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Fellow Rebels, I generally celebrate the birth of the USA with good barbecue; and this year I thought I'd slap together a photo-diary of my process for really basic spareribs. This "recipe" is about as stripped down as it gets, and I think it makes a great platform from which you can begin to tinker and make this recipe your own. These are not Paleo or fashioned to any other eating plan--this is just good ol' American comfort food smoked out under the open sky. Part 1 First you'll need some ribs. We buy in bulk when they're on sale and then freeze them for later use. This pair has been thawing for a day and is ready to prep. You'll also need a workspace: The large poly cutting board makes for a great prep surface, and it cleans up very easily. The towel underneath catches any drips and keeps the board nice and stable while you're working--just make sure to send it straight to the laundry after you've finished with the ribs. A sharp knife is an absolute must, and I like my chef's knife for almost all large kitchen work. Lastly, I keep my offhand covered with a nitrile glove so I can strip it and have clean hands in a pinch. Before making a meaty mess, we'll prepare the rub: I start with Meathead's Memphis Dust, which is pretty much my go-to base for all pork barbecue. I recommend following his recipe exactly for your first time out, then you can experiment to your own tastes and develop some personal "style". I mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then use a paper plate to transfer them to my mason jar: A custom perforated lid can be swapped in to make a dandy shaker. This helps with uniform application of the rub. That jar will last an entire summer, and I make a lot of pork barbecue. It's fantastic on chicken, too. With the rub complete, we can finally turn our attention to the meat: This is a full untrimmed sparerib, removed from cryo-storage and patted dry with paper towels. In fact, this is the first one I've seen with the breastbone still attached. It seems that the packers are cutting corners to help keep costs down, which is fine by me--I enjoy making my own food. Still, this isn't (yet) suitable for the smoker; we need to do some trimming: From the backside of the rack I make three cuts. First I rock the knife down the edge of the breastbone to section it off. Second, I trim any loose or overhanging meat from the near end. Finally, I raise the flap of meat running across the bones and shave it off to level the rear surface. With the cuts made, the rack is beginning to take shape: There is a membrane of connective tissue that covers part of the rear surface. I leave it intact until after the rack is completely trimmed, it keeps the whole thing easier to deal with. Now, we turn the rack over and make the last cuts: There's a line of fat that pretty much shows you where to cut. Rock the knife down this line to section off the tips. Finally, look at the far end where the meat tapers slightly and the bones are smaller, and if necessary trim a small section to square up the end and remove any bits with bones that are too small to be useful in eating. Bravo! You now have a St. Louis cut sparerib: By the way, see that pan in the upper corner? You didn't think we were going to throw all of those trimmings away, did you? The final step to prepare the rack for seasoning is to remove the membrane on the back side: I usually just work my fingers gently under until I can grab a large section with a paper towel, then I give a steady pull until it all comes off. Some folks like to work a table knife under to get it started, but I can never seem to do that without damaging the structure beneath. Slow and steady works fine for me: There we are--all prepared for seasoning. If you've already looked at the recipe for Memphis Dust, you'll have noticed that there's no salt in it; and maybe you'll even have read Meathead's explanation thereof. Now is the time for salt, and you want to be careful not to over-season the meat. The size and weight of a full rack can fool you in to thinking it needs more salt than it actually does, but the meat is actually relatively thin and there's a lot of surface area here. When applying salt think "steak," not "roast;" and be sure to hit both sides. At this stage some folks like to follow the salt with a light coat of oil or mustard. The claim is that it helps the rub stick (true) and adds flavor (also true). I've done it both ways in the past, and honestly it's more work than it's worth to me. Feel free to experiment, though; it's your food. Generally, I skip any bonding coats and just go straight to the rub: Shake (or sprinkle) the rub on evenly, and don't overdo it. A light coating will add plenty of flavor and develop a nice crust while still allowing the smoke to penetrate. From here they're ready to go straight to your smoker, or you can wrap them up and refrigerate over night to really absorb the rub and perfume the meat with the spices: Now we can turn our attention to the trimmings: That pan is full of what's left after prepping only two racks. There's a lot of good stuff there, and even the inedible bits will contribute flavor and texture. So I season and rub them up just like the ribs: The same light coat of rub will flavor the meat, and more importantly it will begin to form the base of our sauce! You heard what I said: All of the seasoned and rubbed trimmings go in to the slow-cooker on high. It will take about four hours for these to render and turn tender, and when they're finished you'll be left with a mass of pork and about a quart of luscious drippings loaded with gelatin. We'll see these in Part 2...

It still feels like everything is moving so fast! Hard to keep up with making my challenges! However I am doing my best to kickass and bring myself into good habits, good routines and of course, good on leveling up! NOTHING CAN'T STOP THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE OF UNSTOPPABLE AWESOMENESS THAT I AM!!! I began studying in the way of awesome heroics over a year and a half ago and introduce myself to my class in From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel! Not only that, but I often keep detailed reports and status on the villains that plague my journey to fitness and my progress towards becoming a professional hero in BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness. The latest battle I have faced was challenging and filled with foes that dare stand in the path of justice, a battle that I have titled BlackTezca's 13th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon PUNCHES THIS CHALLENGE IN THE FACE!!!! And I have kicked that challenge in the ass and now have moved forward and his the next level of PLUS ULTRA in my very Hero Academia challenge!! As you may have guessed (or bit smacked in the face with), I have chosen My Hero Academia as the theme of the challenge! I know there have been a bit of a deluge of super hero shows and movies, but I can never get really burnt out or tired of it due to the love I have for such genres and topics. While One Punch Man is a bit of a loving parody and homage to the all powerful hero, it's clear that the world is mostly inhabited with normal human beings and a very special few with powers (or money) go through a intense process to become a pro. Hero Academia has a major difference; everyone else has some kind of powers. Instead of mutants being rare, being quirkless is a rarity, not just a rarity, but also seen as a disability. Sure, to be a pro hero, you need to have dedication and somewhat useful powers (as well as wanting to be a hero and the best heroes tend to have the best powers), but everyone has powers. Everyone can become a hero with enough dedication...unless you're quirkless. Not that it would stop Batman. Or the main hero, Izuku Midoriya, who doesn't have money and a name as an advantage. He has everything else, dedication, intelligence and the most important trait of being hero...the one thing all the best heroes, that the BEST hero, All Might has... His first instinct is to help. Even if it terrifies him, if someone is in trouble, he can't just sit there. He runs into danger, even knowing that it could kill or injure him. That is one of the first lessons of Hero Academia; true heroes have the innate need to help. Which I think is very important for all of us. If I have the will, the need, to succeed, to level up, to follow my main quest; then I can achieve it, no matter what the odds. And we all know what my main quest is... My Main Quest to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Now that we have the introduction out of the way, let go to the quests! Each one inspired by the awesome characters in My Hero Academia and cover more smaller things I need to build up on in my life! Izuku Midoriya has the dedication study AND work out to be a hero! Details: Keeping things simple here! Izuku had a to pretty much transform his buddy to handle heroics as well as a very awesome gift. My body is transforming, but for different reasons and having a lot of workouts is getting tough again. However, I want to stay with good habits, so I'm just gonna make sure to get 4 to 5 days of workouts in! Similar to a previous challenge, but also making sure I don't go over FIVE days of workouts cause recovery time is now...very, very important. Contingencies: Sickness and travel pretty much. However considering the flexibility here, I should be able to do something! Walking, yoga, etc! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for working out 4 to 5 times a week (ONLY) - 25 pts ( 2 Sta 2 Dex 2 Str ) B for working out 2 to 3 times a week - 20 pts ( 1 Sta 1 Dex 2 Str ) F for all else Ochako Uraraka needs to stay down to Earth Details: A adorable student hero who easily becomes Izuku friend (and love interest), Ochako has the power to alter her own gravity as well as that of objects or other people. She is kind-hearted, sweet, and becomes a hero to not only do good, but also support her family and not end up in the same career and culture they are in. I have done that as well, but would like to come back to my roots a bit using DuoLingo to practice Spanish just a little bit a day. Contingencies: None really. Just need internet!Tracking: Tracking to be done here and on the DuoLingo app!Grading: A for 10 minutes (about 2 lessons) for 25 to 28 days - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 2 Cha )B for 10 minutes (about 2 lessons) for 22 to 24 days - 15 exp ( 2 Cha ) C for 10 minutes (about 2 lessons) for 19 to 21 days - 10 exp ( 1 Cha ) F for all else All Might is the BEST HERO THERE IS...and needs to take better care of himself! Details: All Might is...awesome. He is the best. What I love about him is that he is essentially the CLASSIC western super hero. All Might is Golden Age Superman, Captain America, those strictly good heroes with awesome powers from my fathers' or even grandfathers' youth. He truly has a heart of gold and well deserves the title of the TOP hero. EVER. Unfortunately, a horrible battle with a villain has left him with a severe condition that he has yet to fully accept, causing him to push his body to PLUS ULTRA levels and beyond when he shouldn't. Though this could be switch with Izuku quest, since All Might is focusing on what to do best for myself, I'm using this quest as a reminder to take some very important vitamins to keep myself and the clone healthy and not to forget. Or else I may face a severe condition (or not...just craving a ton of calcium). I need to keep up my Calcium and Pre-natal vitamin intake! Contingencies: Well...I need to refill the prescription as well as make sure I bring vitamins on trips so I don't forget them.Tracking: Tracking to be done here pretty much and MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) using the notes sectionGrading: A for Calcium + Prenatal for 25 to 28 days - 20 exp ( 3 Con )B for Calcium + Prenatal for 22 to 24 days - 15 exp ( 2 Con ) C for Calcium + Prenatal for 19 to 21 days - 10 exp ( 1 Con ) F for all else Katsuki Bakugō really needs to think outside of the box and be more chill Details: Bakugo is in fact a talented young man with an impressive quirk. He is dedicated to his ambition and wants to be the best. Not only but he does work towards it; get the best grades to go to the best school and train under the best teachers to become the best. He has one tiny teeny problem...he's a raging asshole. The issue is that while I firmly believe ambition is not evil, he also believes he is the best. Being told by teachers, friends, parents how awesome he is. It gave him blinders to his flaws. Luckily for him is that one he realized that no, no no, he's not the best (yet) and really needs to stop raging and calm down, is when he finally starts to act like the hero he desperately wants to be. How he ties to this quest is loosely, but one of things I have been noting is the putting of something to barely spend time on something else, even though I find both relaxing. I am talented in the skill in a few ways but I am also letting rot a bit. Also my hubs has been poking and prodding me to get to doing some model painting and I desperately want to do art as well. So Bakugo, as unlikely as he is, is my art quest! Contingencies: The usual! Friends being in town, going on possible trips else where, etc. Need to focus on painting! Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track. Grading: A for Arting (model painting mostly) at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 20 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Cha )B for Arting (model painting mostly) at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha) F for all else Tenya Iida is the ever vigilant, ever studious, ever dependable hero! Details: Though it's Fall now, there is still always time to clean and do chores!...Ugh. However, Iida is an awesome student hero who's a stickler for rules and because of that and his speed, is the one of the most dependable in a sticky situation. Since the clone will be arriving sometime, I think it times to build good house chore habits. Nothing too long and nothing too hard, just doing one chore, five days a week. Cleaning after animals, vacuuming, dishes, and taking out trash all count! And I'm giving myself two days of a break a week! Still this must be done! Contingencies: Nothing really except for when I am not home. So I'll have to give allowances for any trips that take more than 2 days.Tracking: Tracking to be done here pretty much! Unless there is a cool other app for chores Grading: A for one chore 5 to 7 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Sta )B for one chore 3 to 4 days a week - 10 exp ( 1 Wis ) F for all else That is it for the quest! Now time for a super embarassing awesome gif photo of my growing symbiotic lifeform muscles!! Holy crap this was a large file so I had to put it up elsewhere to link it for this challenge!! Oh man the clone habitat has grown! But my arms are looking good :D. The stage is set! The photos are up and now its' time to become a hero! Or at least do things I should be doing more of and leveling up my life!! I hope ya'll have as much with your challenges as I hope to have with this one! Go become heroes everyone!! PLUS ULTRA!!! *** ***Awesome Summaries Index*** Week 1 Summary Week 2 Summary Week 3 Summary Week 4 Summary Challenge Summary

Hi all, I'm currently in the process of trying to expand on my training plan that is a little bit basic and I'm turning to you all for suggestions. At the moment, my general workout is some variant of the following: - 1km warm up run, 2km fast row, 10km cycle - 1km warm up run, 5km fast row (as much as is possible), 5km cycle - 1km run, 8km interval training row (3min slow, 1 min fast), 5km cycle. I try to do this 4/5 times a week and all are on indoor machines with the run outdoors on the way to the gym. So I guess what I'm looking to do is add a bit of variety to my training. To be honest I actually don't mind doing moment as I enjoy the rowing and I am getting some really good results. It feels like a good mix of cardio which I love and strength training which I suck at. I also enjoy running but that is off the menu for anything longer then 1km due to injury. I guess I am just looking to step it up a little and avoid getting bored in the future. I know the first suggestions from everyone is to be to get on the free weights. Whilst I don't mine doing that, I am still new to them and am looking to add just a few small exercises to complement what I am doing for now. I can add more later. My other question is: is there any particular muscle groups I should be working on to complement my rowing? From what I understand and from what I have seen, it is a pretty even process but it can't hurt to ask. Anyway, thanks in advance for your help

Hey all! Life has been kicking my butt again and causing me to give up on lots of my goals. I've had enough hospitals and illnesses and it's time to battle myself and get back on track. I will not be scoring myself this round as I beat myself up too much about the ratings and that's not my goal. Instead I will be keeping track with a spreadsheet. I will share it here weekly and will write down my successes and failure daily. I also track on myfitnesspal and fitbit so those are huge helps. Goal 1: Take vitamins and supplements daily. I've been so relaxed on this and I now feel sluggish and tired all the time again. Goal 2: Drink more water. Seriously, I can't seem to make this a routine to get enough water. A minimum of 6 cups of water a day and one cup of tea. Goal 3: Eat healthy. I'm not going to make it harder than it needs to be but the take out ends, the junk food leaves, it's all over. Summer is long over birthdays are over I have no excuses. I need to eat healthy foods all day long. Goal 4: I am adding a fourth goal because It's busy season around here. My business is busy, my husband is busy at work and kids are loaded with activities. I just didn't schedule any activities for myself so I have to move my body 3x a week. Doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to cost money but it does have to get my heart rate up, make me sweat or relieve the cramps of sitting. If anyone wants to join, we have been doing challenges on the fitbit recently that have been a good way to get moving a bit more than may have happened otherwise. Feel free to message me your username, I'll friend you and add you to the challenges. Also looking for friends on myfitnesspal who will help keep me accountable with my food and water intake.

Last challenge I decided to stop doing what I thought I should, and just do what I enjoy and love. After my surgery, I have to start over with a lot of things, and being back with J and healthy again, means a lot of things have changed recently...and I need to go back to basics and build my castle the way that works for me, rather than how someone's else's castle is built, from the ground up. My things that I enjoy: 1. Yoga (but I have realized that in order to "do" yoga, I need the perfect surrounding space...which makes me not "do" it.) 2. Reading 3. Cleaning and organizing and decorating my house (but I can't get the process started on my own...stupid Executive Functioning!!! grrrr! so I never actually do it either) 4. Climbing, jumping, running, generally acting like a child outdoors (I don't ever do this either, because I'm afraid of hurting myself mostly, and trying to get someone to do it with me is like pulling teeth around here and I don't like going alone, so I dont do this either) 5. the beach 6. Quiet (which is more of a need than a want, but I have teenagers, so you can imagine how much I get of it) 7. Cold weather (and I live in Florida...grrrrr) 8. Not having to worry about money (hahahahahahaha like this EVER happens ) 9. Helping people 10. Games (video, computer, board games etc.) 11. Making things colorful (decorating them, coloring them, crafts...whatever, I love looking around me and seeing lots of color) 12. Learning new things (which I am not sure why I shy away from this so much...fear of failure is the only thing I can guess, because I really love learning in general) Goal 1: Practice at least ONE video from MyYogaPro every day (the videos vary in length and can be as little as one pose length, so doing one per day is not difficult, but it will get me started back on my "doing yoga" path) A: All of the yoga all of the days! B:36/42 C:30/42 D:24/42 Fail: Less then 4 days/week! Goal 2: Do the Mutant Money Makeover PvE to tackle the dreaded money problems. Bonus: I had already set up a meeting with a Dave Ramsey Certified Financial Planner and our meeting is July 9th...so that will make me stick with this even more (I hope) Complete each assignment each week and stick to my budget. 6/6: A 4-5/6: B 3/6: C 2/6: D 1/6: F Goal 3: Biggest Loser 3.0 which will involve changing my food and exercise too. Lose weight and complete weekly challenge: A Lose weight or complete challenge only: C Neither: F Goal 4: More Organizing/Decorating/Cleaning a la Flylady Do my morning and evening routine and daily mission every day A: All of the cleaning all of the days! B:36/42 C:30/42 D:24/42 Fail: Less then 4 days/week!

I've been making great strides at developing new habits, make great changes and evolving into a better me. After a short break from the forums and challenges I'm so ready to jump back in I previously sucked at updating these so I'd love to be held accountable to checking in often, as I love the community. My end of year summer goal is to lose 20lbs. I would like to achieve this at the very latest of September 15. I want to do this on my own, no relying on other people to help me. In case the scale doesn't move, my ultimate goal is to lose my belly fat which exists due to pregnancy and surgery. I want to erase the physical evidence of my illnesses and regain my confidence. I have a wonderful fitbit that is helping me track my efforts, I've been doing much better than the beginning of the year at being more active, and I've tried a ton of new foods or ways of eating foods that I never would have before. So I guess the How! 1 - Limit my sugar intake. I can have sugar but not often and preferably in healthier forms such as honey or stevia. This should allow me enough flexibility that I could take my kids for iced cream or have s'mores but not have sugar control my cravings and eating habits. Ultimately I would love to keep sugar out of my regular day to day routine. 2 - Be consistently active. Right now I do yoga once I week but I want to get moving and be more active on a more regular basis. There is a running group starting that I'm hoping to join, but even just hoping to walk more, run up and down the stairs, play with the kids in the yard, anything. As a starting point it would be great to have a minimum 15 minutes of activity each day. 3 - Get dressed daily. Even if it's into yoga pants or sweats but get out of my pajamas and be ready to go or be active at all times. Create more yes opportunities and less no's for the kids by being dressed in something we could at least go to the park in each day. 4 - Spending fast. No spending on unnecessary things. No toys, no extras, no material things. We can spend on experiences though so a trip to the zoo, maybe go to the drive in, those types of things are good. This should help us clear out the house of excess items, use up what we already have and encourage us to be more active and present this summer. This does not include the previous habits I have already been doing like tracking what I eat in myfitnesspal, drinking more water, meal prepping and eating at home as much as possible. I still need to keep these up. Would love some buddies and some help so please feel free to connect! Looking very forward to this challenge!

Hi guys, Not new to exercise, but returning after a while. I am a very visual person and I need some examples of exercises I can do in my home. It's been a while, but even when I was training before I had a hard time with the list my trainer gave me because I couldn't remember the exercises. Is there a good free guide to exercises I can do in my home? Thanks ahead of time for your input! Kelli

Base Stats (if week 3 is completed) STR: 0 DEX: 3 STA: 0 CON: 2 WIS: 4 CHA: 1 Main Quest: Gain the shapeshifting skill "dog/tiger transform" (The ability to parkour-run through woods with no low branches.) This is a big quest, step 1 is to develop basic strength (arms and core) with a bit of stamina. The measurements for this will be to manage one chin-up and pull-up consistently, 2x90sec plank, and hold each side of Warrior 2 (yoga) for 2 minutes without a significant break between. Support Goals Goal 1: (STR) Do something at least 6 times a week. (push ups, dumbbell rows, squats, walk through the woods and vault fallen trees, . . . , any intent to move to approach the Main Quest.) A: at least 6 times a week B: average 5 times a week or better C: average 4 times a week D: no less than 3 times any week F: anything less Goal 2: (WIS) Hold posture. This entails sitting and standing up straight, and possibly holding abs while sitting or standing to be measured by conscious efforts or corrections. (The count will be by days, with 3 corrections/intentional efforts required to count the day.) A: at least 6 days of at least 3 corrections a day per week B: at least 6 days of at least 3 corrections a day per week on average C: at least 5 days of at least 3 corrections a day per week on average D: at least 4 days of at least 3 corrections a day per week on average F: anything less Goal 3: (STA) Play with or walk my dog more. Yes, this is stamina if done right. (Walks can double count for Goal 1) A+ BONUS: average 4 days a week A: 3 days a week B: 2 days a week C: average 2 days a week D: 1 day a week F: anything less Life Quest: (I do not know what stat) Study and register for the GRE. (reverse letter order, at cut-off) - Finish the first book - Vocabulary notepad (D) - First book practice tests - Two old book practice © - Get New library book and read ( - Those practices - Register for a date and time (A) - Online Practice tests Diet Goal: (no points) Try to eat fewer extra carbs/gluten. Basically, attempt to eat fruit or something instead of carb junk food.