Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

Here's a happier post for you. I've been making these muffins for Hubs as a grab-and-go breakfast before he goes to work. If I don't make him something quick and easy, the he won't eat breakfast at all, so this works perfectly.


What you need:
3-4 medium to large ripe bananas (no green)
1 box of Spice Cake Mix
2 eggs
1 bag of milk or dark chocolate chips
Flour baking spray
Muffin tins or loaf pans
Large bowl
Potato Masher or Fork
Mixing spoon


Directions:
Preheat the over to 350*F.
Prepare your muffin tins (you'll need two), OR you can do two loaf pans, OR a combination of both! I spray mine with a flour baking spray.

First you'll want to mash the bananas up. You can use a potato masher or a fork to do this, and you'll want it to be a slightly chunky baby food texture (does that make sense??). Once that is done, add the eggs and mix well.
Add the cake mix and a little more than half the bag of chocolate chips, mix until evenly blended.
Spoon the mix into the muffin tins or pour into the loaf pans and sprinkle more chocolate chips on the top.
Bake for 25-30 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean(ish).

Voila! Delicious chocolate chip banana bread muffins! You could also do the traditional nuts instead of the chocolate chips and it would be banana nut bread. Dried cranberries would be really good in this too. The options are endless!

This recipe is much easier than my great grandmother's recipe. No one can live up to her baked goods anyways, haha.

Have you every simplified a traditional recipe?

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Season has begun!!!!
While I'm not a fan of the lattes, I do enjoy the candles and I like to include pumpkin in my recipes. Ever since I discovered these easy oatmeal cookies, I've been experimenting with other flavors and combinations. It takes a little trial and error, but I finally perfected a Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie recipe.

Ingredients

1 can pumpkin
3 cups oatmeal
3 tbs Cinnamon
2 tbs vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
1/4 cup Coconut Sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2-3/4 bag Diary Free Chocolate Chips (you can use regular chocolate chips)
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F
Mix together all dry ingredients, except chocolate chips and cranberries, in a large mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla and pumpkin. Mix until evenly blended.
Add Chocolate Chips and Cranberries if you choose, mix well.
Spoon the "dough" onto a foiled and lightly greased cookie sheet to form the cookies. These cookies do not spread or rise, so however you shape them is how they will come out.
Bake for 8 mins.
Let cool and Enjoy!

*store in the refrigerator

These cookies are perfect for a snack on the go or re-heat in the microwave for a sweet treat after dinner. I like to portion them out in baggies for easy access.

Are you excited for fall? Do you like all things Pumpkin Spice?

Italian Style Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Oh hey! I showed up twice this week! Granted, that is my current posting schedule, so I'm doing good. Bonus, this is a food post. Not just any food, like, really really good food. Hubs has been begging me to make this again every day since I made it the first time. It makes A LOT, so it's perfect for large families, a pot luck, or to have leftovers for two days after. It's also a great freezer meal you can put together ahead of time. This is not a low fat or low calorie dish... but it's not terrible if you choose lighter versions of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

+ 1 box of pasta - Spaghetti, rotini, penne, bow tie, whatever floats your boat.

+ 1 lb of Ground Italian Spiced Turkey - You can also use regular turkey/beef and add your own Italian spices.

+ 1 Jar of Spaghetti sauce - I use traditional, but other flavors would work too.

+ 2 tbs olive oil

+ 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese - the shaker stuff works well for this

+ 1 cup Shredded Italian Blend Cheese

+ Seasonings to taste

What you need:

+ Large glass baking/casserole dish - preferably with a lid to store for later

+ Aluminum Foil

+ Non-stick cooking spray

+ Large mixing bowl

+ Skillet

+ Medium/Large Pot

+ Cooking utensils

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Spray your baking dish with some nonstick spray and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the bottom. This makes a nice little crust and keeps the pasta from sticking to the pan so bad.  

Cook your pasta. While that's going, brown your meat with you chosen seasonings and add about 1/3 of the jar of sauce to the pan to simmer for a few minutes. Once the pasta is done, drain it and pour into a large bowl. Put 2 tbs of olive oil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese and mix well. Then spread the coated pasta on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle a light layer of shredded cheese then add the meat sauce you just made. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce evenly on top of that. And, of course, another lovely thick layer of cheese. 

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil, and bake for another 5-8 mins until cheese it browned and melted to taste.

Slice and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, add a slice of garlic bread, and a glass of wine. BOOM! Gourmet dinner! What's great about this dish, is that it's still just as good re-heated the next day.

A nice step up from plain old spaghetti right?

Homemade (sorta Paleo) Chocolate Covered Fruit and Nut Clusters

When I tried (and failed) to follow the paleo diet, I came across the wonderful chocolate alternative that is almond bark. Nuts were a common snack that I liked, but I craved something sweet. Per the usual, I started experimenting in the kitchen. And BOOM, these tasty clusters were born!

What You Need:

Chocolate flavored Almond Bark
Nuts of choice
Dried fruits of choice
Sea Salt (or a salt grinder)

I'm not giving measurements for this, because it really just depends on how much you want to make. This recipe requires some eyeballing of portions and preferences of tastes.

Tools:

Large microwave safe bowl
Spoon
Aluminum foil

Prep:

On a flat surface lay out a length aluminum foil or you can cover a cookie sheet with foil. If you don't use a cookie sheet, you want to make sure that you won't need the space for anything else for at least an hour.

Steps:

Put several blocks of the almond bark in the bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute if needed. You want the bark to be all melted. Once it is, you can pour in your nuts and dried fruits, then mix until they are well covered. 

Spoon small clusters onto the prepared foil space or cookie sheet and sprinkle sea salt on top. Leave them to harden for at least an hour.

You do need to store them in sealed container, but they don't need to be refrigerated.

And there you have it! Chocolate Covered (sorta paleo) Fruit and Nut Clusters!

These are perfect when you just need a little something to pacify your sweet tooth, and not totally undo all the hard work you've done eating healthy. And because they don't need refrigeration, you can slip a baggie of them in your purse for a snack on the go!

Have you ever cooked with almond bark before? How'd it go?

Easy 3 Ingredient Nut Butter Cookies

'Tis the season for spreading the love and cheer at holiday parties and family gatherings, meanwhile hoping that our waistlines don't spread too much in the process. Amiright? 

Well, I've had to get really creative in the kitchen when my doctor put me on the Paleo diet at the beginning of November. Let me tell you right now that the hardest part for me is giving up the sweets. I have found some healthier and paleo friendly options though, and that has helped pacify my sweet tooth while I adjust. Sometimes it's a complete overhaul on a usually simple recipe, but other times, it's just substituting a few ingredients. Pinterest has been lovely for doing this.

Over the weekend, I remembered a stupid easy recipe for peanut butter cookies I used to love growing up. Just three ingredients, with the option for adding a chocolate garnish of sorts. An easy alteration and BOOM! Paleo friendly nut butter cookies, just in time for Holiday Baking!

Ingredients

2 cups creamy Peanut Butter (Almond butter, or cashew butter for Paleo)

1 cup sugar (or coconut sugar for the paleo version)

1 egg 

Optional

Hershey Kisses (or Almond Bark for Paleo)

Tools

Large mixing bowl

Spoon

Cookie Sheet

Aluminum Foil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the nut butter, sugar, and egg in your large bowl until even. It will be a drier dough that should not stick to your hands when you touch it, but will form a ball without falling apart. 

Roll the dough into small, bite-sized balls and place evenly on your foil lined cookie sheet(s).

Bake for 5 minutes. Take the cookies out and let them cool partially. Here's where you can get creative. You've got three options, and the first two are paleo friendly.

1. You can take the traditional peanut butter cookie route and do the criss cross with a fork. Then bake for another 5-8 minutes.

2. You can make a small divot in the center of the cookie with your thumb or a small measuring spoon. Bake for another 5-8 minutes and spoon melted almond bark into the divot of a partially cooled cookie.

3. You can flatten out your cookies ever so slightly and press a Hershey Kiss, or a large chocolate chip, into the center (flat side down) and bake for another 5-8 minutes.

The cookies pictured have melted almond bark on them. 

So easy right?
What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe? Have you ever had to alter one for a diet?

Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe

It's March, and the weather still can't make up it's mind. One day we will have spring-like temps, sunshine, and happiness. The next day we'll be freezing out butts off trying to figure out how to brighten up a grey and gloomy mood. You know what makes me happy on those cold days? Easy winter recipes that warm you up, and we're not talking canned soups here. I'm talking hearty beef/turkey/chicken chili, and today I'm going to share my recipe with you.

Ingredients

2 Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
2 Cans Light Red Kidney Beans
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (I usually get one plain, and one seasoned and salsa style)
1 Can Corn
1lb Ground Turkey (you can also use ground beef or diced chicken breast)
1.5 Packets of Chili Seasoning
Other Various Spices to taste (I use salt, pepper, cumin, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder)
Other various veggies you want to sneak in for the kids (like peppers, onions, spinach, greenbeens, etc.)

Tools

Large Crockpot with a lid
Skillet
Cooking utensils

Directions

Turn your crockpot on low and mix all of the canned items and 1 full packet of Chili seasoning. Add your other chosen seasonings at the time as well. While that heats up, brown your turkey or beef with half a packet of chili seasoning. Once the meat is done add it in a stir well. If you started your chili in the morning, cook on low for 8 - 9 hours. If you started your chili around mid afternoon, cook on high for 4 - 5 hours. Stirring occasionally.


Easy right? Here's a tip though. Cook your chili the day before you want to eat it, this way the spices have time to settle in the meat and soak into the beans well. Hubs makes me do it this way now since he says our leftovers are way better than fresh out of the crock pot.

What's your go-to winter recipe?

Quick & Easy Chocolate Fudge Recipe + Blogger Love

Since I totally fail at my Nanna's homemade fudge recipe, I started looking on Pinterest for some easy, no-fail recipes to try. I found a few, tried a few, and ended up combining a few with some things from Nanna's version to make my own. I took the finished product to class yesterday and everyone asked me how I made it! Hubs even got mad that I took the whole container and didn't leave him any to have with his lunch. I plan on printing out some recipe cards for my classmates next week, but I thought I would share it here for you guys too.

Ingredients:

• 2 11oz bags of Chocolate Chips (I get a milk chocolate bag and a semi-sweeet bag)
• 1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1.2 tsp of Vanilla
• Dash of Salt
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Tools:

• Medium/Large Microwave Safe bowl
• 9 x 9 Brownie Pan (or something similar, but preferably square or rectangle in shape)
• Alumininum Foil
• Cooking Spray
• Paper Towel
• Microwave
• Refrigerator

Here's what you do:

Step 1:  Line your pan completely with aluminum foil.

Step 2:  Spray some cooking spray on your paper towel and use it to coat your aluminum foil lightly. Bottom & sides!

Step 3:  Put all your ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and stir until mixed evenly.

Step 4:  Heat in microwave for 2 - 2.5 minutes.

Step 5:  Stir again until smooth.

Step 6:  Pour your mixture into the pan and spread evenly.

Step 7:  Place in the refrigerator to harden for about 1.5 - 2 hours, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Easy Right? Seriously guys, you will not fail with this recipe.


And now, because it's Friday, let's spread some Blogger Love with Meagan from All the Joys!

Where Do You Even Begin With Spirituality? - The New Wifestyle
I have been struggling with some faith/spiritual/academic stuff lately, but I'm not quite ready to write about it just yet. This post helped though :)

A Simple Ray of Sunshine - The Rambling Llama
Oh my gosh, I'm seriously wanting my Llama to do more poetry!

Me Time - Kenji is Here
YES!

What to Tell Yourself When You Don't Want to Exercise - Sage
I just want to hire Cassie as my personal trainer.

All the Golden Vlogs! You can check those out over on Faith's post! >>> HERE <<<

in case you missed it, previously on Knock on Wood...

Golden Vlog: February 2015 Edition
Sponsor Takeover with Kathy!
Praise for a Grateful Heart


What were your favorite posts this week? Have you ever made homemade fudge?

Linking up with

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Squares Recipe

When I was little, my mom would take my brothers and me to Harry's Farmers Market (which is Whole Foods Market now), and when we had been particularly good she would get us a treat. There were these muffins, pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips in them. They were our favorite. Mom would halve them and heat them up in the microwave for our dessert and again at breakfast.

A few years ago, I'm not sure how many exactly, Mom played around with some ingredients to recreate those muffins (we just don't make muffins out of them, but you totally could!). It was a success and now we have a greatly requested family recipe. Shhhh, don't tell my mom, but I'm going to share it with you.

Ingredients:


1 box of Spice Cake Mix
1 Can of Pumpkin
1 Bag of Chocolate Chips
1/2 - 1 cup Pecan pieces (optional)

Serves about 20 - 30 depends on how you cut them and has roughly 150 calories per square.


What you need to do:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Cover your cookie sheet completely with aluminum foil. I have to use 2 pieces to make sure the sides are covered and lightly spray it with a non-stick cooking spray. Preferably butter flavored.

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together the Pumpkin and the cake mix until even. Sometimes I find I need to add a little bit of water if it seems too dry.

Step 4: Stir in the chocolate chips (and Pecans if you are adding them). They can be milk, dark, semi-sweet, whatever you prefer.

Step 5: Pour mix onto cookie sheet and spread evenly.

Step 6: Bake for about 20 mins or until firm. They will be more of a brownie-like consistency than a cake-like one.

Step 7: Cut into squares (I usually do 5 across and 6 wide) and eat 2 pieces before your husband gets home. Then shamefully confess this to him when he asks what you did today.

This dessert is perfect for the Holiday Season, or when you're just craving something Pumpkin.

A "Recipe" for Autumn-mazing

Pin this! Do it now!

See what I did there. Autumn-Mazing. Autumn + Amazing. No? Is it lame?
I don't care. that's what I'm calling this, cause Fall Crack and Autumn Crack sound weird.

Anywho! My Snicklefritz Kay posted a picture on Instagram of a Fall version of Christmas Crack. IT LOOKED DELICIOUS. And not as sticky or messy as the Christmas one, so I skipped off to Target to get the supplies.

What you need:

A large bowl with a lid.
(a) 1/2 bag of pretzels, preferably bite sized or sticks
(b) 1 bag of M&Ms (I choose the Autumn colors, but you don't have to)
(c) 1 bag of S'mores Candy Corn
(d) 1 small can of salted peanuts.
(e) 1/2 to 3/4 bag of Indian Corn

What you do: 

Dump it all in a bowl and mix it up.


Easiest recipe ever right? Seriously. I'll be eating this all season. What else would you add?

Healthy Peanut Butter Coco-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Between school, blogging, working out, and housework I've been a busy bee lately. That means meal prepping is very important in keeping up with a healthy diet. These cookies have become one of my favorite go-to snacks, especially in between my classes. And today, I'm going to share my recipe with you.

Here's what you need:

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

2 Ripe Bananas

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

2 tbs Unsweetened Coco Powder

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

2 tsp Unsweetened Apple Sauce

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Salt

Makes: about 20 cookies

Calories per cookie: about 74

Prep:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

I like to line my cookies sheets with aluminum foil because it cuts down on clean up time.

Very lightly grease your cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Make the cookies:

Step 1: In a large microwave safe bowl, mash the bananas into a liquidy goop.

Step 2: Add the peanut butter and microwave for 45-60 seconds and stir until well mixed.

Step 3: Mix in the coco powder, cranberries, apple sauce vanilla, and salt next.

Step 4: Mix in the oatmeal about 1/2 cup at a time. The "dough" will be thick and drier than you think it should be. That's ok!! It's supposed to be. 

Step 5: Dish out heaping teaspoon sized portions onto your cookie sheet and shape them up so they actually look like cookies.

Step 6: Bake for 8 mins. 

Step 7: Let them cool before you eat them and burn your tongue like I did.

Please note that you will need to store these in the fridge if you don't plan on eating them all in the next day or two.

I like to portion out these puppies in baggies for an easy grab in the mornings before class and for busy study sessions.

What's your go-to healthy snack?

(not quite Chipolte) Burrito Bowls

The northern suburbs of Atlanta really had me spoiled food wise. I didn't realize just how much I'd be giving up when I moved to the middle of nowhere Missouri and how far I'd have to go to get what I want. Chick-fil-a is about a 20 min drive, and Chipolte is about a 30 min drive. AND THAT IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE! So, I learned how to make my own version of a Burrito Bowl at home.

A Make-Up-For-A-Cheat-Meal Smoothie

Linking up once again with Kay and Allie for Tough It Out Tuesday!

Saturday I had a cheat meal. Ugh! It was the first time I've ever gone over my allotted calorie plan for the day and I felt a little guilty. Just a little though, because that chicken burrito swimming in white queso was sooooo very delicious. Anywho. Sunday I felt like I needed to make up for this overindulgence and made us a smoothie for lunch.

Shepherd's Pie

Comfort foods. Everyone has them and this just happens to be one of mine. My dad used to make this for me when I lived with him during high school. It's super easy and and modifiable to your own personal tastes, but here's how I make it now.

Ingredients:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 can Corn (no salt added)
2 Pkg of Idaho Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes
2.5 cups of Shredded Hash-browns
1 - 1.5 Cups of Shredded Cheese
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Casserole/Baking Dish

Serves: 6 at about 435 calories per serving

Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day. As I have posted about before, Philip gets up far earlier than I do, but I still want to make sure he eats well at breakfast. So here's another pre-made breakfast option I make for him to heat up before work.


Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. I like a butter flavored one for this recipe.

Step 3: Sprinkle a thin layer of shredded hash browns in the bottom of the pan. Then a light layer of shredded cheese.

Step 4: Whisk 8-10 eggs in a bowl with a splash of milk to make them fluffy.

Step 5: Pour eggs over hash browns and let settle evenly for a moment.

Step 6: Sprinkle in some ham, bacon, sausage, or any other breakfast meats you want.
*note: you can also add any veggies you might prefer as well.

Step 7: Layer the top with shredded cheese.

Step 8: Bake for about 20-25 mins or until firm.

Step 9: Slice and serve with toast, biscuits, or bagels.

This was a huge hit with Philip. It's a lot easier for him to make a sandwich with the slices. And casseroles are super easy to make and clean up after as well. Just one pan!

My mom makes a variation of this recipe. I'll have to get hers and post it up here sometime.

Easy Breakfast, Because He Gets Up Earlier Than Me

Philip gets up at 4:00 am every day to get ready for work. Even when I was working I never got up that early. He actually likes working those hours, as it gives him more time at home when I'm awake, and during the summer, he's home with plenty of sunlight left to play in. And he's taking good care of me and the CCC (crazy cat crew).

I get to make him lunch and dinner, but he fends for himself in the mornings. He usually has cereal, pop tarts, or his gross version of oatmeal. I've gotten him to eat much better since moving here, and breakfast should be included in that. So I found a way to pre-make eggs so he can heat them up in biscuit with cheese to make a more satisfying morning meal.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Spray a muffin tin with butter flavor cooking spray. You can use other flavors, but the butter is the best.

Step 3: Crack one egg in each cup. You can either leave it whole, or take a fork and scramble them in the cup.

Pro Tip: Save your egg shells to put down your garbage disposal. It helps to clean the blades and keep them sharp.

Step 4: Salt and Pepper to taste. Then sprinkle cheese on top.

Step 5: Bake for about 12-15 mins.

Step 6: Let cool and store in a container in the refrigerator.

Step 7: Your oven should still be on at 350 degrees.

Step 8: Bake your biscuits for the time indicated on your package. Or until golden brown.

Step 9: Let cool and store in a container or baggie. These can be stored at room temp or in the refrigerator.

In the mornings, he heats up the egg, places in the middle of the biscuit with a slice of cheese. Easy peasy.
You can also get microwaveable bacon and/or sausage to add to your breakfast sandwiches.

Scrumptious and Easy Corn Casserole

Every family holiday would not be complete with my Grandmommy's corn casserole. This past year we spent Thanksgiving here in Missouri with Philip's parents and we went to Georgia for Christmas with my family. Of course I had a to make Thanksgiving perfect, so I called Grandmommy and got her corn casserole recipe.

Ingredients:

1 can sweet corn
1 can cream-style corn
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 stick of butter
8oz sour cream
Non-Stick baking spray

Tools:

1 large mixing bowl
Spoon
Baking dish
Aluminum foil

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Soften one stick of butter/margarine in your bowl. (I use the microwave because the cats will try to lick it if I leave it out.)

Step 3: Mix in the sour cream, drained sweet corn,  cream corn,  Jiffy mix, until well blended.

Step 4: Pour the mix into a greased baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Step 5: Bake for 45 mins - 1 hr or until the casserole center is firm.

Step 6: Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 5 mins to brown the top a smidge.


After Thanksgiving, Hubs has asked for this several times. For a while I was corn casseroled out! But, it's great is this dish lasts for a couple of days when I make it for every day meals.

Mini Apple Pie Pastries

I was browsing Pinterest and I came across this recipe from a guest blogger at Immaculate Baking Co.





I decided I could totally pull this off.

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Wraps For the Win

Sadly the Super Bowl was a big loss for the Broncos. And we ended up turning it off after the half time show, which was amazing. Bruno Mars really delivered a great performance and impressed me. The Jackson 5 and James Brown like dance moves from him and his band were my favorite part.

Despite the disappointing game, we still had some great food! Cause I'm awesome like that. Luckily the Crazy Cat Crew were too distracted to "help" me cook, so I was able to take my time and not worry that my chicken was being stolen.

The Cheesy Chicken Bacon Wrap was the star of the night. I mean, who doesn't like cheese and bacon?

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Tenders (or 2 Chicken Breasts cut in half long ways)
Spices to taste
1 cup Shredded Cheese
4 slices of bacon (or 8 slices if you'd rather fold them in half)
1 can of crescent rolls (8 count)

Tools: 

Skillet or Forman Grill
Cookie sheet
Aluminum Foil
Fork
Knife


Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350

Step 2: Cook your chicken.
I used chicken tenders because they are smaller and easier to work with, and I cooked them on the Foreman grill on medium to high heat with some basic spices.

Step 3: Cut each tender in half.
If you used breasts I would suggest cutting your chicken in quarters or in small enough pieces to fit in the crescent roll.

Step 3: Roll out your crescent roll dough and put shredded cheese on them.
I used Colby Monterrey Jack cheese because it's our favorite, but a cheddar would be good as well.

Step 4: Place a piece of bacon on top of the cheese.
I folded a whole piece in half to fit, or you could cut the bacon pieces in half if you want to make it go farther.

Step 5: Fold the crescent roll around the chicken and place on a pan.
I use aluminum foil instead of greasing a pan, easier clean up that way.
*Optional: Sprinkle more shredded cheese on top of each wrap.

Step 6: Bake for about 12-15 mins or until golden brown and Voila! a tasty, manly, treat! Philip loves these.

What's your favorite game-day recipe?

My Southern is Coming Out

The Denver Bronco's victory at the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, therefore securing their spot in the Super Bowl XLVIII, was the cause of Philip's good mood for a couple of days after the game. I wanted to make a manly meal for him to keep this happy feeling going.


We had gotten a great deal on a slab of ribs earlier in the week, and after searching several grocery stores, I finally found some breaded okra. I also got some potatoes, and cookie dough. Philip was super excited about the meal I had planned, I could tell from the "I can't wait for dinner!" texts throughout the day.

I had never made ribs before, so I googled a few recipes and, of course, called my mom for advice. I ended up taking bits of each and making my own recipe. And it actually came out perfect! *pats self on back*

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  

Step 2: Remove the film from the underside of your slab of ribs, rinse the slab, and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Philip got to them before I could take a picture.

Step 3: Put two pieces of foil in a cross shape in a deep baking pan. You'll need enough to make a pouch around the ribs. Place your slab in the middle of the pan. (Note: If your slab is too long for your pan, like mine was, cut the slab into 2-3 pieces and fit them in as needed.) 

Step 4: Season to taste. I put some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and season all on mine. 

Step 5: Make the pouch loosely around your slab with your foil and put 2 cups of water in the bottom of the pan outside of the foil. 

Step 6: Slow cook for 5-7 hours. Add some BBQ sauce and uncover for the last hour. 

Step 7: ENJOY!

The fried okra and mashed potatoes were the perfect compliment to the ribs. As we were eating, I realized this was the most southern meal I had made for him. I looked at Philip and said "My southern is coming out." He just laughed at me and licked his fingers clean.

I'm sure at some point he'll ask me to re-create this meal, as he asks for corn casserole a lot now since Thanksgiving.

TIP: Men listen up! Your lady (or man, if you swing that way) will love it when you ask for a particular meal or dish from time to time. It lets them know that you like what they make for you, and gives them a chance to "take care" of you.