Pulled Root Beer Pork

Valentine's/birthday week was so great! On Wednesday the 10th, Rhys slept in until 8:20! That's gift enough! Grandma took me out to lunch at a delicious restaurant, and then the family went to Olive Garden and we all stuffed our faces! Friday, Justin and I went on a double date with my sister, Madison, and her new boyfriend to see a comedy sketch show at BYU, then we went to Pop 'N' Sweets for chocolate and floats. Yesterday, mom and dad went on a date, Madison and her boyfriend went on a date, so Justin and I decided to take Paige out with us (and Rhys) to dinner. Justin and I exchanged Valentine's Day presents: I got chocolate and a new amazing message ball and Justin got flavored peanuts and the Marvel Avenger's Encyclopedia. Today, we had a family dinner, including Madison's boyfriend. Justin decided to make some porck pot BBQ pork, and it was delicious. So, I'm going to let him take over now...

This is another sporadic recipe spawned by the generosity of Cave Tools.  This time, we were graced with their Meat Handling Claws.  Upon seeing these claws, my mind immediately went to pulled pork.  So here's the recipe:
Ingredients 4 lbs pork 20 oz root beer 1/4 c honey mustard 1/2 c BBQ sauce 1/4 c brown sugar lime juice ground mustard garlic salt all spice
Directions 1) Sprinkle ground mustard, garlic salt, and all spice on the pork and rub it in. 

2) In the crock pot, place the pork, and poor in the root beer, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, and a squeeze or two of lime juice.

3) Cook for about 3-3.5 hours on low.
4) Take the pork out and use Cave Tool's Meat Handling Claws to pull the pork apart. Place back in the pot.

5) Add in brown sugar and let it cook for another 3-3.5 hours on low.
6) Serve on or with bread. Enjoy!

**We received the Meat Handling Claws from Cave Tools in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.**
So again, let me comment on the design of the claws.  They look like Wolverine claws. (They also feel like them too, haha) The claws are made from plastic, so I initially was uncertain about their strength, durability, and sharpness.  Man, was I wrong.  The grips on the handles are perfect and comfortable.  The claws never yielded upon use and the tips pierced through the meat flawlessly, cooked or raw.  Washing was very simple, they don't take up much space at all when stored, and are lighter than a wooden spoon.  Another very good product from Cave Tools.  Simple, light, deceptively effective, and rather fulfilling.  I mean, who wouldn't want to rip through hunks of meat with Wolverine claws?

You can purchase the Cave Tool Meat Handling Claws on Amazon or on the Cave Tool website.

Cave Tools is also offering the readers of The Morrell Tale 15% off a cave tool tenderizer on Amazon. Use promo code: MEOY47SI

Apple Braised Stuffed Porkchops

One day, my wife got a package in the mail.  It was a meat tenderizer from Cave Tools.  She handed it to me and told me "Make something with this."

So, tenderizer in hand, I went to the meat section at the local grocery store and started to fantasize about what I could do. I decided to go with pork chops, because 1.) they are delicious, 2.) it is a tougher and thicker and would really put this new tenderizer to the test. I went through the rest of the grocery store thinking about what could go well with it, and that combined with the fact that pork chops go well with apple and I had earlier bought a huge container of apple juice, this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

4 pork sirloin chops

1 cup of apple juice

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

3/4 cup of ricotta or queso fresco cheese

seasoning salt

lemon pepper

Directions

1) Season the chop with seasoning salt and lemon pepper. Use a Cave Tools meat tenderizer to pound it down to a 1/4 inch thick. Marinate the pork chops in apple juice for 2 hours.

2) Chop spinach and cook in butter. Cook each side of the pork for two minutes on medium heat. 

3) Put ricotta cheese on the chop, then sprinkle spinach in it. Roll it up and skewer it with a toothpick (to keep it rolled). Braise in applejuice covered with the lid on medium low heat for about fifteen minutes.

4) Enjoy!

** We received a Cave Tool meat tenderizer for free in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.**

So, first off, let me compliment the design of the product.  Its simple, sleek, and the weight is very easy to work with.  It has surprisingly good leverage and requires very little strength to utilize. (I admit to punching a hole in the meat accidentally thinking I needed to apply a lot of pressure.)  Overall, it took no time at all to get the meat to the tenderness and thickness that I wanted, and cleaning was simple.  Very impressed with Cave Tool and I look forward to using them in the future (probably their BBQ skewers and rack). And it is dishwasher safe!

You can purchase the Cave Tool Meat Tenderizer on Amazon or on the Cave Tool website.

Cave Tools is also offering the readers of The Morrell Tale 15% off a cave tool tenderizer on Amazon. Use promo code: KRYLK4CT

Chicken Corn Chowder Casserole (C4)

**Ok, here's a secret...I've had this post in my draft box for months now! And, I keep scheduling it, but then I keep forgetting to actually make C4 and take pictures to add to the post. Then, the next morning, I realize that it has published! So, I keep taking it back down. But, it finally is 100% completely finished!

I grew up in a casserole eating family. We'd have it at least once every two weeks, with plenty for leftovers. When I first made casserole in college, I didn't really even use a recipe...that's how common it was at home. And, that's the thing I love about casserole...it really is super easy to make, and there are so many different options to use. Well, one day, I wanted to make casserole, but we didn't have anymore cream of chicken soup left, so Justin suggested using his favorite soup: chicken corn chowder. I agreed, and we loved it!

But, since Chicken Corn Chowder Casserole is a mouthful to say, we just call it "C4" for short!

Use a 9x13 pan. Serves 4-6

Ingredients
3-4 chicken tenders (or 2 small breasts)
1 can of chicken corn chowder
1 cup mixed veggies
1 cup cheese
2 cups of rice
bread crumbs
rosemary
thyme
sage
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350* and cook the rice.
2) Cut up the chicken and cook it in a pan. Sprinkle garlic powder, thyme, sage, rosemary on it.

3) Pour the rice, chicken, mixed veggies, chowder, and a half cup of shredded cheese in the 9x13 casserole dish. Mix it all together with salt and pepper.

4) Pour the rest of the cheese on top and cover in breadcrumbs.
5) Cook for 35-40 minutes.

This is Justin's absolute favorite casserole, so enjoy!

What is your favorite kind of casserole?

Creamy Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

Growing up, I loved it when Mom made chicken enchiladas with sweet corn on the side. However, as I grew older, I realized that they weren't as spicy as I'd like (mom doesn't like any spice) and they were whitish whereas typical enchiladas have a red sauce. But, they were creamy and oh so delicious. So, since Justin and I have a lot of small corn tortillas lying around that we can't use fast enough, I decided to make my own spin on my mom's enchiladas.

Ingredients

6 chicken tenderloins

1 small can cream of chicken

3/4 cup of sour cream

1 small can chili verde sauce

1 1/2 cups of cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

1 cup of sweet corn

1 bag of small corn tortillas

garlic powder

cumin

chili powder

cilantro

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350*.

2) Cook the chicken tenders with the garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder to taste. When they are cooked, pull the chicken apart.

3) In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Pour in the chili verde sauce to taste, depending on how spicy you want it. Pour some of the sauce on the bottom and sides of a 9x9 pan.

4) Mix in the chicken, corn, and 3/4 cup of cheese.

5) Take a tortilla and lay it on the pan. Pour a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture into the center and roll the tortilla up. Repeat with each tortilla. Make sure they are rolled tightly and close together.

6) Pour the remaining mixture on top of all the tortillas and layer with the remaining 3/4 of cheese ad sprinkle with cilantro.

7) Bake in the oven for 30 minutes!

Enjoy!

How do you like your enchiladas?

Brazilian Style Fish Stew

Typically, when we buy fish, we tend to make the same three meals over and over again: fish fried rice, fried fish, or breaded and flavored fish with vegetables. It doesn't matter what kind of fish it is, they always end up in one of these three entrees. So, we decided to try something different when we got a great deal for a big bag of small Tilapia fillets. And, what do you do when you want to try a new recipe? You go to Pinterest. As we were scrolling down, we found this very unique looking recipe and wanted to make a creation based on it.

** Original idea --> Brazilian Fish Stew **

But, since knowing it was Brazilian, and knowing it would be soupy, I adjusted to kind of dilute the same amount of spices (to make it palatable for me) and make it a thicker stew. (Although Justin would've preferred it to be more soupy with more spices.)

Ingredients

3-4 Tilapia fillets

5 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1 1/2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 small onion

3 medium to large bell peppers (we used 2 medium green and 1 large red)

1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 3/4 - 2 cups of almond milk (depending on how soupy you want it)

1-2 cups of cooked orzo (depending on how stew-y you want it)

2 tbsp cilantro

Directions

1) Cute the Tilapia into chunks. In a bowl, mix the lemon and lime juices with the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Marinate the Tilapia in the mix. Put in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

2) Chop up the vegetables. In a small frying pan, saute the onions until they get soft and a little golden-brown. Add in the peppers for about 3-5 minutes.

3) In a stew pot, pour the softly sauteed vegetables, the marinated fish, and the rest of the ingredients (don't drain the tomatoes). Cook on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Stir cilantro, lower the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook and occasionally stir for about 10 minutes. The fish will cook thoroughly in the stew. 

4) Top with some sour cream, squeezed lime juice or lime wedges, and cilantro according to taste.

Again, make soupy or stew-y according to your preference. I liked the idea of orzo in it to give it body and soak in some of the spice and liquid. But, like I mentioned, Justin would've preferred it without the orzo and a bit more soupy. But, it was a really nice taste! I liked it a lot!

Have you ever made any type of Brazilian food? Have you ever made fish into a soup or stew?

Fried Zucchini Sticks

It's Farmer's Market and produce stand season. And, it's kind of nice to have two younger siblings working full-time at a huge and renowned produce stand. So, we get a ton of fresh produce, jams, honey, etc from them! It's awesome! Less for us to buy. So, we decided to make some zucchini sticks this time.

** Serves 2 as a snack or appetizer

Ingredients
2 medium sized zucchinis
1/4 bread crumbs
1/4 Parmesan and Asiago
Italian seasoning
garlic salt
1 egg
3 tbsp milk

Directions
1) Use a peeler and cut the skins off the zucchini. Cut them in half long-ways. Cut long-ways into strips.
2) Put some oil in a pan on medium.
3) Mix the egg and milk together in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the crumbs, Parmesan, seasoning, and garlic.
4) Dip the zucchini sticks in the egg and milk mix, then coat it with the breading.
5) Place in the pan and fry, rotating them until all sides are brown and crispy.
6) Serve with some sauce--I used marinara with garlic salt and basil.

**Also, if you want it healthier, just bake in the oven at 350* for about 25 minutes rather than frying it.

Do you like zucchini? Have you ever had these? How would you turn zucchini into a snack or appetizer?

October 2015 Goals

Holy cow, September went by too quickly! But, I was able to enjoy ushering in fall with decorations, candle scents, a trip to the Farmer's Market, and some rain!

Last month's goal was to Work From Home. Here is how I did.
Sub Goals:

- Find a sell-from-home job and learn all there is about it
I haven't done this yet...I see that most starter packs a bit on the pricey end, and I'm not ready to pay some to get some just yet.

- Find work-at-home freelancing or transcription jobs
This is where I rocked it! I have 1 continual tutoring job, helping a senior with SAT and her English and history classes for the entire school year! Hello Black Friday deals on iPhone 6! I've also signed up and applied to about 5 other free lancing and transcription sites. I'm waiting on approval for a few and still need to take the transcription test for a few.

- Join blogging campaign sites and participate in campaigns and join affiliate sites and learn all there is to it.
I joined US Family Guide Moms Connect program which allows me free tickets to different local activities or museums, etc. in exchange for a review on the blog. I know there is a lot of debate about whether or not bloggers should be paid in addition to free products, but I am just fine with free products! Other than that, I haven't joined any affiliate sites yet. What are your favorite campaign groups or affiliates to work with for smaller bloggers?

- Learn more about couponing and money-saving skills
I haven't done couponing just yet, but we are currently working on different money-saving strategies, especially with grocery shopping. I also joined swagbucks for a few extra $$.

October--Improve My Homemaking Skills

The house is organized, we have a routine set down, I'm getting to work on WAHM stuff, I'm learning more with my camera, my blog is growing and I'm on top of my game, and the holiday seasons are coming quickly. So, I want to take this month to do all I can to prepare for them, so that I can get ahead of the curve for December (and have a lot of posts to share for the Christmas season).

Sub Goals:

- Finish and mail off my ornaments for the Morrell Ornament Exchange

- Bake some fall treats

- Decorate for Halloween

- Redo picture wall in the living room

- Make a new recipe a week

- Make sure the house is clean and a treat set out for when Justin gets home every weekday

- Create at least three DIY activities for Rhys

- Actually use and update a family calendar/planner

What are your goals for this month?

Solidarity Sister // Alanna & Co

**Don't forget to enter this Thankful Heart giveaway!

This past month, I've participated in a blogging pair called The Solidarity Sisters. We were paired with a blogger and meant to get to know each other, help each other improve our blogs, and just be encouragers toward each other. Today, I want to introduce you to my Solidarity Sister: Alanna from Alanna & Company!

Hi The Morrell Tale readers! I'm Alanna and I blog over at Alanna & Company, where I write about dogs, food, and all things D.C. and it's surrounding suburbs.

I don't know about you guys, but I love Sriracha. I literally put it on everything. I recently tried experimenting with it and turning it into Sriracha Mayo and it was amazing! I made it with salmon and then drizzled over top. I used the recipe from White on Rice Couple but since I like it a bit more spicy we actually did 2 tablespoons of Sriracha to 3 of mayo.

Sriracha Mayo Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons mayo.
• 2 Tablespoon Huy Fong Sriracha.
• 1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice.

Directions:

1. In bowl, combine ingredients until smooth.
2. Use as dip or spread for your favorite dishes.

For the salmon, this is my go-to recipe because it's easy and tastes great even without the Sriracha Mayo if you don't like spicy. 

Broiled Soy Marinated Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 salmon filets
• Fancy Option: 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish

Directions:

1. Mix together the soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl.
2. Put the salmon filets and the marinade in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but I typically like to marinate overnight so the fish can really soak up all the flavors. 
3. Preheat your broiler on high and place marinated salmon on broiler pan. When the broiler is hot, place the pan in the oven and cook for about 8 minutes minutes, or until the outside is crispy and the fish flakes easily. Tip: Make sure the rack is about 5 inches below the top of the oven when broiling. 
4. Spoon the Sriracha mayo overtop of your salmon. If you chose the fancy option, garnish with some toasted sesame seeds, and serve with a green vegetable. (I chose broccoli!)

Let me know if you try the recipe and how you like it!

Blueberry Razz Muffins

This summer, Rhys discovered a love for all berries (including grapes). Thankfully, there was almost a never ending supply of berries and grapes at our family reunion up at Bear Lake, and his favorite aunt works at a local produce stand and brings him fresh berries often. So, one day, I decided to be little miss homemaker and bake some berry muffins from scratch using the leftover berries.

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375* F and put muffin/cupcake papers in the muffin tin.

2) Add in all ingredients, except for the berries and use an electric mixer on high. It should be a lemony color with a few lumps.

3) Add in the berries. Use the mixer again. This should pulverize the majority of the raspberries, turning the batter a pink-ish color. This will help seep the raspberry flavor into the batter itself.

4) Fill up the muffin tins and cook for about 30-35 minutes. Tops should just be getting a little golden.

Justin and I absolutely loved these. Rhys, however, was more interested in finishing off the remaining berries that I didn't use...but he ate the muffins for breakfast the next day when all the berries were gone.

What is your favorite mixture of berries or other fruit in muffins?