Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich, fruit salad & pine nut hummus w/ relishes

A classmate and old friend, Heather Lambert McQuillan featured this sandwich on her blog and we decided to give it a try...yum! It was an instant approval from Wayne as it had Tabasco in the ingredients. I did not add it into the sauce, however as the boys wouldn't eat it then, but put it directly on Wayne and I's sandwiches and we added some creamy jalapeno sauce by Taco Bell. We used extra large deli tea rolls as buns and it was delicious!

Here is the link to the recipe at Heather's blog:
http://mrsmcquillanmastersmeals.blogspot.com/2011/02/marlboro-mans-favorite-sandwich-with.html

I served this sandwich with a contrasting fruit and vegetable arrangement. The 2 fresh fruits we had gotten this time at Sam's Club were cantaloupe and kiwi, which even offered contrasting colors. One was not quite ripe though and I wish I would have had the camera ready for everyone's faces, including my own, as we bit into an unexpected bitter slice of it. 

I also had been dying to get some Roasted Pine Nut Hummus after trying it on sample day at Sam's last month. Wal-Mart ended up having a small tub of it which was not near enough and rest assured it is on next month's bulk buy list for Sam's. This is another one of those items I was never exposed to when I was little and upon my first taste of a different flavored hummus had vowed never to torture my taste buds with it again, however while starving and grabbing every sample in sight at Sam's a couple weekends ago, I seen baked tortilla wedges with a pinkish orange colored guacamole looking dip and immediately went for it popping it in my mouth before reading what it actually was.

Good thing, turns out I LOVE IT! For those of you less experienced eaters, that is what it was similar too, the texture of guacamole and a taste similar to a mild salsa. I didn't get the baked tortilla wedges (though they were to die for with it) and dipped everything from veggies to tortillas to crackers to chips in it. My favorite next to the tortilla wedges was baked veggie crackers. MMmmmm.

Skinny Salsa Joes

 We were looking through the 5 Ingredients or Less cookbook by Gooseberry Patch – love these- for a new recipe that would be quick and different for our weekend lunch. Also, one we had all the ingredients for as it was nearly grocery day, we are talking one more day to stretch it. We came across this VERY EASY recipe with 5 ingredients or less ;-)

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef, browned

½ cup salsa

8oz can tomato sauce

1T packed brown sugar

Combine ingredients in saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 10-15 minutes

They were a nice alternative to toss up the ordinary menu. 

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches & Plugger Dip

What is Plugger Dip? From what I understood upon meeting the Tonsager family, it is their own creation, or that of their friends? I really can't remember and should double check with my in-laws, however I do know it looked and sounded revolting the first time I had seen it done. I decided what the heck and tried it. It is now our #1 side for any grilled or BBQ food. 

This is the leftovers & we were already out of cottage cheese. 

This simple dip can be done one of two ways; 

1 container cottage cheese

1-2 can pork and beans 

2 cans Pringles or baked lays

1. Mix cottage cheese and cold pork and beans together, use chips to dip (man's favorite)

or my favorite prep:

2. Warm Beans (I prefer Bush's Baked Beans) on stove; 

place serving size of each ingredient next to each other on your plate and use chips to gather a mixture of both cottage cheese and beans. 

I promise it is yummy and a very good protein boost!!!!

BBQ Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 pork loin

2-3 c beef bullion broth

1 T minced onion

1/2t garlic

1/2 t season all salt

1-2 cups BBQ sauce of choice

Buns (I like onion or large tea rolls)

Directions:

Combine all but last 2 ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for a minimum of 12 hours. (We do 24 hours.) Remove meat & add BBQ sauce. Serve on Buns.

***Tip*** cook baked beans with a tablespoon of brown sugar and some cut up raw bacon slices for added flavor. 

Mmmmm.