Create a link to the sight of the person who gave you the award. See above…check!

Write 7 random facts about yourself. See below…check!!

1. I love reality television. I know it’s scripted and I don’t care. The dumber the better. I can spend hours mesmerized in front of the T.V. watching shows like 19 Kids & Counting, The Little People and The Kardashians. It’s my dirty little secret.
2. I was a terrible teenager and really pushed the limits up into my early twenties.  How my mother survived raising me with her sanity intact is a mystery to me. I am solid proof that guardian angels exist.
3. I was a stay-at-home mother until I was divorced at age 40. I went back to school and completed a 2 year program in cardiac sonography and finally started my 2nd career (the first being a mom) at the age of 42.
4. I’m clumsy and I fall down. A lot. Fortunately they tell me that I have “strong bones”.
5. I love visiting hotels but I hate sleeping in them because the beds creep me out. I love my bed, my covers, my pillows…etc.
6. I am  registered on the official Roll of the Osage Tribe in Pawhuska, Oklahoma (my Mom’s side of the family).
7. I drive a Chevy Tahoe and it’s my favorite car ever.

And finally, create links to some blogs that you think are worth reading …here you go!!

Sowonderfulsomarvelous.com Michelle is hilarious, her blogs make me laugh out loud. She isn’t afraid to be a potty mouth when the situation calls for it and I LOVE that in a girl. She seems like a really good mom too and the stories about her kids make me smile.

Oishitreats.blogspot.com Neshanne is a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force serving in Japan. I love this girl!

Definitelyleapard.com Beth is a new blogger to me that I stumbled upon through Foodbuzz…low cal, healthy stuff. Check it out!

Lovethegrows.com These two are ADORABLE!

Enough for today readers, be sure to look at my rib recipe that I posted last night. They were delish!

Happy cooking,

MMD

I used a dry rub that I saw on Kelsey’s Essential’s and then combined the rendered juice with my favorite BBQ sauce and the results were off the charts. You bake these ribs tightly covered in foil and then give them a nice char  – either by putting them on a hot outdoor grill or under your broiler.

Ingredients:

1 5 lb. slab of short ribs
2 TBSP. paprika
2 TBSP. kosher salt
1 TBSP. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups K.C. Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce

Instructions:

Mix the dry ingredients. Massage into the ribs thoroughly, front and back. Let the rub soak in and then apply a second coat.

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Wrap the ribs in a second sheet of foil and wrap tightly. Place on the baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until ribs are falling apart.

Remove ribs and carefully open the foil, drain the rendered juice into a heavy saucepan. Add your favorite BBQ sauce and whisk, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened.

Brush the ribs with the BBQ sauce front and back, char on either the baking sheet under a hot broiler or on your outside grill.

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This is, hands down, the best BBQ brisket recipe EVER.  It originally came from my mother’s tried and true Wichita Sunflower Sampler but I’ve modified it just a bit to make it Texas style and I think it’s even better. Be sure to use the drippings over my Sunflower Sampler Potato Casserole – can’t be beat!

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. beef brisket trimmed
1 bottle of beer (any kind is fine)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I like KC Masterpiece) plus another 1/2 cup to top the brisket with at the end
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 heaping tbsp. brown sugar
1 sliced onion
salt & pepper

Instructions:

Place your brisket in a roasting pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Make sure the dish your using fits the brisket nice and snug without too much space or the brisket won’t cook in it’s juices – about a 2 inch border around the edges is good enough. Salt and pepper the brisket generously.

In a bowl whisk the beer, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, garlic and brown sugar. Pour over the brisket. Slice the onion and put it over the top of the brisket. Cover TIGHTLY with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 1/2 hours.

Remove from oven and slather with another 1/2 cup sauce. Return the brisket to the oven UNCOVERED for another 1/2 hour.  Remove and cover to rest until cool enough to slice.

The juices rendered are perfect as is for gravy over the beef and potatoes.

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I saw this on Kelsey’s Essentials last weekend (The Cooking Channel) and thought I’d give it a try with my next BBQ ensemble. I did and it was a perfect salad dish – just the right blend of flavors. I charred my corn like she did in my kitchen (on a cast iron griddle) but an outdoor grill would give it an even better flavor.

Ingredients:

4 ears of freshly shucked corn
2 tbsp. olive oil to coat the corn
1/4 cup olive oil for dressing
1 pint grape tomatoes halved
1/2 red onion diced
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Coat the corn with olive oil and place on a very hot cast iron griddle (or outside grill). Rotate the corn until it is charred on all sides. Remove and cover with plastic wrap until cool.

Slice the corn off the cob into a glass bowl. Add the onion and tomato.

In a food processor add the basil and pulse until it begins to break down. Add the garlic and vinegar and then drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Blend the dressing with the corn salad and add salt and pepper to taste.

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This dish was inspired by an episode on Triple-D (Diners Drive-ins and Dives). I didn’t copy the recipe but rather brought together a couple of others and then made my own additions. I buy a cooked Rotisserie chicken and use all the dark & white meat….cutting it up into pieces…..tons of flavor.

Ingredients:

One cooked Rotisserie Chicken-all the meat removed and cut/torn into pieces
Fajita or Taco Seasoning to taste
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 TBS olive oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 and 1/2 cup prepared salsa (you pick the heat)
1 cup sour cream
Small Container of French Fried Onions
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
6 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large skillet over medium heat, pour in olive oil and sauté onions until clear. Add cooked chopped chicken and season with Fajita/Taco seasoning to taste. Stir to mix and turn off the heat.

In a medium bowl combine the cheddar cheese soup, cream of chicken soup, salsa, and sour cream; mix until well blended.

Place a layer of tortilla strips (4 tortillas) in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish.

Layer as follows: 1/2 of the soup mixture, 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the shredded cheese.

Repeat for the second layer…ending with a layer of shredded cheese. Sprinkle with the French Fried Onions. Cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes covered, then remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

8 Servings, Prep Time: 5 Minutes, Cook Time: 1 Hour

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Next on the agenda was a “skinny” recipe that one of my weight conscious friends passed along to me last week. Again, I put it in the oven Sunday morning as we walked out the door and it was ready when we came home mid afternoon. It’s a fairly light dish but has the strong Southwestern flavors that we love around here – cumin, chili powder and chilies.  I picked up a nice cheese at my farmers market over the weekend, a Monterey Jack with ancho chilies and it was perfect grated over the top but any cheese will work nicely. Keep it light and serve it over lettuce with a little fat free sour cream and fresh cilantro and you’ve got yourself a guilt free dinner with a lot of flavor packed on your plate.  For people like my husband just serve this version of chili over rice and you’ve got a “manly” meal.  David fervently believes that his stomach is supposed to send him a very clear message  that says dinner has indeed happened. He doesn’t like to wonder if he’s hungry, full or somewhere in between. He likes to keep it simple and this Chicken Taco Chili made him a happy man. Success

I got a little reminiscent when I spotted some rhubarb at my farmers market Saturday morning. When we moved to Minnesota in 1962 my Mother planted a large garden in our back yard and rhubarb was one of the things that she grew in abundance. Rhubarb is to the north what mint is to the south – meaning that it grows like a weed. We had rhubarb “everything” during those years spent in Minnesota. Mother canned rhubarb jelly, jams, sauces and of course, she made rhubarb pie. It is, without a doubt, my very favorite pie in the entire world. It’s so inexpensive to buy at market in the north that I was shocked the first time I paid $5 per lb. for rhubarb in Texas! But now I just smile and am happy to have it my hot little hands because I know I’m lucky to find it at all in the deep south and a specialty grocer is my only shot. And I always mix it with strawberries these days both to sweeten it a bit and to stretch the rhubarb a little further since it holds a lot of water and will shrink down while cooking. My recipe calls for 2 lbs. of rhubarb and 1 quart of strawberries which looks like a lot in the pie pan but it will cook down significantly so just compress it as much as you can and use your top crust to hold all of that delicious fruit inside your pie. You’ll be glad you did

That’s about it for now. My brother sent me a Southwestern casserole last night that he said was delicious but I haven’t had a chance to post the recipes and pictures yet but stay tuned. There’s always more to come from my kitchen!

Happy cooking,

MMD