Lemon Raspberry Bars

I won 1st place at a baking contest with these bars, they are fresh and tart.

Shortcake Crust:
1 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 stick + 6 tbsp cold butter cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix ingredients with fingers until small balls form.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.  Cool slightly.  Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees.

Lemon Custard:
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Lemons zested and juiced
3 Large Eggs

Whisk eggs and sugar until light and creamy.  Add lemon juice, zest and flour, mix completely.  Place raspberries on crust and pour custard mixture over.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar or make a powdered sugar glaze.  Cool 15 minutes cut into squares.

Carnitas

1 Pork Butt or Shoulder (it doesn't really matter which)
1 - 1 1/2 Cup Water
Garlic Salt to taste
Peppercorns to taste

Place pork in slow cooker, pour in water, add garlic salt and peppercorns - I just eyeball it.  Cook on low 8 - 10 hours or on high 4 -6 hours.  Shred the pork.  Serve on warm corn tortillas with radishes, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh lime, guacamole or avocado slices, sour cream and cheese.

Prep Time - 5 minutes
Cook Time - 8 - 10 hours

Cabage Salad

This is a very colorful, super tasty cabbage salad

Salad:
1/4 head red cabbage
4 small oranges - supremes (or mandarine oranges would work too)
3-4 green onions
1 package beef ramen noodle - uncooked

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup beef broth (I just mixed the seasoning package from the ramen noodles with 1/4 cup water)
1/4 vinegar
2 tbs oil - olive oil or vegetable oil will work
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cabbage into then strips or whatever size you'd like, add oranges and sliced green onions. Crumple up uncooked noodles and add to salad. Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately.

Prep Time - 15 minutes
Total Time - 15 minutes

Pinto Beans and Rice

Pinto Beans and rice is always a cool weather favorite and inexpensive go-to.

2 Cups (or how much you need/want) dried pinto beans
soak in water overnight

Rinse and drain beans and pour into crock pot
Cover beans with water
add onion to taste
3-4 celery stalks
salt and pepper to taste
Cook beans on low 6-8 hours
Serve over rice

Jalepeno Cornbread is a nice side to this dish.

This will serve about 5 people with some left over for freezing. You can adjust the amount of beans to suit your specific needs.

Beer Can Chicken

This is a super easy recipe for grilled chicken
1 whole chicken
1/2 can of beer
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat grill to at least 300 degrees (I had mine heat up on high until it was about 500 degrees, then I turned the flame down on all burners to low and turned one burner off - I have a 4 burner grill)

Rub salt, pepper and garlic on the skin of the chicken, set the can of beer upright in a baking tin (I used an aluminum disposable tin) and set the chicken down on the can of beer. The chicken should be standing up. Place the chicken, in the pan, on the side of the grill where the burner is off. Grill at 300 for 2 hours, increase heat to 325-350 and grill for another 30 minutes.

To serve, take the can out of the chicken's bottom and carve.

Prep time - 5 minutes
Cook time - 2 1/2 hours
Total Time - 2 hours 35 minutes

This makes a very moist, delicious grilled chicken, and leaves your kitchen nice and cool.

Easy Steak Fajitas

4-6 Tortillas
1 Medium Sized Steak
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Packet Fajita Seasoning
2 Green Onions
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese

Slice steak, bell peppers and onions and saute in a skillet until steak is cooked and vegetables are tender. Prepare seasoning packet to listed directions and pour into skillet with meat and vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve with Tortillas, sour cream and cheese to taste.

Prep time - 15 minutes
Cook time - 10 minutes
Total time - 25 minutes

This meal cooks up super fast, is so easy and is very delicious!!! Not to mention, all of the food groups are in this meal.