Slow Cooked Barbecue Country Style Ribs

In an attempt to make budget friendly, time friendly and variety filled menu plans, I am always on the lookout for new recipes and easy ways to get supper on the table.

I found the original recipe online on a southern food website and tweaked it a little to suit my tastes better and it was DELISH!  I used country style ribs from Aldi's that were about $5 for 2 pounds of meat (so I halved the meat, but only back off the liquid a little just to be sure it didn't get dry), but the original recipe called for 3 to 4 pounds of boneless country style ribs,so I will give you that recipe in case you are cooking for more than two people. 

3 to 4 pounds boneless country style ribs
Sprinkling of meat tenderizer (to your preference or you can omit if you like)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 minced garlic cloves (I used the Pampered Chef garlic press for mine)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 bottle barbecue sauce (16 to 18 oz of your favorite) I used a honey flavored for mine

Grease 5 to 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray.  Wash pork and trim excess fat and dry with paper towels.  Put sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Sprinkle tenderizer, salt and pepper on each piece of pork and place in crockpot on top of onions.  Sprinkle pork with half of brown sugar and minced garlic, flip and sprinkle other half of sugar and garlic on other side, making sure each piece is coated.  Pour apple juice evenly over meat.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours and check (original recipe called for 8 to 9 hours, but I found this to be too long).  When meat is almost cooked through, drain liquid and reserve for gravy if you wish.  Pour barbecue sauce over top of meat and onions and stir carefully to coat.  Continue to cook for 1 hour or so to infuse the meat and sufficiently coat all pieces.

I made mashed potatoes to go with ours so I used the drippings from the crockpot with flour, salt and pepper and a splash of water and about a tablespoon more of apple juice just for something different and it was very, very yummy!

Pictures of crockpot food are challenging, but I promise this dish was worth making again and RC loved it!  I had enough for our meal last night and 2 lunch meals for the next day.

Crockpot Barbecue Country Style Ribs

Gravy made with juices poured off after cooking meat

Photo Card Birthday Invite

Photo card invites are pretty popular these days, but they do require lead time to order and be delivered and can sometimes be pretty costly...being on a budget makes it necessary to evaluate how to cut spending on birthday party preparation (so you have more money to spend on cupcakes of course..HA!) and making your own invites doesn't have to be hard! 

I made this super cute one with a selection of pictures I took of the birthday girl dressed up for her tea party and made the pictures into a collage using the free Google Picasa software...super easy to do!  I took advantage of 10 cent 4x6 prints from CVS and printed 60 prints for $6 and tax.  Then I mounted each picture on a 4.5 x 6.5 piece of cardstock that I had in my scrapbooking supplies and used a single picture cut to size on the back along with the party wording...This is the end result...I used pastel papers because that will be the theme colors of the party, and I'm showing two different invites so you can see the front and back...I covered the party invite details for privacy reasons, but you would put your where, when, etc information there.  I think they are super cute and they took me about 1.5 hours to cut, mount and put the invites in envelopes.  All for a little over $6 for 30 invitations...of course if you have to buy paper and adhesive it would cost a few more bucks, but still very affordable, personalized and a great keepsake!

Reflecting, Remembering and Rejoicing

It's been a while since I've blogged, mainly because we are just so busy living life between two houses, I hardly have time to catch my breath let alone blog about it.  But it's July and we'll be headed on vacation shortly and then when I return, the countdown to the end is on.  That sounds so ominous doesn't it?  Well it kind of is.  I have been caring for children in my home since my mom passed away in October of 1996 and at the end of the summer I'll be closing the doors on that chapter in my life.  I have undergone many changes over the years, had frustrations, wonderful days and not so wonderful days but for the most part my job has been my life.  I've identified with it, been identified by it and known pretty much as the "Nannie" for all those years.  And it's been great.  I've made it through many rough times with the love of the families around me and hugs and kisses from my precious babies.  I was able to be removed from the world when I needed to be, but also felt a little secluded sometimes on the bad days when I felt like I was up to my ears in diapers and whiny children.  I needed both of those to began the restoration process and be able to move on.  God has miraculously drawn me to a place of humility and grace and allowed me to be married to the man of my dreams and begin the next chapter of my life with him by my side.  I am rejoicing in the fact that at 38 years old I get to make a fresh start, claim some things in my life as my own and explore the 'me' side of my life for the first time ever.  And while it's exciting, it's also terrifying.  Peeling back the layers of Nannie, CCH church member and lifelong Hburg resident leaves me feeling vulnerable and a little 'deep end without a paddle'.  My life after the transition will consist majorly of cleaning out one house and preparing the other for our life together.  It's a daunting task, but I am going to try to embrace it with wide open arms and see just what God has planned for me!  Blessings to all who have stumbled by here!

S

Praying for My Husband from Head to Toe

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband...loving, attentive and most of all loves the Lord.  I can't imagine my life without him.  I prayed for him for many months as God laid our relationship out before us...and I want to continue to pray for him now that we are married...Join me if you like in praying for your husbands, your marriages, your families...Blessings, S

You can click here for a printable to put on your mirror, in your bible or journal...I found this online and don't take any credit for it.


Head
Father, I ask that You would continually renew my husband’s mind, resulting in a transformed life. Help him bring every thought to Christ and make it obedient to You. Give him a greater understanding of Your Word. Help him to think on things that are pure and right and worthy of praise.” (Psalm 119:15, Rom 12:2, 2 Cor.10:5)

Eyes
Lord, keep open my husband’s eyes to spiritual truths that You have for him. Help him to see things as You see them. Please guard his eyes from things that make his heart wander away from you and me. (Psalm 119:18, Psalm 119:37)

Ears
Father, help my husband to hear Your voice clearly. Give him wisdom to recognize your voice with certainty. Protect him from listening to those who aren’t seeking or walking with You. Guard him from negativity of what others say, and help him discern between good and evil. Thank you for giving him the ability to determine what is of You and what is not. (Is 30:21, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 John 4:1)

Mouth
Jesus, help my husband to speak the truth in love. Your desire is for him to be quick to listen and slow to speak – so I pray that you would make that his desire too. Give him courage to lovingly confront when necessary. Let the words he speaks be Yours, not his own. Help him speak words that bring grace and truth to the hearers. Thank you that You want to help him grow in his ability and desire to communicate with you and others. (Psalm 19:14, 119:13, 41:3; Eph 4:15, 4:29; James 1:19)

Heart
Lord, instill in my husband’s heart a desire to seek passionately after You. Teach him to guard his heart with diligence and wisdom. Help him deal with anything in his heart that is not pleasing to You or that separates him from You. Create in him a pure heart, O Lord. Thank you that You are enabling him to lead our family with integrity and honor. (Psalm 78:72, 119:10-11; Prov 4:23; 1 Thes 3:13)

Hands
Lord, I pray everything my husband does would be done with his whole heart, serving You rather than man. Seeking to please You alone. I pray You will increase his skills and his abilities so that he might bring honor and glory to you – and feel like a good provider for our family. Thank You for blessing everything he puts his hands to. (Psalm 24:3-4, Col 3:23)

Feet
Jesus, I pray my husband would love Your Words and walk in Your ways. Help him walk in a manner that is worthy of You, bearing fruit in every good work. I pray You’d show him how to creatively share your truth with our kids as he does life with them each day. Father, when he walks through the valley of the shadow of doubt and difficulties, I pray he would fear no evil because He knows that you are with him. Thank you for loving and leading Him. (Deut 6:7, 8:6, Col 1:10, Psalm 23:4)

Mother's Day Reflections

This is a picture of my mom, my sister and I at her high school graduation in June 1996.  My dad had passed away in February that year and just four months after this picture was taken my mom passed as well.  That year and many years after were the toughest of my life and I will never be the same because of it.  It's not something you get over.  You just move past it and trust that God will carry you through the rough days.  Like Mother's Day.  I am so glad to have had my mom for the twenty two Mother's Day that I did, but I of course wish now that I could go back and enjoy them a little more, savor that day a little more and appreciate the time I had with her while she was here a lot more! 

This year is the first year in 16 years that I've 'celebrated' Mother's Day.  When I was married the first time, my then husband's mom was also gone and we never had to celebrate.  This year is different because my sweet husband RC has a mom who is still with us.  She is a precious woman of God whom I've had the pleasure of knowing since I was a little girl and has accepted me as one of her children probably even before I became her daughter in law.  I am very thankful for the man she helped raise and the values she taught her son because I am very much the benefactor of those years spent shaping and forming him!  I will enjoy celebrating her day, but holding it together is going to be a challenge that I'll once again need God's help to bring forth the smile instead of the tears and enjoy the day with my in laws and my sweet husband.  Though bittersweet, I am so happy that RC's mom is able to see him be married and happy once more, see her children and grandchildren growing up and be such a big part of all of our lives. 

Mother's Day also serves as a somewhat painful reminder that while I've been a Nannie (aka second mom) to more kids than I can count anymore, I've never been able to be a mom myself.  I am praying that God will choose to honor me with that one day soon either by giving RC and I a child of our own or opening the doors to adoption for us.  I am trying to focus on the fact that I have a wonderful husband, family and friends and that no matter what God's plan is, that I'll continue to be thankful for the blessings in the life I have rather than focus on what the future holds.  But it is hard.  Really hard.  I know that God's plan is sovereign and His timing is perfect.  I am putting one foot in front of the other today, reminding myself of that with each and every step.

To all the mothers in my life and all those who happen upon my blog.  Happy Mother's Day to YOU.

Blessings,

Stephanie

Spring Creative Memories Retreat 2012

I spent the weekend in Hickory, NC hosting my spring retreat for my Creative Memories customers and had a blast!  I spent a good amount of time in the kitchen as always, but just about finished a book for my mother-in-law...that I 'gave' her for Christmas...yes, I'm behind...lol.

I will be sharing a couple of recipes that I used this weekend that were REALLY good that I found on pinterest...YUMMO!  The girls seat favors turned out super cute as well!  Missed some of my regulars this go around...LL you aren't allowed to miss ANY more crops....but have a few new faces, and stories to tell is always fun!    Here area few random pics from the weekend! 

Thursday Thoughts

Coming off a long weekend at the campground with RC and my sister and into a week of spring break with 6 kids everyday, you'd think I'd be crazy.  Well I am, but kind of in a good way.  Before I get to that...let me share some of my favorite pictures from the beach.

Ok, much better...Now back to my story.  This is my last spring break with my kiddos.  And it's really kinda sad.  I enjoy seeing the everyday stuff with the kids.  Of course I enjoy the moments like birthdays, Christmas, etc, but I enjoy the kids just being themselves and playing, hanging out with their friends and the everyday life.  I'll miss that the most.  Along with the snuggles and hugs and kisses good morning and goodbye.  Okay, so I'll miss a lot of things.  I am very much looking forward to the next chapter in my life, being a wife to Randy, part time Nannie to our niece, de-cluttering two houses and making the Lake Wylie house into our home.  This week I've been reminded how much fun my job can be.  No shuttling kids around to school and back or after school pickup.  No stressful schedules or demands.  Just hanging out.  Going to the park.  Having fun in the yard.  Snack in the grass under the tree.  The things I'll miss.  Here's a couple collages of cute pics of the kids hanging out.  Just being kids.  No game boys or Angry Birds or whatever the latest craze is...just having fun.  I am digging the new Picasa editing software by the way...I played with a few options in the collages...totally love the soft edges and the 1960's filter too...very cool!

Life around here is pretty busy.  Days begin at 530am and end around 10pm.  There is much to be done to prepare for the move.  So much clutter.  So little time.  But I am blessed to be in the place I'm in.  This time last year so many things in my life where waaaaay different.  And I wouldn't go back.  Not even for a second.  God has guided me in a totally different path than I ever thought I would be.  I am embracing the future, holding onto the present and enjoying the time I have with my sweet babies.  It will be time for the really hard stuff soon...I'll just have to deal with that later.  When I have to.  Until then, I'm going to love on them, spoil them when I can and snuggle them as much as they will sit still for. 

Blessings to all who have crossed this blog...May you feels God's peace and love in your life.

Stephanie