Decision Decisions...

At 38.5 wks, I have mood swings.  Uncertainties.  I'm afraid, terrified, scared.  I'm also excited, of course, but TERRIFIED!!

At my OB appt today, she delightfully told me we can schedule induction for next Wednesday!  I was overcome with a sense of relief!  Maybe taking one unknown out of ALL the unknowns is comforting to me.  However when I shared this with my husband, he is more hesitant, more cautious (which is the nature of our relationship).  What exactly IS the medical reason for induction?  To be honest, I'm not sure.  I didn't ask.  I know the baby is squished in my belly, I am consistently measuring small, and today her abdomen circumference is only at ~35 weeks.  Squished or loosing weight??  That, as far as I can tell, is the only indication for scheduling this induction.  I trust my OB 100%.  My gut feeling is there should be no complications.  After all, inductions are done SO frequently now, for convenience as well as medical reasons.  BUT... I'm hoping for baby O to begin her own entry into the world before next Wednesday.

I'm hoping that she takes this decision out of my hand.

Recipe - Sticky Barbecue Ribs - Superbowl 2015

When you walk into Costco and walk out with 10 lb of pork ribs (for two), a certain level of expectation follows.  Here it is, 5lb of meat, slowly cooked in the oven for 2.5 hours, meticulously turned every 20 min for the last hour (I set a timer).  It BETTER be good!  

And it was!  The meat melts off the bone in that gratifying manner, you wish it could go straight into your mouth.  The thick sweet sticky sauce coats the meat and your fingers.  I can't wait to reheat the leftovers tonight and see if it's as good as I remembered!

Sticky Barbecue Ribs

What to Cook and How to Cook It - Jane Hornby

Preparation time: 10 min

Cooking time: 2.5 hours

Serving: 6

1 clove garlic

3 tbsp tomato puree (I used tomato paste)

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp tabsco sauce

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

18 meaty pork spare ribs, about 4.5 lbs

1. Crush garlic, put in large bowl.  Add all of the other ingredients except the ribs.  Stir together and add ribs.  Toss well in the marinade and let stand for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. 

2. Preheat oven to 350F. transfer ribs and all of their marinade into a large roasting pan, spreading out evenly.  COVER the pan tightly with foil, then bake the ribs for 1.5 hours.  Remove the foil, return ribs to oven for 1 hour more, turning them in the sauce every 20 min or so. 

3. When cooked, the ribs will be meltingly tender and coated with dark sticky sauce.