Easy Peasy

As you know, last summer I began my growing love affair with the Crock-Pot! Since moving to the States, it's versatility has amazed me. Not only does it make cooking the evening meal SO much easier but it frees up time with the kiddos at their potentially crankiest time of the day to keep them happy!

Our house becomes an oven in the summer months ... literally! If it gets below 78 degrees in the coolest hours of the night, we’re onto a winner. Cooking in the oven or on the stove isn’t really an option. One reason I’m falling in love with my slow cooker ... much less heat generated and it can even go in the basement!

While we’ve been here in Florida and enjoying the sunshine and early evening’s on the beach after Mark’s finished in the hangar, I’ve been making the most of the slow cooker here and trying out some new recipes in anticipation of the heat of the Ohio summer which will hit in a few months time. I’ve been delving into the ‘Crock Pot - Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes’ cookbook that I bought last year, searching for yumminess that I hope will fast become our family favourites too.

This week I also plan to email some of my American friends for their winning slow cooker recipes to further expand my repertoire. While cookbooks are great, I always think first hand recommendations are the best way to try new things. If you have a Crock Pot favourite please let me in on your secret. In the meantime here’s one that we tried last week, BBQ Pulled Pork, which was delicious. A real American meal ... I’d never heard of pulled pork before we moved here!

• 1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 lbs)
• 1 bottle (14oz) BBQ sauce
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 hamburger buns or hard rolls

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Cover and cook - Low 10-12 hrs or High 5-6 hrs
2. Remove roast and discard cooking liquid. Shred pork with 2 forks
3. Return pork to slow cooker, add BBQ sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, & onion
4. Cover & cook - Low 2 hrs or High 1 hr
5. Serve shredded pork on buns/rolls with salad/fries.