back to school dinner

on monday, we had a back to school dinner for hendrix.  i put out the white tablecloth, used name cards, and printed out BE BRAVE signs.  i put together a little gift bag filled with flashcards, white boards {to practice writing}, eraseable makers, and a superhero cape.  we talked about school and what it meant to be brave. 

i had read about this back to school dinner tradition in a few places and really liked the concept.   i think it is so sweet and gives adults the chance to get excited about back to school, too.  did you get pumped for the first day or were you like mike and dreaded it?  i absolutely loved the first day of school, buying school supplies, and talking about summer at recess. 

for dinner i made slow cooker korean ribs with rice and red cabbage.  just make the rice according to package directions and saute your thinly sliced red cabbage in olive oil and sesame oil.  season the cabbage with salt and chinese five spice.  it's also great with bok choy or carrots.  to make the ribs...

slow cooker korean ribs

3 lbs country style pork ribs or beef short ribs

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. water

5 - 10 whole jalepenos

combine ingredients in slow cooker (meat can be frozen which is a bonus) and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  serve over rice with veggies on the side.

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i'll be back soon with a menu plan for next week.  in the meantime, don't forget to check out our what's for dinner page for dinner ideas.