I would love to hear some of your favorite holiday breakfasts!

Beyond Breakfast.

some of my favorite new recipes from this holiday season:
beer and pretzel caramels {i also added sea salt to the top}

chai shortbread {i used this recipe, but used Bellocq Hindu Holiday tea, finely ground, and then dipped them in semi-sweet chocolate + topped with sea salt}

a gift from Gilt Taste:
use the code simplybreakfast to save 20% on their site, from now until December 22nd.

I have an exciting announcement.....I am going to be teaching at Squam next fall in ITALY!!

I am excited to be a guest today on my friend, Jen's blog, Nectar. I am sharing a family recipe and a winter playlist. check it out!

some links to start off your week:

TO MAKE
these cranberry almond upside down cakes look amazing!

can't wait to make some preserved lemons,

and these salt and pepper gingerbread cookies.

TO LOOK AT
winter beauty.

gorgeous photos from Sarah Maingot.

Kinfolk Vol. II is now on sale in print and ipad versions {I am excited to be a contributor!}

also, later this week I have a very exciting announcement!

Something New.

I thought I would switch it up a little and post about something other than breakfast. Lately I have had a bit of an obsession with pulled pork. As a southerner, I was excited to try my hand at making my own. I decided to try a bit of a twist on North Carolina style pulled pork. I started with a Becker Lane Organic Farm Pork Shoulder and some amazing Blis Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup from Gilt Taste, and went from there.  If you are interested in learning more about the maple syrup, here ya go.

Maple & Apple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Place 3 lb pork shoulder in a slow cooker.
Mix together:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground paprika
pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
2 Tbs. Bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced

Pour mixture over pork and top with slices from 1 medium apple (peeled, cored, and sliced in 2 inch pieces-they will cook in with the pork). Cook on high for 1 hour. Lower slow cooker to low and cook until pork is fork tender. For me this took about 4 hours, but it could take longer depending on your cooker. When pork is fork tender, take out and trim and discard excess fat. Pull apart pork with a fork and toss back into cooking liquid in the slow cooker. You can add a little more maple syrup if you want and let it cook for another 30 min or so to soak up liquid.

My favorite way to enjoy pulled pork is on a brioche bun with slaw and a beer.

For some added goodness, take some of the liquid out of the slow cooker and deglaze in a pan. When making your sandwich, top pork with deglazed liquid (read: liquid GOLD) and slaw. It's so good!

Yield: about 4 servings

**added bonus: your home will smell amazing!

tis the season...

scrambled egg whites + onions.
and...weekend plans: