Holiday Menu Spreadsheet Download

This is the spreadsheet I use every holiday meal to get ready.  I work on it a little at a time starting as soon as a cool breeze hit and I'm in a holiday mood.  You can download this to help you too.  It is a lifesaver when it comes to shopping!

Add sheets along the bottom with your recipes so you have everything where you need it to be and just prop up the iPad in the kitchen with "The Color Purple" on in the background and get your cooking on!

HOLIDAY MENU SPREADSHEET

(You happy, Kristen?)

German Chocolate Cake - Gluten Free

I've been making cakes that I've never made before as gluten-free.  I ran into some issues recently trying to make my own gluten-free flour and well...I won't be doing that mess again.  Nothing worse than an ugly cake that tastes good.  NOTHING!  Cake should be pretty.

Moving on...

The Robinator requested a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday this year and, since I've started using Bob Mill's Gluten-Free Baking Flour...life has been good.  So I just swapped out the flour and made the old super-dooper delicious and word that I hate which starts with a 'M' and ends with a 'T' and is sometimes used to describe non-dry cake.  

CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

Kraft Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Bar - 4 oz.

1/2 cup water

1 cup butter

4 large eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp salt

ICING INGREDIENTS

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

4 large egg yolks

Can of evaporated milk - 12 oz

3/4 cup of butter

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1.5 cups chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS - You need 4 bowls:  2 small glass bowls, a medium and a large bowl.

Small bowl: Break up chocolate chunks, add 1/2 cup of water.  Add an inch of water to the bottom of a pot, bring water to bowl and place bowl on top.  Stir until chocolate is melted.   Remove from heat.

Medium bowl:  Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Large bowl:  Beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter until fluffy.  Add egg yolks one at a time blending after each egg until mixed. Add chocolate and vanilla.  Beat.  Add 1/2 cup of flour mixture and 1/4 cup of buttermilk.  Beat.  Repeat until all has been incorporated.

Small bowl:  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold into cake batter gently.

Split between 3 round cake pans which have been buttered and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Leave in pan for half an hour or so before you take them out of pans to cool.

Make icing.  (This tastes like pecan candy.)

In a saucepan, whip together can of milk and egg yolks over medium / high heat.  Add butter and sugar.  Stirring constantly, bring to boil.  Remove from heat and add coconut and pecans.  Let cool.

To frost, add icing between each layer.  I do it by pouring in the middle and the pushing out to the edges allowing it to drip down the sides.  All the leftover icing should be poured all over top and moved around to spill over.

This cake is ridiculously delicious.

Sweet Potato and Pecan Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Week before last I was sitting at a red light in a bit of traffic.  I looked to my right and caught the eye of the elderly gentleman on side of the road who was selling sweet potatoes.

Him:  You don't need no sweet potatoes?

I laughed and pulled over.  Apparently, I needed sweet potatoes.  

So I returned home with 20 pounds of sweet potatoes for $10 which is a REALLY good deal but um...there are  only two of us and sweet potatoes will probably go bad before sweet potato PIE time.  That said...I've been being uber creative with sweet potatoes and searching out all types of different recipes online.    

Today, I roasted cubes of sweet potatoes tossed in olive oil on a cookie sheet for thirty minutes at 425 degrees.  Then...I put two cups to the side and seasoned the rest for lunch.  

Have I mentioned we had 20lbs?  

Yeah.

I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Pecan cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting which looked promising so I swapped out the can of sweet potatoes for my smashed cubes of potatoes and they were soooooooooooooooooooooo delicious!  I'm not a big icing person so I put far less icing on them than it seems most folks do but they were so good.  Not too sweet and just perfect!  The Robinator had three in twenty minutes.  LOL!  Good thing the recipe made 24!  

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I gave some to the neighbor using the awesome Dollar Store boxes I buy all of when I see them in NON-traditional Christmas print.  LOL!  They are $1 for 3 and they are super nice with a peek-a-boo top.  And they are way nicer than the ones at The Container Store that you pay $6 for.  

I feel safe telling yall that because I have like...a LARGE drawer full of them so I won't run out if there is a shortage.  LOL!

This is a 3 bowl recipe for the cake.  Use the biggest bowl for the creaming together the butter and the sugar.  Oh...you'll need another bowl for the frosting.  LOL!

Sweet Potato and Pecan Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (16-oz.) can mashed sweet potatoes OR two cups of mashed roasted sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour OR 3 cups of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnish: coarsely chopped pecans

1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes.

3. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.

5. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Spread cupcakes evenly with Cream Cheese Frosting. Add a pecan half to the top to make pretty.

The cream cheese frosting is the basic recipe.

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together cream cheese and butter until fluffy, gradually add powdered sugar on low until all gone and then add vanilla.  Voila...cream cheese frosting!  

These are EXCELLENT fall cupcakes and will be great for the dessert station for Thanksgiving!  GO YOU!

Spicy Boiled Peanuts

My husband loves boiled peanuts and I love my husband so I make him boiled peanuts.

Even though I'm from the Deep South, I've never had boiled peanuts.  Robby used to talk about them all the time when we were up North saying how much he used to really enjoy them.  I could never find raw peanuts so I couldn't make any for him.

I ran into some raw peanuts recently and decided to make him some.  I chose the slow cooker method because it seemed fool proof.

I don't remember how many peanuts I had but it was at least 2 - 3 pounds.  He likes them spicy, so I doctored up some serious spicy stuff.

Raw peanuts

1/3 cup cayenne pepper 

1 boil-in-bag crab boil

1/4 cup salt

Seasoning

Rinse peanuts.  Add crab boil-in-bag to crockpot.  Add peanuts.  Add seasoning.  (Garlic salt, black pepper, Creole seasoning, etc.) Cover with water.  Stir.  Cook on low for 24 hours.  Stir a few more times.  Taste one after 18 hours.  Adjust seasoning accordingly.

I cooked them outside on the deck.  Why?  It smells like vinegar and feet while cooking.  24 hours of that is NOT my ideal nose tickle.  

Oh...and I store them in half gallon mason jars in the fridge using the "juice" to keep them wet. He puts some in a bowl and microwaves them. 

Bok choy and Mushroom Saute

1 head of bok choy, chopped

1 container of mushrooms

Roasted sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Soy sauce

Red pepper flakes

Put a bit of roasted sesame oil in a skillet with a cover.  Add bok choy and mushrooms.  Drizzle with soy sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.  Cover and cook on medium low for 10 minutes.  Stir.  Cover and cook for 2 additional minutes.  

Should still have a bit of crisp to it.  Add salt if you like but the soy sauce should cover it.  (I use gluten-free soy sauce.)

We eat this a lot.  Bok choy has all kinds of super healthy benefits.  Check it out HERE.

Aloha Tampa

New fave at home cocktail. Aloha Tampa!

12 oz pineapple
12 oz ginger ale
4 oz light rum
Juice of two limes
4 teaspoons aguave nectar (I used organic sugar)

Mix. Pour over ice. Garnish with lime if ya wanna make it prettier.

Portabella Topped Fettuccini

This is definitely a grown-up taste meal.  Kids might not like it.  I adapted it from a non-plant-based recipe which called for chicken broth and cheese and I really love the clean taste of it.  

2 portabella mushroom caps, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Red pepper flakes (whatever heat amount you desire...I used about a teaspoon but we like a bit of heat.

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup cooking white wine (you can use a dry white wine)

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Fettuccini pasta

Cook pasta.  Saute garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute, add mushrooms.  Cook for 2 - 3 minutes (until mushroom shrinkage occurs...LOL).  Add white wine, juice of lemon and parsley.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Spoon on top of fettuccini.

QUICK.  DELICIOUS. NUTRITIOUS!  

Quinoa Tacos in the Crockpot!

I have a love/hate relationship with crockpots.  I understand them and why their use would be popular but I've never really cared for the way my meat comes out when I've cooked it in a crockpot so I generally don't use it.  But I have one.  

A friend told me to ask Mr. Google about a recipe and I did so.  With a few adjustments, I made it plant based my way.

These things were so delicious and such a filling meal.  We LOVED them!  I used as many organic ingredients as I could.  There were 24 corn tortillas in the package and we still had filling left over for more tacos once we ran out of tortilla shells.  I promise you that you will love these as much as you love tacos with meat.

1 can kernel corn

2 cans black beans

1 can Rotel tomatoes 

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 pack of taco seasoning

1 cup quinoa

1 cup vegetable broth

Avocado (we used 1 avocado per 8 tacos or so)

Cilantro

Salsa

Tortilla shells

Add all ingredients to crockpot, stir, cook on high for 3 hours.

Serve on tortilla shells and top with diced avocado, cilantro, and salsa.  SO.GOOD!  These are definitely making the rotation around here.

(Oh yeah...we've tried a lot of plant-based recipes but I'm only sharing the ones we thought were amazing.)

Plant Based Starting Point

Okay...so we OFFICIALLY started today.  I was out of town the first two days of the month and wore the hell out yesterday so we couldn't start until today.  Traveling is hard enough with a gluten free diet so chances of my doing plant based successfully were slimmer to noner.

SIDEBAR...

Why in the world aren't there more healthy options in airports?  

Okay.  Moving on.

Today's menu:

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with fruit, walnuts, and flax seed.

Lunch:  Salad with kale, spinach, avocado, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, olives, 4 bean salad and sunflower seeds.  I made a dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, fresh pressed garlic, seasonings.

Snacks:  4 pieces of fruit and two solid handfuls of raw almonds.

Dinner:  Lentil Vegetable Soup

I modified the recipe because it seemed a bit bland.  I added two 10 oz. cans of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis instead of the can of roasted tomatoes and I put in 9 cups of vegetable broth instead of just 8.  I wanted it to be more soupy.  Oh...and I added more spinach.  Why?  I like spinach.  Duh.  LOL!

I seasoned it well and yall...it was pretty darn delicious and it made a really big pot so we can get about 6 more bowls out of this pot.  I think we'll do it for dinner two more times this week and freeze the rest.

I did some calculations regarding protein and that's going to be a challenge I'm thinking.  To find out how much protein you need to multiply .36 times your weight.  If that's what you want to maintain...you'll come up with how many grams of protein you need to do so.  According to my calculations, I'm off by about 12 ounces today.  I'll do better tomorrow.

Robby loved the soup too.  I need to fix his protein intake too.  

Again...the soup was GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Plant Based Creole

When's the last time you asked Mr. Google a question and found that there was no assistance whatsoever in populating the search results?  Hardly ever right?  Right.  So...imagine my surprised when I typed in 'PLANT BASED CREOLE' and found straight crickets.  LOL!

Now...let's backtrack here so you know where this came from.  The Robinator has decided that he wants to train for another marathon.  I was like...cool.  Go you!  Then he was like...I think I want to train plant based.

Me:  Um...

Him:  Check out www.NoMeatAthlete.com and tell me what you think.

So I go and I read and I'm like...UGH but then I'm thinking...if he really wants to do this, I guess I'll have to help him.  I downloaded the app, Forks Over Knives, and placed a hold on the book of the same name on Overdrive because some smarty pants had checked out all copies from my library.  UGH!

And I kept reading and then I started remembering onefromphilly talking about how good she feels doing plant based and I thought to myself...hmmmmmmm...

Okay...now I'm real particular about food.  I like good food.  Bacon is the best thing ever in life.  And ribeye's grilled on the charcoal grill.  And lawd...CHICKEN.WINGS.

But I want to be supportive and I seriously doubt that this is something you can do without the support of your spouse.  I mean...The Robinator isn't about to start cooking.  You know that.  I know that.  He knows that.  

I gave up wine for Lent this year and I've stuck to it.  It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  You can do anything for 40 days right?  So I started thinking that maybe I could try the plant-based thing for 30 days just to see how it goes.  And...if I can't stick to it, certainly I can do my middle meal non-plant based if need be so I can still support him by doing something plant based for dinner right?  I mean, I want to do it the right way so he has enough protein to train and yeah...again...I can always grill a steak for lunch so I don't have to eat it in front of him.

In looking for recipes I came up with nada Creole initially and that made me giggle.

All that said, for the month of April, I'm going to try and go all plant based foods to see how it goes.  It can't hurt and I'll learn some new recipes, hopefully, that I like and figure out how to make it work for him while he trains.  A whole month of plants only.

This should be interesting.

Lemme go figure out that app.  It even makes the grocery list for you so yeah...that's gonna be nice.

Have you ever tried it for any length of time?  Would you?

Pickled Red Onions

Cooking for two, I hardly ever use a whole red onion and I hate wasting food.  Jamie posted an article about how to pickle red onions and I did it today to the half red onion I had left over.  

Boil three cups of water in a tea kettle.

Thinly slice red onion and put it in a colander in the sink.

Peel and cut a clove of garlic in half.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a jar and add 3/4 cup of a good vinegar to it.  (I used white wine.)

Add garlic and some seasonings.  (I put in some peppercorns and a dried red pepper.)  

Pour boiling water over the onions slowly and let drain.

Add onions to jar.

Stir to mix up well.

Put lid on.

It will be ready in 30 minutes and you can keep it for up to a week.  You can use them on top of pretty much anything for a quick bit of good eating.   Pizza, salads, sammiches, tacos, hot dogs, DELICIOUSNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh...and you can do this to white and yellow onions too.

Lemon Pepper Wings In Oven!

I love lemon pepper wings but I hate to fry anything.  Every now and then I have to have a piece of fried catfish, some fried shrimp or oysters...but I do this RARELY.

A friend posted some lemon pepper wings and, of course, I had to have some but I didn't want to fry them.

So this is what I did.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  In large bowl, season wingettes with no salt lemon pepper.  I use the Victoria Seasonings brand that I find at Marshalls, TJMaxx and HomeGoods.  (If you're not spending significant time in the food aisles at those stores you are being foolish.  There are AMAZING things in those aisles!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Then add garlic powder, parsley red pepper flakes (we like ours spicy caliente) a tad bit of fresh ground sea salt and one tablespoon of flour per pound of chicken.  Mix WELL.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, lay out wings not overlapping.

Bake for 35 minutes turning over once.

In clean big bowl, add the juice of one fresh squeezed lemon.  Remove chicken wings from pan and toss in bowl with lemon juice.  Throw away parchment paper and add more.  Add wings BACK to pan for 10 minutes and VOILA!  Total and complete deliciousness.  They were soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!  

We had them with a warm spinach salad.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan.  Remove from heat and fold in fresh spinach to coat with warm olive oil. Transfer to serving bowl and add  2 finely minced boiled eggs, 4 strips of chopped bacon, half a red onion cut into inch size long pieces, 2 tomatoes diced and blue cheese crumbles.  I mixed up a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and a couple cloves of garlic for a quick dressing.  

Wing Stop ain't got nuttin on our game night grub!  Seriously...these went so quick you'd have thought we had four more people in here eating them with us.

Chicken Thighs, Brussel Sprouts and Quinoa!

This has become a favorite meal in our house.  It's quick, easy and ridiculously flavorful.  In a heated cast iron skillet, sear seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down, for three minutes.  

Turn over and add halved brussel sprouts and one cup of chicken broth.  Add to 400 degree oven for 18 minutes.  

While cooking, cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of chicken broth.  Add quinoa to a serving dish.  Remove chicken thighs from skillet (careful...skillet is hot...) and mix broth and brussel sprouts into quinoa in dish.  Top with chicken thighs.

(Note...I usually quarter a lemon and put in with chicken to cook but was out this time so I just added lemon juice to dish when it was ready to serve.)

This has become one of our favorite, healthy and quick meals.  

On Keeping Pot Secrets #Calphalon

If you haven't bought new pots in a while, you're going to be as astonished as I was recently while out shopping for new pots.  I hadn't purchased a new complete set of pots in about twenty years and rounded a corner recently to note that there are pots now with spouts and lids which work to help you pour off water/liquid without the use of a colander or burning your hand with steam.

And dude!  They also have measurements inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HOW AWESOME IS THAT?????

Why didn't yall tell me about this?  I know some of yall knew!  I KNOW yall did!  This is sooooooooooooooo awesome sauce!

Thanksgiving Recipe Time!!!!!!

How To Roast The BEST And JUICIEST Thanksgiving Turkey!

Ms. Nellie's Creole Cornbread Dressing

Monica Mingo's Creole Jumbo Gumbo Recipe!

Ms. Carolyn's Stuffed Peppers

Green Bean Casserole - Monnie Style

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes with Walnuts

Warm Kale Salad

Southern Comfort Cake

Ms. Linda's Sweet Potato Pie

Key Lime Pie

Here is a template for your grocery shopping:  Thanksgiving Planning Worksheet

If you're hosting, go ahead and decide on your centerpiece now so you can build your tablescape around it.  Here is a way to add some color to your table without spending a lot of money:

Easy and Cheap Fabric Tablecloth (Topper)

Things that will make your cleanup life easier?  

1.  Bake as much as you can in aluminum pans that you can throw away after.

2.  Line baking sheets with Reynolds Wrap.  You can use a knock off brand if you'd like...I guess...wait...no...buy Reynolds Wrap hell.  It's seriously the best.  You'll thank me later.

I normally have my tablescape done the night before or do it right after I put the turkey in the oven early in the morning so it's done.  

Okay...I have a lot to do!  WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!  Headed off to do all my grocery shopping!  So, so, so excited!  Thanksgiving is seriously my most favorite holiday EVER!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner Family Survival Tips

Creamed Tomato Soup

Here's my favorite soup in da WORLD!  Don't worry...it's nothing like that crap tomato soup you're accustomed to seeing.  This is a Hungarian recipe.  I'd never been a fan of tomato soup until I tried some at a family owned Hungarian recipe and begged the owner for a recipe.

Creamed Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

5 tablespoons tomato paste

6 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons of butter

Melt two tablespoons of butter with the oil in a deep, heavy pot over low/medium heat. Add onions and sprinkle with thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Sauté seasoned onions, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (with juice) and tomato paste; simmer for 20 minutes, still stirring occasionally.

Gradually combine chicken broth and flour, whisking to mix well. Add broth mixture to the tomato mixture; continue to simmer, covered, over low heat, for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the soup from sticking to the pan.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Purée in a food processor or blender (I use this immersion blender right in the pot:  Cuisinart Immersion Blender). Return to the pot, reheat, and stir in sugar, cream and milk. Simmer a few minutes, whisking in remaining butter just before serving.

 

Ms. Linda's Sweet Potato Pie

I can't believe I've never posted Ms. Linda's Sweet Potato Pie recipe and when one of my little cousin's asked for it today I went to send her a link and it wasn't there.

Lawd...

Here it is getting ready for full Sweet Potato Pie season!  

SWEET POTATO PIE
from Linda Harris

Peel & slice 2 large sweet potatoes or enough to equal 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes.
Boil until done. Add the following:

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees until brown - about 1 hour. 
Be sure the center of the pie is done. Let cool before cutting.

Easy Baby Back Ribs! Charcoal Grill and Oven Methods

I've run into a lot of people who don't cook things they think are challenging and I'm hoping to simplify some of the methods for them so they can get to cooking.  Sure, some recipes can get difficult but once you learn how to do it the basic way, you'll start to see why someone wanted to jazz it up and even come up with your OWN methods to jazz it up.  Just start out simple first.  Anybody can cook if they just follow the recipe, taste test and adjust.  Stop thinking you can't cook.  You can do it!!!!!

I love ribs but don't cook them often.  See...I'd become used to buying a rack from the Amish Market already done to perfection so why put myself through all the hassle when they do it so well?

Now I'm back to enjoying cooking ribs.  

I had two racks in the freezer that I'd bought to take with us on my birthday trip to the beach with friends but Jaru's emergency surgery cancelled our plans.  I remembered that they were in the freezer and decided to cook them but with a twist.  I did ONE rack in the oven and one rack on the grill.  Just to compare the tastes.  We enjoyed both of them, surprise, surprise.  LOL!  I know a lot of people who live in condos and apartments in the city who don't have grills so why should they be deprived of a good rack of ribs at home right?

Right!

So, my apologies but I don't know the amounts of each ingredient I used in the rub so that might get frustrating.  Just trust what you like and mix it up accordingly.  Don't be afraid to taste it.  That's the best way to get things right.  TASTE it.  If it tastes good it will be good.  If it doesn't taste good...IT WON'T TASTE GOOD.  Simple.

So yeah...I use brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.  Just mix it all up.  I put a little bit of olive oil in it.  Just enough to make a paste.  Not too wet.  Thick.  I removed the membrane and rubbed both ribs down and chilled overnight.  I took them out to reach room temperature next day before cooking. (Don't panic if you didn't do it overnight.  They will be just fine if you season same day. I promise.  This is one of those things you'll get better at.  I have an Elder who preps his ribs for three days.  He does some kinda magical potion that includes Jack Daniels and I swear I've seen him outback doing a spell over his grill so yeah...you'll pick up on different methods to make it your own.) 

OVEN METHOD:

Put down two pieces of thick Reynold's Wrap and place ribs meaty side down.  Cover with two more pieces of foil and fold sides all around it.  Put in oven at 300 degrees for two hours.  Do NOT open the oven during cooking.  Don't do it.  DON'T.DO.IT!  If, after 2 hours the ribs aren't done, um...keep cooking them ten minutes at a time.  Once they are done, drain off grease and brush on barbecue sauce. Store bought or homemade.  Cook, uncovered for 10 minutes.

GRILL METHOD:

Put an aluminum foil pan in grill where charcoal goes.  Eyeball the grill.  You want the pan to be directly under your ribs.  Put charcoal in grill around pan making sure charcoal won't be directly under your ribs.  Fill drip pan half way with water.  Light charcoal and burn off flame.  Add ribs, open vents all the way and cook for 2 hours.  Do NOT open grill for two hours.  If you've prepped grill correctly, you shouldn't have to worry about a flame burning your ribs.  Do not burn ribs.  When you burn ribs...a butterfly loses their wings.  Don't be a butterfly ruiner.  If you decide to sauce your ribs, do so and cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes until sauce sticks good.  I know that sounds country but that's how you say it.  LOL!  I prefer my grilled ribs to be served with my sauce on the side. 

Collard Greens (Kinda like your Grandmother's but healthier...)

Easy Key Lime Pie

CRUST: 
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix with fork. Add to pan. Use parchment paper to spread in pie pan properly. Bake 375 for 7 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. 

FILLING: 
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 oz. each)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup #nellieandjoes key lime juice

Mix. Add to pie crust. Bake 350 for ten minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate 3 hours.

WHIPPED CREAM:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend cream and sugar until stiff peaks form (5 minutes or so). Blend in vanilla. Cool. Either spread on pie evenly or create rosettes around pie. You can't go wrong either way. I have the same lil basic cake decorating kit I've had forever that I paid like $5 for.  They might be a couple dollars more now.  I decided to do rosettes because I didn't have enough whipped cream to make two batches to cover both pies.  I used the 22 tip and tried to put a rosette per "slice."

I've found that it's easier for me to make the treats I want instead of trying to stumble on something gluten free which may or may NOT be good.

Oh...and when I crumbled up my graham crackers, I added in a handful of pecans.  I love the nutty texture it gives the gluten free crust.