SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steve & I have a godson, Gage.  He is nineteen years old and adorable!  He just completed his first year in culinary school and is doing great.  He also ust got engaged to his girlfriend, Ashley.  Gage & Ashley are like two peas in a pod.  Both are outgoing, funny and happiest in the kitchen.  Ashley sent me her recipe for crock pot pulled pork sandwiches and it’s  become one of our very favorite things to make. So since the 4^th of July is just a few days away, I wanted to share this recipe on my blog.  It makes a lot (about 25 sandwiches), so feel free to cut the recipe in half, freeze the leftovers or just invite several over for the Holiday!

 2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup ketchup

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup tomato paste

4 tablespoons paprika

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons black pepper

5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2 pieces

Rolls or buns

Combine all of the ingredients except the pork butt and the buns in a large slow cooker. Stir together with a spoon until well combined.  Add the 2 pieces of pork and place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or until pork is tender and easily pulls apart from the bone.

Take two forks and shred the pork. Place the pork back into the slow cooker with the remaining sauce. Stir well and serve on rolls or buns.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG! LET'S GET STARTED!!!

Welcome to my new recipe blog, "The Ocala Kitchen".  As you probably figured out, I’m Nancy, I live in Ocala, Florida and I have a life-long passion for cooking and collecting recipes.  I've had some wonderful inspirations all these years from right in my own family.  My Grandparents lived with us, so my Grandmother (Nancy ... I was named for her) taught me a lot and I still have her cookware, which I LOVE and use every day.  My Mother would much rather be out playing softball with the boys in our family, so she mainly just taught me some special desserts and candy.  But mostly, I learned true old-fashioned Southern comfort foods from ,my Aunts, Ruth and Frances.  I just hovered around their Florida kitchens every chance I got!


I'll be posting lots of wonderful recipes and hope that you'll find some things that will be staples in your home, too. And I hope you'll follow my blog and leave comments if you find something your family loves, too.


But first, let me pay tribute to the Ladies I loved more than any others, each of whom I still think of every day and will miss forever.

 

My Mother Lucille, Aunt Ruth and Aunt Frances … my Culinary Inspirations 

And now, A Recipe You'll Keep Forever

 

CHEESY HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

(Lots of  hash brown casseroles around, but I swear to you, this one is better than Cracker Barrel's!  You might want to double it.)

28 oz to 2 lbs. frozen hash brown,  thawed
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick margarine, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese for top

Mix all ingredients, except 1 cup sharo cheese.  Spread into a greased 9x13-inch backing pan or 2-quart casserole.  Bake at 350-degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from oven.  Sprinkle the reserved      1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese over the top and bake for 10 minutes.

WHY BLOG?

I've been working on websites for the past fourteen years and I've read Blogs by several people.  But I never felt that I had anything to contribute.

So why am I doing this?

The main reason is that I think it will be good therapy. 

Recently, a very dear friend suggested that I journal about the things I have gone through, the ups and downs on this long and winding road.  So I thought maybe it would be easier if I just Blog instead of Journaling.  Maybe somewhere along the way, I'll post something that will be helpful or up-lifting to someone else.  I hope so.

Like most everyone, I have had so many storms in my life. I've had problems that I would have thought would be insurmountable ... but I survived.  And I survived because instead of focusing on the thunder and lightening of the storm, I simply learned to walk between the raindrops. 

My latest "challenge" came in October 2009, when my Diabetes affected my walking and my eyesight.  I can not walk unassisted and I'm almost blind in my left eye. I'm in a wheelchair full time and am now on Hemo Dialysis.  In Marcj of 2010, I ws told that I would not live to see aother Christmas.  But here I am, four years later and still kicking!  But even in my struggle, God has extended His tender mercies to me ... my speech was unaffected and I can type on a computer because it is lit up and I can see the letters!  So in the midst of my latest storm, a Miracle!

So I'm now a Blogger!  And I think this is going to be great fun, as well as good therapy. 

To tell you a little about myself ... I'm married to Steve, the Love of My Life.  But more about him in future posts!  We started our Journey together in Ohio in 1990, but in 2011 we moved to Florida.  I spent a lot of time there in Central Florida and in Fort Lauderdale when I was growing up and I WAS HOMESICK!

As time goes on, I'll tell about myself and my life, share my favorite things and tell you all about my Family of Dogs (we have several ... all Rescues).  But mostly this is a Blog about my kitchen and the magic that comes from there.  I’ll be sharing recipes mostly and I hope you’ll follow me and find a few things to add to your Recipe Box!

I hope to get lots of followers to my Blog ... and if YOU'RE a Blogger, please let me know, so I can follow you too! And please post whenever you can.  I hope to hear from YOU!