Sunday Supper

It's the first day of Spring and we're officially ready. We've fired up the Big Green Egg for the first barbeque of the season. On the menu? Parker's special recipe for Baby Back Ribs, my yummy {and super easy} Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a new recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal cookies. Pass the plates, y'all!

Barbequed Baby Back Ribs

1 Slab of Ribs

Dry Rub Mixture*

1 Cup of Barbeque Sauce

Heat grill to 225 - 275 degrees F. Take the rack of ribs and cut in half. Wash and then pat dry. Lay the half slabs on aluminum foil and rub each with the mixture of seasoning to taste. Wrap separately in the aluminum foil and place on the grill for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes depending on the heat of your grill. Unwrap aluminum foil packets and place cooked ribs bone side down on the grill. Baste with barbeque sauce and cook another 10 to 20 minutes or until desired amount of sauce is applied. Pull from grill and let meat rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

*Parker and I prefer a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic salt and an added dash of this and that.

Barbeque Sauce

3/4 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed Dark Brown Sugar

3 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

2 tablespoons Minced Onion

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, hot sauce and pepper. Can be covered and refrigerated for up to one week.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, Red or Russet Potatoes

1 cup Milk

1 tablespoon Chopped Garlic

6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt, plus additional to taste

Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender {about 25 minutes}. Drain well. Combine the milk and garlic in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes, milk mixture, butter, salt and pepper to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

Steamed Broccoli

2 Heads of Broccoli

1 teaspoon Butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop broccoli to desired size. Put a colander over a medium sized pot 1/4 full of water. Bring water to a rolling boil, add broccoli to colander and cover with a lid. Steam broccoli to for a few minutes to thoroughly cook but retain crispness {usually 5 minutes}.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats {not instant}

3/4 cup dried cranberries

6 ounces white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips- making sure that all ingredients are evenly distributed. Drop dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden.Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.