YUM, YUM...BBQ

When it comes to cooking, I am a definitely A REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA...I would rather make reservations than make dinner.  I was inspired to dust off my cooking skills by a recipe for Rum Ribs.  I got the recipe from a friend, Dawn.   The original recipe was from her mother, Nona.   Dawn talked about serving the ribs for a dinner party and they sounded so good!  It was also convenient that pork ribs were on sale and I had invited my Mom and sister, Denise, over for dinner on Mother’s Day

Here’s the recipe

And the ingredients

The recipe calls says to line a pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil.  I had some cheap foil, so I put down 3 layers  But let me tell you…3 layers of cheap thin foil doesn’t equal 2 layers of quality thick foil.  And I didn't learn that lesson until it is all over and I was trying to clean up the pan.  I have already bought some quality heavy duty foil for the next batch.

Brian was designated the resident “butcher” and cut up the ribs.

I covered the pans and put them in to cook for 45 minutes.  I doubled the recipe because the ribs were sale and we like leftovers.

After the first round of cooking,  off came the top foil and on went a basting of the yummy sauce.  

About every 15 to 20 minutes, Brian would turn the ribs and baste with more sauce.  By this time, my Mom, Denise and I were playing cards and we were too busy to do more than yell when the timer went off.  Hey, there was drinking and gambling going on.  Besides, it was Mother’s Day.

All the hard work was worth it.  The ribs were great.  I did break away long enough to cook  green beans and scalloped potatoes…along with rolls, great side dishes for the bold, sweet flavor of the sticky ribs.

 

For dessert I made a family favorite, Limeade Pie,

   6 oz. frozen limeade (thawed)

   1 tub of Cool Whip

  1 can sweetened condensed milk

   Graham cracker crust

Combine the limeade, Cool Whip and condensed milk.  Pour into the pie shell.  Refrigerate before serving.  You can substitute lemonade or  orange juice for the limeade.

Both the ribs and the pie were great as leftovers….but not for long.

Road Trip - Cedar Key, Florida

Brian and I make a great road trip team.  Some trips are short day trips and other are road trip vacations.  Before becoming a REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA, we explored all four corners of Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.  After becoming a REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA, we have taken trips exploring our new home state of Florida...New Smyrna Beach, Key West, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Everglades, Tarpon Springs.

A road trip starts with Brian picking the destination (or at least the direction).  Then I research the area, including what may pop up on the way there.

Recently, Brian and I picked Cedar Key for a road trip.  It is a fishing village/resort area on the Gulf, a couple hours northwest of home.  The feel of the town reminded me of Kelley's Island, Ohio, where we had a vacation home for a few years...memories, memories.

Our first stop was a roadside store for gas.  While Brian pumped the gas, I browsed the store.  I found a prize...a lemon tree (our second attempt at a lemon tree).

We headed downtown to checkout the pier and stroll along the main drag.  The fishing pier was busy with both fishermen and pelicans.  One fisherman caught a small blacktip shark (that he threw back).

We stopped for lunch at Seabreeze.  The food was okay, but the beer and view were great.

After lunch we drove around the island looking for geocaches.  I started geocaching in Ohio after seeing it mentioned on a Law & Order episode.  Often when researching a road trip destination, I will check out nearby caches.  Geocaching has led Brian and I to some off-the-beaten-path locations.  In Cedar Key, we found three caches.  Brian spotted all three.  I better work on my geocaching skills.

DISCOVER THE IRON WAY 

The cache was at the end of the Cedar Key Railroad Trestle Nature trail.  The trail started with a history lesson on the railroad line that ran from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach from 1861 to 1932.  Along the trail many of the natural Florida plants and trees were identified.

BOARDWALK CACHE

 

The cache was hidden under a bench along a boardwalk that had great views of the tidal marsh

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DISCOVER THE RUDDY CRITTERS

 

The plaque says that this was a "park" with a "beach".  It was low tide, otherwise, there would not have been a "beach".  And the "park" was a parking lot and a bench.  Still it was an interesting area.

 

 

 

We ended our road trip with a visit to Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins for ice cream and coffee.  Whoever thought to put these two brands in one building was a genius!