Barbecued Ribs

Yesterday we went to a BBQ at Don’s sister’s house, her husband had some friends over. My contribution was Paula’s "Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding." I mentioned this to Debbie and she said she too was bringing it to the get-together she was attending! I’d say the pudding is hands down the best recipe from the cookbook, so far. Darlene said, "This is definitely not from a box" and at first I said "no" but realized that the pudding part is from a box. Carol liked the chess cookies. I think the fluffy texture makes it sumptuous, as well as that it just plain tastes good.

We were given some leftover ribs. Gary had put a rub on them but we wanted them saucier. I ended up making Paula’s "Barbecued Short Ribs" recipe but using the leftover ribs instead of short ribs, and cooking it in a crock pot. They ended up fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce made it tastier, but parts of it were dry. It was definitely better than just reheating them in the microwave. (The photo is what it looked like in the crockpot.)

My niece and nephew both have birthdays coming up so I ordered some kids cookbooks for them. I got Rachael’s "30 Minute Meals For Kids" for my niece, and Emeril’s "There’s A Chef In My Soup" for my nephew. Rachael’s book is not as flashy as Emeril’s, and it is smaller and the recipes not as complicated. My niece is only 7 so I think it’ll be appropriate for her, I hope she likes it. My nephew already watches the Food Network and I hope he likes the Emeril book. It is more detail-oriented and better-suited to someone older (he’ll be 9). Claire is a picky eater and I hope she might be more adventurous in trying foods if she has a hand in preparing them.

I got a renewal notice for my Rachael magazine subscription. The notice says 1 year is 10 issues, but the cards inside the magazine say 1 year is 6 issues. I called and asked which it is, and was told that the next year of the magazine will be 10 issues/year. Yay. I haven’t cooked a Rachael recipe outright in awhile, but I do find myself employing ideas she has on the show, like grilling my sandwich instead of eating it just plain, or experimenting with different condiments.