Cracker Barrel's Double Fudge Coca Cola Cake

This cake is kinda-sorta really freaking good. Baked in one tray with icing poured on the warm cake that sort of sets up and crackles as it cools. I made a coca cola cake with my Grandma Grillo when I was little and remember being fascinated that soda was an actual ingredient. I went to a Cracker Barrel with my grandma recently ordered this cake. I knew that I'd be scouring the Internet for a recipe. I am not sure if this is the actual recipe the restaurant uses or just a copy cat, but I read that mini marshmallows were the secret ingredient and this recipe calls for them. In my opinion, it tastes just like the cake I had with my Grandma. This calls for coke in both the cake and frosting. It's heavenly! The problem is this thing is so moist and not too sweet so you can eat a lot of cake in one sitting. I need a cake detox.

Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca Cola Cake

adapted from CDKitchen

makes 1 13x9" pan

1/2 cup butter

1 cup coca-cola

3/4 cup miniature marshmallows

1 square (1 ounce) semi sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup coca cola (plus 2-3 tablespoons if needed)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place butter, cola, and semi sweet baking square in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add marshmallows and stir until all is blended and marshmallows are dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl blend the shortening, oil, vanilla, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and buttermilk and beat until smooth. mix flour with baking soda, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the shortening and egg mixture and beat. Scrape the bowl down to clean the sides. Add cooled coca coal mixture and beat. Add remainder of flour and beat until completely smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Batter will be thick.

Place batter into a 13"x 9"x 2" greased and floured baking pan. Set pan in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Stick a toothpick or knife into the center of the cake after it bakes. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, the cake is done. If batter sticks to the toothpick, keep baking. Cool cake.

For frosting: Cream butter, add cocoa, vanilla, chocolate syrup, and coca cola and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time and beat constantly. Scrape the sides of the bowl down to get all the ingredients incorporated. If the frosting seems a little dry, add more coca coal and beat well.

Frost the warm cake and let everything cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

My cake sank a bit in the middle. Next time I will put 1/4 cup less sugar into the cake and it should help with that.

Homemade Fajita Seasoning and Chihuahua

True story: I just found out that I am Mexican. It gets better. My Great Grandma Amelia was originally from Chihuahua. What do I like to tell people now? I am from Chihuahua, Mexico! This is hilarious news to me. Do you hear what I'm telling you?? I am a Mexican! I always thought my Grandpa Burgos was 100% Spanish, as in from Europe because that is what he told everybody. There is even a city named Burgos in Spain (his last name). As long as I can remember my mothers family has joked about my grandpa (my fathers dad) possibly being Mexican. My grandpa has never confirmed it for whatever reason. I have gone through my entire life thinking I was a quarter Spanish until my Great Uncle Art unleashed the truth a few weeks ago. Not that it was a secret. Not to Uncle Art, anyway. He said my great grandma and her family had moved from Chihuahua to El Paso, Texas and she met my great grandfather there (who is legitimately Spanish from Europe). They dated for a while before my great grandmothers parents decided that this young man was not serious about their daughter. They disliked him so they up and moved the family to Los Angeles. My great grandpa didn't like that at all so he sold his bicycle shop in El Paso and followed. Obviously everything worked out because I am here.

Another true story: My Grandpas name was John. If you asked him, he'd say he was named after his father (the legitimately Spanish one). Naturally, I concluded my great grandpas name must have been John. Wrong again. His name was Juan! I know, it translates, but still... Hysterical, I tell you. Why was this such a secret?

For the record, I am a quarter Italian, Danish and Irish and one eighth each Mexican and Spanish. So no, I am not really from Chihuahua, Mexico. It's just fun to say.

In an attempt to honor my new found roots, I made vegetarian fajitas the other night. I correct myself, ahem, real vegetarian fajitas. Making your own seasoning blend is so easy and works like a charm. It even thickens up all the pan juices after adding a little water to the skillet like you would with a packet, except you control the salt and sugar content with no preservatives! Hooray!

Fajita Seasoning (and a recipe for vegetarian fajitas to follow)

adapted from Linda Larsen, About.com

makes enough for 3 batches of fajitas (about 3 tablespoons each)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into a small plastic or resealable container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place. To use, saute your onions and bell pepper strips (or whatever vegetables and/or meat you are using) until done and sprinkle with three tablespoons of the seasoning and 1/3 cup of water. Cook and stir over medium heat until combined and thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve. Recipe can be halved easily if you do not want to make extra seasoning.

For my vegetarian fajitas, I cut 6 bell peppers (2 yellow, 2 red, and 2 green) and 1 1/2 medium yellow onions into thin strips. I sauté the peppers and onions in two or three batches at a time over medium-high to medium heat in a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil until browned and soft, removing each batch from the skillet and setting aside on a plate until all batches are done. When everything has been cooked, I put it all back into the skillet and add 3 tablespoons seasoning and 1/3 water, and stir and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if desired. Serve in flour tortillas that have been toasted on a open gas flame with pinto beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and cheese.

Hola, como te llamas? Donde esta la biblioteca? That is the extent of my Spanish. Guess I need to brush up if I am going to be claiming Chihuahua the rest of my life. Besides, everyone can speak Spanish. Everyone. It's a little embarrassing that I can't, and furthermore, took Spanish 1 twice (twice!) and this is all I remember. And Kel, dammit, this paragraph is not racist! My Friend loves to call anyone that, anytime they mention another culture. Seriously, the slightest mention. Doesn't even matter what it is.

The other day I said I was talking like a black woman from the south because I am reading the book The Help. My dog had jumped up on my bed and I told her how I yelled "Oh, law! Child, you best get out the bed fore I pull yo ears off!" Never mind what I said. I wouldn't really pull his ears off so no one needs to get their panties in a bunch. Anyway, I told her that the dog obeys my Jackson, Mississippi accent from 1962 about as good as my normal American one (translation: he didn't listen). She quickly called me a racist (standard) and pointed out that a Jackson, Mississippi accent IS American...Whatev- she knew what I meant and so do you, right?

Gwyneth Paltrow's Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

What makes this soup so unique? The big chunks of meaty, concentrated, oven dried tomatoes in every bite. That, and the ingredient list is five items long. This recipe first caught my eye because it was so simple and I knew it would deliver with a big depth of flavor. And how! This is my new favorite soup. There is nothing better than walking into a house that smells of roasted tomatoes and garlic on a chilly evening, and serving yourself a huge bowl with bread. If you are a dunker, those hefty chunks of tomato stay on your bread seamlessly creating the perfect bite with all those soaked up juices. Another plus is this soup is completely healthy and vegan. Don't let that deter you from making it if that scares you, though. It is so delicious, and tastes great alone, but if you sprinkle some Romano cheese on top for garnish, it becomes amazing...and vegetarian, which is a little less scary than vegan, right?

I told my friend Kel about this soup. I told her how spectacular and delicious it was. She was bewildered that it didn't have cream in it. I told her it certainly did not need cream. She said "I can't eat tomato soup without cream". Pssshhhh, Americans. I'm not going to push Kel to make this because I already know how it will go down. She will say it was awesome, but even better with cream, because she will add cream. Then she will have to dunk a grilled cheese sandwich into it because Josh, her husband hates to eat just soup for dinner. You are probably wondering what is wrong with all of this. Nothing really. It's just that this soup doesn't need all of that. It has a quiet dignity that I would not like to exploit. Serious matters to ponder I tell you.

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

adapted from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 4

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

12 tomatoes (plum, beefsteak or heirloom), quartered, stems removed

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

olive oil

Kosher salt

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a 18x13 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Place tomatoes skin side down and drizzle with olive oil until all tomatoes are covered. Drop unpeeled garlic cloves randomly around the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle everything generously with salt. Roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tomatoes are shriveled, but still juicy. When done, allow the pan to cool and pop the roasted garlic out from the skin and reserve for the soup.

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more as desired)

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 fresh, large basil leaves

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices

1 recipe slow roasted tomatoes, with the garlic roasted with them, removed from the skins

Kosher salt (I used 2 teaspoons)

Freshly ground pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

I added a few handfuls of baby spinach as well

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring so that it doesn't burn. Add the basil leaves, roasted garlic reserved from the roasted tomatoes, tomatoes and juice, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered for 40 minutes. As it simmers gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After cooking stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes with any juices and season with salt and pepper. Simmer everything together for 5 more minutes and serve hot. Sprinkle with Romano cheese if desired.

I added baby spinach to make my tomato soup florentine, which was wonderful. You can also freeze the oven dried tomatoes. I like the idea of this especially because you can oven dry summer tomatoes and eat them all winter long!

Easy Entertaining

Anytime I am entertaining, I tend to follow a certain pattern and procedure that has helped me to streamline the process. I enjoy having people over and hosting. I do not enjoy winging it, picking random food at the last minute and ordering pizza if it doesn't work out. I like for people to feel special when they come to my house and after years of practice, this is what I have learned so far.

Guidelines For Easy Entertaining

1) When planning your menu, try to find at least three sides dishes to go with your main course. You'd be amazed how nice it is to have a variety of dishes on the table. It makes the meal more special than the average one meat (or main), one vegetable, one starch format. A menu I chose recently was a maple grilled salmon, bright arugula salad with fruit and nuts, marinated and grilled asparagus and roasted lemon fingerling potatoes. Whatever your menu is, something extra like homemade rolls or a spinach gratin takes it to another level which is nice. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be fancy. Even a big pot of chili can be served with an array of toppings (cheese, sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos, corn chips) with homemade corn bread and a salad.

2) Think like a caterer when choosing a menu. You don't want to be slaving away in the kitchen stirring sauce until it thickens while your friends are mingling and enjoying themselves. Choose low maintenance food. Things that bake itself, or sides that can be cold or room temperature and made ahead of time. Dishes that can be kept warm without turning tough, etc. The last thing you want to be doing is frying batch after batch of chicken for a crowd since a dish like this is best served hot and crispy and can't stand out for too long without losing its appeal. A big lasagna which serves a lot of people without any last minute work would be a much better option.

Then, take it a step further and figure out which kitchen appliances you will have to be using. Don't plan on roasting potatoes if you have to roast a chicken at the same time and you only have one oven. I try and spread out the method in which my foods are cooked or prepared. A cold salad can be prepped way ahead of time and left to sit in the fridge. I bake something in the oven and saute something else on the stove top, then maybe utilize my grill for something else as well!

3) Always serve dessert. Usually I make mine from scratch but If you have a good bakery near you, by all means use it; especially if dinner is going to take up a lot of your time that day. I do not have a great bakery so if I am planning a labor intensive meal, I will usually pick a dessert that can be made a day ahead, like creme brulee, or a frosted cake that can be made in advance and waiting for me whenever I am ready.

4) Try to always have an appetizer out (even if it's just something to snack on like good olives and spiced mixed nuts) and drinks ready to be passed around the second your guests come through the door. Nothing says, welcome, come in and relax, let me take care of you like a smile and a cocktail ready and handy (or even fresh squeezed lemonade or sun tea for that matter).

5) Ambiance. Do not underestimate this because it's often the most critical item when entertaining. When I have people over I really like them to feel that I was ready for them. Nothing is worse than showing up to someones house at the appointed time just to walk in to a stark quiet room, and the host is still running around trying to catch up and put appetizers out. Nothing is wrong with that, especially if you are close friends, but it doesn't immediately put the guest at ease. I put appetizers and drinks out, light candles, set out flower arrangements, turn on my entry lights and lamps in the living room, open the front door (if it's nice out), light a candle in my bathroom, and play music about 30 minutes before anyone is set to arrive. Guests will walk up to a well lit house, and will hear music upon stepping out of their car. Everyone is ready for a good time.

6) You. I make sure that I am dressed and ready when my guests arrive. I will usually go upstairs about an hour before anyone is expected and get myself put together. It takes all of 5-10 minutes and then you can relax. I think a lot of people are so busy cooking that they forget to go and get ready themselves. Then you are stuck in your workout gear while your friends show up in dresses and shiny earrings. Fail!

7) Have a plan. Once I have my menu in order I create a timeline of the day. I will write down what time I have to put, say, the lasagna in the oven to have it out on time for dinner, with cooling time factored in. Then that tells me when I need to have the lasagna made and ready to be put in the oven, which means I need to be assembling it before that, and so I figure out how long everything is going to take so I can organize my day without rushing anything. If dessert is something I want to bake and serve hot, like an apple crisp, I will have it all prepped and ready for the oven so all I have to do is pop it in there as we sit for dinner. By the time it comes out it's dessert time. Whatever your situation, whatever the event or menu, having a plan and timeline for the day is key for less stress.

8) When cooking for company, only make what you have made before and what you know works. Now is not the time to try out that new method of braising you have never given a go.

9) In general, choose casual food. I know, I know, sometimes it's fun to get elaborate, and sometimes it's appropriate. On a regular basis though, if you are just having some friends over or the boss is coming to dinner, I find that familiar and casual food sets the best mood. A great recipe for a big plate of family style spaghetti and meatballs or an indoor clambake is a lot less pretentious and a lot more fun than duck confeit. It puts everyone at ease and says were having a good time. It's not a lot of fun to wonder which fork to use in a more formal setting while nibbling on something en croute. There is a time. There is a place. Just have intention and plan around your guests and what type of feel you want to set.

These are just guidelines I tend to use over and over throughout my years of entertaining. Listen, I don't abide by these religiously but they are things I keep I mind. You have to practice to make perfect and learn from your mistakes. Sometimes things happen that you have no control of. I once had a huge prime rib dinner for my sons 1st birthday and baby dedication. We invited something like 20 people to the party. I had poured over my day and tried my best to implement a good plan. The problem came when people started showing up and I clearly was not ready. I had put 5:30pm on their invitations and was thinking it started at 6:15pm. Oops. Luckily, everyone was family and close friends and we had fun and a few laughs setting the tables up together.

I don't view entertaining the same as everyone. I put a lot of emphasis on my guests having a relaxed and good time. When I invite someone over I want to take care of them, spend time with them, love on them by making them a meal. If someone offers to bring something, I most always decline. I am not saying it's wrong. I just like for people not to have to worry about bringing or preparing anything, because after all, isn't that the point of having someone over to your house for dinner?

The intention for having someone over for dinner makes the most sense to me when I am making all of the food. However, I know it doesn't always fit that box. Sometimes I'll be on the phone with a friend and we will decide to get together at either one of our houses that night. Usually one of us will say "I have salad stuff" and the other will say "I have dough for pizza" and a fun night will develop out of that. That's not what I am talking about here. I am talking about when I purposely call someone up and invite them to my house on a Friday night.

The people closest to me know I operate this way and sometimes it's cause for them to pause and consider weather or not they really want to have me over to dinner at their house since they do not go about things or view entertaining the same as I do. Honestly, it makes no difference to me. I am not watching and judging people on their entertaining skills when I am at their houses, despite what they think. Everyone has a different style. And you know what? I sometimes actually love to go into your kitchens, silently take over, and stir the pot while you chop the vegetables. I like to help put pizza toppings on and watch the crust to make sure it's not burning while you tend to other things. I'll even go and turn your music on myself if it's not already playing, without asking, cause I am a snot like that. It's no big deal to me. I just don't want you doing that at my house. Got it?

Um, you might have to set my table for me though, because that's one area where I totally drop the ball. Like, every time. It's like I have this mental block that allows me to forget right up until I yell "dinner" and we go to sit at the empty table. Making a mental note now...

And as always, everything I have learned, came in large part from Ina Garten.

*All photos courtesy of Southern Living

Individual Baked Berry Oatmeal

Back in the saddle again. Hey all- I'm home, school has started and I am ready to start the new year with some routine! I came across this recipe for baked individual oatmeal's and thought it was such a clever idea for us busy mom's gearing up for making breakfast on a daily basis again. Um, no, I don't usually make breakfast during the summer. My husband does that. Okay, so my husband usually makes breakfast anyway, even during the school year, but I do it sometimes. For those days I love doing stuff like this. This goes beyond breakfast before school. If your a working gal, this is the sweetest little breakfast to grab on the go, or even to store in the fridge for later in the week in it's own little package all ready whenever you are. Sweet and healthy!

Is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen in your life? Put anything in a jelly jar and I'm immediately smitten. I love oatmeal but who wants to sit at the stove and stir the pot all morning? Certainly not me. I love the idea of being able to custom make your little jar of oatmeal. You are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to the endless combinations that can be had here...Raspberries and macadamia nuts with coconut milk, blueberries and almonds with almond milk, strawberries with half and half as the base (shhh, I won't tell) peaches and whole milk with a bit of cream added in, and extra cinnamon. Holy toledo, have I gotten your taste buds going yet?!

This is a perfect make ahead item because the jars are very hot, as you could probably imagine, right out of the oven, but if you pop the lid on and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you go and get ready for the day, you have a perfectly warm cup of oatmeal waiting when you are done (they stay really warm with the lid on for up to a hour after you take them out). Can't wait that long? You can pick them up after about 5 minutes wrapped in a paper towel and 10 minutes with your hand. You could also bake these the night before and stash them in your refrigerator for the next day. Like I mentioned above, such a convenient little package to grab on the go. You can always microwave them (although I don't like to because it takes out many of the nutrients in the food) or re-heat in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or so, or eat them cold. I happen to really enjoy cold oatmeal, especially if it's really flavored like this one.

I'm going to write the recipe as I used it, but once you make these, you'll realize this is just a blueprint. Like I mentioned above, swap out and try different milks and liquid as the base, use different berries, top with the toppings of your choice, add more milk after it's baked, add some honey...yadda, yadda, yadda.

Enjoy! Back to school never looked this good!

Individual Baked Berry Oatmeal

adapted from Super Natural Everyday, by Heidi Swanson

serves 6

2 cups berry or fruit of your choice, plus extra for garnish

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter (I used melted coconut oil)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped almonds, for garnish

3 teaspoons brown sugar, for garnish (optional...I didn't use this)

6 8-oz. mason jelly jars for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the berries between six small mason jars. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Divide the dry mix between jars, layering on top of the berries, about 1/3 cup each.

Mix the milk, butter, maple and vanilla together. Pour a scant 1/2 cup on top of the oats, letting it seep through to the bottom. Place all the jars in a baking dish, sprinkle a few berries on top, and bake on the middle rack for about 25-30 minutes until liquid is absorbed, tops are just browned but the oats are still moist. Sprinkle the tops with the toasted almonds and brown sugar, if using, and serve warm.

Jars will be cool enough to hold with your hands in 10 minutes. I recommend putting the lids on the jars as they come out of the oven to keep them really warm while the outside cools.

Try to use fresh berries whenever possible. Frozen often turns the oatmeal a gray-ish color. With these measurements, the oatmeal will be slightly sweet, just the way I like it. If you know you like yours sweeter you can always top off the baked oatmeal's with more maple syrup (or honey or brown sugar) or you can add more into the base milk mixture before adding it to the cups. We liked adding fresh milk to our jars. So good.

Roasted Tomatoes with Spinach and Mushrooms over Pasta - Guest Post

Thanks to Meg for guest posting for me with such short notice. Please be sure to visit her blog and get to know her a little bit.

Hi all, I am Meg from henning love and happy to help Krysta. I'll be praying and thinking about her and her family while they go through this difficult time. Thinking of you Krysta...

Some days you just need to go meatless in my opinion. You need to fill up on those veggies, get the nutrients and vitamins they offer you and just feel a little bit healthier and make a super quick meal all in the same dish. I have the perfect meal for you to do just that!

Roasted tomatoes with spinach and mushrooms over pasta.

First, gather your ingredients, 2 pints grape tomatoes, 1 cup chopped mushrooms ( I have used both white button and cremini mushrooms, both are excellent, the photos below are white button), 1/2 sweet onion, chopped, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 bag of spinach( 6oz.), 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 pound of pasta, white or wheat is fine, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and get a sheet pan out to roast the tomatoes. Spread the tomatoes on the baking sheet,

sprinkle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then some salt and pepper to season. Roast the tomatoes for 10 minutes or until they begin to burst.

Cook your pasta according to directions on the box or bag while the tomatoes are roasting.

In a skillet, heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil then saute onions and mushrooms together, until the mushrooms are soft approximately 5-6 minutes. Then add in the garlic and the spinach. Let the spinach wilt.

Be sure to check on your tomatoes too during all these steps! When the tomatoes are roasted enough, pull them out of the oven and add them to the other veggies in the skillet.

Drain the pasta when it is finished cooking. Then combine the pasta with all the veggies in one pan.

Top the dish off with the mozzarella cheese, I like to put a lid on it to let the cheese melt a bit, which can create a cheese sauce consistency. Eat, enjoy and keep smiling!

Slow Cooker Salsa Pulled Pork- Guest Post

Say hello to Michelle of the blog Brunette and Blessed! She has a great dinner to share with us and to relieve you of my never-ending vegetarian recipes with some pork! Take it away Michelle!

Slow Cooker Salsa Pulled Pork

Serves 6 to 10 ( I divided this recipe in half, if you do the same-follow all the same instructions but cut cook time to 8 hours. The following is a whole recipe, not cut in half.)

4 pounds port butt (shoulder roast)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 fresh garlic cloves
12 ounces of salsa ( I used Giant Eagles Organic salsa -mild)

Place the pork in a slow cooker. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper
Smash the garlic cloves and peel them. Chop them roughly and sprinkle them over the pork. Pour the salsa over the pork and garlic.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and set on low for 12 hours

After 12 hours, shred the pork (it should be melting and tender). Serve with rice, beans and Salsa.

So, I duplicated this recipe after going to a cooking class. So much fun. I even went to the Indian grocery store and bought this great rice!

I highly recommend this recipe. It was a huge success. My husband does not like tomatoes and he could not even tell they were in the salsa because it all cooks into the meat.
Here is a few pictures of the process. Warning raw meat is not very pretty.

So yummy!

Enjoy! Have a great week!