Rosemary-Wine Country Ribs

Here it is, the last recipe for June!

Rosemary-Wine County Ribs
3 pounds pork country-style ribs, cut into serving pieces

Rosemary-Wine Marinade
2 tblsp vegetable oil
1 tsp dried Rosemary, crushed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 dry red wine or grape juice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a 1 1/2 qt saucepan over medium heat. Cook rosemary and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until garlic is tender; remove from heat. Stir in wine, sugar, salt and pepper.

Place ribs in a shallow glass dish or a heavy re-seal able freezer bag. Pour marinade over the ribs. Cover or seal the bag and refrigerate, turning ribs occasionally, at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas for indirect heat.

Remove ribs from marinade RESERVING the marinade. Cover and grill pork, meaty sides up, over drip pan and 4-5 inches from medium heat for 60-70 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade, until no longer pink when cut near bone. Discard any remaining marinade.








Wow these were good, they were very tender. We let them marinate overnight. Of course I used more garlic, about 4 cloves. I also used olive oil in place of vegetable oil.

Honey-Pecan Chicken

Honey -Pecan Chicken

1/4 cup butter melted
2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp water
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 to 3 1/2 lb. whole broiler-fryer chicken, cut into fourths

Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas for direct heat.

Prepare honey-pecan sauce

Mix all ingredients, except chicken in 1 qt. saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mop or brush mixture over chicken,

Cover and grill chicken, skin sides up, 5-6 inches from MEDIUM heat for 25-35 minutes; turn chicken and brush with butter mixture. Cover and grill 35-45 minutes longer, turning and brushing with margarine mixture until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of largest pieces are cut. Discard any remaining butter mixture.

Serve with honey-pecan sauce.

Honey-Pecan Sauce
3 tblsp honey
2 tblsp butter, melted
2 tblsp chopped pecans, toasted
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp mustard

Mix all ingredients together.










We both really liked the way this chicken turned out. I baked it in the oven since it was raining and I did not want to send Richard out in the bad weather.

I had a package of chicken thighs in the freezer which is what I used for this recipe. And believe it or not, I did not make any changes.

Stuffed French Bread

Here is the second recipe for June.

Stuffed French Bread

1/3 cup sun dried tomato pesto
8 oz French bread
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Pesto:
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes

Combine all in a food processor and blend until smooth. (makes 1 1/3 cups)

Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.

Cut loaf diagonally into 12 slices, cutting to within 1/2 of the bottom, not all the way through. Spread both sides of each piece of bread with pesto. Sprinkle slices with cheese. Securely wrap bread in foil .

Grill bread uncovered 5-6 inches from MEDIUM heat for about 10 minutes turning once, until hot.




Due to company and the consumption of wine I forgot to snap a picture of this until there were only 2 slices left.

I used 4 cloves of garlic. I also used all the pesto and a lot of cheese which created a heady, gooey product. The pesto by itself was wonderful.

Cinnamon Ballons with Chocolate Sauce

Here is the first recipe from June's cookbook.



Cinnamon Balloons with Chocolate Sauce

1 can (7.5 oz) refrigerated biscuits
10 large marshmallows
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp melted butter
1/3 chocolate syrup like Hershey's

Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Grease a 9" round aluminum pan.

Roll or pat biscuit dough into 10 4" circles. Top each one with a marshmallow. Fold dough around marshmallow, pinching dough to seal completely.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Brush biscuits with butter; roll in cinnamon sugar. Place seam side down in greased pan.

Cover and grill for 4-6 minutes from MEDIUM heat, about 15 minutes or until light
brown.

To serve drizzle biscuits with chocolate syrup and serve immediately.










So not being the one to ever leave anything the way it is written. I used an entire teaspoon of cinnamon. Since it was pouring outside I baked these in the oven at the temperature called for on the dough wrapper. I put the chocolate sauce on the table for each person to use how much they wanted. You have to eat this hot, right out of the oven.

Flowers and a Friend

I got home for work about 1 1/2 weeks ago to find one of our water plants had burst forth into bloom.

Every year when this happens I am amazed that these plants can survive under a thick sheet of ice all winter and come back so beautiful in the summer.





So back on June 10th my friend Angela came up for a weekend. We used to work together in Florida and had not seen each other for at least 10 years. She has not changed at all, still as sweet and fun as ever. She has a wicked sense of humor, like Richard.

Shortly after her arrival on Friday night.


She turned the camera on us.



On Saturday I took her over to Price Lake and we walked around it. The term "hike" really does not apply as it is a very easy trail. Along the way we passed a beaver dam.


Some of the Mountain Laurel were still in bloom.


We found some good size trees that the beavers had gnawed through, here is one.



Here is another. I would love to watch them haul these things into the water.


We paused on a bridge to admire the creek,


After lunch I took her sight seeing around Banner Elk and then to the top of Sugar Mountain.


We walked over to the slopes so she could see the view from the top of the chair lift.


Later on we relaxed with appetizers on the back deck. We enjoyed 4 different types of homemade pickles: Bread & Butter, 14-day Crisp, Watermelon Rind and Green Tomato Pickles.


Angie was enjoying the cool mountain air.


Richard was relaxing with a cocktail and a cigar.


We had trout almondine with fresh mountain rainbow trout that Paul had brought over.


Since it was such a wonderful night we ate on the back deck.

Memorial Weekend 2011

For Memorial Weekend we decided to pack up the kids and head off to the boat. Departure time was Friday after work, maybe 5:40 and we got to the boat by 11:45 pm. We brought in only the tote with the kids' food in it and then relaxed in the cockpit with a cocktail before turning in at 1 am.

Saturday we worked on cleaning out the forward storage locker. Some stuff got thrown away and some was packed up to come home as it is not needed on the boat.

Later on Saturday we had friends over for sundowners and appetizers in the cockpit. I made my roasted red pepper dip recipe and some deviled eggs.


Hugh from S/V Wild Goose also came over. Their boat and ours used to be on the same dock in another marina. His wife was not coming down until Sunday so we had him over and he stayed to enjoy dinner with us.


Our friend Steve from 3 slips over came by for awhile. He is a fellow scotch drinker and cigar smoker, plus he has a great sense of humor.


On Sunday we turned the cockpit into a work zone and started re-organizing the aft stateroom so we can store provisions in there but still be able to have people stay onboard.


Here is the aft stateroom completely cleaned out.



Stay tuned for how the aft stateroom turned out. Photos to come.