So. Here we are at the start of my third trimester. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that I woke up to a positive pregnancy test, and now I’m roughly 12 weeks away from having a baby! I’m equal parts thankful, excited and intimidated by this thought. It’s all downhill from here.
Corey and I are enjoying our final weeks as a duo. We’re going on a mini vacation next week (to Ojai and Santa Barbara – can’t wait!) and generally taking time to appreciate one another in this calm before the parenthood storm. He’s being incredibly kind and patient, putting up with my various nesting activities and general anxiety about everything from nursery furniture to ill-fitting underwear. The least I can do is make the man some pulled pork.
Corey broadly defines pork – all pork – as his favorite food. As a North Carolina native, he has a particular allegiance to pulled pork, something that’s hard to come by in San Francisco. Many restaurants offer it but not in a classic North Carolina style. A couple of years ago, I was surprised to find a recipe for North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches in Every Day with Rachael Ray – hardly an authority on Southern cuisine. But guess what? The recipe is phenomenal. The pork comes out perfectly tender, with a nice bit of crunch on the outer layers. It’s nicely seasoned and as flavorful as it can be when cooked in a plain old oven. We rarely make it into sandwiches, choosing instead to eat it by the forkful with a side of cole slaw. And while I have yet to master that Southern classic, I’m happy to say I put a new twist on it by using packaged broccoli slaw and a homemade dressing found right on the back of my jar of celery seed. Dare I say I enjoy broccoli slaw more than traditional cabbage slaw?
If you share Corey’s passion for pork, give the above recipe(s) a try. The pork, in particular, is enough to feed a crowd – or to yield a week’s worth of leftovers for two people hankering for a taste of home.
seriously, you’re only 12 weeks away?! wow, time has really flown by! you guys are going to be amazing parents! hope y’all have a great time on your mini-vacay…make sure you take pictures for us
I’ve been enjoying reading about your pregnancy food adventures…I can’t believe you’re 12 weeks away!
I think anything that features meat is my honey’s favorite! I always pick up pork shoulder on sale and then make pulled pork in my slow cooker. It’s so easy that way! I started adding Liquid Smoke to mine and it turns out tasting and smelling like the meat’s been smoking in a pit all day. Try it!
yum! i love pulled pork. i just made some a few weeks ago and it was delicious. yours looks great too. and congratulations and good luck on the baby!
Way to go making it to the third trimester! However, it’s not so easy after the first couple weeks of it. It gets much harder when your baby starts growing really fast!
You’re gonna be awesome though, enjoy your vacay!
Hello! I just found your blog through Eat, Live, Run and let out a little yelp when I saw that you’ll be “babymooning” in Ojai and Santa Barbara. That is EXACTLY what my husband and I are planning for September (I’m due in January). I can’t wait to hear all about it!