Technicolor Tuesday - Doin' the 'burbs

This is how we do Memorial Day weekend in the 'burbs:

Whatcha' Cookin' Wednesday - "Sour Cream Apple Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust"

My kids are apple freaks. And that’s fantastic since apples are so great for your body. An amazing source of fiber… You can still find some good apples at some markets but for the most part apples are headed out of season. This recipe is an awesome treat for that last fresh batch. You will eat this pie for breakfast the next day. It’s that good.

But first, a few fun facts about apples:

- Apples are the second most valuable fruit crop in the United States, after oranges.
- Apples are not native to the country. Research shows that apples came from Central Asia. (But they are believed to have been grown in America since the early sixteen hundreds).
- Among nations, China is the biggest grower followed by the United States and Turkey.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- Johnny Appleseed’s real name was John Chapman.

O.k., enough. Time to create your new fave pie.

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE WITH OATMEAL COOKIE CRUST

Crust:
3 T. honey
½ c. sweet unsalted butter
1 ½ c. raw rolled oats
¼ c. sesame seeds
½ c. whole wheat flour
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
½ c. finely minced nuts (I use toasted walnuts)
½ t. vanilla extract

Filling:
5 c. sliced and peeled tart apples (like Granny Smiths)
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
½ c. honey
2 T. unbleached flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
1 large egg
½ c. sour cream

Making the crust:
Melt butter and honey together. Combine dry ingredients and add honey/butter mixture. Stir well with hands and press firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9” pie plate.

Making the filling:
Beat egg well. Combine with other wet ingredients and stir well. Sift dry ingredients over apples. Arrange apple/flour/spice mixture in pie pan and drizzle wet ingredients over the top.

Bake at 375 for about 50-60 minutes. (This pie may bubble up and overflow so be sure to place cookie sheet or foil on bottom rack.)

Technicolor Tuesday - His-story Repeats

Turns out Bam-Bam comes by the obsession for all things related to firemen very honestly.

Case in point:

Danger Dad circa 1968

I couldn't resist feeding the obesssion a little more today:

Yup, the firetruck at Piedmont Park!

We went on many rescues... (I was invited to sit on the jump seat in the back...)

Apparently, a true fireman knows how to hitch a ride on the back of the truck like this:

And afterwards the hungry firefighters were treated to a lovely picnic by Lake Clare Meer...

I think summer may finally be here... :)

Whatcha Cookin' Wednesday - Baby Back Ribs

I’m a sucker for irony so naturally, with a nod to all the Swine Flu brouhaha; today’s recipe features pork.

Yummy, fabulous, succulent Baby Back Pork RIBS, to be more specific. This recipe is re purposed from an Alton Brown fave. I doubled the amount of braising liquid and created my own rub.

The secret to this fabulous dish? Slow and low.

It's worth the wait. Be patient. (When this dish starts making your home smell like the best BBQ joint on the planet being patient will be soooo hard...)

BABY BACK RIBS

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. (or three slabs) of baby back ribs

Dry rub:

4 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Braising Liquid:

2 cups white wine

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon honey

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle each side of each slab generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. (Do NOT literally RUB the meat. Imagine what sandpaper would do to your lovely ribs. Eek! Press it on instead…) Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour braising liquid in bottom of pan and cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours. Remove pan from oven, transfer ribs to plate and pour the braising liquid into a medium sauce pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. (About 30-40 minutes.) Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

Technicolor Tuesday - Holy Object

We live about 4 miles from a very small, neighborhood fire station. I drive by it at least twice a week and last Thursday we finally stopped in for a tour.

And, aside from the giant ladder truck, the best part was this Holy Object:


A silence fell over both of them...


At first he hesitated to even touch it...


Then Lt. Mark placed it on his head, like a hallowed crown...


I believe this is stone-cold proof of my 3-year old son's first "aha!" moment.