Ribs!

My son has been craving ribs for some time. He has asked for them repeatedly and I just haven't had time. I found a big slab of St. Louis style ribs on sale at the grocery this week and am cooking them for him tonight. I will start out with a rub made by combining about a cup of brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon each thyme, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub this into the ribs and put them in the crock pot with just a little water in the bottom. Let them cook on high for about 5 hours. Then set them out of the crock pot and let cool a bit. I like to finish them on the grill for the flavor. Of course, any bottled barbecue sauce would be wonderful on these, but I have a recipe for a homemade sauce that we like.

1 c ketchup, 1 c red wine (or cider) vinegar, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/4 c molasses (I use sorghum but honey works too)1 1/2 t liquid smoke, 1/4 t pepper, 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 t onion powder. Combine all ingredients in a pan over high heat, whisk until smooth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook 30-40 minutes, until thick. Use like you would any barbecue sauce. Happy grilling!

Weather or Not?

I have planned supper, grilled pork chops (with a fabulous glaze), mashed potatoes and green beans, but the weatherman seems to think I won't be able to grill tonight. I guess if the storms come in like the news said, I will just have to fix this tomorrow night.

For the glaze, in a saucepan, mix 1 c water, 1 c brown sugar, 1 slice onion, 3/4 c pineapple juice (or 1/2 c crushed pineapple), 1/2 t ground red pepper, 1 clove garlic (crushed), and 1/2 c teriyaki sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer til reduced by at least half. It will be very thick. Baste the chops (or whatever you are grilling) with the sauce when almost done. Turn and baste again. The sauce is also good for dipping.

We like this glaze on everything, pork, chicken, steak, even burgers. Enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

Today is going to be crazy! I have a doctor's appointment this morning and I have to report to jury duty this afternoon. Not to mention the usual craziness of my life.

To take some of the hectic out of the day, I have put a package of chicken thighs in the crock pot. Seasoned with a few herbs from the garden outside my kitchen (oregano, thyme and rosemary), these will make a basis for supper. When I get home, I will pick the chicken meat off the bones, chop it, add a can of mixed veggies, a can of cream of chicken soup (or a jar of chicken gravy), maybe a handful of shredded cheese and dump it all in a frozen pie crust. Top with another crust (don't forget to cut a few slits in the top crust to vent the steam) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Now, if I had time I would peel, cut up and cook my own veggies to go in this, potatoes, carrots, corn and peas, but today I just don't think I will be able to do it all. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Calzones!

My kids want pizza for every meal. Sometimes, I feel the need to do something a little different.

Tonight I am making calzones, which are basically just giant pizza rolls. I have pizza crust making in my bread machine, but you can use canned pizza crust, frozen bread dough, even canned biscuits will work. Roll the dough out into a circle, fill with your favorite pizza toppings (minus sauce) fold over and seal. Cut a slit or two into the top and bake at 375 until very brown. Serve with a side a sauce. The kids love these and everyone gets the toppings they want.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Hello Dolly Bars

I was given this recipe by a friend of my husband. This is his favorite cookie and he wanted to make sure I knew how to make them. If you are familiar with "Magic Cookie Bars", these are similar.

1/2 box vanilla wafers, crushed (the blender works well for this)
1 stick butter, melted
1 small bag coconut
1/2 bag chocolate chips
1/2 bag butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened, condensed milk

Mix the butter and cookie crumbs and spread into a greased 9x13 pan, this is your crust. Sprinkle evenly with first the coconut, then the chips. Drizzle the can of milk evenly over the top and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool, cut and eat.

The original recipe calls for 1 c chopped pecans, but my kid don't like pecans so I leave them out or replace them with almonds. A graham cracker crumb crust tastes a little different, but is good, too, so is an Oreo crumb crust. Be creative, use a bag of M & M's, This is a really good recipe to change things up with. Enjoy!

Springtime Salads

This is the time of year that makes me crave fresh veggies, anything that doesn't come in a can. I found broccoli on sale this week and made a big bowl of fabulous salad. The kids (well, one of them, anyway) love it and I can make it once and serve it for as long as it last. My daughter even takes it in her lunch to school.

1 large head of broccoli, chopped, 1 c raisins, 4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, 1 small package sliced almonds, 1 c cheese crumbles, mixed well in a large bowl. 1 c mayonnaise, 1/2 c sugar and 2 T cider vinegar, mixed together and stirred into the veggies, chill and serve. YUM!

The original recipe called for red onions and cherry tomatoes, too. We don't like onions and I didn't have the tomatoes, but we like this like it is. I think you could use cauliflower in place of some of the broccoli, sunflower seeds for the almonds, the possibilities are endless. Happy cooking!

Not Quite Supper . . .

I know when you read these posts you are looking for something good to eat. The recipe I am posting today has nothing to do with supper ( or any meal for that matter), but it was given to me by a friend and I loved it. If you have ever used a sugar scrub in the shower, you know how nice they feel. Now you can make your own with things you probably have in your kitchen. This one was MUCH better than any I have ever bought and smelled like chocolate brownie batter. I hope you enjoy it.

1/2 c raw sugar, 1/4 c olive oil and 1 T cocoa powder. Mix the cocoa powder and sugar together first, then add the olive oil and mix well. Use as a scrub in the shower.

Lazy Sunday

It is a beautiful day, we have been to church, to walmart, stopped at McDonald's for breakfast and are back home curled up on the couch. I suspect this will a be a lay around in the sun and be lazy kind of day. To take advantage of the nice weather, I think I will grill out tonight. The kids like brats, so I will fix those and fries, along with a head of cauliflower I have in the fridge. I will steam it a little in the microwave, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and finish up on the grill. Would you believe my kids love the stuff? I don't know how I got so lucky to have the only kids I know who LIKE their veggies! Have a happy, sunny Sunday everyone.

Chess Bars

It is a beautiful sunshiny day here in the greater metropolitan area of Whitesville and I am thinking it would be a good day to get outside and do some yard work, maybe start cleaning up the area where my vegetable garden will soon be. The kids have already requested spaghetti for supper tonight and since that is SO easy I will spare you the details. However, I made chess bars to send to work with my wonderful husband today, so I will share that recipe with you. They taste like lots of work went into them, but they aren't that hard.

Start with 1 box white cake mix, 1 stick butter, melted, 2 eggs. Mix well, it will be very thick. Spread in a 9 x 13 cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Now mix 1 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened, 1 egg, 1/2 stick butter, melted and 2 cups powdered sugar, until smooth. Spread this over the cake mix batter, almost to the edges. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes, let cool before slicing. YUMMY!

Happy Saturday!

If My 7 Year Old Can Do This, You Can, Too!

Today my seven year old daughter wants to fix supper. We have planned a menu of fairly easy things to make for side dishes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, dinner rolls from the freezer, but for the entree, she has requested one of her favorites, Crockpot Chicken Cordon Blue. It is not difficult, rather it is a kind of a dump it all in the crock pot and let it cook meal, but it seems ambitious for a first attempt. We will see how it goes, maybe she has the makings of a great chef.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 4 ounces sliced ham, 4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese, 1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix, 1/4 cup butter, melted.

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. Layer chicken breasts over the sauce. Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese. Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers. Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

We are headed to the grocery for her to do the shopping. Happy cooking everyone!

Pizza Casserole

If your kids are like mine, they LOVE pizza. This casserole tastes like pizza, but is a one dish, easy to make (and easy to freeze if you want) kid pleaser. My husband likes it too. These ingredients are mostly suggestions, just use whatever pizza toppings your family likes. A loaf of garlic bread and a tossed salad make this casserole a meal.

You will need 1 (12 ounce) package uncooked pasta (whatever shape, we like rotini, 1/2 pound mild sausage, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce, 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced pepperoni, cut in half, 1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, 1/4 cup chopped Canadian bacon, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in macaroni, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage and onion until sausage is evenly brown and onion is tender. Drain grease. In a bowl, mix the pizza sauce, tomato sauce. Stir in the pizza toppings. Gently mix in the cooked macaroni until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover, top with cheese, and continue baking 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy your pizza and have a Happy Tuesday!

Monday again!

It is Monday, spring break and the NCAA championship game. My husband has the type of head cold that makes you crave something spicy because you can't taste anything else. I haven't done game food in a while and it seems appropriate tonight.

My kids have been asking for chicken nuggets, so I will make those ( boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks and tossed in shake n bake). For the grown ups I will make a spicy, sauce for the chicken. Melt a couple T butter, add a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, 1/2 c hot sauce, 1/4 c honey or molasses and 1/4 barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil and toss with the chicken.

For a buffalo type sauce, leave out the honey and the barbecue sauce. I will make fries to go with this, maybe some veggies (carrot sticks, celery sticks, etc.) If you are in a time crunch, you can use frozen chicken nuggets or tenders.

Happy Monday everyone!

THE Chocolate Cake

Yesterday I promised you the recipe for the best chocolate cake ever. This recipe came from the 'other' grandmother of one of my many cousins. It is often request my my husband's family and referred to simply as "that cake you make" If is more work than a box cake mix and a can of icing, but it is so much better that it is so worth the extra effort.

-mix together 2 c each sugar, self rising flour and 1 t cinnamon
-in a pan melt 2 sticks butter, add 4 T cocoa and bring to a boil.
_Pour cocoa mixture over flour and sugar mixture and mix well (it will not be enough liquid to blend completely
-add 2 eggs, 1/2 c milk, mix well. Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Icing

in a pan, bring 1 stick butter, 4 T cocoa and 6 T milk to a boil, remove from heat. Add 3 1/2 c powdered sugar (more or less, you are looking for a thick but still pourable consistency), and 1 t vanilla. Pour over cake while cake is still warm.

Enjoy the cake and Happy Easter.

Enchiladas

I am sitting in the dark living room before 7:00 a.m., listening to the rain through the open windows. I love springtime. My husband had to work today, but the kids and I will be dyeing Easter eggs and cleaning house to get ready for the big holiday tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be posting a recipe for the best chocolate cake you ever ate, but today I will stick with supper.

I have a package of beef stew meat I am going to simmer in a packet of taco seasoning mix in the crock pot all day. Ground beef, browned, drained and seasoned for tacos works as well. Shred the meat, and spoon about 1/4 cup in a line on a large flour tortilla, top with cheese, fold in both ends and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 pan and repeat until you are out of meat. Top with Enchilada sauce (it comes canned or in a packet. I have never tried to make it homemade). Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

I usually serve this with salsa rice (substitute 1/2 the water with salsa, cook according to the directions, sprinkle with cheese) and refried beans.

Happy Saturday in the rain.

Salmon Patties

Friday night, Good Friday, as a cradle catholic, there is no choice but to have fish tonight. My husband and I both like salmon patties, the kids, not so much. They will eat them, but not often.

I start with 2 cans of salmon, with the bones picked out. Add an egg, a teaspoon of dill, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs, and a heavy dash of black pepper. Mix well, shape into patties and brown in hot oil till done.

I like to serve these with mashed potatoes and green beans. My kids like the salmon patties better if I make a cheese sauce to go on top. Happy Easter weekend everyone.