Korean Beef

The first time I made this it was kind of on a whim.

I had ground beef. I had rice. AND I actually had green onions. I was also running short on time.

I am glad I occasionally give into whims.

This meal comes together so, so, SO easily. The dish was so tasty. Consequently, there were absolutely no leftovers. I also made it again within a week. Second time, again, no left overs. The whole family loved it and ate it with no complaints.

Two thumbs up...some of you know my children are not above giving me thumbs down! Little boogers.

Anyway, back to the "two thumbs up". They loved it.

Every.Single.Bite.

Give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

Korean Beef
adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

Print Here

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4-1/2 cup regular or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger (I buy mine in a jar)
1/2 -1 teaspoon Sriracha (depends on how much heat you like)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of green onions sliced
steamed rice

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the ground hamburger in the sesame oil until completely cooked. Add in the garlic and cook for another couple minutes, making sure not to let the garlic burn.

Drain of the fat if there is any.

Add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, Sriracha, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve the beef over steamed rice and topped with A LOT of green onions.

Enjoy and have a great Thursday

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The 36th Avenue

CAMP Be Beat: Father's Day Gift Idea

I am super excited about this Father's Day gift.

This year I am doing a couple of themed gifts for Hubby.  This is the second one. The first one was The World's Best Pop Father's Day gift.

For the second theme, I chose CAMPING. I gathered together a few fun and cheap camping items.

Then I made up this super cute...er...I mean...manly drawstring bag (which I am more than just a little in love with).

I put it together similar to how I made the Angry Birds Drawstring Bag...minus the Angry Bird face of course!

I cut the shirt so the buttons and the pocket would fit on the front of the bag. Then I used another old t-shirt to line the inside. The drawstring is some old rope I found laying around Hubby's tool bench.

I packed it full of the S'mores makings.

I printed off a tag I made in PicMonkey. I did a Google Image search for "Retro Camping" and picked an image to use for the background. I cropped it, added a border and my text.

My second favorite thing just after the flannel drawstring bag is the camping catch phrase I came up with to go on the tag. I still giggle when I say it out loud to myself...

"A Dad like you just CAMP be beat."

Hehehe...

I piled everything on top of my flannel treat bag and then secured it with more rope. I even tied it in a square knot, 'cause I am a legit woodsman like that.

Then I attached my tag to the rope with a cloths pin.

Second Father's Day gift done.

Perfect gift for the avid, recreational, or backyard camper.

Which category does your Dad/Husband fall into?

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Sweet Hawiian Boneless Ribs

 

Nothing says Summer like some ribs. 

I have this problem though. I really, really, don't care to eat meat off of bones.

Alas, the very term RIBS implies that there will be meat on said bones.

So it seemed that the quintessential Summer BBQ meal and I would always be at an impasse.

Forever. 

FOR...EV...ER

FOR...EV...ER

...name the movie (also a Summer must)...  

Okay so I am being a little over dramatic.

I can have ribs. It is true.

Glory be, there are boneless ribs. The next best thing to boneless chicken wings.

All the yumminess. All the sauce. All the messiness. NONE of the me having to gnaw meat off of bones.

The good news doesn't stop there.

Not only can I enjoy yummy ribs, but I also don't have to work that hard to make them. 

Simply throw them in a slow cooker. 

This is the second time I have cooked ribs in a slow cooker. No you did not miss that recipe on the blog. There was a very good reason you didn't see it...I wasn't a huge fan (most likely because they were on the bone). 

This recipe I loved. LOVED, I tell you. 

I made a few minor tweaks.

They were a hit. Even Bean devoured the meat. Seriously his itty bitty hands were double fisting the meat in. It was awesome to behold.

So today for Slow Cooker Saturday, I am sharing this yummy just-in-time-for-Summer ribs recipe

Happy eating!

Sweet Hawaiian Boneless Ribs (Slow Cooker) 
adapted from Chef in Training

Print Here

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
2/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoon pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.

Arrange the ribs evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is combined and the honey and brown sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the meat and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When the ribs are done, remove 2 cups of the sauce and put it in a small sauce pan. Heat to boiling and cook down slightly. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

Place the ribs on a cooking sheet. Baste liberally with the slightly reduced sauce. Broil the meat for 5-7 minutes, checking often, until the sauce is sticky and the edges of the ribs are almost crisp.

Serve warm.

Have a great and glorious weekend!

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Thirty Handmade Days

Fun with the Kids Fridays: Snake O'Cups

Fun Fridays!! Woohoo.

Now that school is out we are in desperate need of fun projects and boredom busters.

These snakes are super fun and just about the most awesome thing ever. Just ask my boys.

They are obsessed with snakes. We have several books all about snakes, and they read them all the time. Their favorite snake fact:

There is a snake that farts up to 6 feet to ward off predators.

Every time the boys talk about it they laugh and laugh and laugh.

In one of the books, there was an idea to make a snake from cups.

Yep, that was going to happen.

A bunch of cups and an hour or so equals three very happy boys.

Here is how you can make a Snake O'Cups all your own--

You need:
colorful paper cups
brads
red pipe cleaners
craft eyes
hot glue

Every cup, except the head cups and the first cup, will need 4 holes.

Two holes on the top on opposite sides of the cup and two holes on the bottom on opposite sides. Both sets of holes need to be about an inch from the top and bottom.

Punch the holes with a push pin, that will make it easier to put the brads in.

You connect the cups by putting one cup into the other. Then you attach them with brads through the top holes of the outside cup to the bottom of the inside cup.

The first cup you do only needs the holes at the top. This will be the tail. You continue attaching cups working towards where the head will be. Alternate colors, create a pattern. Basically keep at it until you have a snake to your liking. Our were about 17 cups long.

I will warn you that you will need to help. The brads were a bit tricky for little teeny fingers. The brads also really need to be fastened good. I mean they have to withhold any ensuing snake fights...that will occur, I promise you.

The snake wranglers will appreciate all your hard work though.

Just before you add the head, you will stop with a cup only attached at the bottom. Set it aside and make the head.

For the head, first make the tongue.

You need 2 red pipe cleaners.

Twist it together, leaving about and inch untwisted.

Then twist it all together.

Cut a tiny hole in the bottom of a cup and pull the pipe cleaner through using the left over inch to keep it in place.

With hot glue, attach the eyes on either side of the top of the tongue cup. Then glue that cup to the last cup of the snake body.

Draw some fangs by the tongue and....

DONE.

The brads make the cups move very snake-like.

These are the only pet snakes our boys will EVER have.

When not being carried, they prefer to lounge in the sun.

My boys gave this project two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Now they can stop pestering me for their own pet snake.

Which is good, cause it was never.gonna.happen.

Happy Friday!!
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German Chocolate Caramel Bars

I originally had a version of these delightful bars years ago. I do remember loving them a great deal. I loved them so much I immediately wrote down the recipe on a 3x5 card...that is how you know it was awhile ago...pre-Pinterest.

The original recipe was called Knock Ya Nakeds.

A name which my boys found HEE-larious. They seemed to think the ability of a treat to knock ones clothes off was pretty impressive and a whole lot of funny.

When I handed out these yummy treats out to my boys, Middle took a bite and then dropped his pants.

"Mom! Look these were so good they knocked my pants off!"

It was right then I realized I might want to come up with another name, or there could be a whole pants dropping epidemic.

Hence the new treat name--German Chocolate Caramel Bars. 

Whatever ya call them, they are gloriously yummy. I mean GLOR-EEE-US.

The texture is similar to a brownie, but has that ooey gooey caramel layer. Throw in the nuts, and I am pretty sure I am gonna eat the whole pan.

The. Whole. Pan.

It is a good thing I work out.

These really are heavenly. I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to make them as soon as you can.

German Chocolate Caramel Bars

Print Here

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup, plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk (divided)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 package caramel bits
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, pecans and 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and butter. Press half of the mixture into  a greased 8x8 baking dish (for thinner bars use a 9x13 dish).

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Melt caramel bits in a double broiler with the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When the mixture is completely smooth and incorporated evenly and in the vanilla.

Poor the caramel over the slightly cooled baked layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer. Drop the rest of the batter in spoonfuls evenly over the top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

Have a glorious Thursday!

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Your Homebased Mom,
Thirty Handmade Days