One day this week I found myself sitting barefoot on the front porch beside one of my grandsons. We were “painting” on the pavement with sponge brushes and a bowl of water. Seated under the shade of the porch’s covering, we were enjoying the beauty of Continue reading “Summertime Blessings”
Category: grilling
Fun Things Friday
Happy Good Friday!
I thought I’d give you some updates on what I’ve been doing recently!
Let’s start with some music!
What I’m singing – Jesus Thank you.
Without Good Friday there would be no Easter! We are saddened by Christ’s crucifixion, but yet it was His purpose in coming to earth. He came to die. Isn’t that sobering? Wow. How wonderful to have a Savior Who loved us so much that He would knowingly give His life so we could have a relationship with Him and live with Him forever in heaven. Without it we would be lost in our sin! Continue reading “Fun Things Friday”
Grilled Hobo Packets
A favorite summer meal of mine is cooked on the grill, but doesn’t require constant attention, which is great on these hot July days!
These Hobo Packets are easy to assemble and don’t take long to cook. This is another great 30-minute supper! Hobo Packets are simple a foil pouch filled with kielbasa, potatoes, onions and peppers. They are seasoned and then rolled up to cook on the grill. The grill gives everything a great flavor and you’re not heating up the kitchen!
There are a few key instructions to ensure the cook evenly without burning.
- First, use heavy-duty foil. Then spray the foil with a cooking spray.
- Another important reminder is to slice the potatoes thinly, so they will cook in the same amount of time as the kielbasa and vegetables.
You could vary the ingredients in the packets. I’ve added corn on the cob, cut into small pieces, and that is a delicious addition! Get creative and enjoy a great meal cooked in individual portions outside on the grill!
Here are a couple video clips that may help:
Hobo Packets
1 package Turkey Kielbasa, chopped into pieces
2-3 potoates, any variety, sliced into eighths
½ Red Onion
Yellow and red peppers, sliced
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
This will make two hearty portions, or you could use less meat in each packet and make four servings, adding more vegetables.
Spray 2-4 sheets of foil with cooking spray. Layer Kielbasa and vegetables on foil. Add salt and pepper over top, sprinkle with Olive oil. Fold foil over and secure sides. Place on the grill over medium high heat. Turn a quarter turn every ten minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, test the potatoes for doneness.
Open packets onto plates and enjoy!
I served my packets with a cucumber salad, which is also a refreshing summer salad. Here’s how I make it:
Cucumber Salad
Cucumbers, diced into bite-size pieces
Chopped chives or green onions, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Sour Cream
Add cucumbers, chives and salt and pepper. Add enough sour cream to cover cucumbers. The moisture from the cucumber will thin out the sour cream, so start by adding a small amount and add more if needed.
All this meal needs is a patio and a summer breeze! Enjoy!
From my country grill,
Individual Berry Cobblers & What We Really Eat
Happy Monday! First let me start with sharing a new recipe that I made as a special treat for my cobbler-loving husband! If you need a treat for Fourth of July these would be perfect. You can make one, or you can multiply the recipe to make as many as you need. These are Berry Cobblers, served in individual ramekins, making them a perfect size and also easy to serve!
I found the recipe here on this site. They were so easy to pull together, and with no sugar added to the fruit, I think they’re a really healthy little dessert, well, maybe the ice cream added some fat and calories, but you can’t eat cobbler without ice cream!
Individual Berry Cobblers
Ingredients
- NOTE: These directions are per each serving so multiply it by how many servings you plan to make.
- ½ cup berries or fruit of choice
- 2 tbsp oatmeal
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, slightly packed
- 1½ tbsp softened butter
- pinch of salt
- pinch of baking soda
- a couple drops of vanilla
Instructions –
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place berries/fruit In a ramekin or other small baking dish
In a separate bowl, Mix all other ingredients….oatmeal, flour, sugar, butter, salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Use your hand or a fork to make sure all ingredients are incorporated well.
Sprinkle oatmeal mixture evenly over berries/fruit.
Place ramekin on a baking dish (just in case it boils over a little bit) and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until topping is beginning to brown.
Do you ever look at people’s You Tube videos of their food and wonder if they really eat? I mean, sometimes it’s more about the tableware and presentation than the food. To me, the most important part of mealtime is the food! We really enjoy our food over here and I want it to be delicious and pretty – not just pretty!
So, I’m going to close today by giving you a little look at my plates from this past week so you can see what we really ate.
Here’s a real look at our meals:
I don’t just take pictures of pretty food – we eat real meals every day at home. Presentation is part of that, but also good food, prepared and cooked at home to nourish body and soul! Also the time at the table, sitting and talking as we eat, sip on glasses of tea, or nibble on sweet treats like this berry cobbler! Meal time is a huge part of family time. Let’s make dinner delicious, nourishing, pretty and memorable!
What have you made this week that your family loved?
From my country kitchen,
(L)Oven Monday – Grilled Chicken With Strawberry Salsa
Everything about the recipe I’m going to share with you today is just right. Grilled chicken with crispy, charred edges and flavorful strawberry salsa on top – it’s just perfect! This was one of the new recipes I found while culling through magazines for inspiration for my menu last week. This one did not disappoint! This is from Kraft foods. The only tweak I made was that I didn’t purchase a vinaigrette; I made my own, and the recipe will follow.
Now on to that gorgeous chicken!
Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Vinaigrette
1/2 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.)
2 cups small strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Pour 1/4 cup dressing over chicken in shallow dish; turn to evenly coat both sides of each breast with dressing. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate. Meanwhile, combine strawberries and remaining dressing. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Grill chicken 6 to 8 min. on each side or until done (165ºF).
Transfer chicken to platter; sprinkle with cheese and basil. Serve with strawberry salsa.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional* (See Cook’s Note)
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- 3/4 cup olive oil.
Mix well in jar. Refrigerate leftover dressing.
Get a good meat thermometer to check the chicken to see that it’s cooked properly. If the breasts are thick, butterflying them will help reduce the cooking time.
I love grilling! Everything just tastes better with the added flavor and the charred ridges! Mmm! Any other grill fans out there?
Enjoy!
RefreshHer 