Pork Roast---tryin' something new.

Usually, I do the simple "set-it-and-forget-it" procedure when cooking pork or beef roasts. A couple of years ago, I was watching my mom prepare her beef roast (and NO, my mother is NOT a cook; just ask my husband!!!----I grew up with Mac-n-Cheese and Hamburgers) :0) But anyway....ya can't really screw up a roast in a slow cooker (unless you simply cook it too long!). She tore open a package of Lipton Onion soup mix, dumped it in her slow cooker, poured water in and let her roast take a bath for a couple of hours in the mixture. Tsha! Easy! And I've done it that way a few times since; enjoying the ease of the "recipe" (is it really a recipe when all you've done is dump in a dry mix????), and the flavor is perfectly fine for my taste. Plus, the seasoned "juice" is great to make gravy from.

Well.... :0(

Of the whole list of items I had DH pick up yesterday, I FORGOT to put Lipton Onion Soup mix :0(

Now, there IS a condensed Campbell's soup can of French Onion soup in the pantry, but I was strictly told "NO! I have plans for that!" {{for crying out loud...as IF the store doesn't stock more, right!?!?!?}}

BUT, not wanting to have a foolish tiff going with company here, I rummaged through the seasoning cupboard to see what goodies I could find to give this roast for tonight's meal some good flavor.

For Christmas 2007, my sister and BIL gifted my husband with a large box of Penzey Spices. Some of my favorites: Northwoods seasoning, Pork Chop seasoning, and Bicentennial Rub. After searing the meat in a HOT frying pan, I grabbed the Rub and gave the meat a good coat.








AND.....I grabbed this as well! I've never cooked with it; I think DH bought it for a recipe some time ago. But after opening it up and taking a whiff......YUMMMMMMY smoky smell!!! I knew I had to try it!

So, into the crock pot it went: 8 Tbls. I HOPE that's not too much with 8 cups of water!?!?! There wasn't much for directions on the bottle, and I didn't search online about it. {{I dunno! Have you ever cooked with it??? What can you tell me about this??}} This is a BIG pork roast!!!! I'm certain the flavor will be just fine, but always a little unsure about new "attempts"----specially when cooking for a BIL!!! ;0) **yikes**

Okay----we'll see. I've "set it".....so now.....time to forget it.

But I'm pooped! No interest to head back downstairs right now. However, I have a book waiting on the end table; I'm reading "Breaking Dawn" for the third time. I haven't read it for some time and I kinda forgot some of the details, so.....yeah....wanted to read it again.

RRCB Step 3 action; Country Style Ribs

I took my time perusing everyone's blogs before actually getting downstairs this morning to start my work on RRCB Step #3. By 9:00, I was getting organized, enjoying my third cup of coffee (doctored up with some sugar and Peppermint-Mocha flavored creamer). I began by digging through my string bin, 1.5" bin and 2" bin. The thought crossed my mind to see what my 2.5" bin had, BUT I figured if there is anything in there worth using, I'd use them for a scrappy binding.

It's mid afternoon and I've taken a few breaks (lunch, referee'ing girls, tidying presents as they get unpacked/opened). I have 24 sewn at this point; not de-papered yet....

...I did a decent job diminishing my pile from this morning and have replenished it with what I found in my 3.5" and 4.5" bins (cut down to smaller strips, of course).

But knowing that dinner was looming in a few hours, I took a small break; checked the fire and dug around the chest-freezer to see what sounded good for dinner. The chest freezer is PACKED (no pic), so I grabbed what was closest to the top: "Country Style Ribs". Hmm.....don't recall 'country style ribs' from the pigs last year.....so I went to Google-land to see what I could find....


Country Style Ribs are prepped and the first stage of this recipe is under way.

Off to start either another batch of RRCB Step 3's OR maybe I'll see what I can find for Step 5.

Using what's given to me... (with update)

Daycare needed to close today, so....
I'm using the "extra" time given to me!

Laundry already underway
Breakfast complete
On the agenda: Morning Run quilt back prepping in order to quilt it today.

But first....off to look for the Darn Best BBQ Pork Ribs recipe. {{a request from hubby.}} Trust me, my arm doesn't need to be twisted very much! One good thing about raising those lil' porkers for a few months every year.....lots of YUMMIES in the chest freezer.

10:45 update

As I was about to start prepping the ribs for the evening meal, THIS stopped me in my tracks! Counter space was non-existent! So.....to work I went, not overly willingly, BUT....as the duty drew closer and closer to an end, it wasn't bad AND....

...at least now I had a working kitchen again. {{Note: *I* didn't necessarily make this 'before' mess, but didn't help with cleanup along the way either. I love DH and the last thing I want to do is complain when he makes dinner. Afterall it's a win-win for me when he does! He grew up in a family where his parents owned a restaurant and his mother was head cook. The man knows how to cook!!!! BUT....he's also a MESSSSSSSSSY cook! ;0) }}



Anyway...now that I had working space, I loaded up the ribs with a dry rub and wrapped 'em up in foil. They'll stay in the fridge until about noon, at which time I'm still contemplating if I want to cook them lo-n-slow in the oven at 200 uncovered for 1-2 hours and THEN cook them lo-n-slow for another hour wrapped up in foil with some homemade BBQ sauce to get them to the 'wet' texture I like.....OR to just wrap 'em up with the sauce right away and store them in the fridge to marinate for a few hours before cooking 'em for a handful of hours at low heat to the point where they fall off the bone.

??????

Hmmmm.....guess I'll know when noon time comes around.


Regarding DH's cooking
Case-n-Point

For lunch, I am reheating some bite-size fried chicken pieces that DH made the other night from our butchered chickens, in addition to some homemade rolls. Yup....he's a yummy cook! :0)

But...mmmmmmmmmm......7:05 pm update.....these suuuure tasted yummy tonight! In addition to fried potatoes, stuffing and DH's remaining homemade buns from the other night.