4.03.2010

Recipe Overload

It is my favorite topic: food. Who among us does not love it? I just found this recipe in my spice cabinet and had to share it. It comes from my husband's side of the family and I thought I would hate it...but it actually turned out to be delicious (and messy). We have only made it once before, but I think I just might make it again tonight. It is super easy and only has a few ingredients. It is really the ultimate, rainy day comfort meal.

Patty Toasters

3 cups mexican blend cheese
loaf of french bread

Filling:
1 lb hamburger meat
small onion, chopped
small bell pepper, chopped
8 oz can cheese soup
1 package taco seasoning


Sautee beef, onion and bell pepper in a skillet until meat is cooked and the onion is translucent. Add taco seasoning and cheese soup and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Slice loaf in half horizontally. Remove some of the insides of the bread until you have a channel. Put shredded cheese and then the filling inside the channel on the bottom piece of bread. Put the top of the bread on and put into a 325 degree oven until the shredded cheese is melted.

Baby back ribs that'll make you want to eat the whole rack

Here is the rib recipe that I am making for Easter. My husband usually uses this rub/baste on the grill, but I am trying it in the oven for the first time.


Baby Back Ribs (oven)

Baste:
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup lemon juice
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes cayenne pepper
(1) small minced onion
2.5 cups water

Rub:
1/8 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs garlic powder
1/4 cup salt
1 tbs cayenne
1/4 sugar

This is adequate for 2 racks of ribs.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Thaw ribs if frozen. Remove fat layer on bottom with a sharp knife and place on two layers of foil. Massage rub into top and bottom of ribs. Brush ribs with baste. Wrap ribs tightly in both layers of foil and place top side down into your preheated oven.

Baste ribs every 30 minutes. Ribs should take 4-6 hours to cook and should almost fall off of the bone when finished cooking. These ribs can be a little labor intensive, so you might want to double the recipe for two reasons. Firstly, it is only slightly more effort to make two batches versus one. Secondly, these are so delicious that you will kick yourself for not having made more.

Enjoy! I know I will!

4.02.2010

Dying to try this recipe

Ok, so as soon as my sister tells me that she's pregnant, I began the shower planning process. I realize that this will not take place for many months, but I can't help but plan.

I have purchased the cutest mini-bundt pans and plan to make Paula Deen's Lemon Blossoms.



Lemon Blossoms

4 large eggs
3.5 oz instant lemon pudding mix
18.5 oz package yellow cake mix
.75 cups vegetable oil

Glaze
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tbs vegetable oil
3 tbs water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray cupcake pans with vegetable cooking spray. Combine cake mix, eggs, pudding mix and vegetable oil until smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour into each tin until halfway full. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto tea towel.

To make glaze, sift sugar into bowl. Add lemon juice, zest, oil and water. Mix until smooth.

Dip cupcakes into glaze while they are still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack for one hour before storing or serving.

There is no way I can wait until next Fall to make these for the shower. I shall try them soon most likely.



Also, I received a job offer today, if you want to call it that. I interviewed twice for a position with a radio station. They knew my education, work experience, salary history...everything. They offer me the position....with an $11/hour "salary". E-LEV-EN dollars per hour. Basically, less than $23,000 per year to support me, my husband in law school, our mortgage, groceries, cars, insurance, taxes, etc.

Here is what I don't get: Why did they have me travel 2 hours each way, twice, when they knew perfectly well that there is no way in hell that I could ever support myself on what they were willing to offer? Why did they ever contact me in the first place? What were they thinking? They should have seen my salary requirements and thrown my resume away. I am not just coming out of highschool. I have a bachelors and will soon have a masters. I have years of work experience. $11 per hour? Is that a joke?

I had submitted my salary history when I originally applied. Both interviewers had gone over my salary history with me during our interviews. Did it not cross their mind to maybe not waste my time?