Things I Love Thursday: Internet Recipes

I have a multitude of cook books and while I love how pretty they look all lined up in my kitchen and I enjoy looking through the photos with my mouth watering, I rarely use them. Instead I find my recipes on the internet, either printing them off, copying them down longhand or sitting my laptop on the counter and following along that way. I love finding good recipes and recommending them to others. Today I wanted to share with you a few favorites that I’ve gone back to time and time again… maybe you can add them to your favorites, too!

Mini Ham and Swiss Party Rolls from Tasty Kitchen | I don’t like swiss cheese but baked and all melty with ham, sweet rolls and this divine sauce, and this is one of my favorite meals. It’s also a go-to recipe for when I have to take a meal to a family that just had a baby. Something out of the ordinary that reheats well – you can’t beat it!

No-Knead Dinner Rolls (courtesy of my SIL, Joan) from Martha Stewart | Super easy, super good. Just don’t forget to add the salt, which I did once and they were not very tasty. I’ve also made these by first making the topping from the Mini Ham and Swiss Party Rolls and pouring that into the bottom of the pan before putting the rolls in – heaven!

Grandma Johnson’s Scones from All Recipes | I normally dislike scones, they either too dry or too bland but these scones are moist (ick, I also hate that word) and perfectly sweet, as long as you substitute chocolate chips for the raisins (I way dislike raisins in baked goods). This is key to making this recipe. I’ve also made them with dried cranberries and white chocolate. They are easy and delicious and once bake, easily frozen so you can pull one out on your way to work.

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Tasty Kitchen | This is close to my favorite cake; the flavor, the moisture content and the frosting make it near perfection (for me). But don’t take my word for it, our former daycare providers requested I make this multiple times (which I was happy to do because they kept my kids alive for years and potty-trained Liam; if anyone would like to potty-train Jack, I’ll make you at least a dozen of these cakes. I am serious.).

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter from Smitten Kitchen | I could eat this sauce on a daily basis and never tire of it. It is that good and beyond easy. The two hardest things are opening the cans and scooping out the onions before serving. I don’t know why this is so good (oh wait, perhaps the 5 tablespoons of butter are the reason) but it just is. I usually make it with diced tomatoes, but have also made it with tomato sauce (just slightly too sweet) and whole tomatoes (slightly more work because you have the break up the tomatoes a bit).

Cheesecake Bars from Bakerella | I think anyone I know can attest to the goodness of these bars. I’ve made them for my family, friends, co-workers, MOPS group and families I’ve taken meals to. They are that good and worth the effort. Just do yourself a favor and plan ahead, you can’t make them all in one evening as you want the cheesecake to cool before you top it with the ganache. And I ALWAYS add more chocolate chips to the ganache (probably because I sometimes try to lighten it up by using half and half instead of heavy whipping cream – snort).

French Onion Soup from The Pioneer Woman | French Onion Soup is not something I ever ordered in a restaurant but I tried it one time at a fundraiser and enjoyed it and then I saw the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and decided to try it for myself and the results were outstanding! This is the perfect cold-weather meal and it makes your house smell heavenly (if heaven were made of sauted onions).

Auntie’s Avocado Dip from my friend Jonna | It’s like guacamole but with an Italian flair. Trust me, you will like it, for real. And it’s a hit at potlucks and parties (make a double batch).

And so I can share the love, here’s my most favorite recipe that I adapted from one I found online at splatgirl creates.
Pulled Pork Tacos
1 pork loin or tenderloin cubed in 1.5 inch pieces
1 medium white or yellow onion
1 TBSP cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp hot sauce (or more if you like spicier things)
2 TBSP soy sauce
2-3 bottles of beer (wheat or dark beer is best, but you can use any)
Flour tortillas
Cilantro
Shredded cheese
Limes
Brown pork over medium-high heat in large dutch oven. Once all sides are browned, add onion and continue sauteing until onions start to look translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add spices and liquids (cumin through beer) using enough beer to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and cover to cook for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so-if beer seems to be getting low, add more.
About 45 minutes before you want to eat, shred pork-you should be able to do this with a spatula because the pork SHOULD BE falling apart by now. Leave cover off and simmer until it is time to eat-the sauce will cook down.
Serve on warm tortillas topped with cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Also good with black beans. Enjoy!

This post is linked up with Jill at Diaper Diaries.