Strawberry and Cashew Salad

4 cups strawberries, sliced

2Tbl caramel ice cream topping

2 Tbl maple syrup

1 Tbl orange juice

1/3 cup cashew halves

Honeycomb Chocolate Bars

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup water

4 tsp baking soda

Chocolate

In a heavy pan combine sugar, honey and water

Over low heat dissolve sugar and then turn up to 

Med heat. Continue cooking until it has reached hard 

Crack stage (295)   Remove from heat and gently stir

To bring bubbles down. Add soda and stir to get soda 

Dissolved throughout.  Pour out onto parchment paper

Let cool and then break into pieces.   Dip in chocolate.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

 1 cup butter at room temp

3/4 cup vegetable oil

11/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pwd sugar

2 Tbl water

2 eggs

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1tsp salt

5 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter, oil, sugars, water and eggs.

Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to utter mixture. Roll a golf sized ball of dough and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Put 1/4 cup of sugar in a small dish. This is additional sugar.  Stick the bottom of a glass in sugar and then press down on a dough ball.  Let dough spill out beyond glass.  Continue with earh ball of dough.  Dipping in sugar earth time.  Bake at 350 for 8 min.  When cookies are cool store in frig.  

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter at room temp

3/4 cup sour cream

Pwd sugar. I opened a 2lb bag but didn't use all of it

1tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

Cream butter, sour cream and salt. Slowly add pwd sugar.  Add milk and 1drop of red food coloring. 

Swig cookies are served cold and frosted just before serving with room temp icing

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

***The perfect pork to use for tacos! Would be super tasty with some guacamole and a tortilla!***

Ingredients:

3-4 lb pork shoulder roast, 15 oz bottle green taco sauce, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 sliced sweet onion 1 TBSP chili powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 cup beef broth (or water), 1/2 cup milk (DO NOT ADD TO THE CROCK POT),

Cut the roast into 3-4 large pieces. Pierce the meat all over with a knife. Place in a greased crock pot. Stir together taco sauce, garlic, onion, chilic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and broth/water. Pour over pork, turning pork pieces to coat each one. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove meat pieces from cooking liquid and shred. Place shredded meat on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Pour 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and 1/2 cup of milk over the pork. Bake in a 275 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the edges are browned and crispy.

Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

I recently made this recipe from TheFrugalGirls.com. Warning: this is NOT a diet friendly recipe, but it is sooooo good. Pretty good copycat. No cooking involved!

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (approx 2 sleeves)

2 sticks butter, melted

1 1/4 cups peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 bag milk chocolate chips (11.5 oz)

In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 cup of the peanut butter. 

Spread mixture into a 9x13 ungreased baking dish. Set aside. 

Place chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave one more time. 

Spread chocolate over peanut butter mixture in pan. 

Refrigerate for three hours to set. Then eat! Store leftovers in the fridge. 

Zucchini Bread w/pineapple

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp baking pwd

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple (I put pineapple in bullet to liquidify)

2 cups chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients and stir into egg mixture.  Fold zucchini, pineapple,e and chocolate chips.  Pour into greased and floured pans.  Bake at 350.  Small loaves bake in about 18 min. 

Brunch Sandwiches

***Adapted from Giada's recipe***

Combine the following in a mixing bowl:

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup mayo

4-6 oz crumbled blue cheese, depending upon your level of love for the blue 

Zest from 1 1/2 lemons

1/4 cup or more chopped chives

Salt and pepper to taste

To assemble the sandwiches, toast your sandwich roll or bun, spread egg salad on and top with a slice of cooked, crunchy bacon.