Papaya Milk Slushee

This is Day Two of my papaya milk slushee pictured above. I had one yesterday; saw that Ming's had it on their menu. I could not resist and had another today. At $3.50, it is a bit pricey, but it's oh-so-good!

I had taken 2 Imodium tabs just last Saturday, so needless to say, I have been a bit bloated, gassy, and constipated (TMI, sorry), but after having had this shake yesterday, I can say that it went "smooth sailing." Go figure. Whenever the kids are a bit constipated, my mom gives them fresh papaya and it always works like magic. Now, papaya's done its trick for me!

Papaya is known for its health benefits. I'm sure the fresher the foods are, the more the health benefits. Read about all of it here: Papaya Health Benefits. And this was just a quick Google search!

I have to find a way to make this shake because I probably won't be able to afford $3.50 a pop.... but just the process of taking out the blender is such a task that the cost of this may just be well worth it! Plus, the time to think about proportions and what-nots... then, factor in getting good papayas... Excuses, excuses!

So, remember, if you're feeling bloated and constipated, have some papaya or papaya shake for that matter!

Banana Muffins

I was a tad bit disppointed in the other day in that my son did not want any of the blueberry muffins (from mix) that I made. This is a boy who eats anything and yet, he did not want any! :'(

I therefore vowed to make another batch of muffins (from mix, of course) and have him try some. He loved the banana muffins from Pillsbury! Thank heavens for cake mixes!

You should know that I am not a baking person and am one of them who can screw up even a cake mix recipe, so for two batches to come out great is something worth writing about!

This batch of muffins was made from the blue Pillsbury box. One thing I noticed differently from the blueberry muffin "recipe" was that this one needed milk (instead of water). I specifically chose the mix that did not come with nuts, because I knew I can not give nuts to my son yet (he's only 14 months old).

These banana muffins came out very moist and it was so easy to make. I guess that's the purpose of the mixes, right? D-uh!!! The whole prepping and baking process took less than 1/2 an hour to make. I used up so few dishes, one would be silly not to go for cake mixes. I don't even care to make things such as these from scratch, because the mixes tend to come out better tasting, cost-effective, and it's a breeze!

So, the next time you crave baking? Reach for the cake mixes for convenience, cost, and no-frills, almost perfect home-made goodness.

The Secret to Barbecued Ribs

Only recently did I realize that the secret to perfectly cooked ribs is to slow cook on low for a loooonnnngg time! My mom did it and I had to try it for myself, since I "heart" pork ribs.

Today, being a holiday, I put a rack of baby back ribs, seasoned generously with salt and pepper in a foil wrapped pan in the oven for 6 hours on 300 degrees. Mid-way, I brushed the ribs with store-bought barbecue sauce. I turned and basted every hour and the result? Tender, juicy, moist, scrumptuous ribs! Even was great-tasting after letting it sit on the counter the rest of the afternoon and microwaved in the evening for dinner! The wait was well-worth it! Besides, the prep was minimal and no sense rushing into this one! Enjoy!

P.S.: I don't have the picture to show you because the ribs were gone in a flash! I enjoy this porky chef clipart, though. Hope you do, too.