Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pulled Pork and a Strawberry/Blackberry Cobbler

Hi Everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend. Mine has been busy but just lovely! Last night, I taught body attack and then Josh and I went out to din din. Today was a shop til you drop event. My day started by throwing my pork (for pulled pork) in the crock pot, where it cooked all day long. I then got my oil changed and went shopping to finish picking up things for my sisters baby shower. I also got some cute stuff for myself at the banana republic outlet and went to Whole Foods. I came home and finished prepping dinner before our friends Kirsten and Chris came over (our first dinner party in the new house!). Dinner went a little like this...

We started with regular and black bean hummus with tortilla chips, pretzels and broccoli:


Then we had pulled pork sandwiches (which were made based on Aggie's AMAZING recipe. This was seriously so easy and delicious that you must try it):

Sorry I don't have a finished product picture w/all the sauce etc. I didn't want to take pics once our friends were here :) You can see some awesome final pics on Aggie's blog. I served the pulled pork sammys with big deli pickles, corn on the cob, and a fruit salad:


We ate dinner at our kitchen table (I had flowers too but I had removed them for dinner time):

For dessert we had a Strawberry/Blackberry Cobbler based on Sarah's recipe. It was super delicious:

I was so glad that everything turned out so well. Do you get nervous about how your food will turn out when you have people over for dinner?
I'm exhausted! I'm ready for a little relaxing and some laundry :)

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, everything looks great! Mmmm love the colorful fruit salad!

Mom on the Run said...

Your dinner and desert looks amazing!

I get very nervous when I have dinner guest. I usually drop something or have some sort of kitchen fowl up. I am sure your dinner went very well!

Anonymous said...

Oh my that cobbler looks yummy! I love the links, I had not been to either of those sites before and they look like they have great recipes!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

What a great meal! I love cobbler. Mmm...

Guests always throw me into a cleaning frenzy, and I'm usually more nervous that things won't be neat as a pin by the time they arrive than I am about the food! I guess that, if the food is good enough, they shouldn't care if my stack of magazines is in disarray. :-)

I Run for Fun said...

What a great spread! Your table looks lovely too.

I'm usually in a frenzy when we have people over too.

Anonymous said...

OMG, I adore pulled pork sammys. One of the all time best things to eat!
And that cobbler looks fab.
Love your table setting.

ChickPea said...

I love everything about this post! From the black bean hummus to the cobbler, the food all looks fabulous. I also adore your table setting--I kind of have a thing for square plates:)

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a successful first dinner party you had! The entire spread looks absolutely amazing, Erica! Two types of hummus, pulled pork sandwiches AND cobbler?! MMmmm - can I come over next time, please? ;o)

I definitely get nervous about what people will think of the food I make!

Esi said...

Yum, your dinner looks great! I always get nervous serving dinner to people whether it's one person on 30. Had a friend over last night and he seemed to like it!

Balance, Joy and Delicias! said...

dinner looks great! I'm sure your guests enjoyed a lot. And yes, I do get nervous when I have guests, because I put effort to make everything delicious and you know when we put effort on something, we want people to like it. :) have a nice sunday.

Pearl said...

oh wow the place setting and dishes look great! i get really nervous whenever i have to create something for a party/gift, and because i'm so stressed out by it, will labor over each step and drive myself crazy :)

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Love the hummus, fruit, cobbler, table-setting; and your new blog layout!! :-)

Anonymous said...

Erica, I love the look of the blog! :) Nice day shopping - those are the best days.
I used to get nervous but for some reason I don't anymore - well, maybe it depends on the company. But usually if something tastes funky it's just funny :)

Unknown said...

new look! dinner looks fab :) and yes, i get nervous! everyone has high expectations if they know about my blog!

Aggie said...

Your blog looks great!!

So glad you liked the pork!!

Did you make the black bean hummus or buy it? I've been wanting some lately, have only had it once at a restaurant that closed down...I have to find a recipe. Your cobbler and fruit look so delicious! Wish I was coming over for dinner!

I'm always nervous!!

Michelle said...

Love the new look! And the food all looks great. I always am nervous when guests come. It usually works if I do what my mom always does and put them to work making the salad or something :-)

Anonymous said...

What a great evening!! Your hummus sounds fantastic :)

When I cook for people I always tell them that if they don't like it, they won't offend me ;) Have a great Sunday!!

PS. Love the new look!

Anonymous said...

Mmm black bean hummus and COBBLER!!! I love cobbler, in case that wasn't enough enthusiasm for you :-)

I get so nervous when I make food for guests... my grandmother told me never to try out new recipes on company, but I always do and I'm always anxious until we eat! Sounds like your night went splendidly, though.

HangryPants said...

Yes, I get a little nervous! Everything you made looks delicious though, especially the cobbler!!!

Bec said...

I always get nervous that something won't turn out or my guests wont like something I made!

jane said...

i love the new look of the blog!

i get nervous when i make food for large amounts of people. last easter my boyfriend and i made a carrot cake for his big family dinner. it took forever to make and when we went to transfer it from pan to plate, some of the top stuck to the pan. i actually started to cry! embarrassing. we just covered it with icing and everyone LOVED it, but it was quite traumatic for me ;)

Maria said...

What a great dinner! I am loving the fruit and cobbler! Glad you had fun!

Nicci said...

That cobbler looks yummy!

Anonymous said...

I learned how to cook in Sweden and the first time I had people over for dinner, I was so freaking nervous! I timed everything down to the second, haha! The cobbler looks fantastic and I love your kitchen table set up, too cute for words!

Anonymous said...

ah I love the new layout!!


That meal sounded fantastic! I loved every part, the fruit salad the pulled pork- your table was so cute!

I ALWAYS get nervous and I its totally backed up by the fact that everything I make for others usually turns out bad! I make these great things for me and Jeff without using a recipe and then I try to make them again for someone else and it doesn't turnout the same.

Lori said...

I have to try that pulled pork. Yum, that looks so great. I have no idea why, but I have been craving bbq lately. It usually isn't one of my faves. I'm always running around like crazy when I have guests, always worried about the food. I still love entertaining tho.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to try the pork recipe. My husband LOVES pulled pork. Your fruit salad made me drool a little. Yum!

Yes. I always get very nervous when people come over. I try to cook things I've made before and know will turn out. I also get really self-conscious about presentation and the way my house looks.

HEAB said...

Erica,
Your new blog layout is great - I love it. Yes, I totally get nervous when people come over. I stress out big time about having the house looking perfect and if all the food will turn out good while Chris just sits there wondering why I'm freaking out. We always have a great time, and everyone is always pleased with the eats. I don't know why I get so worked up. I'm 100% type A!

Your dinner sounds delicious. I bet your house smelled amazing with the pork in the crock-pot and and that cobbler in the oven! Glad dinner was a success.

Amelia said...

Great looking dinner!

I definitely stress out when I'm cooking for others. My biggest anxiety is not having things timed right, so some things aren't finished cooking and others get cold while we're waiting.

Anonymous said...

Love the new blog lay out! I definitely get nervous about things turning out! looks like you didn't have a thing to worry about though! That cobbler looks fantastic! and made in the crockpot? awesome.

Unknown said...

YES!!!! And if it's not quite up to my standards I explain it away even though my guests usually don't care!

Sarah said...

What a wonderful dinner, and dessert looks gorgeous :-) Holy makeover! How behind am I? Life has become so crazy and stressful lately I haven't been baking or blogging :-( I hope things get more normal soon. I love visiting you, and your new format looks great!

Heather said...

so glad you're settling into your new house so nicely! looks delicious!! i love cobbler!

Rose said...

Love your table setting and everything you prepared looks great. Glad it turned out well!

(I always get SUPER nervous when guests are coming over!!)

Becca said...

I definitely get nervous because I feel like people expect my food to taste like I already finished school.

Everything looks yummy (even pre-sauce)!

Anonymous said...

all of your food looks absolutely amazing! that cobbler? to die for! i loveee blackberries and that looks amazing! you did so well with the food girly!

lauren said...

oh yum...everything looks wonderful. and yes, I am always worried about how things will turn out when i take them to a party!

Apples and Butter said...

I always get stressed out when I have people over! My boyfriend always teases me by asking if I'm really enjoying myself. Of course I'm enjoying myself if I'm cooking, but it's a little nerver wracking when people come over!

Anonymous said...

Yum, the food looks great!