Baked Coconut French Toast with Tropical Fruit Compote

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Breakfast, Brunch and tagged with , , , , , ,
Baked Coconut French Toast with Fruit Compote

Baked Coconut French Toast with Fruit Compote

We are now officially into summer.   The weather is sunny, hot and beautiful; and I’m cooking up something special for our breakfast.  Something with a tropical vibe to it.

What started me down this path was a recent purchase  of a large bag of unsweetened, flaked coconut, (read, large flakes),  by Bob’s Red Mill.  Don’t ask why I bought this when I already have two bags of the standard, sweetened flaked coconut on hand.  In addition, I’m not one to use a lot of coconut, even though we like it, because of my concern for the oil content.  Well, not everything I do always makes perfect sense, so now I must devise ways to use coconut.  Expect to see more recipes featuring coconut popping up in the near future. 😀

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Baked French Toast, a somewhat “showy” breakfast, is really easy for me to serve on a weekend morning.  I assemble it all the evening before, put it in the fridge overnight, and just take it out and bake it in the morning.  While the toast is baking, I put together a fruit mixture, that I’ll loosely call a Tropical Fruit Compote, so you’ll think I really spent a lot of time planning for how this was all going to go together.   😀

The French Toast and fruit mixture complemented each other nicely  and provided a “summery” feeling to a breakfast that we enjoyed eating out on the deck.IMG_4379

BAKED COCONUT FRENCH TOAST

Yield:   Serves 4

For the Toast:

  • 8 slices ( 1/2- inch thick ) diagonally cut Italian bread
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 1/4 cups coconut milk ( or almond milk)
  • 4 large eggs, or 1 1/4 cups egg substitute
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract ( to increase coconut flavor, use coconut extract)
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut

1.  Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.   Arrange the bread slices snugly in the dish.

2.  Combine the milk, eggs or egg substitute, sugar and vanilla, stirring with a whisk.  Pour evenly over the bread.  Turn the bread slices over to coat evenly.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

3.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Remove bread mixture from refrigerator, uncover, and turn bread slices over.  Sprinkle evenly with coconut.  Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle on coconut before baking.

Sprinkle on coconut before baking.

4.  Bake, uncovered, at 375*F for 30 minutes or until coconut is golden.  Serve warm with fruit compote.

Just out of the oven--smells wonderful!

Just out of the oven–smells wonderful!

For the compote:

Colorful fruits go into the compote.

Colorful fruits go into the compote.

  • 1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
  • 1 dark purple plum, pitted and sliced
  • 1 large kiwi, peeled, and sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients.  Cover and chill over night,  or prepare while toast is baking.  Serve alongside the French Toast.

A Tropical Breakfast

A Tropical Breakfast

SOURCE:   Taste of Home

Let’s Get Berried on the 4th!

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes, Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
Lemon buttermilk cake with strawberries, whipped cream and strawberry coulis.

Lemon buttermilk cake with strawberries, whipped cream and strawberry coulis.

Ahhhhh—-Strawberry Shortcake!  Nothing that I know of says summer so well as strawberry shortcake, a great favorite for the 4th of July.  And this recipe does the impossible–makes it even more delicious.   It starts with a warm, lemon flavored golden buttermilk cake that’s followed by sweet juicy fresh strawberries, and topped with whipped cream drizzled with strawberry coulis.   Like Whoa!

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This version is so beyond the shortcake I grew up with it’s almost in another world.  Back in the day when I was still living at home, strawberry shortcake consisted of sweetened, sliced berries spooned over biscuits that were a lot like the texture of scones.  They soaked up the juice and got all soft like, and the perfect bite included biscuit, berries and cream.  Yeah, that’s the shortcake I know.

But this,  this takes it all to a new level.   Here you taste and smell the essence of lemon in a finely textured cake, along with the goodness of fresh sweet berries, then the cream is further enhanced by the strawberry coulis, a puree of strawberries containing just a touch of balsamic vinegar.  Can I entice you to give this a try?  I don’t think you will be the least bit sorry.

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GOLDEN LEMON CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES AND COULIS

Servings:   8

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar

Combine sliced berries and sugar in a bowl.  Toss to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

For the cake:IMG_4463

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1/2  tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2  tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray an 8 – inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3.  Place 1/3 cup sugar and butter in a medium bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Add egg, beat just until combined.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.  Beat well.  Stir in vanilla.

4.  Spoon batter into the prepared 8 – inch cake pan.  Bake at 350*F for 22 – 25 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack.  To serve, place on serving dish and  sift powdered sugar over top of cake.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

For coulis:

  • 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp. sugar

Place berries, vinegar and sugar in the blender and blend to smooth consistency.  If too thick add a little water or a touch more vinegar.

This strawberry sauce is great spooned over the cake only, or over ice cream.

Whipped Cream Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a small beater bowl, and beat on high speed until the cream holds stiff peaks.

To assemble and serve:

Portion the cake into 8 wedges.  Place a wedge of cake on each serving plate.  Spoon strawberries with their juice over the cake.  Place a dollop of cream on top.  Drizzle a little of the coulis over the cream or on the plate around the cake.

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SOURCE:  Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light,  the remainder is my own idea.

White Bean and Radish Salad

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Salads, Side Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,
White Bean and Radish Salad

White Bean and Radish Salad

Summer is for salad, folks.  When the weather turns this warm, I just want a cool, easy to fix salad for my meal.  One that looks good on the plate, tastes good, and is healthy for you are all necessary attributes.  If it is made with readily available staples that I have in my pantry that’s even better.  Well, I’m happy to tell you, this salad fills all those criteria and more.

I put this salad together in about 15 minutes.  Once made I let it chill so it would be nice and cool by dinnertime, and served it with some salmon kabobs, cooked quickly on the grill.

Opening a can of white beans is one of my favorite ways to start cooking.  There are so many ways you can spin them into salads and side dishes.  They can be paired with whatever you have in the fridge or what looks good at the market.   In this case the beans are mixed with fresh radishes, scallions, black olives and lots of fresh parsley in the dressing.  I would also not hesitate to pair them up with some tuna fish, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, some herbs, and a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil.  When using an ingredient like beans in a salad, you want to combine them with something that offers a contrasting crunch and a pop of color.  Here, we have red, white, black and green.  So pretty when you plate it up!

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This satisfying salad was great served alongside fish, but it will also go well with grilled or roast chicken or steak.  It can even become a completely vegetarian meal just by adding some wedges of hard boiled egg.  Give this one a test run, it might become your new favorite go-to salad.     Its also a great take along if you’re going to a pot-luck picnic over the July 4th weekend.

WHITE BEAN AND RADISH SALAD

Servings:   6 – 8

Ingredients:IMG_4402

  • 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained**
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers
  • 2 cups (packed ) fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
  • 1/4 cup (or more) white vinegar
  • Kosher salt, black pepper
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, cut into thin wedges
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 3  (15-oz) cans cannellini -white kidney beans- rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted, quartered

1.  Blend anchovies, oil, capers and 1 cup parsley in a blender until a coarse puree forms.  Transfer to a large bowl, mix in 1/4 cup vinegar, and season with salt and pepper and more vinegar, if desired.

2.  Add radishes, scallions, beans, olives, and remaining 1 cup parsley to bowl and toss to combine.

3.  Cover and chill till ready to serve.  May be made 4 hours ahead.

**Many recipes call for just one or two anchovies to be incorporated in a dish, leaving you to wonder what to do with the remainder of the tin.  I keep a spare ice cube tray available for just such times when I will put 2-3 anchovies with their oil, into each of the depressions, add a small amount of water to cover and freeze them.  Once frozen, place into a zip-top baggie, keep frozen, and use as needed in future recipes.

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SOURCE:  This recipe was derived from Bon Appetit magazine.

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , ,
Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

These grilled salmon kebabs are so easy to make and delicious to eat–and loaded with omega 3’s in every bite.  Isn’t it super when something you love to eat is also good for you?   Seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon, and spices and grilled to perfection.

I made these this past weekend on a really hot day, when I did not want to be indoors cooking at the stove. I served them with a cold salad  (white bean and radish salad, tomorrow’s post)  and a quick potato hash and we loved it all.  It was the perfect meal to eat outdoors.

If you are growing your own fresh herbs in the garden, this is a great way to use some oregano.  It is combined with cumin and sesame seeds, and sprinkled over the kebabs after brushing them with a little olive oil.  In between each piece of salmon is a thin slice of lemon that makes the kebabs look nice, but also bathes the fish in its juice while cooking.  I plan to make this dish again this summer and perhaps vary the kind of fish used.

GRILLED SALMON KEBABSIMG_4406

Servings:  4   (2 kebabs each)

Ingredients:

  • 16 bamboo skewers soaked in water 1 hour
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 Tsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1  1/2 pounds skinless wild salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 lemons, sliced into very thin rounds
  • olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Heat the grill on medium heat and spray the grates with oil.  (Or wipe the grates with a paper towel sprayed with oil).

2.  Mix oregano, sesame seeds, cumin and red pepper flakes in a small bowl to combine;  set spice mixture aside.

3.  Beginning and ending with salmon, thread salmon and folded lemon flies onto 8 pairs of parallel skewers to make 8 kebabs total.**  Brush with oil and season with reserved spice mixture.

Alternate salmon and lemon slices onto double skewers.

Alternate salmon and lemon slices onto double skewers.

4.  Grill, turning occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, 5 – 8 minutes.

Cooking on the grill!

Cooking on the grill!

**Here’s a trick: By threading the salmon onto parallel skewers they won’t flip and spin every time you turn them over.

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

SOURCE:  adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

Roasted Strawberry and Toasted Coconut Popsicles

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Roasted Strawberry and Toasted Coconut Popsicles

Roasted Strawberry and Toasted Coconut Popsicles

Today is the beginning of July and it seems that everyone I know is going on vacation; going to the mountains,  going to the beach, or just sitting out by the pool chillin’ out.  Every one but me, that is.  I’d love to be going to the beach, but when you plan to be in a dance competition in August, you just don’t take a vacation until it’s over.  I have work to do.  That’s OK,  I’ll pretend that I’m there by looking at other people’s pictures and daydreaming.  When I sit outside on the deck I’ll slather on the sunscreen that smells of coconut, and eat my popsicles.

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Have you ever made popsicles?   maybe little ones in ice cube trays?  I’ve done that once or twice.  But what I’m proposing is to get yourself a really nice popsicle mold so you can make the real  things.  Popsicles are so easy to make I wonder why I haven’t done this before.

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Today I’m roasting strawberries.  Roasting them concentrates their flavor and brings out their sweetness.  I’m also going to toast the coconut while the oven is on.  Roast and toast is my new motto!

Once the strawberries are roasted, they go into the blender with a bit of lime juice and some sugar.  The coconut is combined with coconut milk, and the next thing that happens is a simple layering of the two into the popsicle molds.   Pop into the freezer and in about 5-6 hours you will have a frozen treat.

Let the others go on their vacations.  I’m happy sitting on the deck chillin” with my cold and frosty popsicle!

STRAWBERRY AND COCONUT POPSICLES

Yield:  Makes 10 – 12 pops  (With my mold I got 10 pops).IMG_4471

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1  pound fresh strawberries, hulled
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • juice of 1 lime, divided
  • 1  (15-ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken (low fat is OK)
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350*F.  Sprinkle coconut onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown.  Watch it closely as it will toast quickly….usually in 3 – 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place in a small bowl to cool.

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2.  Place strawberries on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in the oven to roast until fragrant and soft, about 18 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the strawberries to a blender, or the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar and juice of half a lime.  Blend until smooth.

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3.  In a small bowl stir together coconut milk, remaining lime juice, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.  Stir in the toasted coconut.

4.   Place a spoonful of strawberry into the bottom of each popsicle mold.  Start by filling 10 molds in case you don’t have enough to fill 12 molds.  Stir coconut milk mixture and add to the popsicle molds, filling 2/3 full.  Spoon more strawberry into each mold and top with remaining coconut milk.

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5.  Add on the popsicle mold lid and then insert the sticks.  Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

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SOURCE:   POPS!  Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella

Carolina Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Dressings, Sauces and tagged with , , , , , ,
Pulled pork with Carolina CoCola BBQ sauce.

Pulled pork with Carolina Root Beer BBQ sauce.

Today we had a real southern barbecue dinner.  Using the pork left from my Simple Savory Pork dinner, I made some pulled pork.  The recipe for the barbecue sauce is contained in a book my daughter gave me, written by a woman of the south, Vicki Prescott. (Sweet Tea )  In it she recounts her memories of growing up in North Carolina and the foods she ate.  Most meals were prepared by her grandmothers, aunts and mother, so I view them as authentic, family style meals.

In the book this recipe is called “Carolina CoCola Barbeque Sauce”, but root beer soda can be used with the same delicious results as I have done here.

Pulled BBQ Pork on a bun.

Pulled BBQ Pork on a bun.

CAROLINA COCOLA BARBECUE SAUCE

These few ingredients become a luscious BBQ sauce.

These few ingredients become a luscious BBQ sauce.

Yield:   Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2  1/2 cups catsup
  • 1 cup Coca Cola, Pepsi, or Root Beer
  • 1  1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the onion and cook until translucent.

2.  Stir in all the remaining ingredients.

3.  Simmer over medium low heat for at least 30 minutes.

4.  Shred cooked pork and add to the sauce.  Serve on a bun, or any other way you can think of to enjoy this lusciousness.

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SOURCE:   Sweet Tea by Vicki Prescott

Salted Pretzel Marshmallow Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , ,
Salted Pretzel Marshmallow Bars

Salted Pretzel Marshmallow Bars

There are so many words to describe these bars I hardly know where to start.  Chewy?  most definitely.  Crispy?  yup, when you bite into a pretzel piece.  Sweet?  well, of course, they are dessert bars after all.  Salty?  yes, a little.  You can thank the pretzels for that too.  And where do I fit in the experience of biting into a gooey melted marshmallow with drizzles of  peanut butter and dark chocolate?      Do you get the picture, here?  There’s so much going on with these bars words can’t do them justice.  You’ll just have to make them for yourself to see what I mean.

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I’m thankful the recipe only makes a 9-inch square pan of these goodies. One square is just enough to satisfy without feeling guilty and makes portion control so much easier.  Even better, bars are so easy to share!  I’ll be willing to bet that if you do decide to share these, you’ll get requests for the recipe.

SALTED PRETZEL MARSHMALLOW BARSIMG_4349

Yield:  16 squares

For the bars:

  • 1  1/2 cups broken pretzel pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1  1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  •  2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

  • 8 marshmallows, halved horizontally
  • 1/4  cup peanut butter chips
  • 1 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350*F.   Line a 9 – inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2 – inch overhang on all sides.  Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

2.  Pulse 1 cup pretzel pieces in a food processor until finely ground ( you should have about 1/2 cup crumbs).  Transfer to a bowl.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt.

3.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  (or in the microwave)  Stir in the brown sugar.  Let cool slightly, then stir in the eggs and vanilla.  Stir the pretzel crumb mixture into the butter mixture in two additions.

Mixing in the dry ingredients.

Mixing in the dry ingredients.

4.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup pretzel pieces on top.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs, 25 – 30 minutes.  Let cool completely in the pan on a rack, then ligt the foil to remove the bars from the pan and transfer to a baking sheet.

After baking, just out of the oven.

After baking, just out of the oven.

5.  Preheat the broiler.  Press the marshmallow halves, cut-side down, in even rows on top of the bars.  Broil, rotating the baking sheet as needed, until the marshmallows are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes;  let cool.

6.  Put the peanut butter chips and 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave-safe cup or small bowl and microwave in 30 – second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth.  Repeat with the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in another bowl.  Drizzle the melted peanut butter and chocolate mixtures over the bars.  Let harden at room temperature or chill to set before cutting.

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SOURCE:  Food Network Magazine

Open-Faced Pimiento Cheese BLTs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with , , , , ,
Pimiento Cheese BLT's

Pimiento Cheese BLT’s

I must apologize in advance for giving you what is sure to become a new sandwich addiction, but really, I had no choice.  Somebody besides me has to know about this wonderful sandwich.  What got me started on this was a big dish of warm cheesy dip that had bacon, pimientos, and all sorts of other fabulous things mixed into it.   I remember thinking as it came out of the oven there was no way we were going to eat all of that.  But lo and behold before very long it was all gone.  I’m sure I had more than my fair share of it.

Within a few days I was craving it again.  Rather than making a big bowl of dip for just two of us to devour, I decided to use most of the ingredients that went into the dip in another, more healthy and nutritious form;  a sandwich.  This meal probably contains a few, Ok, a lot, more calories than you want to eat, so its a good idea to plan ahead for when you will be having it.  Blame all that cheese, and mayo, and bread.  So in preparation, have a light breakfast and lunch, go to the gym and work out really hard, and finally make only what you will eat, and no extra.

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OPEN-FACED PIMIENTO CHEESE BLTs

Yield:   Serves 4

Ingredients:

All the yummy ingredients, plus mayo.

All the yummy ingredients, plus mayo.

  • 2 Tablespoons bottled diced pimientos, drained
  • 1 Tablespoon grated, peeled shallots
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons canola mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 slices country-style bread toasted (sour dough bread is good)
  • 12 tomato slices (colorful heirlooms are nice, here)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 center-cut slices bacon, cooked and halved
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves, or other green leaf lettuce of choice
We're ready to build a sandwich!

We’re ready to build a sandwich!

What you do:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Spread 3 tablespoons cheese mixture on each bread slice; top each with 3 tomato slices.  Sprinkle tomato slices evenly with salt.  Top each sandwich with 2 bacon halves and 1/4 cup arugula.

You will probably want to eat this with a knife and fork.

You will probably want to eat this with a knife and fork.

To round out this meal, serve with sweet potato fries, or sweet potato chips.

SOURCE:   a Carolyn Original

Simple Savory Pork

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , ,
Slow cooker pork ribs.

Slow cooker pork ribs.

Cook once, and eat twice, or maybe three times.  Who doesn’t love that?  Not me, for sure.

With some very simple preparations you can be having a deliciously tender, falling-off-the-bone  roast pork for dinner this evening. The aftermath of this meal will be to use the remaining meat to make pulled pork.  I’ll be serving that in a few days and plan to share my recipe with you.  Left over pork can be enjoyed in many different ways, so let your imagination run free to come up with countless ways for using those leftovers.

It all begins with the slow-cooker and a bottle of root beer soda.  Good barbecue requires low and slow cooking.  So we will make a simple spice mixture to rub on the meat, put the meat in the slow cooker, add the root beer soda, and let it cook on low for about 8 hours.  Most barbecued pork or pulled pork is made from either a pork shoulder roast, or a pork sirloin roast.  In my version today, I am using bone-in,  country style ribs that have lots of meat on them.

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Using root beer soda is a technique that I have learned about from several sources. It is very popular with Southern cooks. It provides the needed moisture, its sweetness is the basis for the barbecue sauce, yet all trace of root beer flavor disappears with cooking.  In a follow-up blog post I will tell you about how I made the pulled pork with a very special barbecue sauce.

SIMPLE SAVORY RUB SLOW COOKED PORK

You get big flavor from just a few ingredients.

You get big flavor from just a few ingredients.

Yield:    Makes 8 – 10 servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, sirloin roast, or meaty ribs (with bone)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup root beer soda

1.  In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings.  Rub the mixture all over the meat, pressing it to adhere.  Place the meat in the slow cooker.  Pour in the root beer.  Cover and set to “low heat” setting and allow to cook undisturbed*  until the pork is very tender, 6-8 hours.

Ribs in the crockpot, all seasoned and ready for some slow cooking.

Ribs in the crockpot, all seasoned and ready for some slow cooking.

2.  Transfer the meat to a serving bowl or platter and allow to rest, covered.  The meat is very flavorful and tender served just like this, along with some of the pan juices to moisten it.

Slow cooker pork ribs served with pan juices.

Slow cooker pork ribs served with pan juices.

*Curb the urge to stir, peek or smell.  Every time you lift the lid of your slow cooker, you lose heat equivalent to 20 minutes of cook time.  Resist the temptation to lift the lid until its time to check for doneness in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

SOURCE:   Sweet Tea Please,  Vicki Prescott

Blog Awards

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , ,

Today I reached the milestone of having published my 300th post, all in a little over a year.  During that time I have had the honor of being nominated for two awards:  The Liebster Award and the Beautiful Blogger Award.

The nomination for the Liebster Award came to me from Rose, at forestmtnhike.com.   The Beautiful Blogger Award was passed to me by Anthony at sexycuisine.wordpress.com.  I want to thank these two people for their kind words in nominating me. Rose is a very positive person who finds joy in many of the simple aspects of life, especially the outdoors.  Anthony is a creative chef who  writes a most interesting and informative blog.  Please check out these two blogs.  I’m sure you will enjoy reading them as much as I do.

Both times when I was notified by the nominating bloggers I felt surprise and a certain amount of pleasure and I sincerely appreciate that they both selected me to nominate. Since I was nominated I have allowed some time to elapse before responding, basically because I wanted to give some serious thought to the issue of blog awards on the whole.  There are certain aspects to this whole process that I find troubling, and for the reasons that follow, I have decided to decline the nominations.

In my experience when one is nominated for something, a selection process of some kind follows and then one of the candidates who was nominated wins–the prize, the title, etc.  In the case of blog awards it seems that being nominated IS winning.  The blogger, in accepting the award, must then select a predetermined number of other bloggers to “pass the award” to.  To me, the process of passing along an award seems a lot like a chain letter, which I have never participated in.

This aspect of the awards process is troubling to me in that there are no clear criteria for selecting other bloggers to nominate.  Thus the whole idea of blog awards becomes rather empty and not very meaningful.  I would like to see definite criteria introduced into the nomination process such as “thought provoking, informative content, use of humor, use of photography,” and I could list a host  of others, but you get the idea.

Each and every time I sit down to write a draft for this blog, my goal is to write something you will enjoy reading, or learn something from, or be entertained by.  The fact that the number of readers and followers has been growing steadily since I began this journey, is all the satisfaction and reinforcement I need to keep going.  Writing this blog has put me in touch with people all over the world with whom I feel a certain bond.  Thank you so much for your friendship, your interest and your support.  I love your comments and feedback.

To the two bloggers who nominated me:  I thank you sincerely for the honor,  it means so very much to me that you made that effort. I hope that you understand and can accept my reasons for declining the awards.