Country Style Ribs on Valentines Day

Right as the spicy heat started to kick in the sweet took its place



Spicy and Sweet Ribs

2 Tbsp Chili powder
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Salt
1.5 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Cheyenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin 

• After placing the ribs  side by side into roasting pan shake rub evenly on top of them.
• Place 6 to 8 ice cubes into pan around ribs.
• Cover pan with foil and cook in oven at 250 degree for 5 hours. 
• Remove foil and remove liquid from pan. 
• Turn oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush on your favorite sweet BBQ sauce and leave uncovered placing the pan back into now 350 degree oven for 30 min.

Blessings

I am thankful this year we as a family decided to have a smaller scale Christmas. We had a family discussion back around the end of September and decided to not go all out on things we really did not need or would use once maybe twice. I showed the kids what I had in mind for a handmade gift and they LOVED them. I have now finished each of the gifts and they have no idea what the final product looks like so that will be the surprise part of the gift on Christmas morning. I can not wait!!

My hubby even implemented the same game plan when we were at his holiday party. He thought about picking the Red Lobster gift card that would be used once and in the end we would have had to pay out of pocket for the overage with our large family but instead picked the Electric Skillet that he knew would benefit our family on a much larger scale. OH BTW ,We didn't wait to open it on Christmas it got used the next day ...LOL!

I know it sounds like we are taking the cheap way out but it isn't just about money. Yes four months of heart attack inducing AC bills did help push the money tightness issue but the main thing in all our minds was this holiday season we all wanted us to make memories and be together. This will most likely be the last Christmas with all three of my kids under our roof..... Come summer I might be birdless times two. Now having one child in house does have its shiny " holy cow we only have one kid to clothe and feed" thoughts but it also has it's " holy cow I have only ONE baby in house" thoughts. That knowledge is what drove us to our Memories Christmas idea.

We have had many Christmas movie snoogle nights. LOTS of hot cocoa, thanks to the polar air that has invaded Okieland. This weekend we have candy and cookie making planned. What a better way to spend the weekend before Christmas... not shopping but gathered around paenut butter, cookie cutters, almond bark and family.

I have always said that it is the small things in life that truely make one happy. This Christmas is proving that saying ten times over. I am so blessed to have children and family that know Christmas is not about the cost of a gift OR the ribbons and bows. I am so blessed to have children and family that know it is about our hearts and our minds.... the love we have in our hearts and the never ending loop of memories that play out like movies we have in our minds. That is what will last for years to come... long after the toy breaks or the game has been beaten a milliuon times... all that will need to be done is to close your eyes and there it will be.... the true gift ... the laughs, the tears, the memories. No one can ever put a price on that.

With ALL my heart I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and Holiday season. May your Loop be filled with much joy and love.

Christi

Sack Boy on a shelf update

I have a super busy three days ahead of me getting some late orders made and out the door and wanted to share what Sack Boy has been up to with you all before I forget. He has been a very busy boy.

Sack Boy seems to have gotten sick on his travels to the North Pole every night AND he used way too many of my bullion cubes for soup!

Sack boy seems to have found Adam's decks.

 

I think Sack Boy misinterpreted the song.

 

Sack Boy got busted on Hachi's Ipod playing Naruto.

Ok so Sack Boy is feeling better and felt like dancing... ya that is what we are going with.

One Tamale Two Tamale Three Tamale MORE!

 

I had never in my wildest dreams thought I would be making Tamales from scratch. That was what restaurants did and I thought it was just going to be too hard. Who isn't intimidated by the thought of rolling up a Tamale? I was! We went to that tube place on the net that You can upload videos to and the video we watched explained it ok but it was lengthy and I am a to the point  type of person. Mainly I do not want to be touching pause and play with yuck on my hands and to loop the video was waiting on the chic to go through 10 min of stuff I just flat didn't .... oh just show me how to roll up the dang corn husk so I can eat the Tamales!!!

 

This is of course in true Dragon and Christi style and is easy and quick(ish).  Dragon cooks the roast and my girls and I do the rolling of the little bundles of yum. So this can be a family cooking project. I hope you all enjoy.

 

 

Roast:



• 1 med onion
• 2 tblsp oil
• 5 lb pork roast
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tblsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red pepper
• 1 tblsp Cumin powder
• 1 tblsp chili powder

In a dutch oven saute onion , add roast and seer on all sides.

Add chicken broth to pan and spices.

Simmer covered for 2.5 to 3 hours till fall apart tender.

 

MASA:

• 1 package corn husks
• 3 cups Masa Harina flour
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1 cup lard or shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tblsp Chili powder

 

FILLING:

 

• Shredded Meat
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

 

Directions

 

1. Immerse husks in water and let soak for 5 min
2. In stand mixer bowl, beat lard and salt until mixture resembles beaten egg whites.
3. Add masa flour and water, mixing constantly.
4. In a skillet add the filling ingredients to the shredded meat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
5. Pat husks dry with paper towels and spread about 2 tablespoons dough (1/8- to 1/16-in. thick) on each, leaving 1-in. border.
6. Put 1 tblspn filling on masa and roll closed.
7. Place upright, folded end down, in Dutch oven with steam rack or oven-proof inverted plate on bottom. We use a can holder that is used to roast chickens.
8. Add 1 cup water or chicken broth to the pot. Bring to boil; cover and steam for 45 minutes, adding more fluid as needed.
9. When done, husk should peel back easily from dough.

 

Yield: about 3 dozen.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We no need no stinken elf

When we has a Sack Boy!!

My kids are older and we had never done the Elf on a Shelf thing when they were younger. We had seen a few pictures but didn't know what the deal was. Well this year we read up on it and thought it was a cute idea. The kids had kinda forgotten about it but over the Thanksgiving holiday I had moved my little crocheted Sack Boy and thought to myself hmmmm he fits our little gaming family better then the elf that everyone else has.... And Naughty Sack Boy was born.

So here it is December 6th and we have caught him in a different place everyday so I guess that means we have been really good cause Sack Boy has been caught doing some really naughty things.

Replaced all of dragon's brittle mix with peanut shells. 

 Got busted almost deleting a show off our DVR.

 Here he is destuffing Boomer's favorite mafoy! Boomer was not happy cause that is HIS job.

So now we know who to thank for this wonderful winter snow we get to play in. 

 I think beth slipped him a note to help her find out what her Birthday gift is. Naughty Beth AND Sack Boy!

Sausage Bay Balls

We have an addiction in our house..... to sausage balls. It gets worse in the winter because we play a lot of cards, board games, and work puzzles as a family. Snack type food is a weekend must during all this. It gets amplified to a whole new must have level when we have snow on the ground and are unable to leave our hood. I have learned to make these in a few batches and to hide half away or they will be gone in one night with this crew. Ya us moms have our sneaky tricks stop acting shocked :P.

This entry is my melding of two loves... Cheddar bay biscuits and sausage balls.I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients-

3 cups baking mix mix
1 pound uncooked  sausage
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 tsp parsley flakes

Directions-

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan lined with foil
In mixer bowl, add together all ingredients and mix on low with dough hook till well combined. 
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls and Place on pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.
Remove from pan and allow to cool before securing an air tight seal if not eating right away.

               

 

 

Roasted Chick Peas with a little spice

I reach for these before a bag of chips. We love this healthy snack!

Ingredients

1 16 ounce can Garbanzo beans
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon  pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Rinse chick peas and pat dry, very dry.
• Combine dry spices and olive oil in a small bowl.
• Coat dried chick peas with spice mixture.
•  Place chick peas on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil in a single layer and bake for 30 minutes shaking the pan to turn them every 10 min.
• Remove from oven and eat when warm or they can be stored in an air tight container for about 5 days.