Easy Boneless BBQ Ribs!!

Yay for recipe day! First I need to apologize because this post will NOT come with a picture! After today however, I will make the day before, the recipe I will share on Friday. That way it will be complete with some what step by step photos! I decided I would start with an easy recipe because who doesn't like EASY?! Here goes!

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
1 6oz can of pineapple juice
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 garlic clove minced or half tsp crushed garlic
Your Favorite BBQ sauce (We LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's in this house!)

Slightly brown the ribs on all sides in a skillet. Add them to the Crock Pot then add all of the ingredients EXCEPT BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove ribs from Crock Pot. Drain the juices and onions. Put ribs back in and cover in BBQ sauce. Cook on high for 30 mins.

DO NOT skip the browning in skillet step. This helps keep all of the juices IN the ribs and makes them practically MELT in your mouth! I usually serve this meal with roasted red potatoes and a salad!

Preparing for Crock Pot Cooking

So it appears that most people are interested in Crock Pot recipes! Well you are in luck!! It just so happens that I know a little bit about Crock Pot cooking! I know most people think that you have to be cooking for an Army if you cook in a Crock Pot. That is SOO NOT TRUE!! It's just Captain Hunk, Troop and myself in our home and I use my Crock pot(s) at least three times a week! Crazy you say? Actually, it's pretty dang smart! Uses less time preparing the main dish and more time to make DESSERT! That being said, you can also use your Crock Pot for desserts!! Awesome right?! I recently taught a class about Crock Pot basics and luckily I kept ALL of my notes! So in preparation for tomorrow's, and future recipes, here are some things are are GREAT to know! Feel free to add anything if you know something that I forgot to include!

First off, did you know that almost any oven recipe can also be cooked in the Crock Pot? Keep that in mind!

1 Spraying your Crock Pot with cooking spray or lining it with foil makes for super easy clean up!

2 Only fill it 3/4 of the way full to ensure room to cook thoroughly.

3 Add tender veggies, pasta, seafood, dairy products, and fresh herbs in the last 30 mins of cook time.

4 MEATS Always brown hamburger and sausage first! NEVER put it in raw.

5 VEGGIES Dense veggies like potatoes, carrots and other root veggies should be cut no larger than 1 inch and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook.

6 LIQUIDS Liquids can be decreased when slow cooking, usually by half. Unless the recipe calls for pasta or rice, one cup is usually enough.

7 HERBS & SPICES Best to add these near the end of cooking so they don't dissipate.

8 MILK & CHEESE Milk, sour cream and cream cheese break down over long periods of cooking and should be added during the last 30 mins.

9 SOUPS Add only enough water to cover ingredients. Add more after cooking if necessary. For milk based soups add 1 to 2 cups of water then during the last hour add the milk.

10 OVEN RECIPES
Here are the conversions for oven recipes to Crock Pot
Low 200 degrees High 300 degrees
15-30 mins 4-6 hrs 1 1/2-2 hrs
35-45 mins 6-10 hrs 3-4 hrs
50 mins- 3 hrs 8-18 hrs 4-6 hrs

Everyday Household Items Can Be Household HEROES!

You know this stuff! You probably grew up with your Dad using it and I bet if you walk out to your garage you will most likely find AT LEAST one can of it! Growing up I only thought it was good for 2 things. Creaky door hinges and red ant bites! Ooooohhh how wrong I have been! A reader shared this info with me so of course I wanted to share it with you!

WD-40 uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows . (I love this one!)
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7 Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots .
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18 It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22 Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls.. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P..S. The basic ingredient is

FISH Oil

There you have it folks! Who would have thought something SO common could be used for SO much! I'm thinking of grabbing mine right now and spraying a little note on the mirror for Captain Hunk so he can see it next time he showers! :)

White Eggs or Brown??

Is it just me or does it seem like the demand for brown eggs has gone WAAAY up? And when demand goes up, price goes up! So the real question is, "Are brown eggs really more nutritious then white eggs?" The answer: NO
A large brown egg contains the exact same amount of white and yolk, and the same nutrients, as a white egg! YEP! It's true! Brown eggs come from a different breed of hens. They are often bigger birds, which require more feed than the regular white egg-laying hens. More feed, means more money, which is why the cost of brown eggs is more. So consider that the next time you are buying eggs. Sometimes, less is more...or the same depending how you look at it! :)

LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner!!!

Have you ever wished you could find a great cleaner that would just DO IT ALL? You know, like clean your carpets, sharpie and pen off the walls, remove stains from clothes, gets the goo off the bathroom floor and so on... I know what you are thinking, YEAH RIGHT! Well good news Ladies! ( and Gents just in case!) I found it!! And the best part is, it only cost $1. YEP, you read right! JUST A BUCK!! You can find this nifty stuff at just about ANY dollar store! I didn't believe it myself so of course I ran to the nearest Family Dollar and bought myself a bottle! Lo and behold it immediately removed a HORRIBLE stain I had been fighting for weeks! I now use it as my ALL PURPOSE (carpets, bathrooms, kitchen, Troop's room) cleaner! The stuff is, as it is named, AWESOME!! Even Captain Hunk was quite amazed at our bleached white bathroom floor after using it! I DARE you to try it! BUT, DO NOT use it on leather! Apparently it will eat right thru it! :)

There Always Has to be a First Time!!

Thanks for stopping by! I am super excited to have this up and running and even more excited to share some of my wisdom with you!! Feel free to add some of your own wisdom or share anything you would like! I know many of us will appreciate any and all domestic advice we can get!