Cake Mix Cookies)

I've had this super easy and quick recipe for years and I've made it dozens of times. The recipe is quite versatile and the cookies are always moist and delicious. My friend, Leona, who gravitated to recipes using 5 ingredients or less, shared this with me and I'll be forever grateful!

1 package Devil’s Food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
½ c. oil
1 c. chocolate chips
        Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape stiff mixture into small balls or use cookie scoop. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. 

        Tip: You can try using different flavors of cake mix or chips. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar after baking or spread a melted Hershey kiss on top. Our favorite is piping melted Candy Cane Kisses over the top at Christmastime….or in July if you still have the kisses left because you bought so many extras. ;)

(Marta's) Coconut Crispy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These might be my favorite. I mean, I have seasonal favorites like Peppermint Balls at Christmas or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies and Chewy Gingersnaps as soon as fall weather hits, but these are always a good idea. Sadie, who is not a dark chocolate fan, prefers them with no chocolate chips so I'll sometimes bake a pan full before adding those. Either way, the combination of flavors is SO good! (I have made minor modifications to the original recipe which I found here.)

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ c. brown sugar
¾ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour (sometimes I need a little extra flour, no more than ¼ c.)
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 ¼ c. Crispy Rice cereal
1 ¾ c. chocolate chunks (or chips), preferably dark
1 ½ c. sweetened coconut flakes
        Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, careful not to over-beat the batter. Mix in Crispy Rice, chocolate chunks and coconut on low speed just until well dispersed. Eye ball it and see if you need any more of the marvelous mix-ins.
        Roll dough into balls, a bit smaller than ping pong ball size. (I use my cookie scoop.) Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-11 minutes (9 minutes in my oven), just until the golden softly set up stage. Let them cool on the sheet for a minute or two.

Peppermint Balls

These are one of my favorite Christmas treats! Once Halloween is over, I start making these and I don't stop until New Years. The recipe makes a small batch, but believe me, it's much safer that way. (Yes, you can double it.) These cookies are so pretty with the glaze and candies sprinkled on top, and they are just so, so good!

½ c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. peppermint extract OR 10 drops (approx. 1/16 tsp.) peppermint oil 

1 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ c. crushed peppermint candies* (like candy canes or starlight mints)

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream ingredients together, stirring in crushed candy last. Form into balls and bake for 9-11 minutes until barely browning around edges. Do not overbake. Allow to cool and then glaze with a powdered sugar & milk or water mixture. (I use 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 tsp. milk for the glaze. Stir well and add a drop or two of peppermint oil, if desired.) Sprinkle with some crushed peppermint candies. 

        Note: I used to use peppermint extract, which is what the original recipe called for. Now I always use peppermint oil and I add a drop or two to the glaze as well. I poured my oil in a bottle with a dropper which made it so much easier to use and measure. 

*I usually use Brach's Crushed Candy Canes.