My daughters and their significant others are coming over Saturday and we'll be poolside and grilling burgers, (turkey and sirloin) ribs and Italian Sausages. Also making an Italian Pasta Salad and Sweet Cowboy Beans (that's just baked beans cooked with maple sausage instead of bacon)I named it that so my son would eat it when he was little. hee !

For dessert I was thinking about those individual Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes that someone posted here. Who was that? They looked scrumptious! And I was going to try to make them low fat. We'll see. Also I'll make a pan of brownies for my Brat ........ er, my husband, who wont eat cheesecake.

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm going to smoke a pork shoulder roast on Sunday and do pulled pork.

The people I was going to BBQ with had to go out of town for a funeral.

Nancy:
Try adding some Strawberry, Grape Jam and Garlic Powder.
May take it over the top !!!
Lou

We will be in our yard have family coming over. Im making ribs,chicken, hot dogs and burgers. Sides will be corn on cob, NY potato salad, tossed salad, tomato & basil salad,baked clams and cold string bean salad. Im pondering dessert....maybe rice pudding.

No plans.

Shaun, it was me (on the new recipe review)! I think I got to that blog via Sol. So let's say Sol! I bet it would still be good, even low fat, as long as you didn't also do sugar free.

Thanks Rob!

I did plan on using granulated splenda. You think that would be ok?

Shaun, you reminded me (Thank You!), and I went and bought a new flag today to put outside this weekend. My old one was cotton and had faded so much it was time for a replacement. I never cared much about flying a flag until 9/11. It comes out now for all the major holidays.

Ours too Claire. We fly it high and proud.

I'm thinking baby back pork ribs, baked potatoe salad, beans and coleslaw, but it could change. I start my ribs on the grill and then finish in the oven and they are always fall off the bone tender.

We have a community service club in town and they put out your flag in the morning and pick it up in the evening on all holidays for $25.00 a year. After 9/11 you could keep yours up for a few months if you would take it down during bad weather, which I did proudly. I love to see our flag flying!

Lou, I know you are just joking....right?
I've been to enough parties where everyone brings something, that I got over the grape jelly/catsup BBQ sauce a very long time ago. They usually would pour it over store bought meatballs.
These days I enjoy a more complex sauce with several different layers of flavor. I'd encourage you to try adding some maple syrup (just don't get it too sweet) and some chipotle powder.... sweet heat with a kick! That added to cookingrvc's original sauce is dangerously good!!

Nancy

I've looked for that Roadhouse Grill recipe but can't find it. Care to share?

Here it is. If I use maple syrup, I leave out the honey.

Roadhouse Grill Baby Back Ribs

Here is Sue's (Cookingrvc) famous recipe! They're really, really delicious. It's my favorite rib recipe. Don't pay attention to the "one teaspoon" amount of whiskey, just slosh it in, you need more than one teaspoon!

2 large racks pork baby back ribs
salt
coarse ground black pepper

SAUCE:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon Jim Beam whiskey
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper -- coarse
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

To make the ribs, cut each large rack of ribs in half so that you have 4 half-racks. Sprinkle a light coating of salt and a more generous portion of coarse pepper over the top and bottom of each rack. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.

As the ribs cook, make the sauce by heating the oil in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Add the remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/4 hours, uncovered, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until the ribs are ready. Preheat your barbecue grill.

When ribs are finished in the oven, the meat should have pull back about 1/2-inch from the cut-ends of the bones. Remove the ribs from the oven, let them sit for 10 minutes or so, then remove the racks from the foil and put them on the grill. Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes per side. They should be slightly charred in a few spots when they're finished. Brush barbecue sauce on the ribs while they're grilling, just before you serve them. Don't add the sauce too early or it will burn.
Cookingrvc (Sue)

Nancy

Excellent! Clipped! All I need is the Jim Beam!

Hmm...I have 2 racks of baby back ribs in the freezer...just need to invite someone to share....

Linda - throw them in a styro cooler and hop a plane to Philly. I'll pick you up and you can toss them on the smoker here! I'll even buy the "good" paper towels to wipe fingers on! LOLOLOL!

Alexa

It is my FILs birthday so we will be celebrating that as well as Memorial Day. We have between 30 and 50 people coming over.

On the menu so far:

Hamburgers
Hot dogs
Linguica
Grilled Chicken
Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Greenbeans with garlic and shallots
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Cole Slaw
Potato Salad
Mixed Green Salad
Fruit Salad
Sliced melons
Brownies with Ice Cream, hot fudge and whipped Cream
Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies- Thinking of making Ice Cream Sandwhiches with these (if I have time)
Strawberry Shortcake (Birthday boys pick)

I am going to make slushies for the kids (the adults can use these as well if they want to add a little kick to it)

Will also have chips, dip, veggie and cheese tray, beer, wine, top shelf, sodas and water.

I am hoping I have everything. I think I do but you know how that goes. Whew looks like I had better get to work I have a lot to make :)

Shaun,

I was thinking of sugarfree "oreos". I think that'd be too hard of a hit. But Splenda, sure.

Shaun,

One other thing. I worked it up when I made them, and as it is written, seems like those cups are a bit less than 250 calories a piece. So not as horrible as they could be. Fatfree would probably drop it quit a bit.

My word Aprile that is one heck of a menu! Sounds like all the makings for a great party!

Sounds like some good cooking happening all the way around. Now I'm wanting ribs!

Staying home and off the roads!
Long "to-do" list of projects.
We'll probably grill something on Saturday and Sunday just because we're FINALLY supposed to have a couple of dry days after a week of drizzle and rain and cold.
I may even drag the smoker out, who knows?
Macaroni salad sounds good to me too and we haven't had it in awhile....

Just piddle around the house and relax!

Deanna

Well Rob, I did it! I made those individual cheesecakes. I used reduced fat oreos, reduced fat cream cheese, Fat Free greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and Splenda. They haven't chilled long enough for sure but I couldn't wait and had to taste one.

VERY good! I even took a picture like they did on the site; one upside down to show the Oreo on the bottom.

Nancy :
No I'm not joking. I have my own rib sauce.
It is not sweet but a sweet and sour mix.
Might as well put it in again.

Everyone frowns on simmering the ribs but I've had some good feedbacks.
I saved one, if you want I'll Post it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lous Broiled Spare Ribs and Finger Licking Good Sauce

I use Country Style or Sizzlers , cut a little thicker than 1/2 inch

For about 3 1/2 lb. of meat.
Put a pot of water to boil, on the range top, with just enough water
To cover the Ribs.
Add:
1/3 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning , Garlic Powder and Onion Powder.
An Italian pinch of Ground Cloves , Basil and Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
2 Bay leaves
" Simmer " for about 90 minutes ( not a fast boil )

Meanwhile, put in a small bowl :
1/2 cup of Bullseye or Krafts Original Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup of Ketsup
1/2 teaspoon of Mustard
¼ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
1/3 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder
An Italian pinch of Cloves , Basil and Oregano
Black Pepper - to taste.
2 tablespoons of Brown Sugar and Maple or Pancake Syrup
2 Heaping tablespoons of Grape Jelly and Strawberry Jam
Smooth out the Jelly and Jam with a fork and mix well.

This may sound like overpowering sweetness but it is not and
Caramelizes perfectly.

I use a 9x 13 SS pan and lay some Sauce on the bottom.

Then I lay in the simmered Spare Ribs and spoon the Sauce on them.
If there is some sauce left over , save it for basting when the ribs are almost done.
I cook them in an electric range Broiler, set on Low,
Placed on a shelf about 8 inches below the burner.
They will cook in about 25 minutes. Test after 20 minutes
Ummmmmmmeemm Gooooooooood !!!!!!!!

They look so good Shaun! You made me grin widely. I am so glad even fat/sugar reduced ones taste good :)

Thanks again for posting that Rob. *high-five*

Lou, I think that rib sauce mix needs a good slug of whiskey to round out the flavors. ;)

Lou, I decided many years ago that if I was going to doctor up bottled sauce, I might as well make my own.
I also boiled ribs back then but realized how much flavor was lost using that method, so I started testing other ways to do them.

The next phase I went through was cooking them wrapped in foil on the grill or in the winter, I would roast them in an open pan in the oven.

When I tried the Roadhouse Rib recipe and more importantly, the method, I became a true convert. Since then, I have read other recipes using a very similar method from many experts.

I really feel that the BBQ sauce is a very personal choice as there are a gazillion scratch sauce recipes.
For my tastes, the Roadhouse Rib sauce was perfect. When the gourmet company that I worked for introduced a new BBQ sauce that was an instant best seller and top item in the store, I did a little analyzing. It was very close to the RR sauce with the addition of maple syrup and chipotle powder. So I have added those two things and omitted the honey.

I much prefer natural ingredients rather than the junk that is in the mass produced bottled BBQ sauces.

The things that drew me to this forum in the first place was the quality recipes and the emphasis on scratch cooking that has always prevailed. That is not meant as a put-down to anyone who has to get dinner on the table fast. We are all faced with that dilemma, but I have learned, on this forum, how to accomplish that and eat good home from scratch cooking.

Nancy

Here in Utah, the weather is still cool and damp (after all, we had snow on Monday!). So I'm definitely not having the summer meal so many are planning. We're combining my mom's 86th birthday celebration with Memorial Day observance. So my menu is more festive than normal:

Sauteed pork chops, served with fresh rhubarb sauce
Rhubarb muffins
Smashed potatoes (this will be my first attempt)
Steamed asparagus
Tossed salad served with Linda's blue cheese dressing
A great bottle of red wine, although I've not yet decided which varietal to serve

For dessert: Rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream

Can you tell I have LOTS of rhubarb in my yard?

I will attest to Sues rib sauce very nice but i use Jameson Irish Whiskey cause thats what i always have in the house....no no i dont drink it often but its here if the mood hits LOL!

Oh yeah....Sue's rib recipe is the very best. The only way I make ribs anymore!

No plans for the big weekend. As Deanna said, staying off the roads, and I'll add....away from the crowds!

Going to try to finish up some projects so I can enjoy the rest of the summer. With all this talk of ribs, I may just go buy some to grill!

Otherwise I have a ham in rhe freezerr that I might thaw and grill. The leftovers will be good for lunches and other meals during the week.

(Our flag is flying every day along with our POW flag. Tim insists on it...)

Have a safe holiday weekend, all!

Linda

I'm making Sue's RR Ribs today! Woo Hoo!

I am going to try Sue's ribs this weekend. Do you think I could substitute Jack Daniels for the Jim Beam? I don't drink whiskey so I have no idea if Jack is close enough for a recipe.

Just the kids and most of the grands for Sunday, one grand working, the other still out of state.
hamburgers
hot dogs
brats
veggie platter w/ dips
relish platter
tater salad
deviled eggs
baked beans
fruit plate
strawberry upside down cake (courtesy of DIL)
See I said, just a plain old cook.
Probably a lot of wild horse play in the pool, then some extreme (I CAN DO BETTER THAN YOU) on the Wii.
Have a great holiday !

I must say that I love that method of cooking the ribs.

It's easy in that I can season them up,get them in the oven, forget about them for a few hours, then just let them sit until I am ready to heat them up on the grill and sauce them.

But the best testament to how good they are is the happy sounds coming from the men as they eat them. Yes, I care about the women too, but it is the men that cement it for me. Maybe a throw back, but that's what affirms it for me!

I haven't made the sauce in a while but am going to do that for tomorrows grilling.

I've added baked clams to my appetizer menu. Got to go get them from the guys down at the boats here on southern Long Island and get them to shuck them. Just a dusting of fresh breadcrumbs and garlic, oregano, and grated cheese, along with some of the juice from the clams then hit them with lemon juice after theyre done under the broiler. Yum.

Not sure about sides. Got some good corn last week so that will be on the list...not sure what else. I'm here to find something different, so we'll see what we end up with.

Sue

Saturday (today) dinner:

We have some friends staying over the weekend, and I feel like Asian food, so . . .

shaolong bao
sashimi (if there's good fish at the market)
sizzling rice soup
stirfry of prawns, snow peas, candied walnuts
rice
fish (if there's good etc) braised in sake and mirin
lychee ice cream

Sunday dinner:

Our "French daughter" Alice (starting coming to us as a 14 y/o exchange student, now 20 y/o) has decided on this menu. She assures me that the tastes will be very complementary, and she is 20 y/o so she is always right :-)

wild mushroom & tomato soup
coq au vin
grilled eggplant (ugh, I say, but I'll make it)
assorted cheese and toast
a fruit tarte (if SWMBO will step up)

I still need an appetizer of some sort? Ideas?

John - lovely international celebration you have going there. For a wonderful French inspired app - I made sliced radish, sweet butter and crusty bread, open face and a sprinkle is fleur de sel when I served them. Oh my - they were sublime!

Alexa

And yep - I now have to get some ribs for Monday - Sues RHR are jingling my taste buds

Nancy :
Sorry about that ! But I never lost any flavor by simmrering the Ribs.
I've done it both ways myself.

And I don't use too much of the " Junk Mixes."
I don't worry about all the bad additives.
There are many other things in the food we eat.

Maybe you did something wrong ???

Barnmom:
Is that a Shot of whiskey for the Ribs or the Cook.
That's OK I'll do both. LOL!!!
No ! I'll try some Peach Brandy.

I like the fruit taste in the Ribs.
Lou

My recipe is a little different than Sue's...I use fresh garlic and smoosh a couple of cloves into the pot as the onion is finishing cooking in the oil, and cut the liquid smoke back to a few drops.
And I never EVER make just one recipe....double or triple it always.
Riches is home made BBQ sauce in the freezer!
And I always use baby back ribs....since I stopped having to have a whole pig in my freezer. I don't like the country style or the regular ribs nearly as well.
And once you peel that silver skin off the baby backs, they just melt in your mouth!
I have a brunch party to go to but won't be doing much cooking for myself...there is a funeral lunch on Tuesday, so I'll be making a vat of chicken salad!
Linda C

Ranch Deviled Eggs
Orange and Pineapple Glazed Cornish Hen
Chilled Asparagus
Vanilla Jasmine Rice
Roasted Beets and Spinach Salad with Orange Butter Dressing
Pineapple Coconut Self Frosting Cake

All your menus sound so good!

I ended up roasting a chicken instead, so I'm thinking of making chicken enchiladas instead of fajitas. (Oh, who really knows? I may end up with both!) While I was at it, after shredding the chicken, I dumped the roasted bones and skin into a pot with some celery, carrots, onion and spices and made some chicken stock. After straining it, I'm going to make some Mexican rice as a side dish.

There was a no-bake crispy coconut date cookie recipe I'd been saving to make, to use up all those old dates in my pantry. I made them this afternoon, and the recipe is a total keeper; it's posted on the New Recipe Review for May 2010. Cookie anyone?

I guess this year I'm not a traditionalist, even though I really do like the sound of everyone's ribs! I'm off to get some corn tortillas and make some guacamole with my perfectly ripe avocado...

Alexa, we had the same bread, butter and radish sandwiches two days ago! Great minds think alike I guess, or at least our taste buds are the same!

Hey Walnutcreek, your menu sounds delicious.

I'd love to hear more about that Pineapple Coconut Self Frosting Cake. Do tell??

The ribs and that bbq sauce were a hit!

Yay! Glad you liked them.

Well, I give Saturday a "B-". Everything tasted good, but some of the effects were off. The sizzling rice didn't actually sizzle, I even made two batches with different methods, but the soup was yummy. The shao long bao were so-so, next time I need to put in more gelatinized broth and less meat filling. The prawn stirfry wad good. The braised fish was good, with room for improvement (next time, more dashi and reduce it further). I wasn't "clicking", kept making mistakes, it was one of those days when you just have to push on through and content yourself with finishing the race in whatever position you can manage. On to French day!

Here is the recipe you requested, Shaun. A friend from work gave the recipe to me.

Pineapple Coconut Self Frosting Cake

1 8.75-oz can crushed pineapple in syrup
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pecans
3 tablespoon margarine or butter (melted)

Thoroughly drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup of the syrup. Beat together shortening, sugar and vanilla. When creamy, beat in egg. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved syrup, beating after each addition. Spread 1/2 of batter in greased and floured 8" round or square cake pan. Try to evenly layer with crushed pineapple. Cover with remaining batter. In small bowl, combine coconut, brown sugar, pecans, and butter. Try to sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes.

Nice to serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Well let me jump on the band wagon and say that my family gave Sue's ribs two thumbs up. That sauce was the perfect amount of sweet for me. The ribs were perfectly cooked as well. Finger licking good with fresh FL corn.

Thanks Walnutcreek!

I used the recipe for the Roadhouse Grill baby backs yesterday and they were soooo good! The sauce was excellent and I wished I had doubled/tripled it. It was my first time for homemade bbq sauce and I was amazed at the flavor! I did sub a slosh of Jack Daniels for the Jim Beam, but otherwise followed the recipe as is.
I will be making these again and again! :)

sunny, because the sauce takes some time to make, I make a triple batch of the sauce and freeze in containers. I use it on lots of BBQ but it's also great on meatloaf.

The only change I make is to use 2 cups tomato sauce instead of the water/tomato paste combo.