Jalapeno Corn Bread

Summertime in Georgia is hot, humid, and sticky. Which means that you're either staying indoors for your fun or hanging out by the pool with the grill going and an ice cold drink in your hand.

If you're grilling out, corn bread is a must have (especially in the south). I think a lot of people see it as a Thanksgiving side, but BBQ and cornbread is what dreams are made of. Hot dogs and hamburgers are overdone, and you have to get tired of them eventually. My idea of a perfect grill out would be some baby back ribs, corn bread, and maybe a spritzer to go with it, plus, you can find out how to make it all on this blog ;)

Jalapeno Corn Bread (Makes about 20-24 servings)
1 stick Butter
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1.5 cup Buttermilk
1.5 tsp Baking Soda
1.5 cup Cornmeal
1.5 cup Flour
1.5 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Corn
1/8 cup Pickled Jalapeno Slices

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Chop jalapeno pieces into small bits.
2. Cream butter and sugar together
3. Add eggs slowly, scraping the bowl between additions
4. Add baking soda, salt and half of the buttermilk while mixing on low.
5. Add cornmeal and mix very slowly until almost incorporated.
6. Pour in the remaining buttermilk and mix well.
7. Add the flour, corn and chopped jalapeno. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
8. Prepare a sheet pan by spraying it with baking spray and lined with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and spread into an even layer.
9. Bake for 25-35 minutes, turning halfway. The top of the cornbread will be golden and it will bounce back slightly when pressed.

I love biting into this corn bread and getting pieces of corn. It adds an additional texture, and who doesn't like corn?! Plus, the jalapenos add a little kick that really makes this a treat! It's savory enough to enjoy indoors and outdoors. I made an open face sandwich with some BBQ chicken and bourbon peaches. It tasted amazing, but was definitely a fork and knife sandwich. What would you pair your cornbread with?

Baby Back Ribs

4th of July is right around the corner! This means grilling, barbecue, and fireworks :) An independence day tradition at my mom's house is baby back ribs! She slathers the ribs in barbecue and grills them to perfection! All the while singing the baby-back ribs song from Austin Powers :) Sadly, I don't have a grill in my home, so I am including an oven recipe!


Baby Back Ribs
1 rack Pork Loin Back Ribs
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
17 oz bottle Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse the ribs with cold water to remove excess blood.
3. Place ribs onto a sheet pan and sprinkle on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping the ribs halfway.
5. In the meantime, mix sauce, honey, and sugar together to incorporate.
6. Spoon and spread the mixture onto the ribs after the first 20 minutes. Flip after about 10 minutes, and then coat the other side the same way. 
7. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly on each side and then repeat the process.
8. Remove from the oven and slice the ribs into individual slices.
9. Lay the ribs down on their sides and coat the sides with sauce. Allow to bake for another 5-10 minutes and repeat on the other side, so that you use the rest of the sauce.
10. Turn off the oven and allow the sauce to glaze over in the heat. This will ensure that the barbecue flavor seeps into the meat.
11. Once the sauce glazes over, serve. That process should take about 10 minutes.

If you don't have a grill, don't worry! You can make delicious barbecue style food in the oven :) These ribs also can easily be grilled, with a similar process. The time that it cooks should be slower, and sauce should be spread more often. Once cooked, slice and allow the ribs to get a glaze in the oven.