Fudge Brownie Pie, BBQ Ribs & Chicken, Spicy Bacon Beans, Roasted Carrots, Slaw, Deviled Eggs, & Homemade Bread are in the works for tomorrow's Father's Day Celebration!

This is easy, uses pantry staples, and it's good too.

We started early today and cranked up the smoker, got the slabs of baby back ribs seasoned as well as a whole chicken going low and slow.

Low and Slow is the key to success.

Moved on to all of the prep work, peeled the carrots, diced the peppers, boiled the eggs, and baked the Fudge Brownie Pie.  Tomorrow we will only need to heat up and finish up!

Father's Day Menu 2013

Smoked Baby Back Ribs and Chicken
Spicy Bacon Beans
Fire Roasted Carrots
Asian Slaw
Deviled Eggs
French Bread Boule
Fudge Brownie Pie
Iced Tea

The Brownie Pie and the Spicy Bacon Beans are both new recipes, all of the other recipes you can find using the  FINDER BOX, should you want to browse for them.   The Pie I adapted from a recipe on Pinterest is said to have been a "BEST Blogger Recipe in 2012".  It is very easy.  The bean recipe is adapted to one from the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

These wedges were served plain and we passed fresh berries on the side.

Ingredients for Fudge Brownie Pie:

3/4 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. sifted cocoa
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 C. melted butter (1 stick)
2 lg. eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 big handfuls of miniature marshmallows


Ingredients for the Pie Topping:

1/4 C. melted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 C. sifted cocoa 
1/4 C. heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 C. sifted powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9" spring form pan and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.   Beat together in another bowl  the eggs, butter, and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Pour and spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Test with a toothpick in the center until it tests clean of crumbs.  IMMEDIATELY sprinkle marshmallows evenly across the top and return to the oven for about 3-4 minutes until melted.    Turn the oven off and leave the pie while you quickly make the frosting by mixing all of the ingredients and beating until smooth.  Carefully spread the chocolate frosting over the hot marshmallows.  Allow to cool completely.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Yield 8 servings.

These beans were very good, sweet, spicy pintos and received several rave reviews.  Not your everyday pork n' bean dish.

Ingredients for Spicy bacon Beans:

4 C. dry pinto beans
1 pound platter bacon diced
2 red bell peppers seeded and diced
1 large onion diced
4 cloves minced garlic
3 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
1 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. ketchup
2 T. mustard
1 T. chili powder
2 t. salt, more to taste
2 t. fresh ground black pepper, more to taste

Rinse and sort through the beans and remove any particles.  Cover with water and let soak over night.  Drain and rinse again.

In a Dutch Oven or heavy pot fry the bacon pieces about half done and the fat is rendered.  Add the peppers, onion, and jalapenos and cook 3-4 minutes.

Add  the beans and cover with water by 1".  Bring to a boil and add the brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, chili powder,  salt, pepper, and garlic.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender and the liquid is thick, about 2-3 hours.    Yield 10-12 servings.