I’ve done several different versions of this salad, and I love it every time. It’s delicious y’all.
 
If you like mozzarella cheese, you’ll love burrata. (I’m talking FRESH mozzarella, not the pre-shredded stuff in bag that’s coated in sawdust.) You can usually find burrata in the deli section of your grocery store, or wherever they sell the boujee cheeses. It’s basically just like fresh mozzarella, but the inside is deliciously creamy.
 
As a rule, I like to make my own salad dressings. I just feel better knowing exactly what’s in it.  I usually just grab a mason jar, add 1 part fat (olive oil for a vinaigrette, sour cream or Greek yogurt for a creamy dressing), 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus juice), seasonings, and sometimes I add an emulsifier like Dijon mustard, or honey as a thickener. Put the lid on, shake it up, and viola. Salad dressing. Use what you need, then put the lid on and in the fridge it goes. Now you have homemade salad dressing in your fridge. Look at you!
 
If I’m getting hangry and don’t have a jar of my homemade dressing ready, I reach for Garlic Expressions vinaigrette. It’s non-GMO, allergen-free, gluten free, and only has a few ingredients. I use this as a salad dressing and a marinade for meat and veggies. It’s really good.
 
Note:  Go light on the dressing for this salad. The burrata is so creamy it acts like a dressing itself. If you add too much dressing to the greens, you’ll just end up with a soggy mess.
 
Prosciutto is a wonderful addition to this salad. You can take it right out of the package, tear it into smaller pieces and add it to the salad, oooor you can be fancy and crisp it up in a pan. Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat, add the prosciutto and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Then, drain it on a paper towel. After it cools down slightly, you can break it into smaller pieces and sprinkle them on your salad. Crispy prosciutto is like thin little heavenly pieces of bacon that melt in your mouth.
 
I’m telling you… you’re gonna love this salad.

This is hands down my go to recipe for entertaining a crowd. For years, though, I would spend hours in the kitchen prepping everything, searing the meat, then braising it in various concoctions of beer or soda. It would take all day. As I got older, I grew wiser.  
 
Now, I take a pork butt, season it with my favorite seasoning, and throw it in the crockpot for about 8 to 10 hours. Done and done. It’s super simple and it’s always delicious.

The Name
Carnitas means “little meat.” Save your jokes, people. It’s braised or roasted pork served shredded in small pieces.
 
The Meat
Pork butt. It’s actually a pork shoulder, but for whatever reason, it’s called a pork butt. Let’s just go with it. My favorite is from Butcher Box, but the ones at Publix work just fine. You can get one with the bone in, or one with the bone removed, but it’s slightly more expensive.
 
The Seasoning
Lots of salt. Don’t be afraid of it. Salt is delicious. As Anne Burrell says, “season ferociously!” You also want to use a mojo seasoning here. It’s loaded with citrus and garlic making for a very flavorful piece of meat. My favorite is Konriko Dry Mojo seasoning. It’s available in most grocery stores. It has all the delicious flavor, and no yucky chemicals or preservatives.
 
Extra Extra
If you want to be extra you can toss in a quartered onion, and a few cloves of garlic. Either way, it’s delicious.
 
After the meat is cooked, take 2 forks and break apart the meat. Now, taste it. Does it need more salt? Season to taste.
 
I typically serve this as tacos, but it’s also delicious in rice bowls, salads, or avocado toast. You can even add it to a grazing table… but that’s another blog.

​Everyone loves a good milkshake, but these are not your mamma’s milkshakes! These are epic milkshakes!
 
For anyone concerned about keeping a spotless kitchen, keep on scrolling, this isn’t for you. These things are super messy, but that’s part of the fun! So, if you’re ok with sprinkles on the floor and milkshake drips everywhere, let’s have a little fun.
 
OK, step one, make your milkshake. Find your favorite flavor ice cream, add a little milk, and blend it up in the blender until smooth. 
 
Now for the fun part… toppings! The more toppings, the more epic the milkshakes!
​Get all the usual toppings:
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Caramel Sauce
Cherries
Sprinkles
 
Aaaaand now for the epic toppings:
Cookies
Candy Bars
Nerds (these are great because they’re like jumbo sprinkles)
Pirouettes (the chocolate filled wafer cookie straws)
Cotton Candy
Bubble Gum
SweeTarts
Peanut Butter Cups
And pretty much any other candy you can think of.
 
Roll the top part of the glass in (or brush on) chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or peanut butter. Then roll it in sprinkles, nerds, cookie crumbs, chocolates, etc.
 
Decorate the inside of glass by swirling chocolate sauce or caramel sauce inside.  Add your milkshake, and top with all the toppings you want. Go crazy!
 
It’s going to spill over onto the counter. It’s going to get messy. Embrace it. Go nuts and have fun!