Boneless Ribs...a wonderful idea!

So I like the flavor of ribs, but not the mess. I have found the perfect solution...boneless country style ribs. No, they are not exactly the same but they are close enough for me! I have had them before, crockpot style, and they were good...but not like "rib" good. I have been looking for a recipe that would make these ribs taste like "RIBS" for a long time and finally found one worthy of trying. They were wonderful!!! I forgot the take pics because I was sooooo hungry after smelling them for 2 hours. I found the recipe here and added/changed a few things. My changes are in italics.



BAR-B-Q COUNTRY STYLE RIBS (adapted from Cooks.com recipe)

1 cup ketchup (I added about 1/4 cup more)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because I like my bbq a little sweeter, however I think I'll try regular vinegar next time to see the difference)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tbsp. brown sugar (I doubled this making it 4 tbsp)
Sprinkle garlic powder (I like garlic so I sprinkled a lot)
1 small onion, chopped fine
I added 2 drops of liquid smoke, black pepper and a little salt to taste.
2 to 3 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Place ribs in 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. While ribs are browning, mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour grease from ribs. Pour sauce over ribs and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours (mine only took 1 1/2 hours, I used a thermometer to know when they were done) basting once or twice during cooking time. Serves 4 to 6.

Great Deals and Great Food

First let me say that I love The Grocery Game. The small cost every two months is so worth it because of how much money you save. Yes it takes a little time, but not as much as if you were to do all the work yourself. Here is an example...
Today I spent: 116.46
I saved: 95.93
I got: 16.00 coupons for next time I'm shopping (they spend like money at which ever store you got them)
I'm also getting: 15.00 in rebates on a Walgreens gift card

I wish I would have taken a picture of everything I got so that you could get the full affect. It is sooooo exciting when you see the receipt that says you saved more than you spent!! Even better when you know that you are getting a rebate for more that you paid (that happened today at Walgreens!)
If you decide to give it a try you can use if for a month for $1. If you decide to sign up I would greatly appreciate the referral credit. Add a comment and I will be happy to give you my email for you do enter as the referral.

Now onto the food! I love making chili and soup when it's cold outside...and it was definately cold today :) Anyway, I noticed a recipe for White Chicken Chili on the side of a can of Bush's Best Navy Beans. I had some turkey left over that we had frozen after cooking a bird for the holidays so I decided to use that instead of chicken. It was fantastic!!!

Here is the recipe with my change in italics.

White Chicken Chili

3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (i used half an onion)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained (i didn't drain them, there wasn't very much liquid)
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cans (16 oz) Bush's Navy or Great Northern Beans
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken breast (i used turkey)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)

In large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; cook until hot. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and salsa, if desired.


I used cheese and sour cream and it was perfect for a cold winter day! I hope you try it and enjoy!

A Long Time

I can't believe that I haven't posted since August. Well, a lot has happened since then. My husband lost his job in May of last year and I was ok with it for a while. I had the wonderful opportunity to be the colorguard instructor at Springville High School last fall and I poured all my energy into that. Around October I became depressed and didn't do much of anything. My hubby got a seasonal job in November and is still there part time (I am very thankful for that!) Anyway, a few weeks ago I made the decision to improve my health and it has been great...hard but great! This time the decision was different because it came from spending more time with God; reading His Word, praying and reading books that encouraged me spiritually and emotionally. This time it's not about how fat I am. It's about taking care of my body the way God wants me too. He wants me to put good things into it and learn the discipline of excercise. My attitude is different, my relationships with my husband and my son are different and I have so much more energy. My husband has been very supportive of this change and even joined me at the gym a few days ago! My sister has been a huge part of this too! We meet at the church to walk/run, workout and play with our boys. It has been so much fun!!! I could not be doing this without her :)
I have been cooking and I will post some things soon...especially since Super Bowl Sunday is coming up!
Happy 2009 to all!