Orange Julius

This is a DEFINITE family favorite for breakfast! We have also taken the leftovers (when there actually are some) and put them in little cups with popsicle sticks to have orange julius popsicles. :)

ORANGE JULIUS

1 C water

1 C milk

1/3 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 carton of orange juice concentrate

12-18 ice cubes

In a blender, put all ingredients. Mix well for a few minutes until all the ice is crushed and the drink is thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

Bajio Sweet Rice

Original recipe found here

BAJIO SWEET RICE

*1/2-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
*1/2 of a white onion, chopped (add more or less to your taste)
*1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
*1 1/3 cups white rice
*3 cups chicken broth
*1/4-1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

Put a little oil in bottom of pan (maybe about 1/2-1 tablespoon).

Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add the chopped cilantro (no big stems) and saute a minute more.

Add the rice, cooking until it is light brown (being careful not to burn).

Combine the chicken broth and sugar, letting sugar dissolve. Then stir into rice until combined. Bring to a boil.

Cover and let cook on low, med-low until rice is done, about 25-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

*****NOTES:

I actually wish I had added a little bit of onion powder to this to help ground the sweetness. However, it was REALLY tasty either way. I threw in some chopped red pepper, and we love that.

VERY TASTY...VERY EASY...especially if you are missing good ol' Bajio. :)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

First off, I have to give credit to where I actually found this recipe. Click here for the original.

A lot of the recipes I found online for the Cafe Rio sweet pork used more expensive cuts of meat than I was willing to buy. :) So I bought a cheap boneless pork roast to make mine with. Because of this, I was afraid to use one of the recipes that had a shorter cook time since I wanted to make sure my roast was really good and tender.

Turns out it wouldn't have mattered anyway because my meat was ready to shred at a shorter time than I thought. But my point is, that's what peaked my interest in this recipe.

(I am going to write this recipe with my own variations)



3 1/2 pounds Boneless pork roast
3 cans Coke (NOT diet) (though I have heard Dr. Pepper works too)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. (I marinated overnight for ease in cooking)

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

(I cooked mine for 4 hours on high. Basically started the crockpot first thing in the morning and left it until lunch time.)

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

---THIS WAS SOOO YUMMY! Worth the wait! Also, in regards to the coke, chilies, enchilada saic and brown sugar mixture that you blend together, I did that in the morning, so the evening prep was SO MINIMAL.

Served with Bajio Sweet rice and tortillas, and red pepper corn. YUM!