Slow Cooker Carnitas

Photo: Recipe Tin Eats

Mexican food that’s great now and later? (It can be frozen). Si, por favor.

Ingredients

• 2 kg / 4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt), skinless, boneless (5lb/2.5kg bone-in)

• 2 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup juice from orange

RUB

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.

• Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.

• Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don't worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.

• Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours.

• Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.

• Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.

• If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups. The liquid will be salty, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set liquid aside - don't bother straining onion etc, it's super soft.

TO CRISP:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side - you don't want to make it brown all over because then it's too crispy, need tender juicy bits.

• Remove pork from skillet. Repeat in batches (takes me 4 batches) - don't crowd the pan.

• Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tacos (see notes for sides, other serving suggestions and storage/make ahead).

The recipe is courtesy of Nagi over at Recipe Tin Eats. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing her good work. There are great tips (what to serve alongside your carnitas) and tricks (like what cut of meat to buy), etc. on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.

The Viral Dr. Pepper Margarita

Photo: Feline Vodka

The internet's viral Dr. Pepper Margarita may be just what this short week full of sports ordered.

Ingredients

• 2 oz tequila

• 1 can of Dr. Pepper

• Juice of one lime

• 1 oz triple sec

• Ice

• Lime wedge and salt for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a shaker with ice and the tequila.

2. Squeeze in the lime and shake.

3. Salt the rim and pour in the shaker contents. Top with Dr. Pepper.

Olympic Medal Popcorn Balls

Photo: A Beautiful Mess

If there was a gold medal for cookie consumption, call me an Olympic hopeful with these delights.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 bag (10 oz.) marshmallows

• 4 oz popped popcorn, approximately 8 (0.5 oz) bags of popcorn

• Wax paper

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Gold and silver edible color mist

• Flexible wire

• Patriotic ribbon

Instructions

1. Before you begin, wash and cut the wire into 10 to 12 inch pieces. One piece for each medal you plan to make. This is going to go inside our popcorn ball, so that’s why we want to ensure it’s clean before use. The wire can be purchased from the jewelry section of a craft store. Just look for something bendable.

2. For the popcorn balls: Cut the butter into 4 pieces and place in a large pot, the larger the better. Melt over low/medium heat. Once the butter is nearly melted, add the marshmallows and stir with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are nearly all melted.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the popcorn. Take care to make sure the marshmallow mixture gets evenly distributed throughout. This is the glue that holds everything together, so make sure it gets on all of the popcorn pieces.

4. Pour all the popcorn onto a surface covered in wax paper.

5. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, remove about a cup of the mixture to a small piece of wax paper coated in nonstick cooking spray, add a piece of wire to the center and wrap the wax paper around the popcorn, pressing into a ball. (You can also butter your hands to form the ball).

6. Move to a cutting board covered in wax paper.

7. Now spray the popcorn balls with the gold or silver color mist. (Make sure to read the instructions).

8. Now wrap the wire around the back of the medal and loop it into place. Then, use the rest of the wire to create a small circle for your ribbon to go through. Cut your ribbons and assemble the medals. (Make sure to remove the wires before eating).

Kudos to A Beautiful Mess for this fun recipe idea. It’s great for the Olympics, but if you have festive ribbons, you can create them for any occasion.

Kool-Aid Grapes

Photo: Bake It With Love

A new classic perfect for a poolside treat.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs green grapes (one bag, seedless)

• 6 oz Kool-Aid mix (2-3 flavors of Kool-Aid with 1 3-ounce packet per pound of grapes)

Instructions

1. To get started, freeze your grapes for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the stems by giving them a quick twist (it's much easier when they are frozen).

2. After the stems have been removed, add your grapes to a colander and rinse them with cool water.

3. Transfer the grapes to ziploc bags (one for each color/flavor), then add the Kool-Aid, seal, and shake them up.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the grapes onto it. Return to the freezer for 24 hours. After 24 hours, pull them out of the freezer and enjoy!

There are many variations of this recipe online, but we chose this one from Bake it with Love because the clear directions set you up for success. Check out the website for tips or more incredible recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Photo: Unsplash

A classic that never fails.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken (Rotisserie-Style works best)

• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese (Softened)

• 1 (1 Ounce Package) Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

• 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

• 1/2 Cup Frank's Hot Sauce

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a slow cooker.

2. Stir well.

3. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 1-2 hours until the dip becomes hot and bubbly.

4. Serve with chips, crackers or veggies

Alternatively, this dip can be cooked in the oven rather than in a crockpot. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the ingredients in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes.

Red, White And Blue Salad

Photo: Foodie Crush

Your friends will be grateful for a healthy dish to compliment the giant bowl of potato chips at the Independence Day party.

Ingredients

• 2 cups watermelon cubed

• 1 cup jicama peeled and cubed

• 1 cup blueberries

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons honey

• pinch of chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Mix watermelon, jicama and blueberries in a large bowl.

2. Mix the lime juice, honey, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and pour over the watermelon mixture.

3. Add mint and more salt to taste and top with feta cheese crumbles. Chill for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Thank you Heidi at Foodie Crush for this recipe. Make sure you go check out the original recipe which includes tips and tricks as well as other fabulous dishes to try.

Pimm's Cup

PHOTO: Unsplash

We bring you the Pimm's Cup in honor of Wimbledon’s favorite gin-based liquor. (Wimbledon starts on July 1).

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1

• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• Ginger ale

Instructions

1. Add Pimm’s No. 1 and lemon juice into a highball glass over ice. Top with ginger ale and stir to combine.

2. You may garnish your glass with a cucumber slice, mint sprig, strawberry, lemon or orange wheel, or a combination of them.

Watermelon Lemonade

PHOTO: Unsplash

Summer served up in a glass.

Ingredients

• A 6 lb watermelon, cleaned

• 4 lemons

Instructions

1. Half your watermelon and scoop the flesh into a blender.

2. Process until smooth and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

3. After juicing the lemons, add the juice to the watermelon juice and a generous amount of ice cubes to a large pitcher.

4. Serve by adding a few slices of lemon and mint.

5. Should you want to make this a cocktail, add your favorite spirits.