BBQ Brisket

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

This tastes great! We were a little worried about doing it in the crockpot, but it still had a great flavor even though we did not cook it in the oven. The rub gives it a good kick.

Ingredients:
1 T dried thyme leaves
1 T paprika
2 t black pepper
2 t salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
3 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1/2 t liquid smoke flavoring
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 C barbeque sauce


Instructions:
1. Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Rub brisket with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture.
3. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauce into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until fork tender.

TDF Chocolate Chip Cookies

TDF = To Die For - and seriously they are!!!

1 c shortening
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 T water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until fluffy.

2 c. flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. oatmeal
2 c. chocolate chips

Gently add dry ingredients to egg and shortening mixture. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Warm Pasta Salad

I know...I never have pictures. But, I've made this pasta salad twice this week and just can't get enough of it...so yummy and so easy to put together- ready to eat in about 20 minutes. On top of that, its pretty healthy and vegetarian!

12 oz. pasta (I always use Barilla Plus- yum)
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 tsp. saute spice (equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. Creamy Caesar dressing
4 Tbs. Basil Pesto (I use Classico brand)
Veggies of your choosing (I used one squash, one zucchini, and lots of broccoli)

Cook pasta and cut up onions and veggies. Drain pasta and slightly cook veggies til desired tenderness. Mix all ingredients together- add veggies last and mix. Enjoy!

The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

My friend told me about this cake she makes in the microwave and so I looked it up online. It's called the most dangerous cake in the world because it only takes 5 minutes to make. Here it is.

MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

I didn't add chocolate chips to mine, but I did make a caramel sauce with a little bit of butter, brown sugar and a tiny bit of milk in the microwave and poured it over the cake. It tastes amazing like that. I let it cool in the fridge for a little bit before I ate it.

Another note, I used pamela's baking mix instead of flour and it turned out great (for all those who can't eat wheat).