Once again, I’ll say that often it’s the simplest things that are the best, or, in the case of Texas Pepper Jelly, the tastiest.

For breakfast this morning, we’re having scrambled eggs and bagels with pepper jelly.

That’s all. That’s enough. None of us can seem to get enough of those bagels with pepper jelly. I set out several different flavors, and when the bagels pop up from the toaster all hot and, well, toasty, and the pepper jelly is spread over them to melt and run all down the plate and then the hand and chin of the lucky bagel-owner, who could ask for anything more?

Maybe something to drink, that’s all. One of us had coffee, two of us had orange juice, and one of us had Diet Coke.

The Diet Coke drinker was me. True confessions.

The Texas Gulf Coast BBQ Cookers’ Association meeting is tonight, September 6, at 7 p.m. at the VFW Post 10352.

The big boss here at Texas Pepper Jelly and Texas Rib Candy, Craig Sharry, is himself a participant, past winner, and administrator, which doesn’t surprise me at all; his products are so awesomely delicious, it’s just inconceivable that anybody could surpass him!

TGBCA, along with Texas Pepper Jelly and Texas Rib Candy, is on Facebook, so by all means follow them and keep up with the delicious world of bbq!

I hope you are all grilling out tomorrow; the weather is supposed to be lovely here and I stocked up on grillable meats at the grocery store this afternoon. We’ve got about half a bottle of Rib Candy left, so we’ll be emptying that, for sure. We’ll be feasting on pork ribs, chicken, and hamburgers, along with baked beans and potato salad, all of which contain Texas Pepper Jelly.

You might say that although my family lives in Indiana, our kitchen and taste buds live in Texas.

Last night on Twitter’s #DadsTalking live chat, lucky parents won bottles of Texas Rib Candy, and they were excited to get theirs!

(By the way, if you’re a parent, and especially if you’re a dad, why don’t you follow along with the hashtag #DadsTalking along with us? We never stop talking, and you’ll pick up awesome, useful parenting hints as well as tips as to when the next live chat will be.)

Tonight was a long time getting here, so we’re going the lazy route once again and having soup and chicken nuggets for supper.

However, ever since we discovered Texas Rib Candy, plain old chicken nuggets have never been plain again. Now even something as simple as a chicken nugget has become a piece of awesomely delicious yumminess, because I brush them with Texas Rib Candy before I throw them into the microwave.

Not only that: my husband now dips almost everything into Texas Rib Candy as he eats. Seriously, Rib Candy is addictive (the GOOD kind!) and wonderful.

So, envy us, dear readers, for we are having chicken nuggets and black bean soup for supper tonight, and, to be perfectly honest, BOTH of these simple dishes were made with Rib Candy.

Mmmmm, Rib Candy. . . .

My mother and mother-in-law are both very fond of salmon cakes, or, as they call them, salmon patties.

This recipe for Spicy Salmon Cakes is especially delicious.

Ingredients:

Two 6-ounce cans boneless, skinless pink salmon, well-drained and finely flaked
1 cup dried bread crumbs, divided into two parts
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup corn kernels (if you use frozen, be sure it’s thawed)
1/2 cup Texas Rib Candy, any flavor, with or without peppers
1 large egg
1 tablespoon oil

What to do:

In a large bowl, combine the salmon, half the bread crumbs, cheese, corn, Texas Rib Candy, and egg; mix well.

Shape the mixture into 8 patties and coat with the rest of the bread crumbs.

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until they are golden brown – about five minutes. Add the remaining oil to the pan, flip the patties, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.

Remove the cooked patties onto thick paper toweling and drain well.

We like to put more Rib Candy on the spicy patties as we devour them.

Grilling season is, indeed, winding down, and that’s all the more reason to break open the Texas Rib Candy – with or without the peppers – and feast on the best grilled pork, beef, chicken, veal. . . . heck, frog legs and ostrich cutlets. . . in the whole wide world.

Texas Rib Candy is – and I’m not exaggerating in the least – the best damn stuff to put on your meat that you will ever find. If you searched the planet all your life, you wouldn’t find anything that even compared to it. Rib Candy is well named. It’s honestly and truly Rib Candy. CANDY for your ribs. Or chicken. Or frog legs and ostrich cutlets.

Everyone who eats your grilled delights will agree.

Invite everyone you love over for a cookout. Do it soon. Summer’s winding down, and Rib Candy is too good not to share.

This is Texas Pepper Jelly’s newest product, Texas Rib Candy, and it’s so good it’s almost impossible to describe.

It goes with almost everything. Anything and everything. Brush it on chicken or ribs, right before you take them up on a platter and serve them, or at any time during the grilling process. Use it with stir-fry. Use it as a dip. Use it in your crockpot.

It’s excellent as a salad dressing, too.

Texas Rib Candy comes in three flavors: Apple Habanero, Apple Cherry Habanero and Mango Habanero. The possibilities are endless!

The only problem I’ve ever had with Texas Rib Candy is that my husband doesn’t want to share it with anyone. I always have to search for it behind something else in the refrigerator.

Seriously, Texas Rib Candy is like an addictive drug. Once you try it, you can’t ever get enough of it.

P.S. As I write this post, my husband is sitting at the table dipping raw vegetables in Texas Rib Candy. He says it’s awesome.

I can’t take his word for it, though. I MUST try it for myself.

Mmmmmmm. . . . . he’s right.

This is an awesomely good dish.  It’s so attractive, in fact, that it’s good for a company meal as well as for a family dinner.  It’s also a vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients:

3 green peppers

3 red peppers

3 yellow peppers

Texas Pepper Jelly, several different kinds

diced carrots

peas

diced apples

raisins

Pretty much any leftover vegetables from your ‘fridge

What to do:

Cut off the tops of the peppers and clean them out.  Keep the “caps.”

Mix together everything else and fill each pepper almost to the top.  Replace the “caps.”

I always make several different mixtures, using different kinds of pepper jelly.

Placed re-capped and filled peppers in a shallow baking dish and bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes.  Remove and check to make sure vegetables are done.  If they are, remove from oven and serve immediately.  If vegetables are not quite done, let the peppers bake for another ten minutes.

Pour some more pepper jelly on them and you’ve got a meal.  A nutritious, delicious meal.

We’ve got a basket of fresh peaches and tomorrow night we’re having Spicy Peachy Sweet Potato Bake for supper.  Tim and the kids can hardly wait!

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes, cooked

1/3 cup broken cashews

3 large peaches, peeled and sliced thin

2 cups Peach Habanero pepper jelly

2 tablespoons butter

What to do:

Peel the potatoes and slice them into thick pieces.  In a buttered baking dish, start layering all of the above ingredients. Dot with butter.  (Retain about a half cup of pepper jelly)

Bake, covered, in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes.  Uncover, and bake about 10 minutes longer.  Remove, and spoon remaining pepper jelly over the potatoes.

My son likes to sprinkle brown sugar over his portion, as well.

Don’t count on any leftovers.  This dish is so good, it’s like dessert.

Shiitaki mushrooms are so yummy good, however you fix them, but this recipe turns those huge thick slices into deliciousness beyond any comprehension!  Oh, and once again, it’s those simple, easy-to-make foods that are so often the best.

Ingredients:

As many thick slices of shiitaki mushroom as you have hungry guests, plus a few extras.

1 bottle of Texas Rib Candy

What to do:

Fire up the grill, and slap down the mushroom slices.  Heat thoroughly; char a little if you like ‘em that way.  Just before removing from heat, brush on the Rib Candy.

It’s really all the condiment you’ll need.

Serve.  Eat.  Smile.  Repeat.

Texas Rib Candy can’t be beat.

There are many variations of this Cool & Spicy Summer Salad, and each one is as delicious and easy as the one before.

This is one of those salads that’s even better the next day.

Ingredients:

1 package bow-tie pasta, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup Raspberry Habanero pepper jelly

What to do:

Mix all the ingredients into the pasta.  Sprinkle a few raspberries on top, cover securely and put in the refrigerator.  It’s delicious now and will be even better in a few hours!

We consider this to be a main dish on those stiflingly hot summer nights.  It’s also a great snack, a super side dish, and a really, really excellent supper for guests.

More variations to come.

Also to come?  Texas Rib Candy news.  There’s a reason it’s called Rib CANDY.