Slow Cooker Turkey Carnitas

Today I am thankful for:

1. Yummalicious Turkey Carnita Soft Tacos. I sautéed the leftovers tonight and the meat was even better the second time. My entire family said we need to make this again soon! Go Mom! Recipe follows below.

2. Playful fun and laughter. I ended up with a six-foot-tall cardboard cut-out of Justin Bieber today (not to scale). I placed it in our daughter’s room for her to discover when she got home from school. Sneaky sneaky. We waited, breathless, as she went up to her room… and… screamed… and then laughed hysterically. After we calmed down, we put it in our son’s room and managed to scare him, too. Then, we put smirking, flat Justin by the front door for the UPS man. Much mischief has transpired in our home today.

3. I left my door open at my office today. A woman sitting all by herself in the waiting area began to sing hymns of praise in her native African tongue. I just sat back and listened. I felt incredibly blessed during this sacred moment. I was able to tell her what a blessing she was when I went out to get one of my clients. We both smiled… and I know God was smiling, too. Beautiful.

What are you thankful for today?

Slow Cooker Turkey Carnitas

(Adapted from the OH Kitchen Crock Pot Turkey Carnitas)

• 3 lb. Turkey thighs (skinned)
• 1-2 tbs. Olive oil
• 3 tsp. steak seasoning (I used Fiesta Extra Fancy Texas Style Steak Seasoning)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 (4 oz.) cans minced Hatch green chiles
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup dark beer
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 lime

1. Generously season turkey thighs with steak seasoning. Brown turkey thighs in 1 tbs. olive oil in a skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides. Place thighs in slow cooker on high heat.
2. Sauté onions in the skillet with the rest of the olive oil for 3-5 min. until translucent (sprinkle a little salt and pepper onto the onions for flavor). Add garlic and jalepenos. Sauté an extra 2 minutes.
3. Place veggie mixture and bay leaves on top of the turkey thighs in the slow cooker.
4. Stir together green chiles, beer, chicken broth, cumin, cayenne pepper and oregano. Pour over thighs.
5. Cut lime in half and add halves to slow cooker and cover. After 1 hour, remove lime, stir, and continue to cook for 5-6 hours on low. Stir occasionally.
6. The turkey is done when it shreds with a fork. Remove bay leaves and allow to cool with cover removed (to reduce liquid).
7. Serve on warm flour tortillas with diced cabbage, cilantro, sliced avocado, Herdez green salsa, (or my husband prefers Cholula), and grated monterey jack cheese.
8. The meat is great “refried” with a little olive oil in a skillet (makes little crunchy bits).

I would love to share your blessings today. It is always a blessing to share gratitude with others!