Labor Day Recipes!

You know how a lot of people talk about all the warm fuzzy memories that they have from cooking in the kitchen with their moms? How this was where they learned to cook? Well, I have no such memories. When I was growing up, my mom did not like for us to be under her feet while she was in the kitchen, which is a shame, because my mom is an awesome cook. Because of this fact, I have had to teach myself to cook over the last 15 years. When my husband and I got married, I could not cook much of anything. I have come a long way, and many people tell me that I am an awesome cook! Now, I don't know about that, but I do know that I love being in the kitchen creating. It is an escape for me. I like to be alone in my kitchen like my mom did, but I try to be more willing to welcome my kiddos in when they want to watch or help. My 13 year old daughter is uninterested in cooking, while my two boys love to help. My youngest says that he is either going to be a chef or a football player when he grows up.
My journey in the kitchen has had a lot of bumps along the road and there are still a few recipes that I cannot seem to master. I cannot duplicate my mom's beef tips and gravy. While mine are good, there is just "something" missing! I also cannot for the life of me fry chicken to my liking. My family always says that they love it, but it's just never "right" to me. Because of this, I only attempt this recipe once or twice a year!! Eggplant Parmesan is another recipe that I have trouble with ....I just never like the way mine comes out and I've tried several methods. Any help in these areas would be much appreciated. I finally succeeded in making something awesome today that I have had trouble with .....BBQ spare ribs. They have always been tough or charred. I changed my cooking method and the result was wonderful. Even my meat-hating son said that they were his favorite part of the meal....that was a huge compliment. I even managed to create a new family favorite AND dessert!!!

Lisa's BBQ Ribs

1 slab pork ribs (mine were vaccuum sealed and weighed about 4-5 lbs.)
McCormick Grill Mates Sweet and Smoky Rub
Cattleman's BBQ sauce

This is not so much a recipe as a method. I have a large stainless steel roasting pan that has a rack that fits inside. I took this and place about 2 cups water in the bottom and sprinkled in some of the rub. I put the rack in the pan and placed the ribs on this and rubbed generously all over on both sides with the spice rub. I placed the ribs, meaty side up, on the rack. I then
covered tightly with foil and baked at 300* for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your ribs. I then cut the ribs into smaller slabs of about 2 ribs apiece and grilled them over medium heat, glazing with the BBQ sauce. I have found that the best way to keep your sauce from charring on your meat, you should warm it before brushing it on your meat. These turned out so good, we had none left!!

Recipe #2

Lisa's Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 bag frozen corn, thawed (I ran hot water over this and drained in a colander)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Juice from 1 lime
Cilantro, optional
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
splash red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all and let sit to "meld" flavors. Can serve at room temperature.

P.S. My mom is an awesome lady and I love her very much....she just didn't like us in her kitchen while she was cooking. She is a little bit high strung and I think it stressed her out!!