Project 365 and Maple Ribs

CANDIED MAPLE SESAME RIBS

I like a nicely "set" supper table. I love cloth napkins...they are my absolute favorite. We use them 95% of the time.

It's interesting, one cloth napkin will do me, but if it's paper napkins, I go thru about 40 of them per meal. Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration, but you get what I mean. Right?


Cloth napkins, place mats, candles....and when my boys still lived at home, on Sunday evenings it was "Sinatra and Friends" on NPR radio....sometimes a flower clipping from the garden.


And then lively dinner discussion: politics, current events, sports.... (sigh), really... I had 3 teenage boys, and while ONE of them did grow up to like Sinatra and Friends, our dinner conversations were usually not about politics, current events and sports, but rather, why they wanted to bleach their hair blonde, (hey, that's fashion, right?), why they missed the football bus (couldn't listen to the coach's instructions ), and who ate the fart one of them just let (sigh...a story for another time, but any parent of boys, does know, or will eventually know what I'm talking about. If teenage girls saw what teenage boys were really like, they'd stay far, far away.....)

But I did have beautifully set tables! That's the point of this post.
So please, please when you look at these pictures, don't judge.


My granddaughter, Evalynn, set the table this night. For some reason, she gave everyone a cookbook at their plate,  (I have more than enough to go around.)  and if you look closely, you will see a small little votive candle by everyone's plate.


No placemats, no cloth napkins... .but cookbooks and small little disposable votive candles.  Ah yes.....tablescapes at their finest.
We didn't even had a "great" supper that night. The Ribs were good, but just bag-o-salad (Caesar) and steamed carrots. Evalynn served the salad to everyone.
Evalynn is 2 1/2.
Ya, gotta give her credit for trying.

A sippy cup full of milk, a plate, a fork, and....a cookbook and votive candle.

What presentation!

Here Dad....let me give you some salad.

Anyone else?

This night I made "Candied Maple Sesame Ribs", recipe courtesy of The Hungry Mouse.

Jessie, of the Hungry Mouse, states that, "These are a really interesting first course for a harvest-season dinner. Because they're sweet, I think they'd be overpowering as the main meal. "

Of course, I didn't read that first, and I made them as the main dish. They were really good, but yes, a tad bit on the sweet side. I guess if you are fond of sweet and sour dishes, it would be no different from that.
Sans the sour part.


I would suggest making them as an appetizer or for a Super-Bowl party! Did you know that it is illegal to advertise (for bars and casinos, etc) that they are having a "Super-Bowl" party?


Let's all take notice.... I think they will say, "The Big Game" "On Super Bowl Sunday" or some such thing.
I'm sure some get away with it, but if they catch you, you get fined, as "Super-Bowl" is a registered trademark.
I got off track---I think they would be a great addition to a Super Bowl Party and am going to make them AND the Pioneer Woman's Jalapeno Poppers.  Mmmmmmmmm.........


Here is the recipe so you can make them too.....
 

Candied Maple Sesame Ribs

 

beef spare ribs

kosher salt
garlic powder
grade-A maple syrup
freshly cracked black pepper
sesame seeds


Pre-heat your over to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil. If you're feeding a crowd, you might need two or more pans.
This is more technique, less recipe. There are really no measurements, but a lot of imprecise sprinkling and slathering.
Slather with syrup, sprinkle with seasonings, get the ribs into the oven. For about an hour.

For a full tutorial, go visit Jessie at the Hungry Mouse.

And then....enjoy dinner with your family.

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A recap of my "picture a day" for the Project 365

Sunday

Goldfinches at one of the feeders.

Monday

5:30 a.m.  It started to snow!

Tuesday

Waiting for the Handyman....I sit in a parking lot across from the Catholic Church

(he was in the city hall)

Wednesday

I have an old typewriter of my dad's.  He used to type his school assignments on it.  And I used to type letters way before I owned a computer.

Thursday

The ceiling of the courthouse

Friday

The birds didn't get everything in my backyard....

.....the snow begins to melt

Saturday

My coffee cup, my book, my glasses

a great start to a weekend