BBQ Baby Back Ribs

OK...you know you have made a good meal when the ones you are trying to please make "Ummm, Ummm, Ummm" sounds with every bite they take. And in the case of these baby back ribs, when your 7 year old son asks if he can suck your bones and you say you have alreay sucked them and he acts as if the world is coming to an end, you revel in the fact that you have made one great meal! Oh, and did I mention, these things literally fall off the bone.

YOU WILL NEED:
3 racks of Baby Back Pork Ribs (7.5 to 8 lbs) with membranes removed. Your butcher can remove the membranes for you if you ask, but do not skip this step.

1 28oz. bottle of your favorite thick BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Gourmet Sauce)

DRY RUB:
1/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Mix all dry rub ingredients together until mixed well. Rub mixture onto both sides of the ribs and wrap each rack in an aluminum foil pouch. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I usually let mine marinate for 24 hours.

After marinating, bake in foil pouches on cookie sheets for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Carefully open foil pouches and trim off the loose ends of foil so that the ribs are still on a piece of foil on the cookie sheet. Drain all of the liquid off that has accumulated during cooking. Coat both sides of the ribs with BBQ sauce. Return to the oven under the broiler for approximately 8 minutes watching carefully so they don't burn.

For a more spicy sauce, add 2 tbsp. of red chili flakes to about a cup of sauce before spreading on the ribs. One cup of sauce is enough to cover 1 rack of ribs.

Serve with potato salad or cole slaw to round out your BBQ meal. (Recipes will be posted soon.)

Spaghetti and Buffalo Meatballs

This recipe has become one of the favorites at my house. With a boyfriend that won't eat ground beef and insists on buffalo instead, this recipe works well with whatever meat you choose.

INGREDIENTS FOR MEATBALLS:
2 lbs. Ground Bison (or any other lean ground meat of your choice)
2 eggs
3/4 C. Italian Bread Crumbs
1/2 C. Grated Kraft Parmsean & Romano Cheese
1/3 C. Dried Minced Onions
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 tbsp. Dried Sweet Basil
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper (as much as you like)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix above ingredients together with hands in a large bowl. Roll meat mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE:
2 Jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Super Chuncky Mushroom)
1 Large Onion diced
2 Cans Hunts Tomator Paste (Basil, Oregano and Garlic flavor)
1/4 C. Water
3 tbsp. Dried Sweet Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2-3 tbsp. Sugar (optional: Add if you like a sweeter sauce)
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Sautee onion in olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the baked meatballs. Simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on the pot (spaghetti sauce really splatters) then serve over your favorite pasta (I use Angel Hair).

Butternut Browine Pie

Preparing for Thanksgivning one year, I asked my boyfriend what kind of pie he would like to have for the feast. Thinking he would surely say Pecan Pie (which is MY favorite) he proclaims "Butternut Brownie Pie from Luby's! Its my favorite!" Well, I had never had this pie nor had I even seen what it looked like. I searched the internet for the recipe to this elusive pie. I found one and when I read the ingredients, I thought "This can't be right. This sounds nothing like what I think Butternut Brownie Pie should be." In my skepticisim, I went ahead and followed the recipe and it was a huge hit not only with him but with my entire family. I have now been told that I have to make this pie for every family gathering. I hope your family will find it just as delicious as mine did!

INGREDIENTS FOR PIE:
Butter for rubbing pie plate (about 1 tablespoon)
5 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 low-fat graham cracker squares, crumbled into pieces
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING:
1 cup whipping cream
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a 9 inch glass pie plate generously with butter.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and baking powder until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar, beating constantly. Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Using a rubber scraper, fold in graham crackers and chopped pecans. Pour mixture into pie plate and bake for 45minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare topping. In a chilled bowl, using chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Top pie with whipped cream when ready to serve.