Thursday, February 18, 2016

Angelina's Pulled Beef Barbecue Sandwiches from the Double S Ranch

I have fallen in love with writing Westerns!

I have the pleasure and the distinct honor of releasing my first single title cowboy book in FOUR WEEKS!!!!!

March 15, 2016, "Back in the Saddle" (Waterbrook/Multnomah)....


And I am over-the-moon for this cover... Oh, be still my heart, I could be a Western gal in a heartbeat!  <SWOON>.......... :)

So for the next few weeks, I'm going to feature some of the recipes developed by Angelina and Isabo in the kitchen of the Double S Ranch... these are crowd-pleasin' favorites, and when you've got a hungry mob of cowboys and kids... and one crotchety but rich ranch owner... you want food that satisfies.

We aim to please here at the Double S!

This wonderful recipe works great for backyard barbecues, picnics, football games and yeah... ranch suppers, on the run! Here you go!



Pulled Beef Barbecue

2 large, thick chuck roasts.
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 package Lipton onion soup mix

Place chuck roasts in large roasting pan. Sprinkle with garlic and black pepper. Sprinkle one packet of onion soup mix over the roasts. Cover tightly and slow-roast at 300° for two hours. Check to make sure roasts aren't drying out, add hot water as needed, reseal and return to oven for another two hours or until meat falls apart when poked (nicely!) with a fork...



Allow to cool to a good temperature for handling.

Remove from pan to big board or platter. Pull beef (separating out the fat and discarding it) either with hands or two forks.

Put pulled beef into the pot of a slow cooker (Crock Pot style) and re-warm on lowest setting. Add favorite barbecue sauce (ours is Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy) until just moist. Folks can add more as they serve themselves!



Serve on toasted or grilled rolls, a stick-to-your-ribs guy-friendly sandwich!




And for a rare treat here in the cafe, we're doing a giveaway over the next few weeks! My amazing and wonderful folks at Waterbrook/Multnomah have donated some copies of "Back in the Saddle" for giveaways! Leave a comment and we'll happily toss your name into Colt Stafford's cowboy hat!



81 comments:

  1. I love that cover! So beautiful!

    And what kind of name is isabo? I tried to Google but just found on musician and it was spelled Isabo' (with a mark at the end). The linguist in me is curious. Isabeau is a French name, male for Isabelle. Is your character male or female?

    And that steak thing looks good! Id never heard of Lipton soup on meat until my Southern friend mentioned it. Just not something we eat out here unless it's in sour cream, like a dip. And the crock pot dish looks tasty, too. BBQ here means outside on the grill, but just last week I read an article about a real BBQ place doing really well in the Seattle area. I think it's a chain. I can't remember exactly but I think it was called Dickey's. I'd never heard of it, but I'm ALL for BBQ to come toward the PNW!

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    1. Isabo is from Ecuador, she and Martin emigrated here before Angelina was born, and made their way to the American dream... I would ask her Ecuadoran parents about the origins of her name, but alas! They are long deceased! :)

      It was a name from Ladyhawke, and they used the French spelling for the heroine (even though it is a male version) so I changed the spelling to suit my purposes.

      So she was inspired by a fantasy story... but boy she's a solidly real in the kitchen!

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  2. Ohhhh, just reread the recipe. So, this is the same piece of meat? Soup mix AND BBQ -that's a lot of flavor! MMMMM

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    1. It comes out great. There's an essential element in the soup mix that makes this easy and no measure... and it always comes out as a crowd pleaser. Angelina and I have served this at big events where guests mill around and smile... and this has inspired deeper grins! Talk about a crowd-pleaser!!!! :)

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  3. Oh, that recipe looks like a winner. Speaking of winning, please put my name into the cowboy hat; I'd love to win and read Back In The Saddle. From the cat dish to the cowboy hat - hmmmmmmmm that's a step up, I think. Judy Smith

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    1. Hey, that cat dish is infamous in Seekerville, isn't it? You know how it is, I am surrounded by many smarter and more formal than I claim to be, so my cat dish is its own little non-conformist statement! :)

      Into the Resistol you go, my friend!

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  4. I'm always learning something new here at the Cafe! Of course! ROAST the meat in the oven, and then do the BBQ thing in the crock pot. My BBQ beef always lacks that roasted flavor and texture, and now I know why. Thank you!

    I can't wait for Back in the Saddle! I pre-ordered it MONTHS ago, so it should be winging its way here sometime in the next couple weeks, right?

    And I love that you love westerns. I love your Upstate New York settings, too, but there's just something about cowboys, clean air, and wide open spaces. :)

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    1. You know, I've always done this... with Angelina's help, of course! :) with the beef, but when I found counsel on line for double wrapping spareribs and roasting them, then lightly grilling them, OH MYLANTA.... That doubling of the foil or the cover seals in the moisture and it just falls apart, which is the fun of barbecue, right?

      And we like this because it's sandwich friendly. I can whip out my big grill, and grill fresh garlic rolls for folks as they come through the buffet and there is nothing like a soft roll with a grilled face, piled with seasoned meat that's easy to chew and handle.

      You wouldn't think of that "easy to chew" as important, but for lots of guests/people, it sure is!

      I have loved writing these westerns and I hope they want more because I think I've got my own personal Ruthy niche with this... There's something about cowboy lore and code that makes me smile and nod.

      It transcends.

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    2. Transcends...it does. That's the perfect description.

      These people who live on the land in the unforgiving west have learned to ride through the storms. They hold on, pick up the pieces, and get back to business.

      I'm in awe.

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    3. Jan, that's why I love dabbling in western historicals. There's something rugged and true about making it in the west.

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  5. O, Ruthy! Love love this book and yes, that cover! Congratulations!

    I've sent you some questions through SLT blog hop in March. So sure look forward to more Double S Ranch stories! I've a copy, so no need to enter me. Just saying hello.

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    1. Annie, thanks for stopping by! I'm so excited about the blog hop! I love chatting (as you well know!) And I hope the world loves this story as much as my amazing pre-readers do! Thank you!

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  6. Oops! Forgot to say that Angelina's pull pork sure sounds and looks yummy. Sounds easy too! I think I'll have to give it a try when I have a big crowd coming. Do you know if it'll freeze well after the roasting step and before the slow cooker or better after all the steps? Thanks!

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    1. I have three bags in the freezer right now. You just thaw and warm gently in the crockpot or in the microwave. It works beautifully!

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  7. I think I can do that. By the way, I tried Tina's recipe from last week, and my son said I should make that again. He even took left-overs to work twice. (He will move out this summer, but he's saving up and didn't want to waste money on renting before getting married.) Which reminds me I've got to lose weight before July 30. I may eat this without the bun.

    Thanks for sharing, Ruthy!

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    1. Jackie! Congratulations on the coming wedding! Is this the first one for your family?

      My daughter is getting married June 11 - first one for us. And oh yes, I hear you on the getting fit before the wedding. That camera adds weight like crazy, doesn't it?

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    2. Oh, the mother of the bride/groom dresses.... My first one was stupid bad, I was so worried about everyone else, that I honestly never looked in the mirror and it was bad, but who was looking at me??? But for the next ones, I smartened up and got a sweet dress I used for two weddings. YES!!!!

      And Jackie, I do it without the bread to avoid and extra 50 carbs. If I'm going to have 50 carbs, it's going to have Ghirardelli as its middle name, LOL!

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  8. Ruthy!!!!!

    My husband and I were just talking about how much we'd love to do a road trip out west. He wants to see Big Sky Country. The discussion made me sentimental for His Montana Sweetheart. And got me looking at vacation rentals.

    Bring on the Cowboys! I love this cover THIS MUCH!!!!! I'm sure I'll love the story even more.

    So your roast reminds me. I read an article in the NYTimes the other day about Mississippi Roast and the woman who inadvertently created in a internet sensation with a chuck roast, a crock pot, some Au Jus Gravy mix and some Ranch dressing mix.

    The story is fun if you have time to read. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/dining/chicory-radicchio-endive-salad.html?ribbon-ad-idx=30&rref=dining&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Food&action=swipe&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article

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    1. I got chickory salad with that link... MMMM....... :)

      I know what you mean about cowboys and I'm here to say Western Romance should NEVER go out of style.

      It would be ridiculous to even think such a thing.

      Bring 'em on!

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  9. Yum!!! That's the way a good chuck roast should end up! Out here in the wilds of western Canada we know all about barbecues, but finding a recipe that's full of country flavour AND is easy to make? That's a bonus. :)

    I've loved that book cover since first glimpse and am sure looking forward to getting my hands on a copy.

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    1. Well, lil Missy, I'm throwin' yore name right there into that cowboy hat!!!! And yeah, this is the perfect chuck roast barbecue, right???? I'm so glad you love the idea! And because you're not all that far from the Double S Ranch, Ms. Garvin, you know that in true "Heartland" fashion.... there's somethin' about runnin' a ranch and takin' care of the land that sets a heart pumping the way it should. :)

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  10. I can't find one thing to NOT like in this post, Ruthy. Beef, beef cake... ;) Two of my favorite things. Although our buddy, Kav, night not care so much for the meat.

    Ruthy, you are just going to have to come and visit us when we move to the ranch. I'll hook you up with Smokey (doesn't that just sound like a cowboy name) and you can help him work cattle. Though he's not as hunky as that cowboy on your cover. Don't tell him I said that, though.

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    1. Here's the best part of the cowboy thing... when I was in Fort Worth and the cowboys rustled up that "herd"... We didn't care much what they looked like, it's a whole different thing when there are spurs involved!

      I will come to that ranch, and I'll be SO HAPPY!!!!!

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  11. We are having pulled pork this weekend because it's going to be 55 degrees in Chicago, folks! DH hickory smokes the meat for six or seven hours on the old-fashioned grill, then finishes it off in the oven for the last hour before shredding the meat. We add our own sauces on the meat because I don't like sweet barbeque sauce. And my new favorite way to eat it is over a nice bed of butter lettuce. Trying to cut out SOME carbs, lol.

    Lovin' the new cover, Ruthy. Cowboys...sigh....

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    1. Lyndee, that's a great way to cut carbs! I use broccoli slaw and cole slaw the same way. Lose the bread, love the salad! Now, I love long, slow, smoked meat. I do... And I might have to jog on over to Illinois and check this out, Lyndee!

      If I had a smoker, I'd play like that. Because I love smoked meat!!!

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  12. Great post, Ruth! I'm excited to read your cowboy story. Westerns are my favorite. That pulled pork looks yummy. Might have to make some for Sunday supper. Please add my name to the hat for a copy of your new book.

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    1. Jan, happily tossing your name in!!! Does it matter that it's beef????

      We do pulled pork, too, but differently. I don't want to confuse anyone and it would honestly probably be just as good! Missy did pulled pork as a leftover of a pork roast last week.

      It was amazing!

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    2. Oops! I've done pulled pork, so that just spilled out. Glad you caught that, because I've never done pulled beef and would probably have bought the wrong hunk of meat! :)

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  13. So excited ❤��❤��❤Can't wait to read and share ❤��❤Thank-you Sweet Ruth for sharing once again from your heart ��

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    1. Safta!!! I'm so glad you stopped over! Do you really have 8 grandkids? We've got a bunch here, too, and I love it! Throwing your name into the cowboy hat!

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  14. So excited ❤��❤��❤Can't wait to read and share ❤��❤Thank-you Sweet Ruth for sharing once again from your heart ��

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  15. LOVE the cover! Can't wait to read!

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    1. Gwen, thank you! Kelly Howard and the art team at Waterbrook/Multnomah, aren't they marvelous???? And Kelly got to go on a shoot with the cowboy! SUHWEEEET!

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  16. How fun! I love that you're sharing recipes from the book! And hoo boy, what a cover!! :)

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    1. Missy!!! You know I love my kitchen and I love sharing, and Isabo and the gals have that in common with me! Although Elsa isn't the kitchen wiz that Angelina seems to come by naturally... And Elsa appears in book two and grabs right hold of your heart...

      Ah, romance!

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  17. The book sounds so good, Ruthie. Can't wait to read it. :)

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    1. Ruth!!! I hope you love it! I'm putting your name right into this cowboy hat... and remember, I'm over at Petticoats and Pistols tomorrow and we're doing a couple of copies there!

      Just because we can!!!!

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    2. Ruthy, for some reason, it's not letting me do a separate comment so I'm "piggybacking" on yours! This recipe looks delicious! Your new book loos great too! I love the cover!!!

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    3. Valri, every now and again My Good Buddy Blogger gets a little protective of us! Or maybe it's of the thumbprint cookies I made. Here, darling, have one!!! :)

      Tucking your name in and I'm so glad you hopped on over here!

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  18. Oh my looks like a great cowboy story, I know if it has your name on it Ruth it will be a fun read, thanks for sharing. two roast at one time is not cheap now a days but it sure looks good.
    Paula O

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    1. Paula, thank you! What a nice thing to say, I'm going to copy that, print it and SEND IT TO MARY CONNEALY so she'll see how special I am!!!! :)

      You know what I found out? That the difference in initial cost between beef and pork became nominal because you lose so much less to fat and discard with beef....So the initial cost was higher but the yield was about twice as much meat so in the end it wasn't any more expensive. My daughter was so surprised... and pleased because her hubby loves this!

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  19. Love ALL your books. I can hardly wait for each new one!!!!

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    1. Donna, thank you! And I'm so glad you made it over here! Tucking your name into the cowboy hat, and we might have to DOUBLE THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

      THE MORE THE MERRIER!!!!!

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  20. Hi Ruthie,
    I love your Mighty Finn stories and would love to read your new book. Of course I would review it!

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    1. Jewell, thank you! The Mighty Finn is an entity unto himself, isn't he???? Stinkin' cute kid!!! Thank you for loving him! And yes, your name is going right into the hat, and I'd love your review... An author is truly blessed by the new times when readers can connect with us online and through reviews! Technology has linked us together amazingly, hasn't it????

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  21. I can stand behind pulled pork. As long as you make it. YUMMMY! The book looks YUMMY too!

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    1. I will make it! We should do this at our next retreat... It would feed a bunch of us for a couple of meals. More writing time!!!

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  22. I love that cover and I'd love it even more if I won it!

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    1. Laughing, Susan!!! I'm putting your name in! And I'm over at Petticoats and Pistols tomorrow, and we're giving away two copies over there, too! Come see me get all western on you!!!! :)

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  23. Thanks for the giveaway. I love stories set in the west :) and certainly would love to win this one!

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    1. Betti, hey! I love westerns, too, and a romance that goes deeper than just a romance??? Oh be still my heart! Putting your name in!

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  24. ...and I have fallen inlove with Ruth Logan Herne stories - cannot get enough of them!!!! AND WRITING A COWBOY INTO THE STORY???? _ YESAKES_IT CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THAT!!!

    Thanks for another GREAT ONE _ just KNOW it will be!!!

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    1. Joy! What lovely words, thank you! You made my day, sweet thing! Tucking your name in right now!

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  25. I have no idea why that other link was endive salad except to blame mu iPad. Here's the real link. It's such a cute story.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/dining/mississippi-roast.html?_r=0

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    1. That is a great story! Now I must try it and I have everything here ... Except the roast! :)

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  26. Thanks for sharing the recipe and giveaway.

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    1. Samantha, nice to meet you! And gladly, it's so much fun to bring the real side of fiction (love that phrase, right????) out in the open! If you've gonna talk the talk in the story, somebody better be able to walk the walk!

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  27. this looks great.
    I wonder if I'll make it.
    I would be LIKE ME to never get it done.
    And yet, it's nice to know it's out here.
    I hate fat....I'm mainly referring to it on a roast--touching it, you know. But there are examples on my hips also. :(

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    1. This is a Connealy style recipe. And you don't have to use your hands, Precious Princess... you can use two forks and pull them apart, then just toss the fat aside. It really kind of melts off and sloughs off.... Oh, let us not talk of hips!!!!

      That's why we're dumping the fat and maybe skipping the bun!

      But it's really, really good on a grilled, garlicky bun!

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  28. Finally she uses a cowboy hat for her drawings.

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  29. Looks great - and so does the recipe.

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    1. Sallie! I'm so glad you think so, I'm putting your name in the cowboy hat right now!

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  30. Well, I always poke my meat politely. I mean, is there any other way in the South?

    Please put my name in Colt's hat for the drawing! That boy is so hot, makes me want to move out west!

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    1. I hear you, Edwina! And the call of the West still rings true today, and I've got some ideas for more stories that will make that thought crystal clear, LOL! But shh... I mustn't tell, it's still percolating!

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  31. It absolutely sounds wonderful! The book and the recipe!
    God bless u

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    1. Chris, they both are wonderful!!! Amazingly delicious food, totally ranch-supper friendly and we all know if a man is wise enough to take care of his horse... he's got what it takes to look after his woman.

      At least I hope that's true! :)

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  32. A story and a meal. You can't get much better than that.

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    1. Lillian! I agree! I'm tossing your name in, and I have every intention of using that name at some time. I love the name Lillian!

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  33. This is a meal we will try and it is a book I will read.

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    1. Mary Lawson! I hope you love both, dear lady! Thanks for stopping over!

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  34. Looks like a yummy recipe. I bet my 19 yr old ds would love it! At first, I thought it might be too much food but he can still do the teenager's magic trick of making food disappear by simply inhaling. Please put my name in Colt's hat. Thanks!

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    1. Oh, Dawn, we had 4 teenage boys at one time. All athletes, some seasons with multiple sports (track after school, basketball at night kind of thing) All runners/soccer players... Their sisters were athletic, too, but didn't consume the GALLONS of food that the boys did! It's amazing! I'm hearin' you loud and clear and tucking your name into the hat. Thanks for stopping over!

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  35. I enjoy all of Ruth's books! She's one amazing write and gives the glory to God. The Pulled Beef Barbeque sounds delicious.

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    1. Marilyn, thank you! What a sweet thing to say!!!!!!

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  36. Hey Ruthy, I just made BBQ pulled pork this past week in my crockpot!!!! I love it because I can set it and forget it (so to speak). All I do is put a little salt and pepper, garlic, onion, a little water and let it cook ALL day on low. Afterwards, I shred the meat, put bbq sauce over it return to the pot,and let it heat back up. I never have to worry about it drying out this way....plus it frees me up for doing other things during the day, like say read a book!! Makes the house smell so good, you can even hear tummies growling....lol!
    Thanks for sharing your recipe! Please toss me in with Colt...ummm, I mean my name in his hat for a copy of your book....Thanks! :-)

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    1. HAHA...I just noticed that another commenter mentioned this was for BEEF....sounds just as divine as PORK is....guess I'll be trying this one too!
      I just got so excited about bbq pulled whatever I didn't notice which roast you used for the recipe...haha!! ;-)

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    2. Trixi, it's funny because so many people did that!!! LAUGHING!!!!!!! I love both, so I think we're good either way!

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