Baked Barbecue Ribs

What's up, foodies? Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm good! You good? Okay, good! Today I am sharing my recipe for baked barbecue ribs. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rib that's been cooked on the grill, however, I really don't like grilling....at least not when it's hot outside. If I do grill, I'd prefer to do it during the colder parts of the year..I just don't like being hot.

I have done these many, many times before, but I decided that the next time I make them, I am going to make my own rub to put on them. I have never made any type of rub before and I think I did pretty good on it. I am sure that there is something way better then what I created, but hey, I'm a newbie.

I really love ribs, but I don't eat them that much because I will eat an entire rack (and then some) with no hesitation. You can use your favorite store brand of rub or if you have your own recipe you can use it. I really hope you enjoy this sticky delight.

Ingredients:

- 1 rack of ribs (any type of your choice)
- 1 bottle of barbecue sauce
Dry Rub
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp.salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. chipotle chili pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp.black pepper
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1 tsp. onion poweder
- 1 tsp. meat tenderizer (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all of the rub ingredients together until everything is well combined. Remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs (if you choose- see video). Generously rub the dry rub seasoning all over the ribs (you will have extra). Wrap the ribs tightly in foil and bake for 2 hours or until cooked through. When the ribs are done, discard all of the liquid. Spread a layer of barbecue sauce on the ribs and then place them back into the over for ten minutes. Repeat this step two or three time to build a layer of barbecue sauce on the ribs. You can also just place the ribs under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes to stick to the ribs.

6 Flavor Butter Cake

What's up foodies. Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm good! You good? Okay, good. Today I am going to share my recipe for a 6 flavor Butter Cake. I am pretty sure you have heard of the Kentucky Butter Cake and I figured it was time I made my version of it.

This cake is essentially like a pound cake, the only difference is there isn't a pound of each ingredient and this cake has a delicious butter sauce that goes over it once it's cooked. I have been making this cake for the past couple of weeks to get it just like I want it. I will say that just like a pound cake, this cake tastes better the next day. I don't know why, it just does.

My recipe is not that different from any others, but I do like the variety of different flavorings in it. Although I have the flavorings listed, you don't have to use what I have. Use what you want and it will be fine. You'll notice on some of the stronger flavorings, I only added half a teaspoon, but you may use a whole teaspoon if you wish. I strongly encourage you to only add 1/2 teaspoon of the maple extract as it overpowers everything else.

I really hope you enjoy this cake. I have received some really good feedback from the people I have shared it with, considering I have made 4 or 5 of them the past two weeks while I was perfecting the recipe.

Recipe

For the Cake:

- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. butter flavoring
- 1 tsp. rum flavoring
- 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring (use 1 tsp. if desired)
- 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring (use 1 tsp. if desired)
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract (use 1 tsp. if desired)

Butter Sauce:

- 6 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a bowl, mix together the butter ans sugar until fluffy and well combined. Add eggs one at time. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix. Add half the buttermilk and all of the flavorings and mix. Repeat steps until flour and buttermilk are combined. Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in it using a skewer or butter knife. Poor the butter sauce over the cake. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Butter Sauce

In a saucepan over medium low heat, add the butter, water, sugar, and vanilla and mix until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved (DO NOT BOIL).

Biscuits and Gravy

What's up foodies? Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm good. You good? Okay, good. Well. today I am sharing my recipe for biscuits and gravy. This should have been posted three weeks ago, but I got so busy and distracted.

Biscuits and gravy is easily one of my favorite breakfast items to eat. It's simple and very delicious. About a month ago, I shared recipe for buttermilk biscuits, which you can find here. These biscuits are the perfect base for this sausage gravy.

You will see below that the measurements for the salt and pepper are to taste. I did that because when making any kind of gravy, you add a little salt and it seems bland, but as the gray cooks, the flavor comes out more. So I have left the salt and pepper up to you because the gravy can go from super bland to super salty in a snap (I know from experience).

Notes:

- If the sausage you use renders a lot of fat, you may not need to add the butter.

- If gravy gets too thick, add a little more milk.

Recipe:

Gravy:

- 1 pound ground sausage

- 2 tbsp. butter

- 3 tbsp.flour

- 4 cups milk

- 1/2 tsp. ground sage

- salt and pepper to taste.

Get buttermilk biscuit recipe here.

Directions:

In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, crumbling up with spoon. Once sausage is full cooked, add in butter an stir until melted. Add in flour and stir about 2 minutes until flour has dissolved and most of the flour taste has cooked out. Add in milk and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 5 minutes over medium heat or until desired thickness is reached. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

What's up foodies? Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm good!You good? Okay, good. Today I'm sharing my recipe for buttermilk biscuits. Now, I already have another biscuit recipe on my blog that is a little different from this one, but I figured, everyone needs a good buttermilk biscuit recipe, right? 

I love a good biscuit and these really hit the spot. I'm not just saying that because it's my recipe either. In this  recipe, I used both butter and shortening, I feel this just adds to the overall flavor of the biscuits. I have another recipe coming up within the next week that will go perfectly with these biscuits.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, and if you try them, please let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 4 tbsp.butter
• 4 tbsp. shortening (cold)- [butter flavored if you can find it]
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in butter in shortening with pastry blender or two forks until the butter and shortening are in small crumbles. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in buttermilk. Gently mix until dough forms. Pour the dough out onto floured work surface and knead until it comes together. Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits closely together.  Place biscuits onto baking pan and brush the tops with melted butter. Placed into preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Sock It To Me Cake

What's up foodies? Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm Good! You Good? Okay good. Today, I am sharing my recipe for homemade sock it to me cake. Now, I'm not sure why it's called sock it to me, but what I do know is that it is very good.

I remember eat these all the time when I was younger and up until about four months ago, I haven't had one in a very long time. I was in Walmart in the bakery section and I saw a sock it to me cake. Long story short I bought it and became addicted. I realized that as soon as I finished one, I was buying another one. So I decided to make my own version of it.

So, a few weeks ago, I started developing the recipe. After making it three times, I finally got the recipe just how I like it, I gave some to my sister (who was also addicted to the Walmart brand) she said she loved it and that it tasted just like the ones from Walmart. Now, I will be honest and say that mine doesn't taste just like theirs, but it is just as good.

Recipe

Cake: 

- 12 tbsp butter, softened 

- 3 cups sugar

- 1/3 cup vegetable oil

- 4 eggs

- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

- 2 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1 (3.4 ounce) pack vanilla pudding (or french vanilla)

- 1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

-3 tbsp. brown sugar

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 cup choped pecans

Glaze:

- 2 cups powdered sugar

- 3 tbsp. butter, softened 

- 4 to 7 tbsp. milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until egg is combined. Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, and pudding together. Add in one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add in half the buttermilk and mix. Repeat steps until flour and buttermilk are mixed in. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans together. Place half the cake batter into a prepared tube pan. Sprinkle the top with the filling mixture. Add the remaining cake batter and smooth out. Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour. When cake comes out of the oven, let it sit in the pan 15 to 20 minutes, then remove cake from pan and continue cooling for about an hour. Mix the powered sugar and butter together. Add milk just until the glaze is thick, but still runny. Spread glaze over cooled cake. 

Bourbon Chicken

What's up foodies? Y'all doing good? You Good? You Good? I'm good! You good? Okay, good? It has been a while since I have posted a recipe, and so today I am back with this delicious Bourbon Chicken recipe. 

I must add that this bourbon chicken does have bourbon in it, which I know traditionally bourbon chicken doesn't have bourbon in it. The recipe got its name because it was originally made on bourbon street, but I decided to add in some bourbon.

If you do not want to add the bourbon, you can leave it out, but keep in mind that the alcohol is going to cook out.

Ingredients: 

- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breast)

- 3 tsbp. bourbon

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/3 cup apple juice (I sometimes use 2/3 cups)

- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

- 3 tbsp. ketchup

- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

- 1/4 cup water

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 tsp. ginger paste (or minced ginger)

- 3 tsp. cornstarch 

- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch cups. Add the oil into a skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil has come up to temperature, add in the chicken and cook until browned (about 3-4 minutes). Once the chicken is browned, remove from skillet. In a separate bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch until combined and no lumps are visible. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Place the sauce into a skillet over medium heat and let it come to a light simmer. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, add in the chicken and cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy. 

Vegetable and Beef Soup

Whats up my fellow foodies? Are you good? You good? You good? I'm good! You good? Okay good. Well, today I am sharing my recipe for vegetable and beef soup. I wanted to get this recipe and the video posted back in the colder months, but like usual, most things don't always go as planned. So even though we are starting to transition into the warmer time of the year, I still wanted to post this recipe.

Although, were I am, we still have a few more cold days left and that's why I decided to post this. After all, who says you can only have soup during the colder months? This soup is so basic and easy, but It tastes so good. Keep in mind while making this that you do not have to use everything that I am using. Make it your own and put what you want in it! It is pretty hard to mess up soup. If you've ever made any type of soup before, then you probably know that it always tastes better the next day, so I strongly advise making this ahead of time. I really hope you enjoy this recipe.

Recipe:

- 1 to 2 pounds ground beef

- 1 (29 ounce) can mixed vegetables

- 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained) 

- 1 can corn

- 1 can sweet peas

- 1 can tomato sauce

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 1 clover garlic, minced

- 1 cup frozen okra (optional)

- 1 potato diced (optional)

- 1 tbsp, vegetable oil 

- 1 pack Knorr vegetable recipe mix (optional)

- 1 tsp. oregano

- 2 cups chicken broth

- 4 cups water

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Brown the ground beef. When fully cooked, drain fat. Saute the onion in the oil until the onion is translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for about two minutes. In a big pot or dutch oven, add the ground beef, the onion, celery, and garlic mixture, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, corn, peas, tomato sauce, okra, and potatoes. Add in the chicken broth and water. Sprinkle in the vegetable recipe mix and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lid, and with the heat on medium low, let the soup cook for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. After that taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or pepper.

Serve the soup with crackers or cornbread and enjoy.