Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Ree Drummond recently posted a recipe on her blog, The Pioneer Woman, for Spicy Dr. Pepper Ribs. They looked absolutely amazing and definitely peeked my interest, but I was hesitant to make them because of the main ingredient...Dr. Pepper. I decided to throw caution to the wind and give her recipe a try. 

I made a couple of changes to Ree's recipe. First, I split the recipe in half. Two packages of baby back ribs would have been way too much meat for me. Second, the original recipe calls for marinating the meat for 8 hours after the sauce has been added. I was short on time and curious whether her recipe could be used in a time crunch. Additionally, I cranked the oven up to 400 degrees to decrease the cook time from 2 hours and 40 minutes to 1 hour.

The Verdict
These ribs turned out great! They were so flavorful and incredibly delicious. They were the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. I was actually surprised how tasty they turned out since I didn't marinade them. I will definitely save this recipe and make it again.


Here's what you'll need.

• 1 package pork baby back ribs
• 6 oz. Dr. Pepper
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp. white rice wine vinegar 

Prepare the sauce for the ribs by combining the Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, chipotle peppers, mustard, garlic and vinegar in a sauce pan under medium low heat.

Gently boil the sauce until it reduces and becomes thick. This will take about 20-30 minutes. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Rinse and pat the ribs dry while the sauce is cooking. Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. When the sauce is ready, use half of the sauce to coat both sides of the ribs.

When the oven registers at 400 degrees, place the ribs in the oven uncovered and let them cook for 30 minutes. When 30 minutes has elapsed, remove the ribs from the oven and use the remaining half of the sauce to coat the ribs again. Put them back in the oven uncovered and let them cook for another 30 minutes. After the ribs have completely finished cooking, allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into them.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

  

Italian Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Servings: 4

Whew...today was a long day! I didn't get home until 9:00 PM this evening and had absolutely no leftovers to munch on. In fact, the pantry, fridge and freezer were all looking pretty empty. I wanted something that was not only filling and tasted delicious, but that was super fast and easy to prepare.With just a few ingredients that I always have on hand, I was able to come up with an Italian style sloppy joe sandwich. I added a couple of ingredients to this recipe that usually aren't found in sloppy joes, but they really added a unique and robust flavor to the sandwich.

Here's what you'll need for the Italian Sloppy Joes:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 packet of dry onion soup mix 
• 8 oz. tomato sauce (I used Hunt's tomato sauce with Basil, Garlic and Oregano)
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• Thinly sliced white onions (optional topping)
• Fresh mozzarella cheese (optional topping)
• Basil leaves (optional topping)

 

In teaspoon of olive oil, brown ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat for approximately 7-10 minutes. Once the turkey is completely cooked. Drain off the excess oil.

Add dry onion soup mix and balsamic vinegar to the pan and mix well. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook another 3 minutes.

 

Add sour cream to the pan and mix well. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium low and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Now assemble your sloppy joe according to your taste preference and enjoy. I added a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, several basil leaves and some thinly sliced onions to my sloppy joe.

Spicy Turkey Chili

PrepTime: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 4

The past couple of days have been overcast, rainy and chilly. I absolutely love it! This weather is perfect in my opinion. I've made it a point to enjoy every minute of it because we don't see this kind of weather very often in Texas.  

The cooler temperatures have given me an overwhelming craving for something tasty, satisfying and quick. I rather spend more time curled up on the couch, drinking a cup of hot cocoa in the front of the tv than standing over the stove for hours preparing a meal. Turkey Chili is the perfect compromise. It's a quick, healthy dish with just the right amount of spiciness and a very satisfying taste.

Here's what you'll need for the Spicy Turkey Chili:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 medium white onion
• 1/2 shallot, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 serrano pepper
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 - 10 oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 - 15 oz. can ranch style beans
• 1/2 cup red wine (Merlot, if available)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Spring onions (optional topping for the cooked chili)
• Mexican Blend or Pepper Jack cheese (optional topping for the cooked chili)
• Sour cream  (optional topping for the cooked chili)

In a 4-quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until they become brown (approximately 6 minutes).

Add the ground turkey, shallots and garlic to the pan and stir to combine the ingredients. Continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Once the meat is completely cooked, drain the excess fat from the pan. Add the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and salt and wine to the pan and stir. Continue cooking for 6 minutes or until there is almost no wine remaining in the pan.

Add the undrained tomatos and undrained beans to the pan. Stir well, cover and continue cooking under medium heat for 20 minutes. Be sure to frequently check on and stir the chili to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

 Top your chili with cheese, spring onions and sour cream. Serve with crackers or chips, if desired.

DIY: Flower Pens

One of my many New Year's Resolutions for 2014 is to enhance my office workspace. I want it to be a fun DIY type of project, so I've been searching the web to find inspiration and spur creativity. An interesting decor item that I ran across recently was the flower pen. I wanted to add a little twist to it, so I thought using bias tape and lace hem tape (which can both be found in the fabric section of a craft store) would add a pop of color and interest to the stem of the pen.

This pen was very easy to make and the materials were inexpensive. The bias tape was $1.79 at Hobby Lobby, the hem tape was $1.69 at Hobby Lobby and a 12-pack of Bic ballpoint pens were less than $1.50 at Walmart.

The flower pen is definitely on my list of must haves for my new office workspace.

Here's what you'll need to make the pen:

• Hot Glue Gun
• Single Fold Bias Tape
• Lace Hem Tape
• Silk Flower
• Scissors
• Bic Cristal Ball Point Pen

Step 1: Cut the stem off of the silk flower and set the flower head aside.

Step 2: Take the cap off the ball point pen. Place a drop of glue on the edge of the solid colored bias tape and attach the tape by pressing it down firmly for 30 seconds onto the clear portion of the pen closest to the gold section nearest the ball point writing tip. After 30 seconds, wrap the tape around the same section of the pen once to completely cover where the tape was attached with the glue.

Step 3: Continue tightly wrapping the tape around the pen at a slight diagonal angle. Continue wrapping until the clear portion of the pen has been completely covered by the tape. (Note: Be sure to extend your wrapping slightly past the tip of the pen, in order to securely glue the flower to the pen.) Cut the tape and glue down the loose end.

Step 4: Complete the same process as listed in Step 3 above, but this time use the lace hem tape.

Step 5:  Fill the area at the tip of the pen where the wrapping was slightly extended with a generous amount of glue. (Note: The glue should completely fill this area.)

Step 6:  Place the flower head on the glue and press down firmly for 30 seconds.

Shoe Splurge on a Budget

I needed a little pick me up after a long day at the office, so I decided to distract myself with a little shoe excursion at Shu Deal, one of my favorite stores here in Dallas. Nothing picks me up like a pair of fabulous heels! Most of the time when I visit this store, I find a super cute pair of shoes for a an incredibly reasonable price. Today was no different. In fact, I got an exceptionally wonderful deal this time around. I walked away with two pairs of fashionable heels for a grand total of $15.09 (including tax). The heels I purchased today are a little bit of a departure from my normal shoe style. Usually I don't leave the house without a pair of stilettos that are at least six inches. But the gems I found today were so cute I just couldn't resist.

FAB FIND #1 - $6.97

These shoes came with a pink storage bag and an extra pair of heel tips.

 

 FAB FIND #2 - $6.97

 

Navy Beans and Sausage

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

This is a hearty dish that makes a wonderful meal on a chilly fall day. I love adding a little cheddar cheese and spring onions to top it off. This dish is so good with a side of crusty garlic or french bread, broccoli topped with a drizzle of Italian dressing and iced tea with a hint of peach.

Here's what you'll need:

• 14 oz. Kielbasa sausage
• 1 lb. dry navy beans
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 small white onion
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1 - 2 jalapeno peppers (depending on your heat preference)
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• Cheddar cheese (optional)

 

Start by soaking the beans in 6-8 quarts of water for a minimum of 8 hours. I usually place the dry beans in a large plastic container and let them soak on the counter overnight. The beans will puff up as they absorb the water.

Chop the vegetables and sausage and set aside. Rinse and drain the beans thoroughly.

In a 4-quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until they become translucent (approximately 4 -5 minutes).

Add the sausage to the pan and continue cooking the onions and the sausage until the sausage begins to brown (approximately 7 minutes).

Add the chicken broth, water, peppers, tomatoes, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the pan.

Cover and continue cooking on medium heat for 2 hours. Add the chopped spinach to the pan 20 minutes before the beans are finished cooking.

Top with cheddar cheese (if desired) and the spring onions.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!