This weekend was the perfect balance of lazy and productive. Saturday morning I totally had a taste for Tony’s amazing eggs, only to realize that I only had hard boiled eggs on hand. That was the first thing added to my grocery list and I went with plan B: 2 hard boiled eggs, cinnamon toast and 1/2 a banana.
I needed to get my eyebrows threaded, but when I got to Wal-mart, there were too many people in line already. So I did a bit of shopping, and still no luck – I may have to run over there one night this week.
I ended up picking us up Wendy’s for lunch. I can’t even remember the last time I was in a Wendy’s. Now I know why – this chicken sandwich was so dry, it tasted as if it was made the day before. It was barely warm by the time I brought it home.
As is customary, I made two loaves of my Artisan bread, although this time it rose for 3 hours and it almost poured out of the top of my bowl!
Have you tried making this yet? I was nervous the first time I made it too because the dough is so light and . . . sticky. I also make just two loaves of bread out of the recipe.
I could eat a whole loaf all to myself! My nephew came by yesterday to pick up his Mom’s food for the week, and his first question is always “did you make me your bread?” I am pretty sure he eats it all!
Saturday morning Tony and I were watching an Anthony Bordain show and he was in Italy and we watched a woman make pasta from scratch. She only used a fork and a rolling pin so I decided to try my hand at making homemade pasta for dinner Saturday night.
I used one of the dough recipes from this book, what she calls a “yellow pasta dough.”
Pasta Dough
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 2 large eggs
That’s it. Really! This is enough pasta for 3 standard portions for an entrée, or 3 portions for an appetizer portion.
Make a well in the center of your flour. Add eggs and using a fork, mix until combined. I actually made a double batch, so I still have half of the dough in the fridge. I am curious to see how that turns out later in the week.
I am not going to lie, it got messy!
But I just kept brining the eggs to the middle and soon enough I had my pasta dough.
My flaw the last time I made pasta was not rolled out thin enough and my cuts were too big – I didn’t realize how much the dough would puff up when I boiled it.
I also used a lot of flour to keep the pasta from sticking to each other before I cooked it. I let this sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before cooking – it doesn’t take long to cook at all, about 3-4 minutes.
Tony has not been a fan of red sauce lately, and alfredo sauce kind of gets old. As I was flipping through that cookbook though, I saw a recipe for Gorgonzola sauce, and I asked Tony “would you eat that??” He tasted the blue cheese I had and said if I went light on the blue cheese it would be fine. I feel like Rhonda taking a picture of the recipe!
The only thing I did different was I only used about a tablespoon of the blue cheese and instead of 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream, I used 1/2 a cup of lowfat buttermilk.
This was delicious. Tony and I both gave this two thumbs up. The pasta was tender and the sauce was delicious and even Tony said next time I could add more blue cheese. Be sure to salt your boiling water because that’s how the pasta gets seasoned.
Sunday morning we laid in bed and watched The Watch with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. We watched nearly the whole thing and parts of it were pretty funny. We each just had a piece of toast for breakfast before heading out to the grocery store. After the store we stopped and got a lunch – I had a chicken Parm sandwich (which Tony doesn’t care for at all) and I got a Boddington’s on tap.
I can’t even believe I am about to say this, but it was too many tots!
The sandwich was delicious though – thin chicken breast with a spicy seasoning and melted mozzarella. Just yum.
So there are many things that I can’t make, yet I try to make them over and over. I have finally gotten good at making scalloped potatoes – I finally just ended up using cooked potatoes! The other nemesis that’s been haunting me for years? Ribs. Doesn’t seem to matter how long I cook them in the oven, cooking them low and slow, high heat, etc. They were never quite there.
I went looking for a dry rub recipe online yesterday and I saw that this guy cooked his ribs in his Dutch oven before finishing them off on the grill with sauce. I never thought of that! I’ve always wrapped them up in foil. I ended up putting the ribs in the Dutch oven with 1 can of beer at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. Perfectly cooked! Tender, nearly fall off the bone.
Dry Rub:
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix well. I used half of this rub on two slabs of ribs.
Here they are after cooking for 2 1/2 hours – ready for the grill! Except I realized that all of my bbq sauces were spicy – so I ended up making a quick bbq sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt and pepper
These are hands down the best ribs I’ve ever made – the Dutch oven was the key! And the corn was pretty good too for April!
And now we are back to Monday – cannot believe that we only have a couple days left in April – that month sure did go by fast!
Since I can’t wear my pajamas to work, I guess I’ll have to get ready now – Happy Monday – make it a great day!
oh my gosh, i want to eat at your house!! that pasta looks amazeballs, the possibilities are endless. and the ribs, oh my gosh. so yummy! i hope you’re having a great week so far!
Those are some awesome eats. I really need to make some of that bread…looks so good.
Bread and pasta from scratch? I bow at your culinary feet!!!! And please send ribs! Have a great Monday.
MMMM ribs, bread and corn……..I even liked your breakfast of hard boiled eggs WITH hot sauce, cinnamon toast and bananas…….you eat well, my dear!!!
Every Thursday at Festival they make ribs on the grill in front of the store…..mmmm does that ever smell good! I usually buy a rack for $10, along with some of their corn bread muffins too!! No calories, right???
You are correct – if you are at a Festival, calories don’t count, so go ahead and get the funnel cake for dessert! 😀
Gorgonzola sauce….I’m drooling over here! Yum! What brand of blue cheese do you use? I bought a baby wedge of Maytag the other day and it’s amazeballs! Worth the extra $$. Hope you’re having a good day!
You know what Mary, I am not sure because I bought it in the cheese section of our supermarket and didn’t save the wrap – it wasn’t too expensive – a decent chunk of it was about $5.
YUM, I want that gorgonzola sauce! I would probably add extra blue cheese. 🙂
I never thought to sprinkle some on my pasta – next time I will because I puffy heart blue cheese!
There’s no such thing as too many tater tots–that’s hippie talk!
Biz, you make me wish I had more time to make more things from scratch – that bread, that pasta…yum!
Thanks Marianne!
I simply waentd to thank you a whole lot a lot more for your remarkable site you’ve developed here. It can be full of valuable suggestions for those that are actually interested in this specific subject, mainly this extremely post. Your all so sweet in addition to thoughtful of other people and reading the blog posts is a superb delight in my opinion. And thats a generous present! Dan and I usually have enjoyment making use of your recommendations in what we need to have to do in the near future. Our checklist is a distance long and guidelines will definitely be put to superb use.
Always the best content from these prodigious writers.
52b9I discover it iniuigrtng but not stunning that Sister used the pretty same reaction as did Barak Obama in one of your debates previous to his election when he was asked about his position on abortion and resopnded, Tha’t previously mentioned my pay out grade, a really obvious cop out on his component but a place he produced pretty obvious immediately after his election. HOw unfortunate that this kind of people as Sr. Simone can glory in obtaining publicity by taking a postion on a quite fundamental training in the Church of which she claims to become a representative element ala Biden, Pelosi, Sibelius and on and on.
Wow, superb blog lauoyt! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is fantastic, let alone the content!. Thanks For Your article about Shanee2€™s Rib Shack Royal Palm Beach | Restaurants in Palm Beach .
The artisan bread looks amazing and so does the homemade pasta. The ribs have me drooling – my whole family would love them!
I can’t make ribs for shit. I’ve tried several different cuts and methods; no matter what I do, they end up sucking. 🙁
I cannot wait for farmer’s market corn – anytime now in Nebraska!
This one is a winner! I think because of the beer they “steam” in the Dutch oven – so tender, I’ll never make them another way. 😀
I know this is a reallllly stupid question, Biz, but I have never made ribs, ever. Do you put the dry rub on BEFORE the ribs go in the Dutch oven or after? (I’m almost too embarrassed to ask but they look super good, thanks for sharing! Love your blog!!)
Thanks!
Kelly
Before! The rub cooks with the ribs. Let me know how it turns out!
Perfect timing…Ribs are on the menu here tonight!
I cannot remember the last time I had ribs! Those look so good 🙂
Envious of all this yummy stuff! I got my eyebrows threaded once and thought it was more painful than waxing. Do you disagree?
I disagree, only for the fact that my skin is super sensitive and when I get them waxed, my eyebrows are literally red and swollen for days. The threading? By the next day I am back to normal, but you are correct, it’s 2 minutes of pure hell!
Wow those ribs and corn look so delicious I want to climb through the computer and have some! What a wonderful recipe of simple ingredients that I already have but never would have though to use for this!
Ok you’ve got a lot of amazing things going on in this post! I have to give that artisan bread a try – I mean how COOL to make homemade bread.
And that pasta! I think M would die. I need to step up my game here.
Once you start making the bread, you won’t stop Courtney – I think I am going to do a VLOG about it to show everyone how easy it is. 😀
The pasta dish looks fantastic and the ribs….I heart ribs. Did you work on your desk this weekend? I did, but still have a long way to go on it. Thank you again for referring to me in your post, I had a lot of visitors and nice comments from it. Hope you have a great week 🙂
You caught be Roxy, no not yet, but I plan on starting tonight! So glad you got some virtual hugs!! Great job on getting active this weekend!
Too many tots? Can’t be true 😉 Just means leftovers to bring home!! The pasta looks amazing. I like working from home because some days I do wear my pjs to work haha
Holy Moly I can’t believe how often you make bread, I need to get on the ball. I am going to my mom’s house for dinner tonight, maybe I should whip some up. I have made that Artisan bread but not for a few years, I guess I am just in the habit of making rolls.
I am going to a new super Thrift store today, I can’t wait to see it, I’ll be thinking of you. Thanks always for your kind thoughtful comments, you always keep it real and I appreciate that a ton. Have a great week.
You and I would have the best time thrifting if we lived closer – hope you get some good finds!
My grandmom makes homemade spaghetti with the “well” method – this reminded me of her so much! I remember making it with her as a kid – getting messy was the best part!
Mmm, ribs. My youngest LOVES them. Once we were visiting my grandparents (his great grands) when he was about 8. They lived in Las Vegas, and we met them at a casino restaurant for breakfast…ribs were on the menu, and he tried to order them, but I said “no, get breakfast” – well, my grandpa said “let him eat ribs!” and by god, he ordered them with the biggest grin on his face!
Have a great day!
Ha – love it Shelley – I bet he was the happiest 8 year old eating ribs for breakfast!