Crockpot Carnitas

I found some boneless pork ribs at Aldi during this week's grocery shopping. I'd actually grabbed the package with intentions of making pulled-pork sandwiches. The kids love BBQ pulled-pork, and it's so easy to make. I, however, wasn't up for it as we'd just had it a few days prior at my nephews birthday party. So, tacos came to mind as to what I could use the pork for. I still planned to toss it in the crockpot so it would come out tender, but I also wanted a smokey flavor. And here you go...my recipe for Crockpot Carnitas.  Perfect for your next Taco Tuesday. 

Crockpot Carnitas

2 lbs country style pork ribs

1/2 C liquid smoke

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, add all ingredients, seal tightly, pressing out all the air.  Shake bag to complete coat pork with marinade.  Allow to marinate 3 to 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. After marinating, add pork to crockpot, and cook:

•on HIGH for 3-4 hours

OR

•on LOW for 6-8 hours

3. After pork has cooked, use a potato masher to mash and "shred" pork. Serve pork in warmed corn tortillas. 

Serves 8 (4 oz pork each serving).

If you eat 2 corn tortillas and 1 serving of pork, your macros will be:

Calories 278

Carbs 21g

Fat 11g

Protein 22g

If you want to ditch the tortillas, here's the nutritional info on each serving of pork:

You can tell this pork will be packed with flavor.  I chose to marinate it overnight. Season, shake, and toss it in the fridge. Then in the morning, it goes in the crockpot for an effortless dinner. 

I had a productive morning. Got bills paid for the week, kids and I fed breakfast, then the kids started on their homeschool work...and of course, I had dinner in the crockpot. All before 9:30 a.m.  

The kids dressed their carnitas with salsa, cheeses, tomatoes, guacamole, and more. 

However, for me, the pork was so tender and flavorful, I didn't want or need any "fixin's". Seriously...nomnomnom!!! 

I hope you'll give this recipe a try. It's perfect, especially on those days that you "don't have time" to make dinner. 

This meal is  

1. Cheap (did you notice the meat only cost me $5.15 for 2 lbs?). 

2. Delicious. 

3. Effortless. 

Pin this and share with your friends. And remember to check out my blog often for  more recipes that you'll be proud of. 

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

One of my favorite indulgences are blueberry muffins. But I avoid buying them because you're looking at spending 300 to 400 of your daily caloric intake and for per muffin. For example, a Low-Fat Blueberry Muffin from Starbucks is a whopping 430 calories. Add a nonfat latte to that, and your hitting close to 600 calories for a mid-day snack. 

By making muffins at home, and being in control of what goes into the recipe, you can slash those calories, feel satisfied and happy (rather than guilty) when you indulge. 

My kids are funny. They'll beg for a bunch of bananas when we're grocery shopping. One week they'll gobble up the entire bunch the first or second day upon purchasing. However, some weeks the bananas will go untouched and then I have a bunch of brown bananas. Of course, brown, ripe bananas usually end up in pancakes or banana bread. This week I was on the search for a new banana recipe, when I came across a few recipes on Pinterest for banana muffins. The one I chose included two of my favorite things: bananas and blueberries. Most recipes contain high amounts of sugar and fat, so they needed to be tweaked to fit my style of eating. 

•I substituted the fat with applesauce. 

•I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat flour. 

•I reduced some of the added sugar. 

Most importantly, the flavor is kid-approved. All 5 of my kiddos absolutely loved these muffins. Apples, bananas, blueberries, and whole wheat...that's what makes my recipe makeover mom-approved. When the kids asked for a 2nd muffin, I didn't have to say "No."  

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

4 oz applesauce 

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 medium, ripe bananas (mashed)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 C whole wheat flour

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C fresh blueberries 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce and sugar.
3. Add in the eggs, bananas, and vanilla; stir until combined.
4. Add to bowl baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly add the flour, and stir between each addition just until moistened.
5. Gently fold in the blueberries with spatula.
6. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each liner with nearly full, evenly distributing batter amongst the cups. 
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffins will be a deep golden brown color, and crisp top. 

Yields 12 muffins

1 muffin per serving 

1. 
   
   
   I love the texture of these muffins. The tops came out a beautiful golden brown, crisp to the touch. But when I split the muffin in half, inside it was moist and cake-like, plus had bursts of blueberry and banana. 
   
   
   How do these measure up? Well, the numbers are actually pretty awesome. Take a look for yourself:
   
   
   

   
   
   I'd love to hear your feedback. If you try these out, please comment below. Let me know what you think. 
   
   
   And remember to follow my blog for more recipes and tips. Plus, share your favorite recipes with your friends.