holy magenta stew batman!

it is a little hobby of mine to prepare meals we've never made and/or eaten before. borscht has been on my list for quite some time, but not being a fan of beets i've put it off time after time. i finally decided to give it a shot and aside from it looking like a pot of guts we were pretty pleased (baby nerd liked it too!). chock full of delicious, fresh veggies, this stew is hearty, healthy, and so so so yummy!

borscht:

5 c chicken stock
2 c shredded cabbage
1 c chopped yellow onion
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 peeled, chopped raw beets
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tbs red wine vinegar
sour cream for topping

in a large soup pot combine chicken stock, cabbage, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. bring to a boil. reduce heat to low and simmer ten minutes. add beets, sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, and dill. stir until combined. cover and simmer 30 minutes. add vinegar and serve.

back in the kitchen: slow cooker ribs

after several months i'm back in the kitchen and ready to share! i originally decided to take a break from blogging because i needed to focus on my etsy shop, my nerd, my nerd baby, my household, and getting back into my pre-pregnancy pants. but now that i've got the juggling down i'm ready to start cooking it up!

i know how most women feel about the subject, but i am all about kitchen appliances as gifts. i've been whining about my 2 quart slow cooker (don't get me wrong, i love the thing. it was the very first appliance we purchased as a couple. it's just too damn small!), so this year for my birthday my nerd came home with a beautiful 5 quart slow cooker. this is the second time i've used it (the first being a delicious pot roast last week!), and i am looking forward to many, many more!

slow cooker ribs

3 beef or pork ribs
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

1 bottle beer
barbecue sauce

mix brown sugar, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. rub into ribs and cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate overnight.
slice the onion into rings and layer on the bottom of your slow cooker. add the ribs, and pour the entire bottle of beer over everything. cook on low for 8 hours.
preheat oven to 350f. carefully remove ribs from slow cooker (the bones should fall right off), and place on a baking sheet. baste with barbecue sauce and bake for ten minutes on each side. serve with roasted rosemary potatoes and steamed asparagus.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled to serve more.