Crockpot Asian Short Ribs

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• I made this a while back on a snowy Kansas Day.  I made fried rice to go along with it and some plain white rice.  It's a quick tasty meal.  The ribs literally fall off the bone.  I'm not a big fan of short ribs because there isn't much to eat on them but this is a good way to make them without much effort.  Hope you give them a try.
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• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 5 pound bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2″ pieces
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes, if using.
2. Place short ribs into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture until well combined.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.*
4. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.

Donna

Ginger Cookies

Yet another goodie for work.  I was going to make a pumpkin swirl muffin but didn't have the ambition so decided on these.  I had just made three trays of stuffed shells and Manicotto for a birthday dinner so was kind of tired.  I thought if I made these then I could just bake them the next day.
The stuffed shells and Manicotti are in another post here and here.

Ingredients:
2¼ cups flour 
2 teaspoons ground ginger
 1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
½ teaspoon ground cloves
 ¼ teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup butter, softened 
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup white sugar 
1 egg 
1 tablespoon orange juice *I substuted pumpkin puree*
¼ cup molasses
 ¼ cup sugar (to roll cookies)



INSTRUCTIONS:
Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt) 
Cream the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add the orange juice and molasses (I use light molasses) until combined. 
Add in the dry ingredients in small batches until just combined. 
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, if you can't at least put it in the freezer for a half an hour. 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In about 2 tablespoon balls, roll into the sugar and flatten so it looks like the thickness of a double stuff Oreo, really thick but clearly flattened. Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things You L♥ve.
Donna

Bourbon Maple Pecans and Walnuts

This is a variation of something I saw on Pinterest.  The gal had made hers with Pistachios but as you can see I decided on walnuts and Pecans.  I made these as a filler for the Christmas Goodies I give to my co workers.  I'll post one of the containers at a later date to show you all what was in there.

8 oz walnuts and pecans
1 1/2 TBL bourbon
2 TBL maple syrup
1 tsp dark brown sugar (you can add a bit more if you want them sweeter)
3/4 to 1 tsp salt

mix ingredients and toss nuts spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 250 for 15 minutes.  They can be sticky because of the maple syrup so be sure they don't touch while cooking.  Cool and serve.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the time To Do ALL the things You L♥ve,
Donna

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark

I made this back in December, it was some of the goodies for the holidays.  It's a quick easy item to make.  give it a try.

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips 
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 
3/4 cup roughly chopped nuts, I used pecans and walnuts 
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit, I used apricots and cranberries golden raisins

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe glass bowl or measuring cup. Heat for 1 minute, at 50% power, stir and heat an additional 30 seconds, stir again until smooth. Pour the chocolate across the lined baking sheet and spread it out with a spatula. 

Wipe the bowl clean and repeat the melting process with the white chocolate chips. Pour the white chocolate over the dark and use the end of a spoon or a spatula to swirl the two chocolates together. Sprinkle with the chopped fruits and nuts. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cut the bark into pieces once it has set. Store at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator. Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and Always Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the Things You L♥ve,
Donna