Our house got blown up...

Well, not literally. ;)

Yesterday, we all stayed at home. We took a vacation day, although it wasn't really a vacation. My husband has been worried that our HVAC system has not been performing efficiently. So, we had the HVAC crew come out and do an 'infiltrometer test'. Basically, they seal off the house, pressurize it and search for hidden leaks in the duct work and other areas. The whole process takes about 4 hours during which they put a sign in our yard that stated, "Your neighbor's house is getting blown up today. For more information call XYZ Mechanical at (555) 555-5555." Lovely, eh? :)

Anyway, it was a fun experiment. It turns out that our HVAC system is running rather efficiently. There is some leakage in the ductwork, but nothing too massive. There is a lot of air leaking around our electrical outlets and switches, but he said that was normal and was an easy fix. The main thing they realized is that they should put an air return in our bonus room because it usually stays about 5 degrees hotter than any other part of the house.

At the very least, it eased my husband's mind... which is priceless. :)

Since I was wasting a vacation day on this experiment, I figured I might as well do something fun myself. So, I found a new Barbecue Ribs recipe for the Crock Pot that turned out DELICIOUS!!! I have never ever cooked ribs before, so I was quite nervous. It turned out very very yummy and we will be having it again.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it out... Don't be scared, if I can do it, anyone can :)

Best Ever Barbecued Ribs (from Slow Cooker Meals Magazine)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 to 3 1/2 pounds well-trimmed pork baby back ribs, cut into 4 rib pieces
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce

1. Coat slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine paprika, salt, thyme, and peppers; rub into meaty sides of ribs. Place ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook 7 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high, or until ribs are tender but not falling off the bone. (I cooked mine on low for 7 1/2 hours and the meat was starting to fall off the bone. Just keep an eye on it.)

2. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce; mix well. Remove ribs from slow cooker; discard liquid. Coat ribs with sauce; return to slow cooker and cook 30 minutes on high or until glazed. (Since some of my meat was already falling off the bone, I just cooked mine for 30 minutes on low, not high.)

They were so yummy, but this recipe actually feeds six. So, we have left overs for tomorrow night. If you are fixing for only two or three, only get a pound and a half of ribs instead of 3 pounds. Keep the rest of the measurements the same!!

Enjoy!!