Anyone who knows me knows I love to entertain.  Memorial Day to me is the kick off to summer, the start of barbecue season, warm evenings and special times with friends.

I’m passionate about cooking, especially for my friends.  My arsenal of recipes is endless and my favorite summer barbecue meal is barbecue ribs and coleslaw.  You may have thought that this is a pretty typical menu for a summer barbecue, but I promise you, you’ve never tasted ribs or coleslaw like this.

There are a few secret ingredients, which make these ribs so amazing.  No brown sugar! Replaced by hoisin sauce.  Who knew!  And the coleslaw is something you will crave every time you barbecue…perfect accompaniment for any al fresco party.

There is no better time to entertain and enjoy the beautiful warm evenings than the start of summer.  So let’s get cooking together!

SANDY’S BEST BARBECUE RIBS

The key to these amazing ribs is that I bake not BBQ them in advance until they are very tender and almost falling off the bone.  Then, I grill them quickly to get the good smoky flavor without burning them to a crisp. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 lbs baby back ribs or St. Louis ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Sandy’s famous BBQ sauce, recipe below

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a sheet with aluminum foil.  Place ribs on the sheet plan meat side up and sprinkle then with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Pour the BBQ sauce generously on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours for baby backs and 1 3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.  As soon as the ribs come out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce.  Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.  About 40 minutes before you want to serve, heat a charcoal grill with a layer of hot coals or heat a gas grill to medium high heat.  After the charcoal turns gray, brush the cooking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs side down, put the lid on top and grill for 5 minutes.  Turn the rib meat side down, put the lid back on and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes.

Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra Sandy’s BBQ sauce on the side.

SANDY’S FAMOUS BBQ SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 cup Chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 cup Tomato Paste
• 1 cup Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup Honey
• 1 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in large saucepan over low heat, add the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.

SANDY’S FAMOUS COLESLAW

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 cups chopped shredded red and green cabbage
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 2 cups Miracle Whip
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

DIRECTIONS:

Toss the cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Then mix salad dressing, sugar, horseradish, dry mustard, white pepper, salt, garlic power and celery seeds in a bowl. Add to the cabbage mixture and mix well. Chill and cover until serving time.

DON’T FORGET THE NAPKINS!

HAPPY EATING!

Sandy Keedy, President and Creative Director

“If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters very much.” This famous quote from Jackie Kennedy is definitely relevant this Mother’s Day weekend, as many of us reflect on our relationships with mom as well as the unbridled joy and yes, the challenges of raising our own children. Mothers are our strongest and most emotional connection to the world — they nurture us through the tender years of childhood, offer support and encouragement through the roller coaster of adolescence and give us the wings to fly.

On a very personal note, I want to thank my own mother, Marti, who has always been a source of tremendous strength and resolve in extremely difficult times, especially when I lost my dad. She was always there for me and the invaluable lessons I learned from her have invariably shaped my relationship with two of the greatest loves of my life, my son and daughter. Nicole is a smart, beautiful woman and being an adoring grammy to her young daughter Gabriella has brought me incredible happiness. For Jonathan, who just finished his freshman year at Boston College and who was at the marathon right before the horrific bombings, the fear of that day was so intense, I just prayed and hoped and knew you would be safe — and you were. My children are grown, but know my love for you grows with each passing day, and to my own mother, thank you for everything. And to all the moms out there who balance family, career and everything in-between, Happy Mother’s Day!

Sandy Keedy, President and Creative Director

We all have our favorite brands of coffee, jeans and even social media, but lately, there has been a dramatic shift in the business world. Consumers are being exposed to a new generation of exciting brands and as a result, many are abandoning established companies with heritage and history. Believe it or not, popular brands people normally gravitate to are now considered baggage, with tired or tainted products they no longer feel compelled to purchase. For now, it looks like Clean Slate Brands are the new ‘IT’ for marketing.

It may seem surprising that consumers are drawn to unproven and unknown brands, but there are several notable factors motivating this trend. For example, Clean Slate Brands are newer, better, faster, cleaner, more open and responsive, and consumers are increasingly shifting their attention and valuable dollars in their direction. Today’s society is driven by a desire for new, which for many of us, truly means better, plus, there is a growing distrust of big business. It’s also important to consider the other meaningful forces driving this trend — personal recommendations from family and friends, the appeal of ‘new business values’ that emphasize higher environmental, ethical and social standards, as well as practices that are more transparent. Clean Slate Brands are especially well versed in social media and they connect with consumers in a way that older brands often struggle to achieve. Let’s face it, the business world is changing at a dizzying pace and it looks like the upstarts are making waves where it counts — in our hearts, minds and wallets.

Sandy Keedy, President and Creative Director