Pin a Day: No-Bake Butterscotch Pretzel Bars

I love to bake, but it's summer and baking can equal hot kitchen.  I was super excited to find this great recipe for No-Bake Butterscotch Pretzel Bars.  This recipe combined sweet and salty with three of my favorite ingredients- peanut butter, butterscotch, and pretzels.  It was simple to make and a delicious treat.  Basically there were three layers or steps.  First, mixed together melted butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.  Then, add in the crushed pretzels.  (I put mine in a ziploc bag and then roll with my rolling pin.) I spread this mixture in my foil lined pan.  (Don't skip the foil step, it makes clean up so much easier.) The next step was to heat the butterscotch chips and cream on the stovetop until it melted.  The key to this step is constant stirring over low heat to avoid burning the butterscotch chips.  (I learned this during my teaching days.  Burnt butterscotch chips are so gross.)  Once it was melted, I spread it on the pretzel mix, which was a little messy, but overall fine.  Finally, I crushed more pretzels and mixed in some peanuts and sprinkled that on top.  Then, I refrigerated it for a few hours to allow it to set.  Mike and I loved it.  It was the perfect mix of sweet and salty.  The only downside was that it was a little bit crumbly, but Cecil didn't mind that too much.  My favorite part of baking or no baking in this case, is sharing with others.  This time I took some to my friend, Suzanne, and some went to Mike's work.  This recipe is a perfect fast summer treat and is wonderful if you can't decide if you want sweet or salty.

Pin a Day: Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

Last week, I didn't cook as much as I should, but it's hot here and I don't love cooking as much when it's hot.  One of the few things I made last week was these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells.  I'm going to honestly say that these were a pain to make, but they certainly were delicious.  First, as I was getting ready to boil the shells, I noticed that many of them were broken.  It's hard to make a stuff pasta when you don't have anything to stuff.  So, I pulled out the best shells and cooked only those.  Cooking the chicken was easy, but I might try cooking the breasts whole in the future and then shredding them so the chicken is more uniform in size.  Mixing the cheesy, buffalo mixture was not a problem either.  Finally, I got to the tough step, stuffing the shells.  I didn't really have enough shells for all the mixture so I was stuffing them pretty full.  They were also hot to the touch so I had to go quickly and at the end some of them were starting to close up.  I was highly frustrated by the time I finished and put them in the oven.  I told Mike I hoped they weren't very good because I wasn't making them again.  Of course, they were delicious.  All the great buffalo chicken flavor packed into a shell.  Mike started brainstorming ways to make it again, but easier, including  different types of pasta.  In the end, I agreed to try it again with modifications.  However, I must warn, only cook this when you are wearing your best patient pants.

Pin a Day: Peppered Flank Steak and Salsa

I've really come to love steak since moving to a land of beef.  My only problem is learning to make great steak at home.  Formerly, I wouldn't touch raw meat, especially beef, but I've gotten over that fear.  Now, I need to learn to cook steak that tastes great.  I think a big part of this is choosing the right cut of meat.  This recipe, Peppered Flank Steak and Salsa had me using a cut unfamiliar to me.  Prepping the steak was easy, combining spices and rubbing them on the meat.  The real challenge came in cooking it.  I heated up my grill pan and panini press for a few minutes, added a little bit of olive oil and cooked the steak for about 7 minutes on each side.  Meanwhile, I cooked some egg noodles (which are a new favorite of Cecil) and made the salsa from the recipe.  The overall effort was great.  The salsa tasted great on the steak and noodles.  I really liked the salsa, it was mild and was great later with tacos.  I enjoyed the flank steak, it had great flavor without a ton of fat.  This is definitely a recipe I will be making again.

Pin a Day: Sun Dried Tomato Basil Chicken

About two weeks ago, I was still blogging about Vegas and trying out new recipes.  During this time period, one of the new recipes I tried was Sun Dried Tomato Basil Chicken.  The recipe was easy enough to follow and didn't take too terribly long to cook, however, it was not our favorite.  The chicken turned out good, but it was disappointed by the sauce.  It wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped.  If I were to make this one again, I'd definitely make adjustments to the sauce.  Although, there are so many great recipes out there, that I provably will not try this again.

That's Some Bull Shirt

Two weekends ago, we wanted to go to the Arboretum area to get some spices from Savory Spice Shop.  We knew we'd have tons of food options on our way.  This time, Mike introduced me to Bullritos.  Bullritos takes ideas from two of my favorite places and puts them together.  To me, it's a combination of Freebirds and Which Wich.  Much like Which Wich, you grab a bag and mark all your burrito, bowl, or nacho options.  Like Freebirds, they have tons of fresh options to make the perfect burrito.  I picked a bowl with chicken, rice, black beans, and lots of veggies.  Mike opted for the burrito, which was huge!  It was pretty good, but I think I'll probably be sticking with Freebirds.  

Austin Game Night

A few weeks ago, we hosted a game night to celebrate the move of our friends and just to hang out.  I always love hosting- it gives me a chance to try new recipes and it gives Mike a chance to get new games.  This time I made my favorite beer dip, caramel gingersnaps, skinny taco dip, and strawberry oolong tea.

Caramel Gingersnaps

My first new recipe was Caramel Gingersnaps.  I've been waiting to make these for a while, but the recipe was a little time consuming and I only bake when I know I have plenty of people to share with.  Mixing the dough was easy, but then it needed to chill for 3 hours, which is sometimes the tricky part for me.  After chilling for 3 hours, I rolled them in sugar, flattened them, and baked them.  I really like them.  They were a little out of place though, they tasted like fall in a cookie with the ginger, caramel, and cloves.  It made plenty so I was able to share some with my friends at the mall, too.

Skinny Taco Dip

The next recipe I tried was the Skinny Taco Dip.  This was a very easy recipe to make.  First, I mixed together some sour cream, cream cheese, and taco seasoning.  Next, I layered tomatoes and lettuce.  Finally, I topped it with cheese.  Each ingredient I used was reduced fat or sodium.  I really liked this dip and it paired nicely with tortilla chips.

Making Tea

Finally, I made some tea to share with our guests.  I got the Strawberry Oolong tea from White Cloud World Teas, my friend Lauri's company.  I recently got a new tea pitcher with infuser from Costco that I love.  I boiler my water, filled the pitcher halfway, infused the tea, added ice, and then the tea was ready.  It has a sweet strawberry taste and I didn't even have to add any sweetners.

Sweet Strawberry Oolong Tea

Good food, good friends, and fun games made for a great evening.  We will miss our friends as they move on and hope to continue on with the game night tradition.

Pinspired: Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza

Wow!  My Vegas vacation was so fabulous that blogging about it has taken up a lot of my time lately.  However, I still have been cooking some and even visited at least one new restaurant.  I just finished blogging about Vegas so I can use the next few days to catch up on all the recipes I've tried and places I've visited.  We've had a mild summer so far in Austin- it really didn't start getting super hot until August.  Now we are hitting the point in summer where I usually don't enjoy cooking as much, but I'm really trying to cook as much as I can.  After we got back, one of the first recipes I made was Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza, sort of.  I did make some changes, as I often do.  First, I used a remade crust from Target that I had on hand.  I think they taste just as good and are much more time efficient.  Second, I skipped the garlic roasting.  I was wanting to eat quickly, so this just made things faster.  I used a packet of pesto to make the sauce while I cooked the chicken.  We also added some chopped up red onions to the pizza.  I assembled it, baked it, and served with salad.  This recipe was quick with my modifications and easy, but nothing overly special.  It's definitely something we could have created on our own, but it's always nice to be reminded of ideas via Pinterest.

Generic Shot of My Beautiful Cast Iron

Homeward Bound

Our last day in Vegas was a short one as we were all leaving 12-1230.  We woke up, packed up our stuff, and we to the casino to spend any chips or credits that we had left.  None of us made any money, but we didn't lose big either.  Mike and I tried some pastries at the French bakery in the casino area that were really good.  It was probably a good thing we didn't try them until the last day.  Jason and Ashley had a car getting them to the airport as part of their vacation package, which they kindly shared with us.  Our driver was a Chatty Cathy, who gave us some insight into Vegas.  We got through security fairly quickly, enjoyed some lunch and conversation, and then were on our way home.  We had a wonderful time in Vegas and I know we will go back because there is so much more for us to explore.  We'd also like to give a huge thank you to our dear friends, Ashley and Jason, for inviting us on such a great adventure!

Paris Casino/Hotel

Paris Casino

Paris Casino

Paris Casino/Hotel

Paris Casino

Paris Casino/Hotel

Paris Lobby

Paris Casino/Hotel

What Happens in Vegas (Part 3)

Sunday night we decided to indulge in one last Foodie experience before we had to go home.  We headed to Hash House a Go Go at the Quad.  We'd seen it on Food Network and had recommendations from friends so we had to go try it.  I must admit, I was not hungry after all the liquid I had consumed, but figured it was a good idea to eat.  Everything on the menu was home style cooking and most of it was not healthy, but it was our last chance to go big and we did.  Ashley ordered the chicken pot pie which came with a huge flour shell.  Jason and Lisa each ordered the famous chicken and waffles, which were stacked high.  Mike got the Reuben with bacon and cheese mashed potatoes.  Dustin ordered the crispy fried salmon and I got the chicken and biscuits.  Everyone said their food was delicious, but none of us cam close to finishing our meals.  We might have stayed longer and eaten more had it not been for a table of screaming kids that came in around 9:30 pm.

Hash House a Go Go at the Quad

Dustin, Lisa, me

Ashley, Jason, Mike

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken and Biscuits

Chicken and Waffles

Crispy Fried Salmon

Reuben with bacon and Cheese Mashed Potatoes 

After dinner, we headed to the Mirage, where Dustin and Lisa were staying, to do a little more gambling.  We tried out several machines before finding that the Family Guy machine was the way to go.  Not only was it amusing, but Jason made some decent money on it and I won a little bit, which I promptly gambled away.  Mike was also excited to find some giant slots perfect for those with visual impairments.  As we were leaving the Mirage, we had one final Las Venture, with walking back to our hotel in pouring rain.  

Slots at Mirage

Easy to read slots

What Happens in Vegas (Part 2)

To get to China Poblano, we had to first go to The Cosmopolitan, the newest hotel on the strip.  It was truly beautiful, modern, and sparkly.  It was definitely a glitzy and glamourous hotel.  I'd be happy to explore more or stay there in the future.  Our next stop was the Miracle Mile shopping area.  It was a huge area of shopping and I bought my only souvenirs here.  First, I stopped at Alex + Ani for a bracelet.  Ashley had recently gotten a cute one I'd been admiring so I wanted to get one of my own.  All the bracelets with charms have a meaning.  I selected a cupcake charm bracelet, with the proceeds going to MS.  Our other purchase was Garret's Popcorn, where Ashley and I each bought some Chicago mix popcorn. We were there for just a short while when we got a phone call letting us know it was time to meet up with more friends.  Coincidentally, Mike's fraternity brother, Dustin and his wife, Lisa, were in town for vacation as well.  We were so excited to see them because we haven't seen them since their wedding.

The Cosmopolitan

Crystal Covered Car at The Cosmopolitan 

Crystals hanging from the ceiling at The Cosmopolitan

In addition to having candy and other sweet treats, the Sugar Factory at the Paris also served some pretty fancy cocktails.  We met up with Dustin and Lisa here to start our afternoon/evening of fun.  We all opted to get one of the giant drinks in a goblet.  They brought the drinks out to the table in cocktail shakers and poured them over ice.  There was obviously some dry ice in the glass because they fizzed and smoked as the drinks were poured.  In addition to looking beautiful, the drinks tasted delicious.  We had so much fun catching up with friends and enjoying time together.  After the Sugar Factory, we did a little gambling at the casino in Paris, where Ashley and I got giant Eiffel Tower daiquiris.  They were pretty good too, but we quickly realized we couldn't handle the whole thing.

Lisa and Dustin

Ashley's drink

Ashley and Jason

My drink

Mike and me

Me and Ashley with our Eiffel Tower daiquiris 

What Happens in Vegas (Part 1)

One of the most amazing parts of our Vegas vacation was not documented in pictures.  Sunday morning, Ashley and I went for massages at the spa in our hotel.  She found a great deal on Groupon and set it up for us ahead of time.  We both had been looking forward to it and really deserved to be pampered.  It was a very peaceful and tranquil experience.  We hit the steam room and lounge prior to our massages and soaked it the hot tub after to take advantage of the amenities.  The massage was wonderful- it really helped me relax and my feet felt so much better afterwards.  After the spa experience, we went back to our rooms to get ready to meet the boys for lunch.

China Poblano at The Cosmpolitan

For lunch, we headed to China Poblano at The Cosmopolitan.  This place was cool for multiple reasons.  First, it's a combination of two of my favorite types of food- Chinese and Mexican.  Second, everything was served as small plates, so we could try lots of things and we did!  For cocktails, Ashley and I tried the Blood Orange Margaritas, which were amazing.  From the Chinese part of the menu, we ordered When Pigs Fly (pork buns), potstickers, fried spring rolls, Sui Mai, and another dish.  From the Mexican part, we ordered a taco, queso, and empanadas. I loved the spring rolls, empanadas and pork buns.  The pork buns were something new for me and I'm glad I got to try them.  Everything was delicious and we left feeling very full.

Masks on wall at China Poblano

Head with changing pictures at China Poblano

Blood Orange Margarita

Gin and tonic

When Pigs Fly

Carnitas Taco

Empanadas

Spring Rolls

Sui Mai

Queso

Potstickers

Vegas Vacation (Part 4)

Saturday was a day of walking and the evening was no different.  For dinner, we decided to walk to almost the other end of the strip.  It was amazing to see how crowded Vegas could be and full of a variety of types and ages of people at all hours.  We were pretty tired and not super hungry, but knew we needed to eat something before we went to bed.  We selected Public House at the Venetian, which is known for its drinks and beer options.  To that end, we had no problem selecting drinks, but it took us a bit to pick our dinners.  In the end, each couple ended up ordering one dish to share.  Mike and I went with the pub burger and seasoned fries.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to fries, but these were delicious.  The burger was good too and I was so glad I was splitting it with Mike.  Ashley and Jason split some chicken wings that looked pretty good too.  

Public House at the Venetian

Wings

Burger and fries

Mike and Jason

Ashley and me

After dinner, my sweet tooth was acting up, so we searched for a place for a sweet treat.  First, we tried to find Carlos Bakery (owned by Buddy from Cake Boss and Next Great Baker), which was located in the Venetian.  It was hard to find and when we finally found it, the line was super long.  I was the only one who wanted something and the group was really tired so I opted to skip Carlos and find something on the way back.  I stopped by Sugar Factory,in our hotel, which was a candy shop with ice cream and baked goods.  There were so many options and I just wanted something small so I selected a red velvet cookie.  I was a little disappointed because while the flavor was great, it was much crunchier than I usually prefer.  After the Sugar Factory, we all went to bed because we were so tired. We walked 13 miles in total so we deserved some rest to prepare for our last full day of fun.

Sugar Factory at Paris

Red Velvet Cookie

Vegas Vacation (Part 3)

Saturday was a warm day.  It was not as hot as Friday had been, but it was still hot and we needed a way to cool off.  I had been watching all the Vegas shows on the Food Network and the Travel Channel and knew of a place we should try.  We went to Minus5 Ice Bar at Mandalay Bay.  Minus5 is a bar that is entirely made of ice and even the drinks are served in glasses made of ice.  We paid an entrance fee which includes 2 drink tickets, a coat, gloves, and boots.  If you upgrade, you can get a fur coat and hat.  Unfortunately the cold temperatures can be damaging to electronics so we had to lock up our phones and only bought one picture from inside, but it was pretty cool.  The drinks all had clever wintry names and despite wearing summer clothes under our parkas, it didn't feel that bad.  There were a few people who opted for no coats.  It got a little colder when we sat on blocks of ice around the ice table, but it was still fun.  Plus, the ice was no match for my hot blooded husband who melted through his ice glass by the end of our time.

Minus5 Ice Bar at Mandalay Bay

Jason, Ashley, me and Mike chilling at Minus5.

The number of unique hotels/resorts in Vegas is amazing.  Our next stop took us to New York, New York.  It was definitely cool with replicas of various New York landmarks that I've seen on TV and in movies.  Much like I imagine the actual New York, it was absolutely packed.  This would not be a place I'd want to stay.  There were many restaurants and bars I'd love to try, but it was insane.  We stopped by the Hershey's Store and got to see a lot of cool things you wouldn't seen in a regular store such as Macadamia Kisses and giant Hershey's bars.  I opted not to buy anything because I didn't want to end up with melted chocolate.  There was a cool arcade that looked like a kid's version of a casino and a giant roller coaster.  The rest of the gang rode it, but I abstained because I had a bit of a headache and wanted to enjoy the rest of my day.

New York, New York

Statue of Liberty at NY, NY

Roller Coaster and Statue of Liberty at NY, NY

Hershey's Store at NY, NY

Vegas Vacation (Part 2)

Once the boys had their drinks, Ashley and I went to Serendipity 3 outside Caesar's Palace for the drinks we'd been craving.  I had long known of the wonders of the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, but had never been in a city where I could get it.  Ashley mentioned this place and I knew it was finally my chance.  There were several options for frozen hot chocolate including mint, peanut butter and cookies and cream.  We went with the traditional and the double.  (I was really hoping the double would taste like dark chocolate.) The hot chocolate was delicious!  It was cold and rich with whipped cream that tasted just like marshmallows. I love hot chocolate, but frozen hot chocolate was a delightful treat. Fortunately, I know a place where I can order the mix if I'm ever in need.

Serendipity 3 at Caesar's Palace

Double Iced Hot Chocolate

Ashley and me with our heavenly treats!

During our trip, we ate lots of great things, but other than a few meals, we stuck to small plates and appetizers.  This was a great way to try so many things without getting too stuffed at any one place.  I was a little concerned we might gain weight while on vacation, but this model of eating combined with walking everywhere seemed to combat my fears. Our next stop was Todd English Pub at the Shops at Crystals.  We decided to stop here for afternoon appetizers and drinks. First decision was drinks.  The boys stuck to beer at this stop and tried several different beers.  Ashley and I decided to split a pitcher of Sangria Blanco and it was so refreshing on a hot day.  The group opted to share the Junk Chips and potstickers.  The food was amazing.  The potstickers had a slightly crispy outside to them and a tasty dipping sauce.  The Junk Chips were a totally new experience.  They were homemade potato chips smothered with meat, cheese, sour cream, and green onions.  The meat was a BBQ meat that was similar to sloppy joes.  This description may sound odd, but they were so tasty.  The portion was huge and the four of us couldn't finish it, despite our best attempts.

Todd English Pub at The Shops at Crystals

me with Sangria Blanco

Jason, Mike and me

Junk chips

Potstickers

Vegas Vacation (Part 1)

Saturday morning, we woke up at a reasonable hour to get our day started.  We met Ashley and Jason for breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi, a French bistro at our hotel.  We sat outside and got to people watch as we planned out our day.  All of us are foodies, so we ate light, knowing we'd be eating off and on all day long.  Everything tasted great, but the best were Mike's Lemon Skinny Pancake and Jason's Orange Chocolate Chip Muffin.  The lemon pancake was almost crepe like with lemon filling.  The muffin was a delicious chocolate chip muffin with a fantastic orange glaze.  Each of us were happy with our choice, without feeling stuffed.

Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Hotel

Menu at Mon Ami Gabi

Lemon Skinny Pancake

Bagel with Cream Cheese

Orange Chcocolate Chip Muffin

Blueberry Yogurt Parfait

Our next stop was the Shoppes at Caesar's Palace.  It was huge and a unique combination of high end stores, one of a kind places, and basic mall shops.  However, unlike most malls, this one was gorgeous with beautifully painted ceilings and statues everywhere.  We spent time wandering in various shops and picking out what we'd buy if we made big bucks gambling.  One of the coolest statues was one near the center that came to life and put on a show complete with movement, water, and fire.  As we headed to our next location, the boys stopped at the Ciao Ciao Cafe Bar to get some cucumber vodka drinks that were very refreshing.  

Jason and Ashley by a statue in the Shoppes at Caesar's Palace.

Mike and me by the same statue.

Aquarium at Shoppes at Caesar's

Statue Show at Caesar's

Statue Show at Caesar's

Ciao Ciao Cafe Bar at Caesar's

Jason and Mike with their cucumber vodka drinks.

Vegas Baby (Part 3)

After dinner, we were stuffed and tired, but we still wanted to see and do more.  We headed outside and realized we could see the fountains at the Bellagio.  We walked across the street to watch the show.  It was really amazing to see the fountains dance to the music.  We were able to see two shows- one set to classical music and the second set to "Singing in the Rain."  I was glad that we were able to see such a beautiful sight and lucky that it was so close to our hotel.  After watching and sweating, we opted to go back to the hotel and go to bed so we could have a productive Saturday.

Bellagio at night

Fountains at the Bellagio

Fountains at the Bellagio

Paris at night

Vegas Baby! (Part 2)

The next part of our adventure had us dining at Gordon Ramsey Steak House to celebrate Jason's birthday.  This was the night we'd been looking forward to and we all got dressed up for the occasion.  We had 9 pm reservations for dinner and we were ready to eat!  We all started off with cocktails while they got our table ready and in the bar area, the menu was on an IPad, which seemed like a great idea.  As our table became ready, we walked through the restaurant and got to enjoy the cool decor and ambiance.  

Gordon Ramsey Steak House at Paris

Ceiling of Gordon Ramsey Steak House

Cocktail

We were seated near the prep area so we got to see all the delicious foods being prepared.  Our waiter was amazing and did a great job describing the menu, the cuts of meat, and the best way to prepare them.  He also brought over the "wheel o meat" and so we got a visual of what we'd be eating.  The girls ordered filets and baked potatoes and the guys ordered ribeyes and Mac and cheese.  Before the steaks came out, we were given a delicious plate of bread.  The food came out and it was amazing!  We definitely felt that it was the best steak we'd ever had.  It was tender and flavorful.  The baked potato had huge, thick pieces of bacon.  The macaroni and cheese was delicious too.  Our biggest regret was that we weren't able to finish it all.  

Bread Tray

Herbed Butter and Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Filet

24 ounce Bone in Ribeye

Baked Potato

We were offered dessert, which sounded wonderful, but none of us had any room left.  We were all ready to get up and walk off a little bit of our dinner.  As we walked out of the restaurant, we saw a penguin slot that Mike had to try.  Unfortunately, he was not a big winner there.

Mike, me, Ashley and Jason 

Mike trying out the penguin slots.

Vegas Baby! (Part 1)

Recently, we had the chance to go to Las Vegas with our fabulous friends, Ashley and Jason.  We'd never been and we excited to go on vacation with friends.  We were lucky to find a mid day nonstop flight so with the time change we got to Vegas about 1.5 hours after we left.  It was interesting to see slot machines in the airport, but we realized it could definitely provide some entertainment while waiting for a flight.  Our cab driver gave us lots of tips about Vegas and we were so excited to run into Ashley and Jason at Paris, our hotel, right as we pulled up!  We checked in, went to our room, dropped off our bags and were ready to start our adventure.

Paris Hotel

The Pub at Monte Carlo

Fortunately for us, Jason had been to Vegas before so we had an excellent tour guide to show us the many sights, hotels, casinos, bars, and restaurants.  Our first stop was happy hour at The Pub in Monte Carlo.  We had eaten an early lunch and we planning a late dinner so we decided to have some drinks and appetizers.  I started off with a nice refreshing mojito, which was the perfect cocktail for 105+ degree weather.  We also snacked on pretzels, quesadillas, caught up, and began our celebration of Jason's birthday.

Mojito at The Pub

Beer Sampler at The Pub

Pretzels at The Pub

As we walked from place to place, we often cut through the Bellagio, which was across the street from our hotel.  I had seen it many times in the movies, but it was really beautiful.  My favorite part was the ceiling in the lobby, which I'd love to be able to duplicate in some way.  One big thing we noticed the whole time was that every detail was perfect and almost everything was clean and in working order.  We could tell this weekend would be one we'd never forget.

Ceiling of the lobby at the Bellagio

Pin a Day: BBQ Pineapple Pulled Por

It was one of those days where I forgot to take pictures.  So, this is what Cecil looks like while I'm cooking, just hoping I decide to share.  Crock pot recipes are always fun because Cecil will stick his nose up in the air and hope something ends up in his bowl.  On this particular day, I tried BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork.

I could not have asked for any easier recipe.  I seasoned the pork with Salt Lick dry rub and put it in the crock pot.  Then I added pineapple tidbits and some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce.  After cooking all day, it was time to enjoy.  We served ours on pretzel buns with pasta salad and beans.  This recipe made plenty of leftovers and was probably the best/ easiest pulled pork recipe I've tried.  This will be added to our menu again in the future.

I've Got a Barbecue Stain on my White T-shirt

On Saturday, I had to get out of the house and shopping for our trip was the major goal on our agenda.  We were finishing up shopping at the Domain when we decided we might be a little hungry.  It was early so we decided to eat and avoid the late dining Austin crowd.

We selected Jasper's Gourmet Backyard Cuisine.  I felt like we were a little under dressed, but if it meant I didn't have to go home and cook, I really didn't care.  The menu was pretty posh- upscale BBQ.  Mike chose the Lonestar Tenderloin/Brisket Bacon Burger with onion rings.

I went with the Backyard Tenderloin/Brisket Cheeseburger and upgraded to a side of Creamy Potato Salad.  Our burgers were amazing.  They were so tender and moist.  We also loved our sides.  

The creamy potato salad had baked red potatoes and an amazing creamy, cheesy sauce with crispy onions.  It was definitely enough for two.  Even though I had been sick, I still needed to try dessert.  I opted for the Butterfinger Creme Brûlée. It was delicious and mini sized so perfect for a recovering sickie.  We really enjoyed our meal and definitely plan to go back to try other items on the menu.