Taking the Plunge!

Well, over the last year my sweet fiance has managed to throw me off the back of a jetski and then a snowmobile... so I figured it was payback time... I threw him out of an airplane!

We headed over to Snohomish Skydive on Saturday and took the first plunge of our new life together! (The next one will be a lil' more permanent).

Getting ready to get on the plane!

What the heck was I thinking?

Too late now!

Falling to earth.

Doing good!

I'm flying! (Vlad is pointing out Mount Rainier)

I got to steer!

While doing so, Vlad noticed my ring! He was impressed!

Feet up for landing.

Boy am I happy to see him!

So what was it like?  Amazing. 60 seconds of freefall at 140 miles per hour. It's a little strange, I'm not sure if its being older or just doing so many of these new things... but I'm not afraid like I used to be. Of course when your best friend is there every step of the way... well it makes things so much better. 

Easy BBQ Ribs

I like to do my ribs in the slow cooker but if you are on vacation and want to BBQ some ribs for guests, here is the easiest way that I do it.

Take your ribs and pull off the membrane on the back.  You can grab it with a paper towel and it should pull right off.  This helps the meat not to be tough.

RUB WITH LOVE!

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 -2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Spread this paste on the meat thinly and rub it in good with your hands. Let sit for a few hours or refrigerate overnight.  The flavors will get stronger the longer they sit.  You can use any rub even just salt and pepper, it still turns out great.

Wrap tightly in foil. I lay the racks vertically on long vertical sheets. I fold over the top and bottom, then bring the sides up so they are even and fold over and crease, then roll down until the seam is flush against the meat. Be careful not to allow the bones to puncture the foil (I usually use two sheets to prevent this) all your good juices will leak out!

Put in the oven at 300 for 2.5 hours. 

At this point, remove a rack and careful unroll the foil to check if they are done, the bones should be loose in the meat (you should be able to remove a bone just by pulling it with your fingers). If they are still tight, put it back in for another half an hour or so, keep checking.

Put them on the grill and baste them with a mesquite bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays), turn and baste with sauce every 5 minutes for 20 minutes until crispy!