Heart attack weekend

We had a fun and busy Labor Day weekend.  It's a long weekend yet it felt so short when it's over.  We didn't go anywhere on Saturday.  We stayed home and I cleaned the house, made some BBQ chicken and cornmeal muffin.  The cornmeal muffins that I made last time was so good so I decided to make it again but only use half of the recipe so we don't have too many leftover.  One mistake I made...I cut everything in half but forgot to cut the sugar in half.  The result...equally delicious but more like a dessert cornmeal muffins.

Sunday we planned to visit a restaurant that we've never been to in KCMO downtown area but the restaurant wasn't opened (we assumed it wasn't as no one answered the phone when we called).  So we ended up going to Stroud's which is another restaurant that we've never been.  Stroud's is famous for its pan fried chicken.  They started back in 1936.  The meal includes the chicken dish, 2 sides, a soup or salad, and cinnamon buns.  We ordered chicken fried chicken, chicken platter (wing, thigh, leg, breast).  The sides were fries, cottage fries, and green beans.  We also got a soup and a salad to share between 4 of us.  The chicken was crispy and juice.  It also doesn't have any fat like you normally would see in other fried chicken.  It's pretty tasty but not salty enough (we also usually eat pretty low in sodium).  It's different than the regular fried chicken I'd say.  The price is a bit high for fried chicken but it's like a special treat so once in awhile I think it's ok.

Chicken noodle soup, pretty yummy

Green beans, nothing special even it has meat in it.

Chicken Fried Chicken, pretty good

Cottage Fries

Fried Chickens, wing, leg, thigh, and breast

On Monday I made some BBQ ribs as a farewell to the summer.  I marinated the ribs over night with my own creation of seasonings (see recipe below).  Then I put it in crockpot on low for 4 hours.  It cooked while kids and I were out shopping.  I came home and saw it is about done and moved it to the grill for 20 mins or so while brushing more BBQ sauce on it.  It turns out pretty well, meat is tender and juice, flavor is pretty well too.

BBQ Rib

Seasoning:
1 TB fresh minced ginger
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 TBS Mrs Dash or your own favorite seasoning 
2 TBS grounded coriander
1 TS cayenne pepper
1 TB dried bayleaf

Mix garlic and ginger, rub it on the ribs
Mix the rest of the seasonings, rub it on the ribs eventually, make sure you coat both sides
Leave the ribs in a covered container over night in the refrigerator.

On the day of grilling
Take the ribs out of the refrigerator and put it under boiler for 10 mins per side (450 F) so it browns on both sides.  Then move the ribs to the crockpot for high 2 hours or low 4-5 hours.

In the crockpot add the following on top of ribs
1/2 cup of water or stock (I use water)
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Baby Ray Honey BBQ sauce)
1/2 C - 1 C of ketchup

Grilling - prepare grill medium low then grill the ribs for 15-20 mins per side while brushing more bbq sauce on it.  Dig in!