30 Minute Tuscan Chicken Shepherd's Pie - TWO POST TUESDAY

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Shepherd's Pie, redefined!  The consummate comfort food with a healthy spin.  Made leaner and heartier with chicken and a special ingredient, your meat lovers will never miss the beef.  Trust me, my midwestern meat and potatoes man gobbled this up like it was a big fat steak.  Its soooo good.  Trust me you want the recipe on this one!

Read the article and get the recipe after the jump~

Check out these fantastic, quick and easy dishes from our Simple Kitchen: Creating delicious meals in a snap!   Click on the image or the link and it will open each one in a new tab.

Hearty Pasta Fagioli - a traditional Italian dish so thick you can stand a spoon up in the pot.  On your table in 30 minutes!





What's for Dinner? This scrumptious 3 Cheese Skillet Lasagna can be in just 30 minutes!! Packed with traditional flavor, in one skillet in half an hour!

Fall comfort food coming to you in this easy Tortellini and Vegetable Soup.  It is so thick and delicious, you can just about eat it with a fork.

Meat Lovers Pizza Pasta Bake is loaded with your fav pizza toppings and tons of ooey gooey cheese,  in 30 minutes!  REALLY!

Simple Naturally Sweet Apple Sauce

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When you have a 2 year old that loves apples you would think that applesauce would be a staple in your home, right?  Well, I have kind of slacked off on that.  Call it lazy, call it overextended, call it too hot to run the oven.  Either way we haven't had apple sauce since our last large apple purchase about 6 months ago.

Well, lucky me...  Our produce market had a fantastic sale on organic gala apples.  Color me happy.  I bought a few, well a case or two.  Then I went to town making Dried Apple Chips and Baked Cinnamon Applesauce.  Exhausted from apple processing, I decided to just make my simple apple sauce with the last batch of apples.  As a matter of fact this method is so simple that I didn't think to share it. 

Once my Munchkin dove into it and started doing a dance in her chair, I knew I had to share it and go buy more apples.  Organic and naturally sweet with 2 ingredients?  Yes, more apples!

Enjoy.

Be sure to check out these amazing homemade apple recipes that you just can't do without!

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce is the most perfect recipe; from the pickiest toddler to the adult palate! 5 ingredients to delicious!





Cinnamon, spice and everything nice; that's what Crock Pot Spiced Apple Butter is made of.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, these fantastically healthy Dried Apple Chips are sure to do the trick. Oven or dehydrator.

Simple Naturally Sweet Apple Sauce
makes 7 pints

10 pounds organic gala apples, washed, peeled, cored and cut into ½” pieces
1 lemon, juiced
2 cups water

In a 12 quart (or larger) stock pot, over high heat, add water, apples and lemon juice.  Stir to combine and cover.  Once boiling rapidly, reduce to medium high and cook until apples are soft, stirring often so apples do not stick to the bottom.  Approximately 20 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer apples to blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Return to pot and bring back to a boil.  Remove from heat and process for canning or refrigerate.

Process canning jars according to manufacturers directions or keep in refrigerator. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Root Beer Float Martini

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Happy Thursday Slow Roasters!  IT'S LADIES NIGHT and have we got a special cocktail for our party tonight!  

Chad and I have had the chance to try many spirits and take every opportunity to broaden our horizons (palettes) and bring you new cocktails.  After stumbling upon a fantastic deal on root beer vodka, we headed home very excited to make a root beer float martini.  Let's just say neither of us were fans of the martini, but we became determined to make one that would live up to our expectations.

Well at long last we have the PERFECT Root Beer Float Martini and you are going to love it!  Made with infused vodka, cream and the additional of caramel vodka really makes this creamy and delightful.

Enjoy and have a fantastic Ladies Night!  ❤❤❤

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook - we have a virtual Ladies Night party every Thursday.  Come and link up your favorite cocktail or dish!  Fabulous cocktails, fantastic food and amazing company.  It is THE place to be on Thursdays!  

Check out these amazing dessert martinis!  Click on the image or the link and a new window will open.

This luscious Lemon Cream Pie Martini is the perfect summer cocktail. Just like the dessert it is lip smacking good, tart, sweet & creamy!

Infused candy corn vodka is the main ingredient in this amazing Candy Corn Martini. Tastes like Halloween in a glass!






Strawberry Shortcake Martini; a perfectly sweet strawberry cocktail, followed by a rich cake flavor and a fabulous creamy end note.

Technically this is not a martini, but it is so good.  The Peanut Butter Cup Delight Cocktail is like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in a glass. Ladies night or any night it is perfectly divine.

Root Beer Float Martini
2 ounces root beer infused Smirnoff Fluffed Vodka
2 ounces International Delight french vanilla creamer
1 ounce Smirnoff caramel vodka

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake to combine, pour into a martini glass rimmed with crushed root beer candies.  Serve and enjoy!

Root Beer Infused Vodka
14 root beer candies
4 ounces Smirnoff Fluffed Vodka 

Crush candies in a food processor or in a resealable plastic bag using a mallet.  Pour candies and vodka into a resealable glass jar.  Shake to combine.  Allow to dissolve.  After 1-2 hours candies should be dissolved into vodka.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Yellow Grape Tomato Sauce - TWO POST FRIDAY

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My birthday was a week ago.  My dear friend brought me 2 cases of delicious yellow grape tomatoes.  Knowing my love for tomatoes, you have to know this could not have been a more perfect gift.  Except...  If I had more time on my hands to do all the things I would love to with these tomatoes.  

Well, over extended on time (as usual) I decided to make some amazing and easy tomato sauce.  Yellow grape tomatoes are generally more flavorful, sweeter and less acidic than larger tomatoes.  I am not sure why you don't see more Yellow Grape Tomato Sauce  but I am really loving it.

I am making a second batch with the remaining 20 pounds, well that or I will dehydrate them.  Either way I am going to have an amazing supply of tomatoes for the winter.

Enjoy!  

Here are some more fantastic tomato how to's:


Does that left over tomato paste really bug you? Here is The Easiest Way to Store Leftover Tomato Paste.  You're going to love it!

Still have left over tomatoes from your summer harvest? Here is a simple way to make them last throughout the winter. Homemade Crock Pot Tomato Paste.


Ever wanted to make Sun-dried Tomatoes at home, preservative free and delicious. Make these in your oven or dehydrator.

Make the best tomato sauce ever with fresh tomatoes. Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce gives you that deep tomato flavor that you are looking for.

Yellow Grape Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
10 garlic cloves, pressed
15 pounds sunburst tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a large 12 quart stock pot, over medium-high heat, warm oil.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add garlic, toss to coat.  Add tomatoes, seasoning, salt and pepper.   Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the skins begin to split, about 10 minutes. 

Working in batches transfer tomatoes to blender and puree.  Return tomato sauce to pot and return to a boil.  Reduce to simmer.  Cook until reduced by 1/3 for a thin sauce and reduce by half for a thick sauce.

Serve and enjoy!  This sauce is a great freezer sauce too.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Meat Lover's 4 Layer Pizza Dip (with variations) - TWO POST FRIDAY

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Every party calls for an amazing dip and this is exactly what you have been waiting for.  Meat Lover's 4 Layer Pizza Dip is perfect and with some short cuts you can have this ready in no time flat.  My grocery store sells my favorite meat toppings precooked and yours may too.  Add those to this recipe and you have the perfect quick and easy appetizer.  Variations make personalizing this dip so easy.  Click the link to get the recipe and the variations!

Read the article and get the recipe after the jump~

Here are more awesome posts perfect for your game day or any day:


Say a warm hello to fall with this Caramel Apple Pie Martini. Packed with all the flavors of a dessert favorite in one decadent cocktail!


Gin Daisy Cocktail, the consummate ladies cocktail. Made with New Amsterdam Gin for an extra special citrusy flavor!


Mini Chicken Pot Pies - With a time saving shortcut and a SECRET ingredient to really make the sauce pop, this recipe is a must have!

Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup

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I made my very first Matzo Ball Soup yesterday. In the crockpot.

I called my friend Jennifer and she talked me through how to make the broth and Matzo dough--she's not gluten free, but after a lot of googling and texting to confirm my hard-core journalistic researching I figured out what I should do.

AND IT WORKED.

[insert Crush voice from Finding Nemo] I SO TOTALLY ROCK.

This is a 2-day process, or at least a really, really full day process. First we're going to make the homemade chicken broth/soup.

The Ingredients
serves 6-8

  

3 pounds bone-in chicken parts
2 onions, peeled, cut into quarters
6 cloves garlic, peeled with cloves intact
1 cup baby carrots
3 ribs celery, cut in large chunks, leaves okay
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 cups water
1 package gluten free matzo ball mix, or make your own(recipe below)

gluten free matzo balls
makes 8-10 or so

  
1/2 cup finely ground almond meal
1/2 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons dill
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Usea hand-held or stand mixer to blend the ingredients together to form a dough.Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using in soup.


The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker.  Place the chicken into your slow cooker. I used chicken quarters, and did try to take as much of the skin off as I can (because of my weird issues). Add vegetables and seasoning. Pour in a bunch of water (4 cups per pound of chicken)—be careful, your pot will be quite full. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Unplug the slow cooker, and let it sit for 3 hours, or until the meat is cool enough to handle.

Remove meat from pot, and discard the bones. Scoop out the vegetables and set aside. Some people prefer their matzo soup to be simply broth, some like chunks of meat and vegetables—it’s up to you. I decided to get rid of the onion and celery (the garlic kind of melted into a paste), but kept the chicken and carrots.  

Strain the broth through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve to remove the peppercorns and extra bits. Return the broth to the slow cooker.

Plug the cooker back in and cook on high for 2 hours. While the broth is reheating, mix the matzo dough (if using packaged matzo, prepare according to the written instructions).

Homemade matzo dough.  Don't handle it too much; you want it light and fluffy

Once your soup is hot, drop rounded spoonfuls of matzo into your slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and “bounces” in the broth when poked with a spoon.

the matzo balls bounce when you poke them with a spoon!

Serve and enjoy!

The Verdict
I must admit, since I've never had this soup before, I don't have anything to compare it to. But we liked it. The five in my family ate every last smidgen in our bowls, and I packaged up a little tupperware to send home to my mom and grandma. I really liked the dill flavor. Everytime I cook with dill, I'm reminded more and more that it's such an under-utilized herb in my pantry. I hope you enjoy this soup--I look forward to making it again and again in the years to come.

Thank you to Jennifer, for holding my hand (AGAIN)!

other recipes you might like:
chicken and dumpling soup
apple dumplings
honey cake
sweet mustard roast 
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Hot Dogs for a Crowd

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Guess what? You can fit 60 hot dogs in a 6-quart slow cooker. This is kind of big news if you happen to be:

• planning an end-of-the-year swim party for the 5th grade graduating class
• planning a block party potluck and know that kids really don't want to eat 75 different types of salad
• manning the Little League concession booth
• trying to beat the world's record in hot dog eating
• interested in testing out your cholesterol medication

The Ingredients.

• a crap load (technical term) of hot dogs (60, to be exact, although you can wimp out and do fewer, if necessary)
• buns 
•  fixens'
•  6-quart slow cooker
•  an outlet

The Directions.
Unwrap all the hot dogs and throw the wrappers in a plastic bag and then immediately take out the garbage because if the kittens knock over the garbage can and hot dog juice gets all over the kitchen floor you're going to get annoyed and then have to mop unless you just wipe it up with a baby wipe and pretend the cats didn't really lick your floor.Stand hotdogs on end if you're trying to cram in 60. If not, you can just dump them in. There's no need to add water. This is for two reasons: 1, the hotdogs will release moisture all on their own, and 2, if you have a crockpot full of hot dog water it'll just be kind of gross to dig through the water to pick them out. and 3 (I lied, there are 3 reasons) if the hotdogs hang out in hot water for too long they'll end up splitting on you.
Cover, and cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for about 2 hours--check to make sure the ones in the middle are fully hot before serving. Serve with tongs into buns and top with desired fixens'.
Your dogs can stay on the "warm" setting for an awfully long time. If your pot has a hot spot (mine does), the dogs on the edge will get kind of crispy and blackened, which will COMPLETELY fool your 10-year-old into thinking you learned how to barbecue.
The Verdict.
If you eat too many hotdogs in a day because you don't want to waste them you'll be really really thirsty for the next three days.Also? 6 hotdogs in two days is too much for a 2-year-old. Don't do that.
and? it's kind of fun to call your neighbors and have them over for spur-of-the moment hot dogs and it's even cooler that when you call to squeal that 60 hotdogs can totally fit in a 6-quart they know what you mean and highfive you through the phone.
Adam says these dogs remind him of the hot dogs from 7-11 or the movies where they cook on the roller bars--they aren't boiled, aren't barbecued, but hot. And hot dogs are fully cooked anyway in the package, so all you're doing is heating them through.
Happy Almost Summer!!
more cool stuff:crockpot baked potatoesuse your crockpot as a rice cookercrockpot as a smokermake yogurt in a crockpotcrockpot as foot bathcrockpot as air freshener 1 Minute Muffin (not in a crockpot)



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I Had A Cranberry Party

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plateful of cranberry goodness

A few weeks ago I had a cranberry party. And I only had to make one thing with cranberry juice, but I'm a total over-achiever and made FIVE things. BOO-YAH!
(recipes below!)

The Back Story:

The Simply Cranberry Cocktail people (through BlogHer) contacted me and asked if I'd like to throw a dinner party and use their new Simply Cranberry Cocktail as a springboard for the menu-planning.

I was already familiar with the Simply Orange Juice Company--we like their orange and apple juice an awful lot, and I'm a complete and total sucker for a challenge.

Before I responded, I texted Adam:"Hey, we need to have a cranberry juice party, sort of an Iron Chef thing. You cool with that?"He wrote back: "a la cuisine!"

I love that man.

I was given coupons for Simply Cranberry Cocktail by the Simply Orange Juice Company, and BlogHer paid me for my time and to purchase supplies for our cranberry party.


I then set to work planning the menu: baked brie with cranberries, cranberry martinis, cranberry chicken, triple-threat cranberry brisket, and cranberry fluff for dessert (scroll down for all the recipes).

To round out the meal I also roasted asparagus and made mashed potatoes (out of a box! Capital K classy, I tell you...).

Just so you know: Simply Cranberry Cocktail can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store; it is kept chilled from the time it is blended with not-from-concentrate cranberry juice and gently pasteurized with no added preservatives. It's sweet and tart and unlike other cranberry juice cocktails in that you don't shudder after drinking it.

I decided this was a really good excuse to buy cranberry red tablecloths and retire the ecru tablecloths I usually dig out of the china cabinet. (I'm pretty sure stained and bleached and then stained and bleached tablecloths are ecru. Right?)

Since we were having our party on April Fool's Day, I also bought silly straws and nose glasses for everyone out of the dollar bins at Target.

I invited my two best friends (guess what their names are? did you guess? wait for it... wait for it...JENNIFER and JENNIFER) and their families. This meant we had 6 adults and 9 children for our dinner party. I set up two tables, with the idea that the kids would be at one and the grownups could sit at the other, and we'd all sit down and have sparkling dinner conversation and lovely table manners.

Bree Van de Kamp Hodge would be so proud.
(of course she's on trial for murder right now, but I think Gaby is about to confess.)


It was wonderful.


I need to have dinner parties more often. I think sometimes in the name of saving money I forget it's the little things in life that matter--good friends, good food, and good fun.

Someone else picking up the bill is awfully nice, too.Thank you Simply Cranberry Cocktail !!


Recipes:

I don't have any photos of the brie because I may have already had a cranberry martini (or 2? not sure) before I thought to take pictures, and by then we pretty much killed the whole thing.

I used the candied pecan and cranberry brie recipe I made back in 2008 but didn't use the pecans because one of our little friends has a nut allergy. I did, though, add a drop of balsamic vinegar to the brown sugar and a bit of rosemary they way I did with the balsamic apricot brie.

8 ounce-brie round1 cup dried cranberries1 tablespoon brown sugar1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary

Stir topping together and place on top of the brie. Place the brie into an oven-safe bowl or dish and plop it into a slow cooker for about 2 hours, or until melty and gooey and delicious. Serve with apple slices and your favorite crackers. I'm not supposed to name brand names in this post, but we used the popular round gluten free crackers that come in the white box. Email me if you don't know what I'm talking about!

Cranberry Martinis

Since The Cocktail Lady was at our house I figured I'd use her expertise, and we came up with the most awesomest cranberry martini recipe ever. She also lent me her drink shaker because I accidentally gave away the one we got as a wedding present in one of our many moves.Thanks, Jen! xoxo

Fill the drink shaker half-full or so with ice.For each drink, add:1 shot Simply Cranberry Cocktail1 shot citrus flavored vodka1/2 shot Triple Sec1/2 shot Sweet and Sour Mix
Shake well and serve in chilled martini glasses with sugared rims. (Adam did the glasses by rubbing a cut lime on the edge then dipping the glasses in Baker's Sugar. He froze them for 2 hours or so before the party).We were able to double this recipe and get two drinks in each shaker.

And they rocked.Srsly.

Cranberry Glazed Chicken:4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 large onion, peeled and diced6 cloves garlic, minced2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce1/2 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail1 lime, juiced1 tablespoon cornstarch2 tablespoons cold water

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken into the bottom of your cooker (frozen is fine). Add diced onion and garlic. In a mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, cranberry sauce, and juices. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of your chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked (if you cook it longer, it’ll shred—it’s up to you!)With tongs, carefully remove the chicken and place on a serving platter. Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to create a slurry. Stir this into your slow cooker to thicken, then serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Triple Threat Cranberry Brisket:5 pound beef brisket1 onion, peeled and diced4 cloves garlic, minced1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce1/2 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail1/4 cup dried cranberries

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the meat into the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Add onion and garlic. In a mixing bowl, mix together the can of cranberry sauce, soy sauce, juice, and dried cranberries. Pour this combination evenly over the top of the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. Your meat is finished when it has begun to lose it’s shape and can pull apart easily with a fork. Serve over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of sauce.

Cranberry Fluff Dessert


I was channeling TW from Retro-Food.com when I decided to serve this dessert. I knew I wanted something we could all eat together and didn't want a big production (think ice-cream bar) or a huge mess to deal with later (again, think ice-cream bar). But I wanted the kids to like it and the adults to at least give it a half-hearted thumbs up.

I was WAY SURPRISED. We licked the pyrex clean. All 6 adults and 9 children couldn't get enough.


2 cups boiling water2 (4-ounce) packages cherry gelatin dessert1 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail1 (8-ounce) container whipped dessert topping, room temperature, divided1 (15-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce1 package shortbread cookies (or something similar. Ours were gluten free, of course!)


Whisk the dried gelatin powder with the boiling water until it's completely dissolved. Whisk in the juice, and then refrigerate the mixing bowl for 90 minutes. You want the gelatin slightly set, but not really. 
Now stir in 2 cups of the dessert topping and the entire can of cranberry sauce. Pour this mixture into a 9 x 9 glass baking pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until completely set. Spread on the additional whipped topping and dot with shortbread cookies.

Cranberry retro yumminess. It's tart, but not too tart, and sweet, but not too sweet. It was the perfect end to a perfect night. And you know it was good when you wake up to this in the morning:

I had so much fun and feel so lucky to have the best friends ever. Thank you to Simply Cranberry Cocktail for giving me an excuse to have a party. And for the realization that I shouldn't have to have an excuse to have friends over--I should just do it!

 I'm pretty sure we're not going to have a UTI anytime soon...

Guess what? 

Simply Cranberry Cocktail understands that sometimes it's just not possible to have a spur-of-the moment party when you're busy living your life and all "extra" (HA on the extra!) income goes towards retirement, or college, or braces, or new tires. So they are offering to help out by giving one lucky winner a $100 Visa gift card to spend however you'd like.Maybe you'd like to have a cranberry party of your very own?

What is your favorite way to make a party or get together at your home more festive? Tell me about it in the comments for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

Rules:
P.S: I didn't make these up. 



No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:


a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.


This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.


I'll randomly select a winner from the responses (leave an email address or sign in so I can find you!) and will make sure the gift card gets sent out promptly.


The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/7/2012 - 6/1/2012

updated 6/2/12: This CONTEST IS NOW OVER. A representative from BlogHer will contact the randomly selected winner. THANK YOU to all who entered!


Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!


"Simply Cranberry_™" is a trademark of Simply Orange Juice Company.



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8 Perfect Rib Recipes for the Slow Cooker

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Happy almost Memorial Day!
Happy almost The Last Day of School!
Happy almost "It's the Beginning of Summer"
Happy "I'm So Glad I Didn't Burn My Retinas Out Staring At The Eclipse!
let's celebrate with some ribs --- slow cooked to perfection in the very best appliance known to man. (and three side dishes, just in case!)
  Smoky Home-Style Ribs
Hawaiian Ribs
 Orange Chipotle Ribs
 Greek-Spiced Ribs
 Original Barbecue Beef Ribs

Red Ribs

 Lemon Pepper Ribs    Korean Ribs
 Garlic Baked Potatoes  Corn on the Cob

 Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili, Cumin, and Lime

ENJOY!
P.S: there is still time to enter the $100 Visa gift card giveaway from Simply Cranberry!


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