Boneless BBQ Ribs

If you have never cooked boneless ribs before, you MUST try these. And if you have, you must try THESE!!!! I don't think I've ever tasted anything so good before. They were super moist and super tender, and you can cut through them with a fork like butter. I found the recipe on this blog here.  I LOVE finding amazing recipes that I don't know how I ever lived without! 

Boneless BBQ Ribs
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6-8 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup liquid smoke
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced

Place ribs in a large roasting pan or two 9x13 pans. Mix sauce ingredients and pour half of the sauce over ribs. Cover pans tightly with foil and bake at 275 degrees for 6 hours. Remove ribs from drippings. Heat up other half of the sauce and serve over ribs.

Pound Cake with Strawberries

This recipe comes from Paula Deen.  You really can't go wrong with Paula Deen, in my opinion!  It is the perfect cake to serve with fresh strawberries and whipping cream.  It is not super dense like some pound cakes I've had, but it is moist and has a wonderful flavor.  If you want a sweet vanilla cake to serve with strawberries, this is the one! 

Mama's Pound Cake (Paula Deen)
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1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350. With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Chocolate Caramel Delights

Yummy!  I don't know what else to say about these.  I don't make them very often because they are so rich, and it takes a little bit of time to melt the caramels and put it all together, but they are so worth it!  The recipe came from one of my first cookbooks (and still one of my favorites) called A Pinch of Salt Lake.  I think a better name for these would simply be Chocolate Caramel Bars, but oh well.  They are delightful!

Chocolate Caramel Delights
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1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/8 cups melted butter
14-oz. bag caramels (48)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 12-oz. pkg. milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients to make mix.  Melt caramels and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat. Press 1/2 of mix into 9x13 ungreased pan (it will be a very thin layer).  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture and top with melted caramel mixture; sprinkle remaining mix on top (the caramel/chocolate layer will not be completely covered).  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Caputo's Summertime Pasta

I made this dish for lunch today for my mom and my sisters--yummy!  This pasta is perfect for summer with the fresh tomatoes and basil.  The mozzarella slightly melts from the warmth of the pasta when you mix it together.  It is heavenly!!!


Caputo's Summertime Pasta
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5 large tomatoes, stems removed, cut into large dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into small dice
1 lb. pasta


In a medium non-reactive bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.  Add enough olive oil to cover tomato mixture.  Marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 or 3.  Drain the mozzarella and allow to come to room temperature. 


Cook the pasta and drain.  Add the tomato mixture and mix well.  Toss in the mozzarella, mix well and serve. 


(notes:  I substituted plum tomatoes (and I used way too many as you can tell by the picture!), I used about twice as much basil as on the recipe, I used about a cup of olive oil, I used about 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, and I used thin spaghetti--so much for paying attention to the quantities!)

Banana Bread

Everyone has their favorite banana bread recipe, and here is mine.  I got it from my sister YEARS ago, and it is the one I always turn to when I have super ripe bananas.  It is somewhat "healthy" (at least I like to think so) because of the whole wheat flour and yogurt in it (just ignore the butter!).  I like to make them into muffins because of the easy portion control!

Banana Bread
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1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 mashed bananas
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt (I substitute fruit flavored yogurt if it is what I have in my fridge!)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg.  In separate bowl, combine mashed bananas and yogurt.  Add banana mixture alternately with the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, stirring until just combined.  Pour into bread pan.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan.

note:  bake 18-22 minutes for small muffins.  Check doneness with a toothpick.

Butter Chicken

I love Indian food, but have always been a little afraid to try it.  I came across this recipe here and thought it looked pretty easy.  The only spice I didn't already have was Garam Masala, and the recipe said if you don't have it, leave it out.  But I went and bought it anyway!  The dish was very good, but next time I will cut down on the cayenne pepper.  Ty thought it was perfect, but I thought it was a bit too spicy.  If you like Indian food, you should try this!


Butter Chicken
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8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (I will try 1/2 tsp. next time)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 whole lime, juiced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/4 cups butter
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 bunch chopped cilantro, to taste
cooked rice (any kind you like but I recommend basmati rice)


Combine first 11 ingredients in a large ziploc bag, squish around until everything is even and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in butter until soft.  Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and sugar.  Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on.  Add the whipping cream (I've read you can use yogurt or half and half too) and cilantro just before serving over rice.

Congo Bars

(these were made with half milk chocolate chips and half white chocolate chips to keep my daughter happy)

This recipe came from my mom.  I have always loved my mom's congo bars.  I always thought "congo bars" was kind of a weird name--I have no idea where that name even came from!  I can't bring myself to call them "blondies" though, because congo bars is just what they are!  They are gooey, chewy, and super yummy with a scoop of ice cream!

Congo Bars
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2/3 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Put in greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.