There’s nothing better than weekend family dinners and this easy recipe will satisfy a hungry bunch. Paired with a big salad or fresh fruit, this makes a delicious meal that they will surely enjoy!
AMBO’S EASY CARNITAS
3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder/butt cut into five pieces. (Trim or leave the fat, as desired.)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
4-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1/2 cup of orange juice
Water, for braising
Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.
- Mix together the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and rub all over the meat.
- Place the meat in a large, heavy oven proof pot with the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, garlic, onion and orange juice. Try to use a pot large enough so that the meat is in a single layer. Add enough water to almost, but not entirely, cover the meat.
- Put the pot in the oven, uncovered, and braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir the meat just a few times while it cooks. You’ll know the pork is done when it’s really tender, slightly browned, and most of the liquid is gone. Remove the pork from the oven. Put the meat on a cutting board and cut or shred it with your fingers. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the pot. Add the shredded meat back to the pot and return it to the oven.
- Roast the meat, mixing occasionally, until it is as dark and crispy as you like it. (This process will go even faster if the meat is spread out on a roasting pan or baking sheet with any remaining liquid that was left in the pot. If time is tight, you can also put the meat under a broiler.)
- Serve warm with corn or flour tortillas, salsa, chopped onion, sour cream and a lime wedge.
*If you’re making carnitas ahead of time, cook the meat for 3 hours until tender. The final crisping up in the oven can be done right before serving the meat.
*A slow cooker can also be used to cook the meat until tender (add only about 1/2 cup of water). The meat can then be transferred to the oven to brown.
”For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:9)
By: Amber Overhulser
Asparagus season is here! And this delicious recipe will not only delight your taste buds, its presentation will also wow your family and dinner guests. In just a few simple steps, your lovely bunch of green goodness will be transformed into a tasty and beautiful side dish worthy of any occasion.
Sweet and spicy bacon-wrapped asparagus
2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
12 slices bacon, slightly cooked in fry pan or oven
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
10 turns of the pepper grinder
1-2 teaspoons chili powder, as desired
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim asparagus by bending the bottom half of the spear until it snaps at its natural break. Line up the remaining spears and with a knife, cut them all the same length. Coat a 9×11 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. If you use a metal pan, line it with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Divide asparagus spears into 12 equal bundles. Starting about a half-inch from the bottom of each bundle, wrap with a piece of slightly cooked bacon and secure with a toothpick. Lay the bundles side by side in the baking dish.
To make your sweet and spicy sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, garlic salt, chili powder, and Cajun seasoning, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the bundles, making sure to cover them as best you can.
Place your bundles in a preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the asparagus just starts to wilt, basting with the sweet and spicy sauce several times. Serve with your favorite protein or pasta.
Bon appetit!
This is excellent to do with fresh green beans too!
“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12)
By Amber Overhulser
“Encountering Jesus: Perspectives on Christmas” is a December series featuring devotions that reflect upon those who came face to face with Emmanuel – Mary, Innkeepers, Shepherds, Angels among others. All month you’ll find devotions and ideas to celebrate the season. May you be richly blessed!
The anticipation of gift-giving at Christmastime has been an exciting tradition for centuries, so once a year it happens: the gift-wrapping extravaganza! Scissors and tape, holiday wrap, fine metallic tissue, and bright shiny bows sit ready in an assembly line to “show-off” the biggest event of the year. I do enjoy this annual undertaking, and that it is–I’ll be honest, it’s a lot of work. Nevertheless, it is a very special time to prepare for The Celebration of our precious Savior’s birth!
This year I wanted to make every gift extra special with a reminder of the real reason for the season, so I made these sweet gift tags to adorn every package. I printed the CHRISTmas gift tags on white card stock, punched a whole at the top, and tied festive ribbon to them. I will attach them to home baked goodies too!
Can you imagine that first blessed Christmas? So much joy and hope in the coming of our Savior. “Encountering Jesus: Perspectives on Christmas” is a December series featuring devotions that reflect upon those who came face to face with Emmanuel - Mary, Innkeepers, Shepherds, Angels among others. All month you’ll find devotions and ideas to celebrate the season. May you be richly blessed!
To kick off the Christmas season, we get to unwrap the beauty of God’s living Word with a special gift for you and your family to enjoy.
Centuries before Jesus was born, a chosen people waited for Messiah. The promise of a Rescuer and Deliverer stirred hope in seeking hearts that remembered a covenant promise given to Abraham:
“… all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3
As years passed, the story of a glorious coming unfolded before the nation’s eyes. Eager excitement filled the air and souls yearned deep for the Christ who would be Ransom and Redeemer. Servant and Savior. It was for love that Christ would come. The unfailing and perfect love of a Giver destined to give the ultimate gift.
Advent means “coming” and the same joy that prompted songs of praise and adoration is nestled within us, too. We wait with wide-eyed wonder knowing that Christ – born in a manger in Bethlehem (“House of Bread”) and wrapped in swaddling clothes – will come again. Yes, the Christ who clothes us with righteousness and is the Bread of Life will call us into His Kingdom for eternity!
This Advent Scripture Calendar offers daily scriptures unfolding the story of Jesus’ birth up to Christmas. Passages are listed so the entire family can delve deep into the greatest story ever told. Download, print then follow the instructions on how to make your own.
