Thursday, August 25, 2011

Awesome Baby Back Ribs



Preparation tip: remove the thin membrane from the bottom of the ribs. I start at the narrower end to get it started and then it should pull right off.


Coat both sides of ribs with
blackened seasoning as a dry rub. Then wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.


Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place ribs in a large baking pan (leave aluminum foil on) and bake for 6 hours, on the lowest oven rack. When you remove ribs they will be so tender that the meat will fall right off of the bone.


Life is good when you can make ribs this easy. Pop them in the oven in advance and forget about them until 6 hours later. The slow, low bake guarantees tender succulent ribs and the meat falls right off of the bone. So be ready to get your fingers dirty and eat those ribs cave man style. Enjoy!


I bake these in a large roasting pan. If you are making more then two racks at a time, lay them on their side to bake.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Shrimp Salad


  • 2 lbs. salad style cooked, peeled and deveined frozen shrimp, 100/150 ct
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp. mustard powder
  • 2 tsp. yellow mustard
  • 4-6 spring onions diced, green tops too

Place frozen shrimp in large bowl and thaw shrimp overnight in refrigerator. The next day drain shrimp in colander and set aside.


In a large bowl whisk together next 5 ingredients, set aside. Press paper towels into shrimp to sop up all extra moisture. When they are dry add to mayonnaise mixture and stir well. Chill overnight and serve the next day.


This salad is delicious on potato rolls. Or it is good on any bread or lettuce greens. I use Hellman's light mayonnaise and it still tastes rich and delicious. I prefer a small, tender shrimp in my shrimp salad. But you can use larger shrimp, if you wish.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

My Fig Tree


While I was a little girl, growing up in Philadelphia, the old Italians used to sit around talking about their fig trees. I used to think, they must lead a boring life to be so excited about old fig trees. Fast forward. Now that I'm getting a little older myself, I see that I must have been wrong. So I'm here to tell you about my fig trees.

There is nothing better than a fresh picked fig. Figs do not ripen once picked and need to be eaten soon thereafter as well. That my friend is where the store bought figs fall short. These figs will have you telling your friends how delicious they are. Watch out the young kids will think you are nuts. :)


One of the great things about fig trees is that they are one of the easiest trees to grow. They like to be in a sunny location, even planted in poor soil. We had removed the bushes from one side of our house to make room for our beloved fig tree, and I was constantly checking out my pitiful looking fig-stick all winter long. When springtime came around I was certain it was dead, but, alas, it was alive. Alive I say! The worry was real, and the joy was sincere once I saw it sprout. Little did I know, they are late blooming plants, and I was so happy to see the first leaves sprout. I love the look of the leaves as they appear to be almost tropical looking. My tree was planted last fall, and it already has a ton of baby figs on it. I can hardly wait for those sweet treaties to be ripe. They are like candy from mother nature. I hear that by the time the tree is 3 years old I should get 3 bushels of figs from the tree. My friends and family will be so happy as I share my treasures with them.