Crockpot Ribs

3 1/2 lbs pork loin back ribs (I usually buy a rack)
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 T liquid smoke
2 gloves garlic, chopped (I use tastefully simple garlic garlic)
1 Med onion, sliced
1/2 C cola
1 1/2 c barbecue sauce

1. Grease slow cooker
2. Mix brown sugar, pepper, salt, smoke and garlic; rub mixture into ribs. Cut into pieces. layer ribs and onions in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
3. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hrs. Remove ribs; drain liquid.
4. Place on grill. Brush on barbeque sauce. Grill about 15 minutes.

Watermelon and Feta Salad.

Mix 8 cups cubed watermelon with 2 to 4 oz feta . Toss with a dressing made from 1 tablespoon lime juice, t tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the salad with slivered fresh basil or mint. Serves 8.

Bow Tie Lasagna

* 1 pound Ground Chuck
* 5 cups Bow Tie Noodles
* 3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (or Pizza Sauce, Whatever You Prefer)
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
* 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
* ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
* ½ cups Sour Cream

Preparation Instructions

I am a “make it and taste it as I go” cook. I made this in a hurry tonight, and was amazed at the results; my girls could NOT get enough of it. (I love that kind of response, don’t get it as often as I wish.)

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. (I can’t guarantee your results on this, because I’m spoiled; I am a “home canner” and have the BEST sauce on my shelf, a home canned marinara sauce that I use for lots of stuff—pizza, spaghetti, and of course, THIS.)

Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve to your family and be prepared to have it disappear before your very eyes.

Fruit Pizza

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
fresh fruit or canned (I've never used canned) strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas, peaches are all good
1 c. water or fruit liquid
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
8 oz. Cream Cheese

Mix together butter, powdered sugar and flour: bake on pizza pan in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; spread over cooled crust.

Arrange fruit over cheese mixture.

Glaze. Combine 1 c water or fruit liquid, cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice. Cook until thick, then cool and spoon over fruit. chill.

I don't use all the glaze, it gets too soupy.

Chicken lettuce wraps

Joy Bauer

Serves 4

Nutrition Information

Calories – 298
Protein – 27 g
Total Fat – 9 g
Saturated Fat – 2 g
Cholesterol – 80 mg
Sodium – 610 mg
Carbohydrate – 34 g
Fiber – 5 g

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced
• 3 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons grated or finely minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground chicken (at least 90% lean)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup bottle Chinese plum sauce
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot chili paste, such as sriracha (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish (optional)
• 1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce

DIRECTIONS

Liberally coat a large skillet with oil spray, and preheat it over medium-high heat.

Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water at a time as necessary to prevent scorching.

Reapply oil spray if necessary, and add the ground chicken to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, breaking the meat into a fine crumble with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Season with the salt and pepper.

Add the plum sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste and stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until heated through.

Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the cashews and cilantro. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Clean the lettuce and break off 12 individual leaves (trim away the stem end of the leaves if they are tough). Fill each lettuce cup with roughly ½ cup of the chicken mixture. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 c chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ dry sherry
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 14 oz can fat free less sodium chicken broth
1 10 ¾ oz can condensed reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
4 pds chicken pieces skinned
1 cup frozen peas
¼ c water
2 tblsp cornstarch

Dumplings
2 c. baking mix (Bisquick)
2/3 c fat free milk

1. Heat dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sherry and next 4 ingredients to mushroom soup. Bring to a boil. Add chicken pieces bring to a boil. Cover reduce heat, simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.

2. Remove chicken, cut meat from bones into bite size pieces. Discard bones, chill chicken 15 minutes

3. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan and stir well.

4. To prepare dumplings, combine baking mix and milk, Drop dough into chicken mixture to form 16 dumplings. Bring to a simmer, cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until dumplings are done.

Serving size 1 ½ cup and 2 dumplings. Calories 373

Fiesta Chicken Burritos

1-1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 pkg (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese
8 flour tortillas, warmed

Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.


Place chicken ina greased 4 qt slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno and seasonings; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to the slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Spoon 3/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; add toppings of your choice. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up.

Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Beat together 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 c confectioner's sugar, and 1 tbslp canned pumpkin puree until soft peaks form.

Different Salsa

1/2C Oil
1/2C Rice Vinegar
1/2C Sugar- Boil first three ingredients- add salt and pepper to taste
1 green pepper chopped
1/2C chopped celery
1 bunch green onion chopped
1 can pinto beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 can shoe peg corn (or sweet corn)
1 jar chopped pimentos
2 oz canned, chopped jalapenos (I use fresh)

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

1 c. butter (1/2 butter and 1/2 oleo)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together, press 2/3 in to 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan.

Mix and melt together
15 oz sweetened condensed milk
12 oz chocolate chips
2 tblsp butter
1/2 tsp salt

add 1 cup nuts
2 tsp vanilla

Pour over pressed bars and sprinkle remaining 1/3 over top

Bake 20 minutes at 350

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

12 slices of cubed, white bread, crusts removed
1 or 2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, cubed
1 cup of frozen blueberries
12 large eggs
1/3 cup of maple syrup
2 cups of milk

Butter (or cooking spray) a 13x9 pan
Put half of bread in the pan
Scatter cream cheese over bread
Sprinkle blueberries over cr. cheese
Top w/ remaining 1/2 of bread
Whisk together eggs, milk & syrup & pour over bread
Cover w/foil and refrigerate overnight
Preheat oven to 350
Bake for 30 min., covered
Remove foil & bake 30 min. until puffed & golden

Blueberry Syrup

In sauce pan, stir together:
1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water & 2 tbls. of cornstarch
Cook over medium heat until thick
Add 1 cup of blueberries & simmer, stirring occassionally, for 10 min.
Add 1 tbls. of butter (optional)
Serve warm

amazing pancakes

I make them in a blender and then just pour them right on the griddle- just make sure griddle is really hot so they don't stick.
6-7 eggs
12 oz cottage cheese
1/3 C whole wheat flour...
1/3 C wheat germ
1/3 C olive oil
1/3 C milk (can use plain yogurt)
1/2 t almond flavoring
I use fat free cottage cheese and milk. You want the pancakes pretty thin so they aren't mushy inside, add a splash more milk if needed, and walla!

Pizza Casserole

This is a recipe of my moms. It is really easy and kids love it.
1/2 to 3/4 bag of egg noodles
1 lb hamburger or ground turkey
2 cans pizza sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 c each of mozzarella and cheddar cheese soup
Boil noodles
Brown hamburger, drain. Add pizza sauce and cheddar cheese soup stir until melted. Mix together with noodles in a 9 by 13 pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes add cheese and back another 15 minutes.

Butternut squash and white bean soup

1 tblsp olive oil
2 c chopped onion
1 butternut squash peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces.
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
5 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
2 15 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 tblsp orange juice
1 tsp cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
heat the oil in a large pot over medium high. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add the squash, salt and spices. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add water or broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender. about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, juice and vinegar. Puree in a food processor or blender. add salt and pepper to taste.