Slow Cooker Pork Spareribs & Potato salad

This dinner has the house smelling perfectly delicious! An hour into cooking, I was ready to open up the crock and eat the ribs! I think the sweetness from the maple syrup & molasses along with the tangy-ness of the cider vinegar wafting through the house is just to die for. Using the slow cooker does take some preparation, but it is usually well worth any little bit of effort you have to put into the meal.

Slow Cooker Pork Spareribs

3-4 pounds pork ribs
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. molasses
3 Tbsp. maple syrup (B grade)
2 Tbsp. brown mustard
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
couple shakes of the Worcestershire sauce bottle
About 2 c. sliced onion

Place pork ribs into slow cooker. Mix sauce ingredients pouring over ribs and coating all well. Toss in onions. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.

Cook's Notes:
I will be making these again exactly the same, but I may try with beef ribs. Unfortunately our pig was a bit on the fatty side this year so it was some work to find the meat in/around the fat. Very nice taste!


This is a stand by favorite. Have I mentioned how happy we are that the little one can eat well cooked eggs?!


Cold Potato Salad w/Egg

5-6 Medium sized potatoes, cooked whole until fork tender
4 eggs, hard boiled & chopped
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1-2 tsp. dried dill
2 stalks celery, de-veined & finely diced
1/2 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. (or more) of low fat/nonfat plain yogurt
salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop potatoes while warm. Add in eggs, celery, onions, dressings & seasonings. Mix well and refrigerate until cold.

Cook's Notes:
It is best to mix this salad while warm & serve it cold. It gives the flavors time to meld together. Sometimes I add diced cucumbers to this recipe with yummy results.
Also a good tip to remember is that a dish that will be chilled should be over seasoned just a tad because as it chills, the seasoning will lessen. (Learned this from an old neighbor who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in NYC and was a seasoned chef/caterer).

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this evening's meal. It was gone before I could snap a picture. I guess I was really hungry. /blush/