Holidays, Secrets for Stress-free Holidays
Okay, I am sharing some top secret stuff today, so shhhhh…..
Whether you are in a pinch, have no energy, or just simply have too much to do…
or maybe just don’t feel like cooking 🎨 💅 📚
First, fill your house with delicious aromas,
Saute an onion with a little fresh garlic…
Or roast a head of garlic {you can refrigerate it for later use}
Cook bacon slices on parchment in the oven, no flipping required and you can save it for later
Now your kitchen smells great, so let the freezer section help you out
One of my go to’s is frozen Macaroni & Cheese–
I love Stouffer’s but have you tried Marie Calendar’s Vermont White Cheddar {see where to buy it here}
Transfer the frozen mac to your own casserole dish, bake it according to directions, even add a buttery bread crumb topping for that homemade touch and garnish it with fresh parsley or herbs
You could even use that bacon to make a lattice topper, a little wow factor…
It’s the Presentation is Everything thing
Fruit, deli meat & cheese arranged on a tiered server can double as a centerpiece and a meal
Skewers are one of my favorite party foods, easy to make, easy to serve, easy to eat!
Appetizer skewers, aka Pasta Lollipops, with tortellini, pesto, salami and red pepper or tomato can be served on a plate or stuck into styrofoam for a fun presentation
Dessert Kebabs are made with cut up brownies and cheesecakes from the bakery
Colorful candies, gingerbread people and icing jazz up cake, whether you make it or buy it
How about the easiest weeknight dinner ever?
Season a Boston Butt Pork Roast all over with your favorite BBQ rub
Place it in a sprayed slow cooker and add enough coke to fill the pot up to the top of roast
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, shred and toss with BBQ sauce and serve on buns
Instead of the same old boring holiday cocktail party, host a theme party like
How about a craft party,
Gingerbread houses aren’t just for kids
Adults like to make them too!
Have an old fashioned goodie swap party, and have everyone bring a goodie for everyone to take home
Be sure to keep the Ho Ho Ho in your holidays!
Slow Cooker Cola Pulled Pork
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 Boston Butt Pork Roast
- 16-24 oz Coca-Cola
- BBQ seasoning rub
- BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Rub meat all over generously with seasoning.
- Place in a sprayed slow cooker and add enough coke around the sides to fill the cooker but not cover the top of meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove from cooker and shred. Toss with BBQ sauce. Return meat to cooker if desired to keep warm until serving.
Now you can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving, you’ve got the holidays covered!
for another printable version of Slow Cooker Cola Pulled Pork click here
🦃 🎄 🎁 🦃 🎄 🎁
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Rustic and Refined, Merry Monday, Between Naps on the Porch, Make it Pretty Monday
Coastal Charm, Cooking and Crafting with J&J, Celebrate and Decorate,
Delicious Dishes Recipe Party Oh My Heartsie Girl Full Plate Thursday
Thursday Favorite Things Creatively Crafty Foodie Friday & Everything Else
Home Matters Share it One More Time Sundays at Home
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Love your Marie Callendar’s mac ‘n cheese tip Jenna! My hubby would be over the moon with it served with bacon lattice topping too 🙂
Great ideas! And coke is like magic with pork isn’t it??!! 👍😉
Lovin’ that cute nativity gingerbread house! Slow cooker pulled pork sounds like a winner:@)
You should try crockpot liners. They are wonderful!! Thanks for all of the terrific ideas!
Thanks Cheryl, I have used liners and loved them until I had one melt and ruin the food, I was cooking on high so maybe that was the problem, but I have been afraid of them ever since. What brand do you use?
This post is chock FULL of good things!
How wonderfully creative your site is – I love stopping by to see your talents 🙂 thank you for sharing such great ideas for gift giving too!!
Thanks Joan!
Jenna, I can’t wait to make a gingerbread house with EM! You have some wonderful tips! You are the queen of entertaining!
Oh you are going to have so much fun!!
Pasta lollipops. SO cool! That’s just perfect — you can count on those being on my menu this season!
Everything’s better on a stick, right?
You left me drooling. Everything looks delish. Have a wonderful week, Jenna.
Wow, what a great lineup of fun ideas!
Thank you Carole!
I love all these ideas and have tried a few. The skewers are my favorite!
oh good! It’s hard to resist anything on a stick!
YUM, YUM, YUM….great ideas that always make me drool!
Lots of yummies. And, I love the gingerbread houses.
I just bought several different kits, and candies and let the kids go wild, can’t wait to do it again this year!
Great ideas Jenna. Everything looks great! I will check out the mac and cheese. Love the idea of bason crisscross. Happy Wednesday.
Great tips Jenna especially for that coke pulled pork! Gotta try that!
Johanne Lamarche
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Couldn’t be easier!
I love the skewer ideas! 🙂
I’m loving your tips, and your recipe for the pulled pork, Jenna. My grands love Stouffer’s mac and cheese, and I’ve never bought the Marie Callendar version. It looks creamy and yummy!
The Marie Calendar one is a little more sophisticated, it’s made with Vermont White Cheddar, and it really is good~
This is a great post with so many ideas and wonderful recipes! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Come to next weeks Thanksgiving party on Tuesday at 8:00 am, CST, see you then!
Miz Helen
Hi Jenna, I love all of these ideas for the holidays. I never tried the mac and cheese but I’ll definitely try it out with the bacon.
Thanks for sharing this at C&C with J&J.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.
Julie