Thursday, May 24, 2012

On vacation.........GUEST Post & FREE Giveaway!

Hey y'all......Doug & I have been away this week, down in Southern Indiana (Madison, to be exact) celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary.
So, I've asked a fellow blogger and friend to guest post here today.  Ginny is also helping me announce my next FREE cookbook giveaway, so be sure to read through this post and I do look forward to some great new recipes being sent my way!

~Summertime blessings,
Shelly


Summertime Grilling
by Ginny Marie


Last weekend was the first time—the first time we turned on the air conditioning. The temperatures soared to 90 degrees, which is unusual for May in Chicago. But even though we turned on the air to keep the house comfortable,  it didn't feel so hot outside since the humidity was low. Just wait 'til August; when the humidity soars along with the temperatures, that's Chicago in the summertime.

When temperatures get hot outside, I don't like to heat up the kitchen while cooking dinner. So instead, I fire up our grill. Oh, I just love to grill! I suppose most people think of the man of the house as being one who grills, but in this house, Mom grills.

There are so many things I love about grilling! The beautiful grill marks on our meats, veggies and even fruits. The lack of pots and pans to wash after dinner. The way the kitchen stays cool in the summer.



Beyond the usual hamburgers and hot dogs, I grill chicken breasts and pork chops. I love using cedar planks soaked in water to grill salmon. And there's nothing like roasting zucchini and peppers on the grill! I've heard that grilling fruit is fun, and really brings out the flavor and sweetness of fruit. I'd love to try my hand at grilling some pineapple this summer.

What is your favorite food to grill? Have you tried grilling fruit before? I'd love to read your grilling tips! 

Submit your favorite summertime recipes and you can enter to win a FREE “Backyard Entertaining, Great Tips for Grilling” Cookbook illustrated by Debbie Mumm!! 

This cookbook is 223 pages, spiral bound.  Recipes are included for:  Salads and Sides, Steaks, Chops & More, Burgers, Chicken, Fish & Shellfish, Sauces and Marinades and what cookbook doesn't include desserts!??! 



Rules are soooooo simple!  Each recipe submitted will earn you ONE entry for the giveaway, so you may submit as many recipes as you wish! 

ALL entrants MUST live in the continental United States.

Winner will be drawn on Father’s Day, which is June 17th, 2012.  That gives you (and your friends!) plenty of time to enter.  Good luck!!

Ginny Marie blogs about becoming a mother after breast cancer on her blog, Lemon Drop Pie. She occasionally lets her husband man the grill.
Posted by Unknown at 1:13 PM
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14 comments:

  1. Ginny MarieMay 24, 2012 at 2:18 PM

    Thanks for having me as a guest, Shelly! Happy Anniversary!

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    1. PalomaMay 24, 2012 at 5:03 PM

      Great post Ginny! I love reading anything you write! I love grilled stuff too! (and I die for zucchini!) In Mexico we are always grilling out (and hamburgers and hot dogs aren't the common thing to grill) so when I came to USA and hubby said "we are grilling tonight" he was getting ready with hamburger buns while I was marinading chicken and meat inside... we both laughed when we realized we weren't talking about the same thing! LOL!

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    2. Ginny MarieMay 24, 2012 at 5:29 PM

      That is too funny, Paloma! Thanks for sharing that story!

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  2. Ginny MarieMay 24, 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Here's an easy recipe for the grill: I dice some potatoes, sprinkle some olive oil and seasoned salt on top and stir together (you could use whatever seasoning you prefer) and then I wrap it up in heavy duty aluminum foil. Cook in a 400 degree grill for about 30 minutes, turning over halfway though cooking time. These potatoes make a great side dish!

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    1. UnknownMay 25, 2012 at 6:14 AM

      Mmmmm...love potatoes...any way, and day! Will have to try these.

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  3. OneMommyMay 24, 2012 at 5:53 PM

    Love summer time grilling!!
    I haven't gotten too creative yet with the grill... I do love doing chicken kabobs with fresh veggies! :)

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    1. UnknownMay 25, 2012 at 6:28 AM

      I just LOVE kabobs too, OneMommy. Though I've been doing it wrong, as another person here commented that the cooking time is different for meat vs. vegi's. We're going to be grilling out next weekend as it's hubby's birthday so keep those ideas coming, people!! I'm sure to use some of these!

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  4. DebMay 24, 2012 at 6:22 PM

    We like to grill kabobs in the summer, especially when we have fresh veggies from our garden.

    But we do our kabobs slightly different ~ since the meat requires more grilling time than the veggies, and even different veggies require more/less grilling time, we make our kabobs on sticks with just one ingredient each. So we'll put the meat (usually cubed steak) together on 2 or 3 kabobs, onions on a different kabob(s), peppers (bell, jalapeno, poblano, etc.) on another kabob(s), fresh mushrooms on another kabob(s), cherry tomatoes on another kabob(s), and even zucchini on another kabob(s).

    I like to melt some butter and then stir in some italian salad dressing or fresh lime juice to use as a baste for the meat and veggies. We put the kabobs on the grill based on the length of cooking time ~ meat kabobs first (as they take the longest to cook), onions next, peppers next, zucchini, then mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes last (as they take the shortest amount of time to cook.

    We baste and turn each kabob two or three times. After the kabobs are finished cooking, we remove them from the grill and put them on a cookie sheet. Using a fork, we remove the meat and veggies from their respective kabobs and put them into separate bowls.

    Then we add some cooked brown rice as a side dish, dish up our plates, and dig in! This way, each person can help themselves to the type and amount of veggies that they like best...because not everyone in our family likes to eat mushrooms, or tomatoes, or poblanos. And the mushrooms and tomatoes don't get overcooked while you're waiting for the meat to get done = )

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    1. UnknownMay 25, 2012 at 6:30 AM

      Deb...thank you for posting this very helpful info! I have always threaded (small chunks) of meat WITH the vegi's on the same skewer!! Now that I know better, we'll do differently from now on. You guys are making me hungry..lol!

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  5. Shari Lynne @ www.faithfilledfoodformoms.comMay 25, 2012 at 6:05 AM

    Great post Ginny! Hi Shelly and Happy Anniversary!!

    I'm kind of boring because I do the same little recipe all the time but it's fresh minced garlic or garlic salt in melted butter. Then I just brush on everytime I turn anything over. The other thing is that I use alot of Toshidas Terriaki Sauce :)

    I LOVE TO GRILL and I grill everything!! It's my fave!

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    1. UnknownMay 25, 2012 at 6:26 AM

      HI Shari Lynne...thanks for dropping by! I've never tried your secret sauce...lol! May have to look it up in the grocery store next time I'm there.

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  6. UnknownMay 25, 2012 at 5:50 PM

    Alas, but I can't grill anything. Great post though

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    1. UnknownMay 28, 2012 at 4:57 PM

      Thanks for popping in and reading & commenting, Donna!

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  7. Wilmette ac repairJune 11, 2012 at 4:02 AM

    thanks for dropping by! I've never tried your secret sauce...lol! May have to look it up in the grocery store next time I'm there.

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