Sunny Sunday: Movies, Friends and Ribs

I don't know about you - but Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Time seems to move a little bit slower - and as I prepare for the week ahead I like to look back and take stock of what all I did in the week before.

First off - PBS is running "The Complete Jane Austen" every Sunday night on Masterpiece Theatre. I LOVE Jane Austen - and I am posted up on the couch at 8pm READY to watch the next installment. Last week was Northanger Abby, and tonight it's Mansfield Park. Oh the Anglophile in me is coming out!

Last Tuesday I went to the Austin Premier of John Sayles' new film, Honeydripper at the Paramount Theatre. It was a charming film set in a small town in Alabama in 1950. It moved in Sayles' typically slow and rich pace of film-making, and was lovely. Gary Clark, Jr., a local Austin musician, was featured in the film, and he is a guitar playing badass. The cast was FABULOUS - I highly recommend watching Lone Star and The Secret of Roan Inish - two of my favorite films, also directed by Sayles.

Last Thursday I went to see There will be Blood - the highly acclaimed film starring one of the BEST actors of all time - Daniel Day Lewis. The Musical Score of the film really stands out - and has to be one of the most intriguing, haunting and original works of music I have heard in a long, long time. You can check it out on Amazon - the composer is Johnny Greenwood.




So Friday rolled around, and it was my BFF Jayna's birthday. We have known each other since the FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN - you just don't let go of friends like that. Plus, she is hilarious, super talented and blast to hang out with.

I made her a set of matching and reversible napkins and place mats - I am invited over for the first dinner she uses them for. We went to Vivo to eat - totally obnoxious hostesses - like hostess Nazis, but the atmosphere there is fun.

I settled in to watch West Side Story last night - I had forgotten how amazing the score and choreography is for that film! Since the weather was nasty, wet and grey all last week - I was thrilled to see the sunshine this weekend! My toes are freshly coated in bubble gum pink, and wearing flip-flops was a special treat today.



My mom and I took my 92 year old grandmother around town today - to lunch, then shopping at Wal-Mart where she bought 4 bags of chocolate candy, one huge candy bar and a box of Girl Scout cookies - hmm - I wonder where I get my LOVE of CHOCOLATE from? Heck, when you're 92 you should eat whatever the heck you want! We ended the afternoon at Half Price Books - my favorite bookstore - and I scored a fabulous book - "Making Vintage Bags" by Emma Brennan. I can't wait to try one of her patterns!

Right now I am baking my Dad's Famous Country Style Ribs in the oven, and relaxing in my clean apartment. I hope your week is fabulous - and check out the Ribs recipe below!

Brodie's Country Style Ribs:
* Get Country Style Pork Ribs, as many as you like
Prepare:
Mix the following spices together, in an amount you like:
* Salt
* Lemon Pepper
* Paprika
* Garlic
* Herbs
* Chili Powder
* Sm. amount of Sugar

Pat the spices into the meat, covering both sides. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Cook:
* Sear the ribs in a pan on high heat until a golden and crispy crust is formed - just a few minutes
* Pour enough of your favorite BBQ sauce in a pan - just enough to cover the bottom
* Set the ribs in the pan - do not let them overlap - and pour more sauce on top - just enough to coat
* Cover pan with foil, and bake at 250 for 2 1/2 hours.

The meat will FALL off the bone and be very tender, juicy and delicious. I suggest serving with fresh snapped green beans and mashed potatoes. Nothing like a home cooked meal on a Sunday night!

Anne Marie Beard