Yet more proof that dessert is always the best part.

Get the details about Yummy Mondays HERE.

Alright, alright.  I have a little tiny confession to make.  In early summer, I actually spread out a few of my food posts so that I'd be at least one week ahead and could work on the post and schedule it early instead of waiting until late Monday night to get everything from that night up.  It made things a lot less stressful.  And I totally fooled you, too, didn't I?  You had no idea... so why am I telling you this now?  Well, I've discovered recently, that sometimes a meal or dessert just happens to be a bit better as a leftover.  Or I discover something I could have done differently to make it even better.  And I decided withholding that kind of information from you just to continue with my illusion of immediacy would just be wrong.  I mean, what if you tried something and thought it was gross, but I could have warned you to wait until the next day and it would be great?  OR vice versa, maybe you need to know that keeping the leftovers just won't be worth it.  Whatever the case, I'm coming clean in an effort to arm you with more knowledge.  You're welcome.


Second confession.  Due to our expanding waistlines and significantly NOT expanding budget, we've come to the conclusion that our yummy Mondays may need to change slightly.  Nothing huge, just paying attention to sales and menus and, heaven help us all, CALORIES.  I say this only because you may read talk of this in coming posts and I didn't want you to be confused.  "What?  Have I stumbled onto some kind of healthy blog?  This can't be Kimberly talking..."


This meal is NOT one of those healthy ones.  BUT, I DID get these ribs on super sale.  Woot!  I was hunting for deals and it came down to pork chops or boneless ribs.  I let mr decide.  So we had some:

I found the recipe here.  I altered it just a touch.  Well, actually, I MEANT to alter it just a touch, but accidentally altered it more.  See, I went to add some liquid smoke, because they needed some heat, right?  And the bottle I thought the bottle was one of those shake-y bottles - like soy sauce - but in actuality it was just a normal pour bottle, like steak sauce.  Oops.  Then, I decided to shake in some pepper flake, because mr would really love me, and I thought I opened the sprinkle side of the shaker, but in actuality I opened the pour side of the shaker.  Basically there was a whole lot of pouring going on and not a lot of sprinkling.  Which means this suckers had some zip.  mr and dad were in heaven.  Even mom liked them, though admitted they were spicy.  I couldn't even finish one.  Such a wimp... OR so very cleverly saving room for dessert?  Hm....  In any case, here's the recipe.


Oven Baked BBQ Ribs

• 2 cups sliced onions
• 2 cups ketchup
• 2 cups water
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons dry mustard
• 4 pounds pork spareribs
• 
  
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
     1. In a large bowl, combine onions, ketchup, water, salt, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and mustard. Split ribs down the center between the bones.
        1. Heat a large lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Add ribs and sear until browned. This may have to be done in several batches.
           1. Place ribs in a single layer in two baking pans or casserole dishes. Pour half of the sauce over the ribs, reserve remainder.
              1. Bake ribs in preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn and baste meat every twenty minutes with remaining sauce, using all sauce by two hours. Continue turning and basting ribs using sauce in the pan during the last hour of baking.
• 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 
                 

So, if you don't like spicy, make it like the recipe tells you to.  And if you do, dump like half a jar of pepper flakes in the sauce.  

I decided to keep our sides nice and easy.  I went with the typical baked potato - cheese and sour cream optional - and veggies with dill dip.  

I did have to alter the recipe for this just a touch, because it looks like it will make enough to feed an army or two.  So here is where I got the dill dip recipe, and below is the altered recipe.

Easy Dill Dip
1 C mayo
1 C sour cream
1 T dried parsley
1 T minced onion, dried
3 T dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder


Mix it all together.  Cover and chill.


You see how easy that is?  Yep.  And it was yummy.  Actually, this is the only part of dinner (besides the potato) that bug liked.  He had to put it on everything in order to eat enough to earn dessert.

Speaking of which... would you like to see why dessert is my favorite part?

Mmmmmmmmmm...

So, I go this online, and there it's called "Best Ever Layer Dessert."  I just wasn't sure I could, in good conscious, call it that - considering there are so many layered desserts I just haven't tried yet.  Plus, that didn't seem very descriptive.  So I renamed it.  AND, you can look for a variation on this later on, because I've got good ideas for improvements... I mean, not that it really needed any, but, you know, just for fun.  Some of the directions were confusing, so I just did my best and my explanations/corrections are below.

Peanut Butter Fluff Pudding Dessert

1/2 C butter

1 box of wafers, crushed (about 16 oz)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 C peanut butter

1 C powdered sugar

1 (12 oz) whipped topping

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 box instant chocolate pudding

1 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  But the wafers in a large ziploc bag and smash them with the smooth side of a meat mallet.  Melt better in the microwave and add the crushed wafers.  Mix well and use a wooden spoon to press into a 13x9 inch pan.  This is the bottom layer.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool the crust completely.  While it's cooling, cream the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and cream until fluffy.  Stir in 1 C whipped cream.  Spread this over the crust.  Chill.  While this is chilling, make the vanilla pudding according to the box.  Make the chocolate pudding according to the box.  Spread the vanilla pudding over the peanut butter fluff layer.  Spread the chocolate pudding over the vanilla pudding layer.  Spread whipped cream over the top (use as much as you like).  Chill and serve.

Ok.  Our honest reactions - I LOVED the flavor... chocolate-y, creamy, peanut butter-y, YUM. Everyone agreed.  BUT the texture of the wafer crust was a little odd.  mr was severely opposed to it.  I thought it was strange but still good.  I kept it in the fridge and had some for dessert the next night, and I thought it was WAY better.  I think this may be one of those you want to make a day ahead.  Or just expect the second piece to be better than the first.

And just you wait for my extra special version of this baby...

*Be sure to check just below for all the fun parties I link to!