I’m a realistic person, in general. I know my chances of becoming a billionaire in this life are slim to none…which is why I’ve set my sights on becoming a MEGA MILLIONAIRE instead, muwahahaha!
The Mega Millions lotto jackpot is up to an unethical amount of money right now – $330 million – so Ben and I cashed in a few dollars for some tickets to see if we could cash out big time.
Well, actually Ben got the Mega Millions jackpot tickets…I accidently got Powerball tickets thinking they were the same thing. Fail.
I’m sure the guy at the store I bought these at was laughing his rear off as I left, most likely knowing I meant to buy the Mega Millions tickets, instead of the measly $34 million jackpot Powerball ones.
I know…measly?!
Anyways, you’ll know tomorrow morning if we strike it rich. Larabars for all if we do! 
In other news, I had to tell Ben to pipe down during dinner tonight – he wouldn’t stop exclaiming how “bomb” it was: Crock Pot Carnitas Tacos! 
I followed The Kitchn’s pork carnitas recipe which slow cooks pork shoulder in a unique & exotic-tasting flavor combo containing orange juice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and peppers in adobo sauce, until it turns outrageously tender & succulent!
I’m not kidding when I say that after 8.5 hours in the crock pot – the pork roast literally shredded itself. 
To make my tacos, I started with a corn tortilla,
then added the shredded pork on top. (FYI I should clarify – I DO like pork, just not New Years Day pork!)
On goes zesty coleslaw, courtesy of The Neely’s,
and you’re done!
Oh, I forgot. Repeat!
Crock pot carnitas tacos!
The pork has the most unique flavor – Ben was seriously spoon-drinking the cooking liquid – and the coleslaw combines cabbage with lime juice, rice vinegar and sugar which makes the perfect combo of crunchy, sweet & sour!
The tacos needed a little somethin’ somethin’ so I squeezed a lime wedge in sour cream and drizzled it on top.
PERFECT!
Ben cooked up some potato rounds,
and made Meat & Potato Burritos.
Tehehe, look at his little skewer!
It certainly never gets boring around here…
Not only does Ben not like New Years Day pork, he just doesn’t love pork in general. I took a gamble on this dish (pun intended) thinking he’d like it, and he toooootally did! He was nuts for it, actually. Make it, mmkay?
Off to go stare at my lotto ticket until the drawing at 10. Wish us luck!
~~~~~
Finish this sentence: “If I won the lotto, the first ridiculously indulgent thing I’d buy (after doing the right thing and saving/donating/etc) is ______.”
A private plane!!
Mmmm that looks so good! Just like the carnitas from Chipotle!
Toly is not so much into pork either but I think he would flip over this dish. ANything in the crock pot gets better with age too so I;m sure the meat was perfectly cooked.
Wow, if I won the lotto I think I would buy myself a plane ticket to travel the world.
Hi Kristin! I’m a new reader and love your blog. I was looking at the shot glasses you used to hold up your tacos (excellent idea – I’ll be using that method in the future) and saw that you have a Gamma Phi Beta shot glass. Were you a Gamma Phi? If so, so was I. It’s always fun to find out someone is a “sister.”
I was! At the University of Northern Iowa
I was at the University of Nebraska!
Range Rover. For sure.
A new house with a GINORMOUS kitchen!
A storefront for a bakery! That, or a year-long international vacation.
Pork is the greatest meat there is, and these tacos look delightful! Very nice. Love the idea of using slaw here for some texture. And I also love it that you threw potato rounds in there. Reminds me of the “potato oles” we used to get at Taco John’s!
Let my parents retire early! Oh, and take a nice, l o n g vacation to somewhere warm, Hawaii possibly. Chicago winters are wayyy to harsh!!!
I made pork like this once, and it was an epic fail. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Must be something about men and tacos. We had them last night and Mr. Fish gobbled up at least three.
I would buy a house with a ginormous kitchen, and then maybe go on a vacation to an exotic location where you can stay in those huts, that aren’t really huts, on the ocean with the glass floors.
Omgosh, that looks amazing, I’ll have to make is ASAP…I know my husband would love it.
And I would buy a beach house on the ocean!
i would buy a house for my husband and i, and then one for his parents. and go on a long vacation around the world!
I would open a bridal shop after paying off debt for family!
A backpacking trip in Ireland. Ended by staying in one of their castles!
We got 2 tickets for the mega millions–ahhh!! Best of luck!
To answer your ?…a house and a frickin’ expensive camera lens.
Buy an apartment in NYC. Oh yes….I would.
Good luck tonight!
A vacation house! I wonder if it’s too late to buy now. Calling the husband.
It’s not too late! Go for it!
All of your posts are so funny! I totally wish I could be as witty on my blog. But..if I won the lotto, the first most ridiculously indulgent thing I would buy would be..window tints? Is that weird? I have always wanted them because I have NONE on my car. LOL.
ME TOO, Kristin!!! I’d travel (with lots of friends & family) till we needed a break at our ocean front house in Malibu:)
I would buy a villa in tuscany.
i’m playing the mega millions, too(here in nj that is, LOL).
i want tacos. like, badly…mmm, those look good.
after paying off school and buying my parents some property in LBI-look it up if you dont know what it is, lol…trust me-i’d probably buy a ticket to st maarten and come back–whenever i feel like it, i suppose. i’d obviously have to get a vuitton pégase 65 to replace my old LL bean carry-on too.
Supper looked delicious. Thinking my husband would like this one, he likes anything with coleslaw. If we won a huge deal of money I would buy a winery in a moderately warm all year long climate!
A trip around the world!
A maid, a cook, a trainer and an assistant stylist!
In that order! That is pretty rediculous right?
Love the taco recipe! I would actually downsize my house and travel more…take my husband’s whole family on a great trip every year, all on me. I would also carry 5 50′s in my purse and given them away to folks who look like they need them, buy their groceries, etc….that would be the most fun!
Holy crap nuggets that looks good! I’d buy a house for sure!! A big one so I could have a ginormo garden in the back and a room for each of the 10 kids I plan on having and a complete gym where my personal trainer could kick my butt everyday…and of course the sweetest kitchen ever built.
It’s fun to dream, huh?
I would pay enough money to convince Whole Foods to land in Des Moines!
I hope, I hope, I hope!!!
after paying of my student loans from college I would……buy a boat! (I love super close to Boston harbor, so i’d dock it down the street). mmm oh yea, then I’d buy a condo on the harbor. yep.
I need to play the lotto more often. You can’t win if you don’t play, right?
I’d get a personal trainer…AND a personal chef. Maybe an assistant?
Exactly! You lose 100% of the shots you don’t take!
haha, I have a Gamma Phi shot glass too!
I laughed when reading about the skewer — b/c I noticed the shot glass stand
Love the creative genius! For some reason, the tacos reminded me of my fave tacos out to eat: Granite City’s spicy shrimp tacos (perhaps it was the sklawand sour cream drizzle that reminded me?)
I think Larabar’s for everyone is a terrific idea… As for something ridiculous I could spend my money on? Definitely a vacation home in Colorado, the Carribean and along the East Coast somewhere… I just couldn’t decide on mountains, tropics, or ocean-towns…
this is such an awesome post…i’m in love with my slow cooker these days, and we are always up for a great taco recipe! let’s see…indulgent thing i’d buy? a vacation home in the British Virgin Islands!!! and a boat to use there too
The first thing I would do is pay off my college debt that is quickly piling up! It makes me nervous to think about how much I’m going to have to pay off after another two years of school! It’s boring, but true. I’d probably also buy a nice camera, too
The tacos look delicious! Is pork shoulder expensive? I’m so bad at determining if a cut of meat is worth the price!
Not usually – and they are often on sale. I got a 4lb shoulder cut for around $8!
I’ve forbidden myself from playing the lottery because I honestly think I’m going to win and then I’m pretty heartbroken in the morning, you know, cause I’ve already envisioned how I’d spend the money. It’s a sad, sad story…
Oh I know, it’s a sad, viscious circle! That’s why I only play when the jackpot is stupidly high!
I was a G Phi too! At Creighton in Omaha
love in brown & mode!
First thing I would purchase is a nice (or as nice as they can be:) wheelchair van so I could take my son out and do things! He’s 19 and I don’t have a van and can no longer lift his 6 foot plus 190 pound frame into a car by myself so he doesn’t get out much. After that, the world would be my oyster. A brand new house (green and chemical free) would be in order with lots of pretty chandeliers (for sparkle), some wood floors (maybe a marble foyer or foyee as I would have to say), 5 inch baseboards and tons of crown molding. Oh and a nice big porch out back that looks over the lake! How exciting that would be! Whee! Toss in a big, organized pantry so I could cook all day and lay out by the pool in between meals, lol.
P.S. The slow cooker pork looks amazing.
I loved your reply.
I hope that you find the moo-lah $$ to make both your and your son’s dreams come true someday!
A flight to Scotland!
I would buy a house on the ocean in California!
Oh also, great recipe!! I have a guy who I might make this for!!
If i won the lottery i would buy 2-3 vacation houses in different countries, buy a big house to live in, buy a new car for my family members & myself…. Oh i wish….
Lottery winnings; I’d invest so that I wouldn’t have to go to work anymore. I’ve been at it for thirteen years…I’m ready to retire!
I just heard on the news that one of the Mega Millions winners lives in Iowa!?!? So you won, right?!
Your husband cracks me up!!
Private plane is a good one! I would travel, travel, travel and buy houses on each coast.
The crock pot is definitely a miracle worker. These tacos looks RIDIC!
I am sending this over to my boyfriend immediately. No pork for me, but he is going to cry of happiness.
I would buy a new wardrobe for sure!!!
Those tacos looked phenom!!! I love pork – but now that we have a smoker, I can’t seem to get Big Guy to let me cook pork in side.
Maybe his obsession will pass.
I’m a little creeped out by this post because:
A.) We had crock pot pork for dinner last night (BBQ Pork sandwiches)
B.) We also bought lotto tickets last night — didn’t win
C.) My husband’s name is also Ben, so I generally think your posts are eerrie to me as I read them. Haha!
I would build a house! A huge house on a farm! And buy myself a new car! And travel, travel, travel!
Hahaha, that is nuts!!!
If I won I would take our whole family -both sides -grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, great-nieces on an epic family reunion to somewhere tropical and warm!
No brainer – A beach house!!!!
For some reason, I couldn’t comment last night. I tried multiple times and got so MAD! Anyway, I’d re-do my kitchen, and hire a maid!
Aunthetic pork carnitas are slow cooked, then friend in pork fat for a crispy, crunch. Here (lots of migrant farm workers), the Mexican restaurants serve them on a corn tortilla w/ white onions and cilantro. That’s it. No cabbage slaw, cheese, sour cream, salsa. Divine. I made them on Sunday, but slow roasted in the oven, shredded, then under the broiler to get crispy.
I mean fried, not friend
I need to make these!! They look so delicious and super easy! I love the sweet and sour combination. Yummy!