Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Hybrid Cooked Baby Back Pork Ribs

hybrid-ribs.jpgThese get the term “hybrid’ because of the two methods used to cook the ribs. We slow cook them in the crock pot for several hours and transfer them to the grill for the final basting. Cooked this way, the meat almost literally falls off the bones.

We cut the rack of ribs in half so they can fit in the crock pot. Then they go in a plastic zip bag to marinade overnight. The marinade consists of fruit juices (apple, pineapple, orange) and a home grown BBQ sauce. The orange juice, by the way, came from oranges harvested yesterday from our backyard dwarf navel orange tree.

Damsel’s killer BBQ sauce is a key to this delectable entrée. It is vinegar based with brown sugar, savories (onion,garlic) tomato sauce (I used catchup), mesquite (or hickory) smoke flavoring and your favorite chili powder (cayenne, ancho).

We served the ribs with maple flavored baked beans and broccoli slaw marinated in Damsel’s tangy dressing. The image shows the final grilling stage of cooking. You can click on the image to enlarge it to drooling dimensions.

28 Nov 2010 by Food & Dining

The U-Haul® Migration Theorem

trailer.pngDamsel and I are expecting some fixtures we ordered to be delivered to our California residence. Since the fixtures need to go to the Arizona residence for installation, we will need a way to transport them when they get here.

I looked into renting a trailer from U-Haul for a one-way trip. We only need a single day rental, but they say all rates are for up to three days of use. U-Haul quoted an on-line rate of $101 for their smallest cargo trailer one-way from the L.A. area to Wickenburg.

Image: 4′ x 8′ Cargo Trailer – courtesy U-Haul®

We’re not yet convinced that renting a trailer is the most inexpensive way to get the packages to the new house. We’re considering alternatives such as hauling the packages on the SUV’s cargo rack under a tarp and secured with bungee cords.

I remember someone blogging about U-Haul being a good indicator for migratory trends. Because of the law of supply and demand, it should be less expensive to rent a one-way trailer (or truck) in the direction that is less popular. Sure enough, when I reversed the route on the website, the rate dropped from $101 to $67 for the three day period to go from Wickenburg to the L.A. area.

I didn’t test the U-Haul migration theorem any further than this one comparison, but the results told me what I expected – people are leaving more than they are arriving. After the recent election results in California, who could blame us?

26 Nov 2010 by Arizona California Retirement

Thanksgiving Day

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing . . .

thanksgiving-plate.jpg

Turkey breast with all the trimmings: mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry jelly, Damsel’s killer dressing, candied yams, steamed broccoli and a buttermilk dinner roll. Thanksgiving dinner plus 3 NFL football games today equals thankfulness in our household.

We hope you enjoyed your day as much as we have. Click on the image to enlarge.

25 Nov 2010 by Culture Food & Dining

Garcia Little Red School House

garcia-house.jpgThis is Wickenburg’s historic Little Red School House on North Tegner Street. The Wickenburg Children’s Cultural Organization uses it for musical events and community cultural activities. It is a national historic monument.

This building, originally built at the Vulture Mine, was moved the 25 mile distance to its present location in about 1895 at a cost of $50.00. You can read about Ynagcio Garcia for whom the school house is named and the rest of the history at the Wickenburg Unified School District website.

Click on the image to enlarge.

22 Nov 2010 by Arizona Retirement

Categories

Archives