The 2012 is upon us. The 1st meal of this year should be Black Eye Peas Soup which symbolizes Good Luck in the New Year. I enjoy making this soup is super easy and if left to sit a day, the flavors meld into fulfilling meal on New Years Day. My Black Eyed Pea soup is lovely fresh veggies, and smoke flavor. Red Pack tomatoes which I prefer are lovely compliment to this soup pack in there own juices. This soup low in calories and a healthy soup which make it a great soup to start the new year. Resolutions and all..
My husbands favorite meal is Ribs. So every birthday and about 2 other times during the year I make him my Slow oven roasted Sweet BBQ Ribs. He loves them. when the fall off the bone. A few years back I started to make my own BBQ sauce to baste my ribs with. I figured I could do this how hard can it be. So Start with a great tomato paste (I prefer Red Pack Tomato Paste) Red Pack has the fresh flavor of the tomatoes. It also add the great color, then I add some honey and We are off to the races. So here it is Superexhausted Sweet Finger liking stick sugary ribs.
1 rack of ribs (full rack)
2- 2 ½ cups of brown sugar (dark)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbls of molasses (too much leaves a funky taste)
Variety of Spices Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Cumin , Powder Ginger
Prep time short.. But overnight- 4-5 hours cooking
The night before cooking ribs. Season ribs with generous about Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin, ginger.. basically use most of the spices in your cabinet. Then wrap in Tin foil and keep in fridge overnight.
Next Day Preheat oven to 325 degrees,
Start BBQ Sauce
In a medium pot, Start with garlic, then add the Red Pack tomato paste, vinegar, salt, molasses , honey and 1 ½ cups brown sugar (reserve rest of Brown sugar for later).
Bring to bubbling (not a full boil) Watch so it does not burn. Reduce and let simmer on low while prepping ribs.
Put ribs on a tray with a grate (I suggest tin foil tends to get sticky)
Score the ribs with a knife in a diagonal crossing both directions.
Brush ribs with BBQ sauce and start cooking on oven (low and slow)
Every so often cover ribs with BBQ sauce. Flipping ribs every 45 min-1 hour baste with the BBQ sauce as you flip. Last hour meat side up
The Last hour coat ribs in Sauce and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Last ½ hour coat again with BBQ sauce and brown sugar again.
Ribs should be pulling away from the bones on the ends that how you know they are almost done. It takes about 4-5 hours
Last 5 min turn on broiler watching so not as to burn, let the sugar get dark and yummy.
Serve with sweet potatoes fries or a great back potato. Steam Broccoli is a great veggie with ribs.
So the presents are open, the food has been eaten, and the dish done.
But I am left.. with Christmas Sparkle..
Not the kind that leaves you with the warm fuzzy but literary sparkles.
From the worst worst wrapping paper every .. it looked pretty when I bought it.
The sparkles are on the floor, stuck to our feet, our faces.. everywhere
including the dogs poop.. it looks like a unicorn pooped in our house.. (new puppy and all)
so
The Christmas Lives on… Sparkle
This recipe is my Blue Ribbon Holiday Chili made with Red Pack tomatoes. The Redpack Tomatoes are so fresh and full of flavor. The also have variety that really help develop the flavors of you food. This Chili recipe a favorite of my children and the local area. I won the blue ribbon twice at the school chili cook of with this recipe. I am not sure if it is the Cocoa , the brown sugar or some wonderful Red Pack fresh taste tomatoes. I love to give chili around the holidays. People are running around and don’t take the time to eat. So the gift of homemade chili is great gift.
Check out the cooking Video to see how I made this Chili at the bottom of this post.
This set is wonderful it is a giant 3 d puzzle Place Castle. The set goes together preety easy. I cant wait to see my daughters face on christmas morning. The set comes wit wooden figures but i know my daughter other favorites will be playing with the princess.
well made quality construction
Made of wood
Painted in durable
it is a puzzle
Can be disassembled with easy
Includes Prince, Princess, King, Queens, and wizard figures to play with
There are bridge , towers, hiding nooks for hours of play.
it is the size of a standard play table 24.4 x 4.9 x 19.8 inches
This is a gift you will want to save for your child’s children, it will stand the test of time
If you are looking for a gift to brighten your daughters Christmas morning this is it.
Disclosure: I did receive this from BigJigs free of charge at a PSMM event but it does not affect the opinions in this post are all of my own.
So last year I picked the Perplexus as a top pick for Kids on MamasLittleHelper.. for me it was My son and his favorite gift all year. I actually got to try it out at a blogher event and gave one to my son. Then proceed to buy 9 more and give them to all his friends. They we a huge hit for the 10th birthday parties he attended.
It is still a top pick for me!
So if you don’t know what to buy the kids this is the gift!!!
It has no batteries
Causes kids to focus and concentrate as they move the ball through the maze
It is a truly durable toy/puzzle
teaches patient
it does not make noise
mind powered thinking involved
Young and old will be addicted to solving this puzzle many many times
My son asked for the other versions
every kid who touched it had to play with it. great for all
a great gift go to gift for all birthdays and holidays
Teach your daughter to be independent empowered women. A empowered women who can stand on her own 2 feet and be resilient at challenging time. Here are my top 6 ways I help to empower your daughter with self-respect, girl independence, great body image, and resilience.
Resourceful That she is self sufficient and resourceful where there is no light. I want her to understand that faith. Have a belief in a greater good is important and will always help you through rough times. Empowerment comes from within.
Independence When I first met my husband he told me the reason he love you was because “you are independent you allow me to be part of you life you will never need me to survive”. I want my daughter to understand it takes a very strong man to be with a very strong women. Allow a man to be part of her world. That my husband is the ying to my yang and he completes me. I teach my daughter that she can go things herself that she can take her car to the shop and take out her own garbage. She see the respect that I have for my husband and the respect he has for me. Where as our love is not perfect, we do have times where we butt heads but it is never for a traditional role. Independence but one together, empowered and loved.
Intelligence I tell her she is smart every day, ask her what she did today. This lets her know her thoughts are important she is intelligent . I tell her she can be and do anything. I really truly mean it as a child my mother want us to have opportunities that were not available to her. She stood by why I petitioned to be on the football team. I fought it up the ladder. I wore a pregnant statue of liberty shirt with “ERA” on it every other day in the 5th grade. She washed it every day for me. She knew things were to be different for me.
Support I will stand by her when she makes choice in life, I don’t agree with to but knowing her choices are her life. My mother knew nothing about fashion when I went in to it but she supported my decisions it regardless …long as I had a real college degree when I left college. A option she never had as a teenager. Support from other is the easiest way to empower your daughter.
Consequences to her actions is the way to empowerment of your daughter, I understand you might not wait until you are married to have sex. But make sure you are old enough to deal with the consequences and take precautions. Also make sure it is with someone who loves and respects you, and that will make it special. That would be a gift you my daughter will cherish for the 1st time.
Body Image I will tell my daughter she is beautiful. In still Positive body image I will lead by example letting her know I think I am beautiful no matter what size I am. I have never said I am fat in front of her or I am ugly because that is a state of mind in negative thoughts that just brings you down. I never also say diet, I might eat less and make better choices but we never go to the fat dark side. I want my kids to be around food and learn to limit rather than hide. I have heard many people say there happiness is tied to there weight. How about Happiness tied to being happy with oneself. Empower yourself to empower your daughters.
If you say it often they will believe. So that is my Parenting Rant. What do you do to empower your daughter or kids?