Christmas Ribs

Yesterday (and today) I celebrated with my favorite meal - RIBS. With a side of baked beans.

And not even cooked in a BBQ pit or on a grill. For the second time in 2019 I bought Kingsford fully-cooked ribs right off the shelf of the grocery store. They are delicious.

I was attracted to the brand because of their charcoal. Kingsford was my choice when I used a Weber kettle back in Illinois. The kettle didn't fit in the car when I moved from Woodstock to Columbia, S.C. in 2014, and it found a new home there.

I highly recommend these ribs. Ripping open the packaging is a lot faster than skinning a slab of ribs and then nursing them over a bed of coals and slapping on the sauce generously while they are cooking.

There were instructions somewhere on the packaging for heating them in the oven, but this year I couldn't wait, so I enjoyed them cold.

We Philpott kids were required to "shine the bone", before we could have the next one. And I do that to this day. It looks pretty strange to others at the table, especially in a restaurant, when I sit there, sleeves rolled up, bib on, and scrape my teeth on the bone until it is c-l-e-a-n.

Dad had a three-sided brick pit, and he'd start the fire hours ahead of time, so that the wood could burn down to a bed of coals. Then he'd cook the ribs slowly for 3-4 hours, dabbing on Mom's special BBQ sauce. There was no such thing as a basting brush. I don't remember how he made it, but it was something like strips of cloth tied to a short round handle.

Every once in a while a side of ribs would get away from him, when he was flipping it over. Dad would just brush off the dirt, throw the ribs back on the grill, and brush on more sauce. No one ever knew the difference.

I doubt I'll ever return to cooking ribs over an open fire. These Kingsford ribs are just too good. And easy.

About our sister, Clellie

Today would have been Clellie's 89th birthday. She was born December 16, 1930.

I often think about the family home at 550 Warder Avenue in University City, Mo. It was a 3-bedroom, 1½-bath, brick house, and it was home to Mom, Dad and us four kids. Mom and Dad had their room; Clellie had hers; and Betsy, Jim and I had the bigger bedroom that opened onto a two-story screened porch.

This photo was taken in 2017, when I was in U. City for my 50th high-school reunion. The ol' house looks a little different now. The screened porch is no longer two-story enclosed.

Clellie had a Jeep and loved to tear about Clayton  She was strong and independent. Lots of good memories about her.

For years we exchanged a "money" gift envelope at Christmas. She gave it to me in 1951, and I saved it and gave it back to her in 1952. And then she gave it back to me in 1953. And back and forth it went every year, without interruption. We exchanged it right through December 2017.

Clellie went on her way on August 15, 2018. I just looked th. rough a box of picture that came my way after the memorial service. So glad to have them. I miss you, Clellie.