My friend Herb

For all of you who don't know, my parents share a birthday. I have always thought that it was sooo cool and when I was younger I thought that you had to marry someone who had the same birthday as you, so I would always ask the boys when their birthdays were before I became friends with them. (Turns out, not that many people were born on May 3.)
Well, my dad turned 50 this year and so him and my mom went away for a little surprise trip. My siblings and I have been planning on having a surprise dinner for them when they get home today and so I have been cooking all night and morning. We are going to have some really tasty ribs, roasted potatoes, buns, salad and then for dessert, I have made a Sour Cream Chocolate and Peanut Butter cake. The recipe for which I got on the Smitten Kitchen blog that I follow.
I don't know how many of you make ribs out there, but it is a lengthy process if you want it done right. As part of the process I always boil my ribs for an hour to start the tenderization process. Now, most people just boil their ribs in water because that is what most recipes call for. However, I see this as a perfect opportunity to add some flavor. So, I decided to turn to my best friend. . . Herb! (That is what I have named my Herb Garden. . . go ahead and laugh. . . I never did quite grow up, even if I AM 30!) I had planned on having a large garden this year. I had bought the house that I did because it came with a gorgeously huge backyard and side yard that was southwest facing! This is PERFECT for garden growing! However, to make a long story short, the garden wasn't created.
I was feeling bad about the lack of garden one day, so I took the kids to a local greenhouse, and paid way too much to buy some herbs. We planted them in some nice long planter boxes, assigned the older 3 girls their own boxes to take care of, and VOILA. . . Herb was born!
So, today I decided to use some of the fruits of my labors and add some of my fresh herbs to the boiling water to infuse the ribs with more flavors. . . the smell in my house is HEAVENLY!!! And I can't wait until dinnertime when I get to taste these wonderful smelling ribs! I could write about food forever, but alas, I haven't made the BBQ sauce that will be topping these ribs yet, so I had better get on that!
So, thanks Herb! I can't wait to taste your wonderful contribution to my ribs!