Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa

5-6 pounds Pork Roast
1 Tbs. Cumin
1 C. Brown Sugar
12 ounces medium Salsa Verde
20 ounces Coca Cola

Place roast in a crock pot and add water halfway up roast. Cook on low for 12 hours. Drain out the water and add the remaining ingredients, then cook for 4 more hours. Shred the pork and cook for 2 more hours.

I found that I needed to add extra salsa, coke, and sugar at the end. It was REALLY delicious!

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing

This is the best copycat dressing I've tasted--it's pretty dang close!

1 Ranch Buttermilk Dressing packet
1 C. buttermilk
1 C. mayonnaise (do not use low fat or fat free)
2 tomatillos, remove husks and dice
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 juice of lime
1 jalepeno pepper, use seeds for spicy

Use food processor to blend, refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Chive and Parsley Dip

After committing to avoid any lengthy car trips to the grocery store Scott invited our friends over for dinner. It was a little tough pulling together but everything turned out well in the end. Improvising as usual I came up with this dip... the herbs are the first things that popped up in my garden.

1 part green onion
1 part parsley
1 clove garlic
1 part cream cheese
1 part mayo
5 parts low fat plain yogurt
A touch of dijion mustard
salt to taste


Finely mince all the herbs and garlic. Mix everything except yogurt and then gently fold in yogurt (helps distribute cream cheese evenly). Chill and serve. Yummy... but maybe I am just pregnant or something.

Apple Dumplings Pioneer Woman Style

We got this recipe from Courtney and according to Dionne, it is the best dessert she ever tasted. I have made it with low fat crescent rolls and half the butter and half the sugar and it is still delicious. A real hit!

OK, Mom, but let's not forget this actually comes from my idol Pioneer Woman! She's so awesome!

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 12 oz. can Mountain Dew (can use Sprite or 7up, is just used for the liquid)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.