Winter vege salad

From Lunchpails and Lipstick:

WARM WINTER VEGGIE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 red onion

1 butternut squash, sliced in half or in sections for easy roasting and peeling after it’s cooked

1 carrot, cut into pieces

1 parsnip cut into pieces

1 celery root, peeled and cut into pieces

1 large beet, cut into pieces

Enough olive or coconut or flax oil to coat and sea salt to taste

1/4 cup raw walnuts

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon mustard powder or organic stoneground mustard with no sugar or additives and preferably made with apple cider vinegar (there’s a kind that health food stores carry that fits all this criteria)

1 handful parsley leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 and toss the vegetables with the oil and sea salt and roast until tender (roughly 45 minutes).

Spread walnuts in a skillet and toast until golden then coarsely chop

Whisk the vinegar and lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl with extra olive or flax oil and season with sea salt and pepper if you like- toss with vegetables and walnuts and serve warm or at room temp.

Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk-Revised by Kelly Anderson

Ingredients:

3.5 lb. Chicken
salt and pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
1 hand full sage leaves
2.5 Cups of milk
Zest of 2 lemons (1 lemon for each cup of milk if you add more milk, or add some of the juice if you don't have lots of lemons)
10 cloves garlic, skin left on


Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season Chicken w/salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven, or a heavy bottomed oven proof pan, Brown on all sides in w/oil on med-med/high.

Remove pan from heat. Now, if you're me this is where you start adding everything:) If you want less fat in this dish then remove the chicken to a plate, pour fat out of pan, but leave caramelized fat in the bottom.

Return chicken to pan w/remaining ingredients. DO NOT PUT A LID ON THIS. Bake for 1.5 hours basting occasionally, or not cause I forget and it still turns out nice.

Serve pulled apart w/juices and curds over rice, pasta, potatoes, or wilted spinach.

Creamy Chicken Soup from Jane's Blessing

Creamy Chicken Soup

Adapted from The Cookie Rookie

Roux
4 T. Flour
2 T. Oil
2 T. Butter

Ingredients
2 T. Butter
2 T. Oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
6 Carrots, sliced into half inch rounds
4 stocks Celery, sliced
1 t. garlic, minced
4 C. Chicken Stock ( I used chicken granules)
3 1/2 C. Cream, or Half and Half, or Whole Milk ( I use Whole Milk)
2 T. Chicken Granules, ( this is because of the milk)
1 t. Pepper
1 T. Fresh Parsley
3 Bay Leaves
1 t. Dried Rosemary
1 t. Dried Fennel
1 t. Dried Thyme
1 t. Dried Basil
1 t. Dried Parsley
1 t. Dried Oregano
1 t. Dried Tarragon
1/2 t. Turmeric
( the original called for herbs de provence which includes all these herbs plus Savory, Marjoram, Lavender Leaves and Bay pwd. I don't have all those, so I used what I had, but I also used way more than it calls for because the first time I made it it was blandish)
3 C. Rotisserie Chicken
Juice from  Lemon ( some of the zest would be good)

Method:

Heat Butter and Oil in lrg. pot over med/low heat. Add Onion and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (enough to sizzle, but can be left for a few minutes without browning). Add garlic, carrots, celery and 1 t. salt ( it will help the veggies sweat), saute 10 minutes till carrots are med. tender (not mushy, just a bit crunchy or toothsome).

Meanwhile, make the Roux ( thickener) by heating butter and oil over med. heat. Add flour and stir till forms a paste, about 2-3 minutes ( you're cooking the flour so the soup doesn't taste like flour).

When Carrots are at desired texture, add remaining ingredients including Roux, stir well to incorporate.. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes then turn off heat. Let soup sit for at least an hour, but I let it sit for about 3 ( I do the prep work the day before then cook it before Church so it sits while we're gone) to steep the dried herbs. Taste, adding additional salt if desired.

Bring back to appropriate temp. and serve with bread and butter:)

Fall Salads

We tried the Butternut Squash & Smokey Ham Quinoa salad a few weeks ago as a main course and LOVED it. I substituted the ham for Turkey Sausage since Mike isn't a Ham man. The other salads on the site look awesome!!

Carnival Cruise Line's Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

I got this recipe off of a blog called Family Favorites who got it off of Carnival Cruise line's site.
I have made this easy recipe twice.  I am addicted!  It is sooo fattening and so delicious.  It is so easy to make.  Here it is:

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. (6 oz.) dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. (6 oz.) butter
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3/4 c. (6 oz.) sugar
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. (2 oz.) flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan, cool 10 minutes. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Add flour and whisk until flour is well mixed in. When chocolate has cooled stir in egg mixture.
• Fill 7oz. ramekins about 3/4 of the way full with chocolate batter. Bake for 14 minutes. You may need to add an extra few minutes of baking time depending on your elevation.
• The cake should be cake-like and spongy on the top but the middle of the cake should be melty and gooey-- the consistency of pudding, not too runny. Do not let it overcook--watch these babies closely! Serve with ice cream. (makes 4 servings)

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Coconut Lime Chicken with Thai Garnishes

You must all try this chicken recipe.  I've made it once as written, but since then, I've switched to skinless or boneless, skinless chicken breasts (easier!), and I always add a ton more veggies onto the garnishes plate (radishes, salad mix, sliced raw zucchini, flaked coconut) to make it both healthier and to make the chicken go further.  I love to slice the chicken thinly and heap it in the middle of my largest serving platter and make rows of each of the other garnishes next to it.  (So pretty!  So delicious!  So fresh!)  Since I've been hearing reports of a shortage of exclamation points in the country, I think I'd better stop here before I use up my year's supply.  But seriously--you have to try this!

Popsicles

Last summer, we were more than a little obsessed with homemade popsicles around here.  Now that spring weather has finally shown up, we're back in the mode.  Here are some of our favorites:

Fruit-sicles
4 cups fresh fruit (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, or strawberries are the ones we've tested)
2 tbsp. sugar (if the strawberries are super sour, you might need a touch more)
juice of one lime or half a lemon

Blend like crazy and fill the popsicle molds.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pops
2 cups milk (I used 1-3/4 cups skim plus 1/4 cup half-and-half to make it delicious)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
chocolate chips

Blend the first four ingredients in the blender.  Put 1 tsp. chocolate chips in the bottom of every popsicle mold and fill with the milk mixture.  Freeze.  (Seriously, these taste just like chocolate chip cookie dough, except cold and refreshing and nearly guilt free.)

Dreamsicles
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. sugar
2 cups plain yogurt

Blend up.  Fill molds.  Freeze.

Pudding Pops
1 small instant pudding mix
3 cups milk

Blend.  Freeze.

Plus, anytime I make a smoothie, I pour the extra into the popsicle molds and freeze it.  This year, I'm going to not use the plastic sticks that came with the mold, but use wooden sticks instead.  That way, when the popsicles are frozen, I can unmold them, put them in plastic bags, and always have a stash in the freezer.

Cocoa Syrup

I made this Cocoa Syrup to drizzle over some Banana Split Cake and it was FANTASTIC!! It can go on anything and be used for Chocolate Milk.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I love pumpkin, and I love cinnamon rolls.  Therefore, when I saw pumpkin cinnamon rolls being pinned all over Pinterest, I thought for sure they would be winners.  However, when I examined the recipes, they all called for ingredients I didn't have.  (Plus, sometimes they were things like "instant vanilla/butterscotch pudding mix".  I'm all for instant pudding, but I think the mixes give baked goods an artificial taste.  Not what I'm looking for in a cinnamon roll.)  So, I adapted the One Hour Roll recipe (my favorite go-to for rolls and cinnamon rolls), and I was thrilled with the results.  Here it is.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups water
1/4 cup yeast
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (which I do not have, so I used 1/4 t. each of cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg)  This could be doubled, depending on how spiced you want your rolls to be.
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tbsp. salt
9-11 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast, and brown sugar.  Let rise for 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and knead (in Kitchenaid or Bosch) for about 10 minutes.  The dough should stick to the hook, but still be a little bit sticky.  Let rise for 15-20 minutes.  Divide dough in thirds.  Roll each third into a large rectangle.  Melt 1 tbsp. butter for each separate batch.  Spread butter over dough, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, and rub the toppings around until evenly distributed.  Roll up and slice into cinnamon rolls.  Let rise for 10-15 minutes and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  (You all know how done you like your cinnamon rolls).  Frost with cream cheese frosting.  (Of course.)

Whoopie Pies

I made these pies for my Activity Days girls this afternoon, and they were a big hit.  They are super easy, and, for once in my life, mine were just as pretty as the ones in the pictures.  :)  I used my cookie scoop to guarantee all the cookies were the same size, and it was perfect.

I used a different filling, however, since I didn't have enough peanut butter to make the filling in the recipe.

Here's the filling I used:

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cube unsalted butter
1 8-oz package low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp. half-and-half
1/2 tsp. salt
about 2 cups powdered sugar

Beat peanut butter, butter, and cream cheese together until perfectly smooth and uniform.  Add half-and-half and salt, then beat in powdered sugar until fluffy.  Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or more half-and-half.  Scrape bowl into gallon-sized ziploc bag, squeeze out excess air, snip off the corner, and pipe onto one of the two whoopie pie cookies, topping with another cookie.

This filling would be delicious between two layers of chocolate cake as well.  It's fantastic.

Crockpot Chicken Creole (Healthy too!)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts ¼ tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. salt 1 tbsp. Creole or Cajun Seasoning* 1 (14.5 ounce) undrained can of Stewed Tomatoes ¼ cup of salsa (optional) 1 green pepper, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, diced ½ of a small onion, sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced *Creole Seasoning: Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Paprika, Red Pepper, Salt & Thyme Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, and the Creole or Cajun seasoning (see the suggested list of spices above if you are interested in creating your own Creole seasoning). Place the chicken in the bottom of the crock-pot and add the remaining ingredients directly on top; saving the mushrooms for the final 30 minutes of cooking. Cook on high for 5 hours. Serve the chicken either whole or cut into pieces atop pasta or rice. If you're serving with pasta, toss the pasta with some of the sauce prior to serving. Courtesy of http://4thtrimestercooking.blogspot.com/

Easy Creamy Fruit Mousse

I got this recipe from "Our Best Bites". This is fun and yummy (not so nutritious)
We are having it for Easter Dinner. I did 4 different jellos and put them in a trifle bowl. We are not putting the topping on. It is very pretty looking. I would love to have those little cups that she has and have individual servings but i don't so I did the large bowl. I tried to copy the picture so you could see how pretty it is but it would not copy.

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 small (3 oz) box fruit flavored gelatin, regular or sugar free
1 cup boiling water
8 ounces cream cheese, divided
1/2 cup cold water
8 ounce container COOL WHIP, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small orange

Instructions
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Place in blender and add 4 ounces (half of the package) cream cheese. Process until smooth. Add cold water and pulse blender to stir. Add half of the container of COOL WHIP (about a heaping cup) to the blender and process just until combined and mixture is free of lumps.

Pour mixture into one serving bowl, or several smaller individual sized dishes. Refrigerate until firm, 3-4 hours. Either top with remaining COOL WHIP or continue on with topping recipe.

To make topping, beat remaining 4 ounces cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla, about 1 teaspoon orange zest (more if desired) and one teaspoon of the orange juice. Blend until creamy and smooth, and fold in remaining 4 ounces COOL WHIP. Add more orange juice if needed for consistency. Dollop, pipe, or spread topping over chilled mousse just before serving. If you refrigerate the mousse with the topping on, it will harden, so it’s best to whip it up just before serving. Makes about 6, 1/2 cup servings.

Smothered Pork chops

It was funny to me that Emilee and I would both have a pork dish on Sunday. I have wanted to try this recipe for some time but it looked time intensive and to be truthful it was. It was dish intensive too ( which interpreted means lots of dishes to wash) but it was tasty. I got the recipe off Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She has this recipe in her best recipes. I followed the recipe and served it on brown rice.
INGREDIENTS:
5 slices bacon, chopped
6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
Salt and Pepper
2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.

Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).

When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Cook’s Country Cookbook

Rosemary Garlic Pork Loin Roast

This is the star of the best Sunday dinner I've ever made.  Seriously.  The key (MOM) is not to overcook the pork.  Pair this with roasted cauliflower, a yummy green salad, and some one-hour rolls, and you have a delicious "fancy" dinner.  I got this recipe (and I've gotten so many other delicious, delicious recipes) from epicurious.com.


4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 1/2-pound boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch roasting pan with foil. Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl. Rub garlic mixture all over pork. Place pork, fat side down, in prepared roasting pan. Roast pork 30 minutes. Turn roast fat side up. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155°F., about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes Pour any juices from roasting pan into small saucepan; set over low heat to keep warm. Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork slices on platter. Pour pan juices over. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Crepe Sandwich

Susanne's Crepe Recipe
1 1/2 C. Milk
3 Eggs
1/4 C. Melted Butter
1 C. Whole Wheat or White All-Purpose Flour
Dash Salt

Mix ingredients in blender. Add the butter first then flour so the hot butter doesn't cook your egg.

I used the ingredients for a California sandwich and tweaked it a bit, but really anything that would be good in a Pita Pocket would work.

Sandwich
1 Avocado Sliced
1 Tomato, sliced thin
1 Cucumber, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. chopped Basil or Cilantro
Salt & Pepper
Alfalfa Sprouts
Pepper Jack Cheese
Deli sliced Turkey Breast

Chive Spread
1/4 C. Greek Yogurt or Mayo (or 2 Tbsp. of each)
1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Chopped Chives (I used scallions, they're cheap)

Place the cheese and meat within reach of the stove. Pour batter on med-high skillet. According to Mike flip it when the edges are browned and start to curl.....As soon as you flip the Crepe place cheese on one half of it and layer meat on top of the cheese. When your crepe is done fold it in half so the cheese and meat are sandwiched and remove from heat.

Now smear it with chive spread. Place remaining ingredients on one half of your crepe (which is really a quarter of your crepe). Fold it in half again so it's quarter sized and eat:)

Tip-When you remove it from the stove it's good to have some parchment paper on your plate so you can fold it around your crepe. It's easier to pick up that way, otherwise I eat it with a fork.

Tip-Have strawberries and whip cream on hand for dessert crepes:)

Mustard Pesto Sandwich Spread

I was inspired by the sandwich I had at Zupa's on our girls day trip to play with Annie so last night I made a regular pesto and added Dijon mustard to it for our open faced sandwiches and it was EXCELLENT!!!!

Mustard Pesto
Olive Oil
Pine Nuts ( I used Pecans)
Basil
Dijon Mustard to taste (I want to try it with whole grain mustard)
pinch salt

I put generous portions on them........so good. I topped each sandwich with turkey, sliced tomato and grated parmesean then put them unnder the broiler till the cheese melted and goldened:)

Yummy Quinoa

Seriously, this is one of the yummiest recipes I've tried.  It tastes like delicious fresh salsa.  I served it with hot homemade braided bread, and it's a fabulous meal. I bet it's yummy cold, too, as leftovers.  Yum!

Yummy Quinoa

1 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 c uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 c broth (I use chicken broth)

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Heat oil in saucepan. Stir in onion and garlic. Mix in quinoa and cover with broth. Add spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 mins.

1 cup frozen sweet corn

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 T lime juice

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c cliantro, chopped

Stir in corn, simmer 5 more minutes. Add rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with feta

Fish lake menu

Monday
Dinner:
Frozen pizza?  Something easy?- What time do we get in?


Tuesday
Breakfast
Hootenannies
Sausage
Fresh Oranges
Steamed milk or hot chocolate

Lunch
BLT's w/ avocado or loaded sandwiches with everything from peppercini's to sprouts with Kneader's sauce?
chips
mini carrots

Dinner
Creamy vegetable soup in soup bowls

Treat for the evening
caramel corn drizzled with white chocolate and brown chocolate from Jamie Cooks it Up

Wednesday
Breakfast:
Crepe Bar

Lunch: Cheese Quesdillas with avacadoes and fresh salsa or nachos with cheese



Dinner:
This is the day the men are on their own. I propose the men make Paninis again (if we do quesadillas for lunch on this day and then have the men make Pakistani's (spell check suggested it) for dinner then we could do them for lunch on Thursday. I think this will give us a little variety so we are not eating sandwiches 2x in one day or Mexican food 2x in one day.)


Thursday
Breakfast
Cold cereal (Men on their own)

Lunch
Panini's

Dinner: 
Cafe Rio Salads? We could buy the rice, beans, and metal containers from Costa Vida in Provo to make it easier and then make the meat, dressing, and tortillas at the cabin. Let's buy those uncooked tortillas to make it even easier. - What time do we get back from Provo?

Friday
Breakfast
Ebelskivers

Lunch:
Leftovers.  There's bound to be leftovers

Dinner:
Noquis (John-directed)
with John's sauce  (Who's willing to get their hands dirty?)

Saturday
Breakfast: 
Cold Cereal and smoothies


Lunch: Butternut Squash Risotto and a salad? When are we leaving


Dinner:  Are we having our New's Year Eve party at Fish Lake?  Should I (Em) bring more floating lanterns?


General Food needed:
Cinnamon rolls
Kettle corn (I'll bring my popper and the supplies) yum!
Soda?

Holy Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

Cilantro Pork Tacos

This is a recipe from (who else?) my friend, Sara.  It's a great one to have for company because it makes a lot, and with the meat in the crockpot and the dressing waiting in the fridge, you can come back from an expedition of some kind and have dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes.

Cilantro Pork Tacos
corn tortillas
Sweet Pork (recipe below)
Cilantro Slaw (recipe below)
2 lg. cans black beans, warmed (optional, but I'm just learning to like beans, and this is a great way to have them)
8 oz. cheddar or pepperjack cheese, grated (optional--I like it better without cheese, but my kids like it with the cheese)

Warm the tortillas on a large griddle.  Have each person compose their own taco from the ingredients.

Sweet Pork
4-5 lb. pork roast (I used boneless loin, because I like how lean it is, but you can use anything)
1 19-oz. can enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or green, whatever you fancy)
1 20-oz. bottle Dr. Pepper (I've tasted it with Dr. P, and it's good, but I have used a 12-oz. can of Sprite or 1 cup of orange juice, both to good effect.  You just need something with acid and sugar to tenderize the meat.)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Combine everything in the crockpot and cook.  I split it between two little crockpots and it's done on high in 2-3 hours or low for about 6 hours.  Remove the pork, shred it, and add it back into the sauce.

Cilantro Slaw
1 package coleslaw shreds (or shred your own head of cabbage)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup fresh cilantro
3 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. lime juice (I used the juice of 2 limes)
1/2 tsp. cumin

Put all ingredients except the cabbage in the blender and blend until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator until just before dinnertime.  Put cabbage in a big bowl and add enough dressing to make everything moist and delicious.