Pork spareribs

Another dish from our New Year's dinner. Enjoy!

• 3-5 pounds pork spareribs

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 4 dashes Tobasco sauce

Bake ribs in 325-degree oven for 90 minutes. Drain. Cook onion in margarine for 10 minutes, then add rest of ingredients and bring sauce to a boil. Pour sauce over ribs and bake 45 more minutes.

Beef shortribs

I made these for our New Year's Eve dinner. Delicious!

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3-5 pounds beef shortribs
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 medium carrots

Mix flour, sugar salt and pepper; coat ribs in it, saving remainder. Brown ribs in melted shortening in Dutch oven. Add rest of flour mixture, water, allspice and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is tender. Add carrots and cook for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Pumpkin Bread

There are lots of recipes for this floating around, but here's my favorite. Moist, holds its shape and slices well, with a cake-like texture.

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 pound pumpkin (15 oz. can is fine)
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Mix oil with sugar, beat in eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Mix dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Bake in greased, floured pans about one hone, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes 2 large or 3 small loaves.

Peppermint Toads

I made these today for my son's upcoming Harry Potter birthday party.

• 1 lb white (or red) meltable candy beads (I use Merckens or Wilton's, available at craft stores)
• 4 candy canes, crushed
• 3-4 drops peppermint oil

Melt white chocolate, stir in crushed candy and peppermint oil. Pour into frog-shaped molds. (I got mine from Confectionery House) Harden in freezer and remove.

Tomorrow I'm using the same technique with dark chocolate for Chocolate Frogs.

Fudge sauce

My grandma used to make this. It's easy and delicious. I frequently fill jelly jars with it and give it as Christmas gifts to my kids' teachers. Best when served with Mayfield's Peppermint Stick ice cream (or some lesser brand if you can't get Mayfield's.)

• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine first three ingredients, bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring vigorously with wire whisk. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

Frog light

A double post from Doc Thelma's House, but I wanted everyone to meet the frog light.
My mom sent me this picture today from her tree. She has an strand of antique Christmas tree lights that came from my paternal grandmother's house. Once, the strand had an assortment of shaped bulbs: a zeppelin, a Chinese lantern, a Santa head. For my dad the herpetologist, however, the frog was the favorite; he remembered it from his earliest Christmas, which would have been about 1930. Every year, we would put the strand on the tree and wait with bated breath to see if "the froggy" was going to light and every year, so far, it has. Best guess is this is Froggy's 77th Christmas, at least. The frog and the Chinese lantern are the only novelty bulbs left on the strand; the rest of them are the traditional plain bulb shape. Given how hard it is to find replacement bulbs, who knows how long the strand will last. But 3 1/2 years after his death, my father's light is still burning.

Mulled wine

I think this is what Clarence requested in It's a Wonderful Life.

• 750 ml red wine
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 2/3 cup sugar
• zest of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6-8 cloves

Mix in wine, brandy and sugar in saucepan. add flavorings and simmer over low heat until steaming. Do not boil. Serve hot.