Pulled Pork Recipe

I DID IT!  I've been craving a good Pulled Pork Sandwich (some would call this Kalua Pig Sandwich).  It's a real simple recipe inspired by my friend Merle Gutierrez and internet research.

I started with two pounds of pork butt.  Rub Hawaiian Rock Salt and Hickory Seasoning Liquid Smoke on to the meat.  I stuff the meat into a nice medium sized crock pot - set on high - and let it do its work.  Keep the crock pot on high for about six to seven hours then place heat on low.  Oh, I placed two unpeeled bananas into the pot while cooking.  The purpose of the unpeeled bananas is to try to reduce the saltiness of the pork.  It takes approximately 12 hours for the meat to completely cook and it will sit in salt the whole time - so the unpeeled banana is necessary.

Warning - three to four hours into this slow cook process your kitchen will start to fill with the scrumptious odor of smoked meat.  If you plan on eating any meal while this scent fills your senses - well, expect your meal to fall short of satisfaction because your taste buds will be longing for the tempting flavor of smoked pork.

Once the meat is done - take a fork and gently pull - it shred easy.  Mix with Best Food Mayonnaise and some shredded cabbage and you got an awesome pull pork sandwich.

Still - I think Merle's dish is better - but maybe with practice I may become just as good as my master chef. We'll see.

Note to my friend Maria Villa - did you notice my play on the angles and rules of thirds.... didn't get the rule of third down but still..... I'm playing with the angles.



UPDATE:

Had to scale down a little with the workout.  I walked one mile a day everyday except Tuesday this past week.  But any activity is better than inactivity and I do have my mind set on continuing a running regimen - after I get clearance from my doctor.  The 1 mile a day has helped to curve my eating habit.  Fred says I've been eating less.  Didn't lose weight but I noticed my clothes are starting to fit better - toning up I guess.

Learning from Tomatoes

I've been dabbling with farming.  It's somewhat addicting.  I just love watching the seed sprout only a week from planting them into a pod.  It feels very productive.  And when the plant starts to bear fruit - it is just exciting.  I feel like they are my babies and they make me proud.

from my rooftop garden in Sinajana, Guam

I learned a lot from the numerous failed attempts.  In my attempt to learn more about plants - Home Depot has become the place to go - and I have discovered that I can learn anything from the Google.  I learned that some plants don't like a lot of direct sunlight and some do.  I learned that some like a lot of water and some don't.  I learned that the right amount of fertilizer is necessary and that it should not touch the stem of the plant.  I grow mostly tomatoes, and I've also learned that this plant need constant pruning from "suckers".

Suckers develop in the joint of a branch and the main vine.  They don't bear any fruit but they do take up a lot of energy and nutrient from the rest of the plant.  Some farmers believe that by removing the suckers - the branch will have better opportunity to bear a lot of big, healthy, sweet fruit.

From Buena Vista Entertainment

Strangely enough, this lesson on farming reminded me of one of my favorite movies - Dead Poet Society.  It's about a group of young men in an all-boys prep school.  Their lives were scripted to follow in the footsteps of their father - lawyers, doctors, and accountants.  But then came Mr. Keaton, a literature teacher played by Robin Williams.  He challenged them to "seize the day" (Carpe Diem) and to make their lives extraordinary.   He tells them to suck the marrow out of life - to live every moment and make it special.  However, one of the heroes (Neil Perry played by Robert Sean Leonard) in the story struggled with this and could not find the courage to tell his father that he wanted to live his life as a writer.  He eventually kills himself.  With this tragic ending, the young men learned to see life in with a new perspective and in doing so, found the courage to become extraordinary.

What does this have to do with the tomatoes I started this blog with?  Well, like the tomato plants, we need to prune the suckers that take up all our energy.  Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit (the suckers), while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."  These suckers can be anything that detracts us from really plugging ourselves into the Vine (Jesus Christ) - anything that prevents us from putting God first.  This can be relationships, material things, bad habits, addictions, gossip, unforgiveness.  These suckers will prevent us from experiencing the abundant life that is promised to us when we hang on to Jesus.  Jesus also said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  Neil Perry had nothing to hang on to when his father took his dreams away.  He felt stuck and life sucked the marrow out of him.  But we have Jesus to hang on to - He is the true source of everything we need to be successful (or fruitful).  All we have to do is plug ourselves into the True Vine - make sure nothing gets in our way - especially those Suckers.





UPDATE:
Helen's running status:  50 minutes - walking/running 3.5 miles.  Have been able to run 6 minutes straight before going back to walking.
Have lost 3 pounds since starting my workout two weeks ago.

Anyone Can Be A Runner

Last week at a women's breakfast, my good friend Debbie Pineda inspired all those in attendance to "stay the course."  She encouraged each one to do as the apostle Paul instructed in Philippians 3 - to forget what is behind us and strain toward what is ahead."  She compared her training for the grueling 1/2 marathon she ran the week prior to the Christian Race - our prize being heaven.  She shared the difficulties she felt towards the end of the race - how those she started out with were no longer with her but were waiting for her at the finish line.  She struggled but when she turned a corner, she was encouraged and found the strength to continue.  At the finish line, her friends awaited and cheered her on.  It didn't matter who finished first or when they finished - they were all encouragements and praises for one another because they finished.  Just like the spiritual race - we encourage one another.

So just like everyone present, I was inspired and felt my spirit strengthened to continue the good fight in our Christian journey.  But I was also inspired to do something else.  You see, Debbie was my running partner several years ago.  We trained together to run our first 5K run (the PacStar in 1995).  Well, the running pair split up that summer.  Debbie got married and I ran a different race (actually it was a chase - I chased after the man everyone now calls my husband).  So Debbie's perseverance in the physical race made me feel that I could do it again.  I will start in square one - but I will start.

Runner's Magazine says anyone can run.  Suggested plan of attack - start with 30 minute walks.  Then change one minute of the thirty to a job.  Then proceed to changing two, then three, then four and so forth.  Keep going until you can run the entire 30 minutes.

Statistics:  Helen Nishihira, age 41 (42 in two weeks) and 186lbs (thats 76lbs over weight)  And yes, I will run a race.  First race:  Kick the Fat 5K sponsored by Payless Enterprise.  I will finish.  And then I will move on to the next race.  I've been going to the gym the past two weeks - 40 minutes on the treadmill.

My goal:  to be able to run 40 minutes straight (no need to worry about speed or how far I go) and to lose my extra pounds.  Yes I have a long ways to go but I'm gonna move TWO STEPS FORWARD - no turning back.