Lip Smackin' Good

    Thank you, thank you Slab Town.  I fulfilled my craving for some great ribs and BBQ yesterday.  This particular craving has been building up for awhile, and it only worsened when I had some not-so-great ribs a few weeks ago.  

    Fortunately, this joint shares a bar with a Mexican restaurant and we were able to have some blended margaritas with our meal.  With the spicy sauce, it was quite a nice pairing.  

My friend and I each got the sampler platter. Yes, far more food than we needed, but since when do I care about that?  Two ribs, brisket, a pulled pork slider, a few pieces of sausage and two sides.  Between us we sampled the baked beans, collard greens, mac’n cheese and biscuits.  All the meat was tender and smoky, but the ribs were really all I wanted more of.  When I return, it will be those meltingly tender, fall right off the bone ribs that I order.  They have just the right amount of crispy char on the edges; I was full, but some magic rib power kept putting more in my mouth.  We tried the mix of their mild and hot sauces; it was thick and rich, with an addictive sweetness.  Tasted like the BBQ sauce back home.  I only needed a little pitcher of it to slather more on.  The sides didn’t blow me away, although I thoroughly enjoyed the fluffy buttermilk biscuits with the side of honey butter.  

     Before we waddled out of there, I ordered a half-rack of ribs and biscuits to bring home for my significant other.  He did a number licking those bones clean last night, but there are still a few left. I’m sure he assumes he’ll be eating them for lunch today.  However, he’s not here, and it looks like I’m getting to the fridge first.

Finally Summer

    The weather is finally beautiful and warm. The calendar said First Day of Summer, and it was like a switch was flipped.  Whatever the reason, I'm a happy camper now. I've been waiting anxiously to stretch out like a cat in the sun, to read, eat, nap and relax as a warm breeze envelops my body.  Does this sound a bit cheesy?  Maybe... but I know I suffer from some seasonal depression; warm and sunny weather does a lot for my mood.
    This time of year also means ice cream.  As in, it is now socially acceptable to devour large amounts of it everyday.  Plus, with the proliferation of beautiful berries at the farmer's market, it is only right that I put it to good use and make ice cream at home. However, in the spirit of being healthy, I made a strawberry frozen yogurt this week.
     Let me clarify... this is no frozen custard (aka my drug).  It's not thick, creamy or fatty enough, but for a frozen yogurt? Hot dog. How can you go wrong with several pounds of fresh, perfectly ripe strawberries in the mix?  I used a nonfat Greek yogurt with minimal extra sugar, a little salt, lemon juice, and strawberries.  It is excellent. I've read some concern about the texture that particular yogurt produces, but I have not had trouble.  Just allow the yogurt to soften a bit out of the freezer.  
     I also teamed up with my friend who just finished infusing a bottle of vodka with pineapple and habanero.  We threw the vodka in the blender with my yogurt and what a treat.  It was sweet and refreshing, way too easy to drink, and had nice lingering kick as we went back for more.
     Welcome sweet summer; I'm excited for all this weather has in store.

Homesick for Florida

     I just returned from my annual family vacation to St. George Island, Florida.  That's an 18 hour drive (one way) from Oklahoma to the panhandle of Florida, quite the trip over the years with my 3 younger brothers and myself in the backseat.  A lot of fighting, laughing, crying, farting and punching, but those 2 days of close quarters are worth every moment we spend sitting on that white sand.  Aside from my family's roots in the area, Apalachicola and St. George feel like home after years of each anxiously awaited beach pilgrimage.  We've watched the towns change and grow ever so slightly; for the most part, the communities have remained quaint and tied to the locals.  The quiet beaches are my family's escape and peace; our chance each year to just slow down and breathe.
     Now that I'm living in Portland, I have the privilege of flying across country to join the troops along the way.  I have to say- I really missed being there for all our little traditions and stops on our route.
But the special treat of this year was having my young niece and nephew in tow and seeing the beach through their eyes.  The dolphins were in fine form this year, more at once than we've ever seen before.  They played and jumped right next to us on our boat trip for shelling and dolphin-watching.  My niece was pointing and squealing with glee at every dolphin that surfaced.
     We did plenty of cooking, eating, and drinking with the Haney family at our house, but we also hit up all the local joints for our favorite meals.  Oysters, shrimp, crabcrakes, and corn fritters at Boss Oyster.  Nothing better than knowing that the boats tied up to the dock off the restaurant's patio just hauled in the fish we are eating.  More boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce from Dave's shrimp truck.  Then grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, soft shell crab, and more at Owl Cafe.   We had crabcake sandwiches, conch fritters, grouper, burgers, and lots more shrimp at Blue Parrot right on the beach.  Hard to keep the kids in their seats with the sand so close.  We had our favorite chicken and bacon pizza from B.J.'s after a rowdy good time playing bingo at the firehouse.  Dad was a big winner, and we won a giant watermelon in door prizes!  I think I was the most excited about the enormous watermelon.  And as the bright pink and orange sun slowly set on our boat trip, we ate oysters straight out of the water with a little tabasco and saltines.
"We"- well, at least the 3 of us willing to slurp down an oyster.
      It was a perfect, beautiful week relaxing on the beach, and quite a shock to return home to a 50 degree and rainy Portland.  I'm homesick already, but know I'll be back before long.