Eggnog French Toast Bake

This may not be a recipe that you should make often. When you see the amount of eggnog in this recipe, you'll understand. We frequently make this for breakfast on Christmas morning. Rich, yummy, delicious, and calorie filled.



1 loaf French bread
1 c butter
2 c brown sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
6 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 c eggnog or milk (if using milk, add a dash of nutmeg)
¼ tsp cinnamon

1. Slice bread into one and a half-inch slices (I don’t use the end pieces). Place bread in a 9x13-inch pan, layering as needed.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup over medium heat. Cook until all ingredients are combined, stirring constantly. After the butter and sugar have melted, they will be separate. Be sure you keep it on the heat and stirring, it will combine. Pour syrup mix over bread.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, eggnog, vanilla, and cinnamon with a whisk. Pour over top of bread and syrup. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray.
4. Place dish in fridge with weights*. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Bake uncovered at 375° (350 if using a dark or non-stick pan) for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are set and tops of bread looks crystallized. Serve with additional syrup (although I never do).

*This step is a must. If it isn’t weighted, some bread won’t get saturated and burns, while other pieces are soggy. I usually put another 9x13 pan on top and then use whatever is in the fridge to add extra weight, just make sure it’s even. Be especially sure to watch the liquid level so you don’t end up spilling the egg mix over the sides.

Five-Chip Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup each milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, vanilla chips and butterscotch chips **Of course you can add what you want, cherry, mint, caramel, Heath bits, left over Halloween candy, etc**

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

Super Saturday Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds tomatoes - peeled, seeded and quartered*
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
8 sprigs fresh basil for garnish

Directions
1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 15 minutes.
2. Transfer soup to a blender (or use an immersion hand blender), and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and gradually mix in the heavy cream. Garnish each serving with a sprig of basil.

*If using canned tomatoes, use 48 oz of whole tomatoes, being sure to seed and quarter them. You may need to add up to 2 tbs of sugar.

Notes: When I make this for someone other than my family, I stick to this recipe. If I make it for us , I add a little spice. When heating the butter and olive oil, I add a little crushed red pepper (maybe less than 1/8 tsp). Be very careful when blending the soup, only fill the blender half full. When putting the lid on, don't seal the feed tube (the little hole in the lid), just lightly hold the cover on.

Chicken and Pesto Fettuccine

Sorry, no picture! This is one of our favorites, and is normally gone before I think to get the camera out. This dish looks different, but tastes so good. If you use the pesto recipe below, it makes more than this recipe calls for. If you don’t have another use for the left over pesto, cook a full pound of pasta, increase the cream to 1 ½ cups and use all of the pesto. If you don’t want to make the pesto (trust me, you want to make the pesto), Bertolli has an okay jarred pesto (usually next to pastas and sauces). The jar has enough for two batches.

12 oz fettuccine (lots of other pastas work in this recipe, just use what you already have in your cupboard)
1 ¼ cup light cream
1 tbs olive oil
⅓ cup prepared pesto
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips and seasoned with salt and pepper
½ tsp salt
7 oz jarred roasted red pepper drained and chopped

1. Cook pasta until al dente then drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil; add chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is thoroughly cooked, and slightly browned.
2. Add roasted red pepper; cook one minute. Add cream and simmer until thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pesto and salt.
3. Toss pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with fresh, diced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Pesto Sauce

This needs to be made with fresh basil. If freezing, add the nuts and cheese after thawing. The recipe calls for a food processor. A blender will work; just make sure to give it a stir by hand and pulse a few more times before serving. Use it immediately or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. This works well with the above recipe but can also be used as a dip, instead of a red sauce for pizza, alone with pasta, and a lot of other ways.

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup pine nuts
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves
salt and ground black pepper

1. Process basil, nuts, garlic, and Parmesan to a rough paste in a food processor.
2. With the machine running, slowly pour oil through the feed tube. If the sauce seems dry (it should be a thick paste), add a little more oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Skillet Apple Crisp

I've always had a weakness for a good apple crisp. Of course the apples are important, but they are a tasty vehicle to my true love of crumb topping. This is my new favorite crumb topping. There is a little more salt in this version than most, but it really makes it. I doubled the cinnamon in the topping, simply because the topping bowl and the filling bowl were side by side, and I added the cinnamon to the wrong bowl. It was a divine mistake, which I will make again.


Skillet Apple Crisp

Serves 6 to 8
If your skillet is not ovensafe, prepare through step 3 and then transfer the filling to a 9x13-in baking dish. Top the filling as directed and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Use Golden Delicious apples, though any sweet, crisp apple such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn can be substituted, I used Gala. Do not use Granny Smith apples in this recipe. I am normally a proponent of toasting nuts before I add them to things, except when they're used in a topping. They will be plenty toasted without going to the trouble of doing it before hand. Serve the apple crisp warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Topping
¾ cup (3 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup pecans , chopped fine
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I doubled)
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted

Filling
3 pounds apples (about 7 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Set aside while preparing fruit filling.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Toss apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) together in large bowl; set aside. Bring cider to simmer in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer reduced cider to bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.
3. Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.
4. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.


I wanted to show the syrup that forms in the pan. I took the picture of the crisp in the bowl a little too soon. We spooned this yummy goodness over the top of our ice cream. And now you know what I'll be eating for breakfast, that is if I can fight Michael off.

Asian Green Beans

This recipe is wonderful--even if you don't like green beans. Add a kick to your veggies!

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp finely grated ginger

1/16 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

2 Tb water

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish (optional)

1) Lightly steam the beans, then immerse in cold water to stop them from cooking further. (I don't put them in cold water.) You can do this up to a day ahead of time.

2) Heat the oils in a saute pan over low heat. Saute the garlic and ginger in the oils until the garlic is golden and you can smell its sweetening aroma.

3) Add the beans, pepper flakes, soy sauce, and water. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, over high heat for a few minutes, until the water evaporates and the oil coats the beans and makes them shiny. Shake the pan and stir occasionally while the mixture is cooking.

4) Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Monkey Bread

½ of a 3 oz package of butterscotch pudding (must be cook and serve)
24 Rhodes Rolls, still frozen
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


1. Place 24 dough balls in a bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over dough.

2. Melt butter and mix with sugar and cinnamon.

3. Cover pan with wet towels (it may stain). Let rise overnight in the oven. When
ready to bake, remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove
towel and bake rolls for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert pan onto
platter.

Be sure that you use the regular sized dinner rolls, not Texas size. I have cut the dough balls in half, or quarters which I like better. I don’t like trying to cut frozen dough though and am not willing to stay up late to cut them after they thaw. I suppose the next best thing would be to make your own dough that you could shape into the desired size, but that makes this recipe much harder than it should be. Anyway you fix it, this is an excellent no fuss breakfast.

Citrus Basil Vinagrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs orange juice
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs honey
1/8 cup chopped basil
1 tsp cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Shake to combine.

For the salad, I used romaine with diced chunks of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and croutons. The dressing will last about three days. If you strain the basil out, it is good for two weeks.

Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
½ cup raisins (or dried currants) - see notes below
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, ⅓ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your finger to
work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps
form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball (The dough will
be sticky in places and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you
press, the dough will come together).

5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8 inch circle about ¾-inch thick.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to
cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper)
about 1-inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes
and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cherry-Almond Scones – Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the sour cream mixture and
substitute dried cherries for the raisins (We also like the
almond extract with cherry flavored dried cranberries). - This is what is pictured above.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones – Add a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to the
dry ingredients and substitute dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cranberry-Orange Scones – Add a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the
dry ingredients and substitute dried cranberries for the
raisins.

I make these a lot. I really mean a lot. It's the best of both worlds between a biscuit and a muffin. We usually do a mixture of two of these. We like cranberries with almond extract. I haven't ever made these with raisins or currants. Be sure when you're running the butter over the grater that you rotate the sides you're grating. Otherwise, the sides touching your hands start to melt and will be difficult to pass through the grater. I've heard of people using nonstick spray with their box graters. This isn't something I've done because mine has a nonstick coating, but I could see the spray being helpful here. After you've finished grating the butter, be sure to scrape off the interior (if using a box grater) or opposite side (if using a flat grater).

Alfredo Sauce

I love this recipe because it is easy, fast, and tastes just like Olive Garden (my all-time fav!!). My two year old usually has 2-3 helpings too! This recipe is also nice because I usually double it and then freeze the remaining sauce in two ziploc bags. Then when you need a quick meal, run it under some warm water, stir and it's ready!! I love this on bowtie noodles, although you can use fettuccine, spaghetti noodles, anything you have!! Enjoy!!

1 pint Heavy Cream (I have used half-n-half and even milk before and it still works)

2 TB. Cream Cheese

1/2 C. Butter

3/4 C. Parmesean Cheese ( I use the powdered stuff in the can)

1 tsp. Garlic (powder or fresh)

pinch of parsley (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

In medium sauce pan, combine butter, cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted and mixed. Add the parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring frequently over low heat. Serve over noodles.

Concoction Enchildadas, Chicken three ways

I realize the name is a little odd, but concoction is the name Michael gives to anything I make that doesn't have a definite recipe. These enchiladas are different nearly every time. The only constant is that there is always cheese and tortillas. You can substitute nearly anything that you like wrapped in a tortilla in this "recipe." The quantity of filling determines how many tortillas you'll need. If you make too much filling, refrigerate it and make some more enchiladas, or cook more rice and serve it over top. I know the directions look long, but the actual dish doesn't take that long to make.

Ingredients
10-12 tortillas (I like corn, but have used flour before - if using corn, read the hint on the left side of this page)
2-3 chicken breasts, or a Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded* see explanation below
chicken broth* see explanation below
about one cup of cooked rice, if desired
about one cup of black beans, if desired
about one cup of corn, if desired
about two cups of cheese, shredded
2 cans of 10 oz. enchilada sauce (I use one red and one green)
8 oz. cream cheese on occasion

*For chicken three ways, bake, grill, or otherwise cook a whole chicken (or go to Costco and buy one). Serve with whatever side items strike your fancy. Meal number one. Shred remaining chicken to use in enchiladas (or some other meal). Meal number two. For meal number three, put remaining chicken (bones and all) in a pot filled with water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow this to simmer for as long as you have time for; I've done it for as long as three hours. When you've waited long enough, remove the bones and skim the fat off of the top. Add carrots, celery, onion, and/or any other vegetables you like. When those have nearly finished cooking, add some noodles, and voila - meal number three is chicken noodle soup. Now, back to enchiladas.

*If you are using raw chicken, boil the breasts in a pot with enough broth to cover the top of the meat with one inch of broth. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-60 minutes (the longer the better, but it usually takes about 20 minutes for the chicken to be fully cooked). If you allow the chicken to simmer for the longer amount of time, be sure to check on it every so often so it doesn't cook dry. When chicken is cooked, remove from heat - don't drain, shred chicken.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add chicken and one can of sauce to remaining broth (if using the raw chicken method). Heat this mixture to a simmer and allow to simmer until you need the filling - this is where I use the red sauce.
3. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. If using cream cheese, add to the second can of sauce - this is where I use green sauce. Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 cup of the second can of sauce. Be sure all other ingredients are prepped.
4. Add rice, beans, and corn to the chicken mixture. Get ready to start rolling.
5. Add some filling and cheese to a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam side down in the 9x13 pan. Repeat until filling is used up or tortillas run out.
6. Pour remaining can of sauce over top of rolled enchiladas, being sure to spread it evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes. If the cheese isn't browned after 20 minutes, turn the broiler on to low, and broil until the cheese has browned. It doesn't take long for it to turn from melted pale cheese to browned to black, so watch carefully.
7. After removing from oven, allow the enchiladas to cool for about five minutes. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, avocado chunks, olives, etc. Enjoy!

Cake Mix Cookies

These are so easy to make. They are quite a bit softer than regular cookies. I suppose if you substituted butter for the oil, it would give you a crispier cookie. Here are some variations I thought you could do. Lemon cake - dried blueberries, spice cake - toasted pecans, chocolate cake - dried cherries, really the possibilities are endless. To be quite honest, these aren't the best cookies I've ever had. They are good enough for a quick cookie fix though.

1 box any flavor cake mix
½ cup flour
⅔ cup oil
2 eggs
6 oz. chocolate chips, any other flavored chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Mix well. Add chocolate chips; mix well. Scoop a teaspoon sized ball onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Cheesy Ravioli Bake

This is a very simple, quick dish which I usually have all the ingredients for. I have used both frozen and fresh ravioli. Of course the fresh tasted better, but the frozen is just fine. I usually just use mozzarella instead of the Italian cheese blend, but use whatever you have on hand that melts nicely. There are lots of other things you could add to this dish (sausage, veggies, etc) to make it your own; I probably wouldn't add more than one cup's worth of extras. Be careful of water based ingredients (mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, etc), they could flood the dish unless you cook them first. I love this dish for Sundays. I put it together in the morning, leave it in the oven during church, and have the time bake function set. When I get home, all I have to do is take the foil off, and finish baking it. Within 30 minutes of coming home, dinner is ready - with very little effort.

1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce (unless you have homemade on hand - who does?)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (if you don’t like chunks, use crushed)
½ c water
2 lbs frozen ravioli (or enough to make two layers in a 9x13 pan)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix sauce, tomatoes, and water. Spoon 1 cup into the bottom of a 9x13 dish.

3. Layer ½ ravioli and 1 cup shredded cheese over the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mix. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the sauce, and top with the Parmesan. Cover with foil.

4. Bake 30 minutes then uncover. Bake for additional 15-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

In my mind, there is no better combination than peanut butter and chocolate. Mint is a close second, but peanut butter takes the cake, or in this case the pie. If you're really ambitious, you can make your own crust, but why? I normally make this with a chocolate crust, but graham cracker is what was in the cupboard, still good. Enjoy!



8 oz softened cream cheese
½ cup milk
¾ cup extra chunky peanut butter
8 oz whipped topping
1 cup powdered sugar
1 9-inch chocolate or graham cracker crust
Chocolate Syrup

1. Mix cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until soft and fluffy. Mix in peanut butter and sugar until incorporated.

2. Slowly add milk, beating until well blended. Fold in whipped topping.

3. Spoon into pie crust, mounding the top. Freeze until firm. When solid, cover with foil. (Pie may be frozen for several weeks.) Go ahead and throw the lid away that comes with the store bought crust, it won't fit on.

4. To serve, remove pie from freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle chocolate syrup over individual pieces.

Filled French Toast

filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c honey or pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
grated zest of 1 small orange
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 c finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, etc), toasted, or shredded sweetened or unsweetened dried coconut (optional)

1 lb loaf white bread, preferably egg bread, trimmed of crusts

egg wash
1 c milk
3 large eggs
1/4 c flour
3 tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs unsalted butter
1tbs vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, zest, cinnamon, salt, and nuts together. Cut the loaf into 1-inch-thick slices; you probably will get 8 slices. Carefully work the knife into one side of each slice of break to create a pocket that you can open with your fingers. Spoon an equal amount of filling into each pocket. Whisk the milk, eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla and salt in a shallow bowl. Soak the bread in the egg mixture until thoroughly saturated but not falling apart. Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add as many slices of bread to the skillet as will fit without crowding and cook until the the underside is just lightly golden. Turn the bread and cook until the second side is lightly golden. As each slice is cooked, transfer it to the baking sheet. Continue cooking the French toast, adding more butter and oil as needed. Bake the sauteed slices until puffed and golden, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or honey.

*Notes* We used honey, I'm too cheap to pay for maple syrup. I used an egg bread which worked well. I wouldn't use French bread or anything that doesn't have a firmer structure. I'm not sure if it could withstand the stuffing. After the bread is stuffed, it looked like the stuffing would ooze out during cooking. It did a little, but not much. You could refrigerate the bread after it is stuffed, maybe 30 minutes. Because I used an electric griddle to brown the toast, I didn't use the butter or oil. It was a little time consuming because I was making it by myself with the girls wanting to "help," the phone ringing, diaper changing, etc. I would make it again though. It's pretty rich, the girls split a piece and one should fill you up, especially with side dishes. The recipe also suggests putting apple butter or a thick fruit preserve in with the filling, would be worth a try. We also thought about lemon zest instead of orange, but the orange is really good. I hope you enjoy.

Picadillo

Don't judge this recipe by the picture, or the ingredient list for that matter. It doesn't look all that appealing, and some of the ingredients are odd in their combinations, but this is very tasty.

1 lb ground beef
1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c golden raisins
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 c slivered almonds (optional)

1. Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Place mixture into slow cooker.

2. Add tomatoes, raisins, chili powder, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and pepper flakes to slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in salt. Garnish with almonds, if desired.

4 servings (although, if you put it in tortillas, it will serve more)

*Notes*
The recipe doesn't give ideas on how to serve this; we like it in corn tortillas with cheese and sour cream. If you make this and have other ideas, let me know. I'm sure it would be good over rice too. I have occasionally added the salt by accident before letting it cook. I haven't noticed a difference either way. I haven't ever used the almonds. I think the raisins are nearly the best part. They plump up during cooking and add just a little sweet to cut the spice, not that it's terribly spicy though. I have used regular raisins instead of golden and they were fine. I prefer the golden raisins though.

Saucy Southern Beef Ribs

I normally don't care for beef ribs, but thought this recipe was worth a try. We live down the street from a little grocery store that sells USDA Prime meat, I'm sure that helped things out in the flavor department.

4 lbs beef ribs, cut into 3 inch pieces or 4 lbs short ribs
10 c. cold water
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/3 c soy sauce
1/2 c ketchup
2 tsp prepared mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 med onion
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place beef, water and onion in heavy stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove ribs and arrange in single layer in shallow roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over ribs. Marinate one hour in refrigerator, turning often. Remove ribs from marinade and place under broiler or grill. Broil until brown and crisp, basting often with marinade. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: We cut the meat into individual ribs. We let this boil for three hours and marinate for 2 hours. We basted them 4 times. 1/4 cup of chili sauce sounded like a lot, but was just fine. Not too spicy, but just a little kick. Michael doesn't usually like ribs, in fact, I was surprised he was willing to try this recipe out. We really liked them, even the girls liked them. I would say this serves more than 4.