Food Stories

Food is a big deal to our family. Really, a really really big deal. Kaelyn is a picky eater, so that makes it a big deal to her; Brandt can't stop eating, so that makes it a big deal to him; I like experimenting and baking, resulting in the big deal to me; Kenny is a chef, so naturally, it is a big deal to him as well.
Word must have gotten out, because almost every day someone asks one of us something about food (Okay fine, people are just asking me to ask Kenny something about food, but I can pretend, can't I?). Sooooo...I have decided to incorporate a little weekly feature into my blog where I will share some of our recipes, tips and suggestions and Kenny can answer any questions anyone has regarding cooking, baking (I will likely answer any baking questions rather than my darling hubs), food preparation, storage, BBQ, smoking, curing, anything you can think of. He really is fantastic, and if he doesn't know the answer, I am sure to know he will find it!
So there you have it! Ask away! I hope you enjoy what is to come!

The first recipe I chose is one that I modified from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe. I loved the idea, but wasn't a huge fan of the result, so I had to fix it up a bit. I also thought it would be perfect for summer cookouts. Why am I starting off with one of my own very corny recipes rather than one of Kenny's delicious ones?? Because I have yet to tell him that he has a weekly post on my blog he has been working so hard, I told him to take the first week off and get ready for a great second week. ;o)

Strawberry BBQ Sauce


1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 C strawberries, cleaned, hulled, halved
1/4 C cider vinegar
1 12oz can peeled tomatoes
1 C ketchup
4 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tablespoon brown sugar
3 dashes hot sauce
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 C strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced

Melt butter in heated saucepan. Add onions and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent.
Add remaining ingredients except for 1 C strawberries, and simmer for 10-20 minutes, until flavors come together. Stir in remaining strawberries at the end.


Note: This recipe comes out best when started with pork drippings, so I suggest making it when you are cooking the meat and you can always make a little extra to save for another time or freeze for a longer period of time. Of course the sauce can be made minus the drippings, I just think it tastes better. To do this, simply cook pork shoulder or butt for instance, with light seasoning and strawberries in a dutch oven over low heat for 2-3 hours, until pork is tender and cooked through. Remove pork and cook remaining ingredients, omitting butter, in the drippings. Simmer 10-20 minutes and then stir in remaining strawberries.
The pork can be shredded with a fork and then mixed with some of the BBQ sauce to make pulled pork sandwiches.
This sauce is also excellent on chicken, ribs and burgers!
Peaches, apricots, plums, apples, raspberries, blackberries, mango and pineapple can all be substituted for the strawberries.
Enjoy!!