CrockPot BBQ Ribs

                                                     3 pounds baby back ribs trimmed

 salt and ground black pepper, to taste

 1/2 cup water

 1/2 onion, sliced onion

1 cup of your Favorite BBQ sauce

Season ribs with salt and pepper.

Pour water into slow cooker. Layer the ribs into the slow cooker. Top the ribs with onion and BBQ sauce. 

Cook on High for 4 hours (or Low for 8 hours).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Transfer ribs to a baking sheet. Discard onion and garlic. Coat ribs with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Bake in preheated oven until the sauce caramelizes and sticks to the meat, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve!

Peep Krispie Treats

Peep Krispies Treats

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter or margarine (divided)

4 3-ounce packages Marshmallow Peeps (in 4 different colors)

6 cups Crispy Rice cereal (divided)

Instructions

Prepare an 8-9" loaf pan by lining with foil and spraying lightly with cooking spray.

Divide the Peeps by 11s of the same color - 11 pink, 11 yellow, 11 purple, 11 blue or whatever colors you like.

In a deep, medium sized microwaveable dish, microwave 11 of the same color peeps with 1 tablespoon of butter on high for 45 seconds. Watch closely so the Peeps don't flow over the sides of the bowl. Stir butter and Peeps together until fully melted and incorporated. Stir in 1½ cups of cereal until fully coated. Press firmly, with buttered hands, into the loaf pan. Having several bowls ready to mix in really helps the process go more smoothly. Washing one while the other is being used. You don't want the colors to mix.

Repeat steps 3-4 with the other Peeps colors.

Allow to cool completely, around 2 hours, remove from pan, and slice.  I cut the pan into fourths, then cut each slice into half. 

Bell pepper boats

When I'm feeling rushed or a bit on the lazy side, I will use leftover taco meat in the pepper shells. Add some salsa to the meat, put in the boat's, top with the cheese, heat and eat. Mmmm, either way it's very good.

Bell pepper boats.

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup salsa

1 cup grated cheddar jack cheese 

3 bell peppers (red and yellow are sweeter)

Directions

Remove seeds, core, and membrane from bell peppers then slice each one into 6 vertical pieces where they dip down. Set sliced bell peppers aside.

Cook ground turkey over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks. Cook until the turkey loses its pink color and is cooked through. Drain off any fat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine cooked turkey with spices and salsa. Evenly distribute mixture into the bell pepper boats, top with cheese. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are hot.

Remove from the oven and add additional toppings, If desired, such as sour cream, scallions, or extra cheese. :)

Ginger snaps

This is one of my grandma's recipes and a family favorite for years. My mom watched grandma make these cookies many times to get the measurements down. You see, grandma baked by sight and feel, measuring with handsfull of this and pinches of that.  I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as we do and Happy baking.

Grandma’s Ginger Snaps

1 c. sugar                        

1 TBL. ginger

1 c. shortening                  

1 c. Sorgum or molasses

1 egg                                 

4 c. or more of a. p flour

2 TBL. hot water                

 1 tsp. vanilla

1 TBL. soda ( mix in the hot water)

Mix sugar and shortening until creamy, add egg. Add soda to hot water mix and mix into the sugar mixture. Add molasses, ginger and mix well. Then gradually mix in the flour until a workable consistency. 

Roll into one inch balls and place on greased cookies sheets. Press thin with glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. The time is a guess as each oven bakes differently. Watch for browning.

Cool on wire rack. Enjoy.

Oven baked Rice Pudding

So simple and yet so delicious. I love it at room temperature or warmed up slightly in the microwave. Right out of the oven is great too, if you can't wait to eat some. The nutmeg is optional because I don't like nutmeg. :)

OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING!!

2/3 c. Minute Rice

2 3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 c. raisins

Directions:

Combine Minute Rice, milk & raisins, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla & nutmeg in a buttered 1 quart baking dish. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 h, stirring after 15 mins & again when pudding is done. 

Cloud bread

Cloud bread

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated

3 Tablespoons cream cheese

¼ tsp cream of tarter

Optional: 1 Tablespoon Honey or some natural sweetener, salt, garlic powder, rosemary, onion powder, your choice.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 º

Separate the eggs, there must be no yolk in the white.

In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cream cheese and honey until smooth.

In the second bowl add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form  nice peaks and hold their peaks.

Slowly fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and mix carefully, you don’t want to break the fluffiness of the egg whites too much. Do this as quickly as possible or the mixture may start melting – Spoon the mixture into 10-12 even rounds on the baking sheet, sprinkle with rosemary or your favorite spices and put it in the oven.

Bake for 17-20 minutes on the middle rack. Then broil for 1 minute and watch it until they become nice and golden brown. At this point make sure you watch them so they don’t burn.

Remove from the oven and let cool and enjoy! They can be stored in the container on your counter-top for 3 days. They can also be stored in the refrigerator for 7 days and they can also be stored in the freezer. If you decide to toast them, set the timer for 1 minute or the sides may burn.

Spaghetti Squash Delite

Spaghetti Squash delight

Wipe the squash clean, score in a straight line the long way of the squash. Microwave for 5 minutes on high to soften. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cut in half lengthwise. Brush meat of squash with oil and season with your favorite seasoning. I like to use an Italian type seasoning. Place on cookie sheet cut side down.. Back in 375º preheated oven for 40 minutes. Turn over and scape the meat of the squash with a fork making spaghetti like strands.

Pour you favorite spaghetti sauce, with or without meat over the squash, top with shredded cheese. I like to use a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve as is or plate as you want. I eat it right out of the squash shell. Mmmmmm. Spaghetti dish without the calories, carbs or guilt of the noodles. :)