A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Morning all

Leicester had blue skies about an hour ago, but it is now turning rapidly grey and darker by the minute It looks like the tumble drier will be in use again today. It's June for goodness sake, has someone forgotten to let the weather know again or is it just sulking?

Yesterday was meant to be a quiet day, but I somehow ended up feeding the masses again. I was asked to make pulled pork again so invited friends around. That makes 3 weeks running I've made the stuff and no one is sick of it yet. I'll put the recipe at the end of this post.
I also went to Asda and stocked up on the things they have reduced. Pasta sauce at 25p for a 770g jar was a bargain. I'm also now willing to take on everyone at pasta food poker.....except perhaps Memory Girl. That cupboard is fab.

We own our house, well us and Halifax do for the next 5 years. We were very lucky and brought at the right time and with lots of help from my DPIL. They got help buying their house from DFIL's Grandmother so felt the need to do the same for the next generation. I like this house, but for me it has never felt like the forever house if that makes sense. DH is perfectly happy here so I think we will probably end up staying. I just long for a bigger kitchen. I need a large lottery win to build the house I already have planned out in my head. The one with my own bathroom, a huge kitchen with a big pantry and we really need a library. Maybe I should start buying tickets occasionally.

I suppose I should get dressed and go to Mr T's before it starts raining........oops too late, it has started raining. Darn.

Ok pulled pork recipe as promised.

The Pioneer Women's pulled pork.

Ingredients-
5-7lb pork shoulder joint
1 onion cut into quarters
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, peeled. (I use garlic from a jar and it's fine)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-2 tablespoons salt (I use 1)
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 300F, gas mark 2, 150C.
Blitz all the ingredients (except the pork of course) in a food processor until smooth. Pour the mixture over the pork and rub it all over.
Place the pork in a roasting pan/dutch oven and add two cups (16 fl oz) of water. Cover tightly and roast for 6 to 7 hours, turning once every hour.
Check to make sure it is fork tender. Increase the heat to 425F, gas mark 7, 220C and roast uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 15 minutes.
Shred the meat, using two forks to pull it apart. Pour over the pan juices and mix well. (I remove as much of the fat as possible before doing this).
Serve in flour tortillas with lime sprinkled over. I like it on rolls with coleslaw and BBQ sauce and it is fantastic on pizza as well.
I don't know how it freezes, but it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
I'll warn you now that after about an hour of cooking the whole house smells incredible and you will wonder how you are going to wait another 5 hours. It is well worth it however.

Morning everyone,
MG love your cupboard, when I have finished clearing my wardrobe of doom thats what I would like mine to look like.

Another who doesnt watch TV.

It has rained here non-stop since yesterday, but it looks like its starting to ease. I hope it stops for awhile as I have an appointment this afternoon at the Pain Management Clinic. I will be like a drowned rat if it doesnt as its a good 7min walk from the car park to the building as I walk so slow.Its very cold here too.

VJsmum Glad your dads getting out of hospital hope all goes well.

Mardatha Hope you get lots of sweeties.

Be back later:)

Haven't read everything yet but just popped on quickly to say Approved Foods have soya milk 5 for £1 (ood) and loads and loads of Nairns oatcakes supercheap. I live on oatcakes as I'm intolerant to wheat.

Oh and ORGRAN GLUTEN FREE PASTA 3 FOR £1.

Get in there quick!

Oh and some famous brand hair stuff but since I don't have any hair to speak of I'm not that bothered about that lol!

Pulled pork does sound pretty yummy, if I had some pork in I would have tried it.

I've just realised how much work we need to do on our small house. DP wants to rejig the living room (pain in the arris), my sons' room needs repainting and the garden needs gutting and starting again. We are stuck in a state of flux, not knowing if moving will be going ahead. I'm going to crack on anyway, otherwise it will annoy me.

How are those of you with kids off on half term faring? We had a brief visit to the park this morning before the rain started bucketing down. Made twinks hobnobs in flapjack form and they have disappeared!

prepareathome wrote: »

SDG that sounds lovely but we do not eat pork so I am going to try it with beef or lamb - whatever falls out freezer first. I think I have everything else in except maybe white wine vinegar - all vinegars are something I have got every low or totally run out of and I will have to reduce amount of chilli powder as hubby hates hot things, I have to make the mildest curries and chillies for him ( I make it then put his aside then add more spices for me). I doubt I will have it ready for tonight but as you say it keeps in fridge will make it today and we either will eat rather late or have it tomorrow. I wonder if it would work as well in sc rather than oven, cannot see why not as cooked on such a low heat, oh well 6 of one half a dozen of another I think.......... Thanks

PAH I have to say that my family loves spicy food and adds chillies and spicy sauces to almost everything, but I really wouldn't class this as spicy. I use mild chilli powder and I think that the hours of cooking mellow it down. Something like smoked paprika might work well as a substitute. As for the vinegar I think any type would work. I just use white wine vinegar as I have a stash of it after my failed chutney making efforts. (I made onion toffee instead of chutney. I ended up throwing the whole lot away, including the jars, as I couldn't get it out of them)

smileyt Good luck at the job centre

shelley_crow I know where you are coming from with regards to house repairs. Most of my house needs painting, the grouting around the bath needs sorting, the garden is a tip and we need new carpets. The problem is that no one job is simple. If we empty the bedroom to decorate then we need to get new carpet and if we get the carpet up we need to sort out the floorboards. It's that snowball effect that means nothing gets done. I can't get DH to sort time off from work for goodness sake, let alone actually fix anything without 6 months of planning and arguing. It's a wonder we haven't been thrown out of DIY stores before now because even buying a pot of paint involves an hour of fighting over the right colour. Buying a new bathroom nearly led to a divorce. :eek:
I have one son home until next Monday and the other one home until the end of August eeekkk. He has to do two exams and an intro day for his A-Levels but otherwise he will be home driving me nuts. In some ways it's easier when they are young, but each age has it's own rewards and challenges.
One thing that my two loved when they were younger was when we covered the living room floor in bubble wrap and then we would put some music on and dance and run and jump until it was all popped. DH used to buy it 20 metres at a time from a wrapping/removal company. I think I used to enjoy it more than the kids to be honest :rotfl:
I suppose I had better actually do something today. I would tackle the cupboard of doom, but I have nowhere to put anything I take out of it.

Take care xxxxx