July Lake Life

I'm so tired today. But this is a good tired. We got home last night from a week at the lake with family. It was such a good week. You know having that many people in a small space for a week could have gone all Chevy Chase on us. (You've watched those National Lampoon movies, haven't you?) But it was all good. The weather was unbelievable. Here in the Deep South, July is typically hot and muggy. Miserably so. This week, though, was like magic, with low humidity and moderate temps. If you could order weather from Amazon, this would have been the week I would have added to my shopping cart!

Here's what our week included:

Swimming. Giant Jenga. Skiing. Boating. Cornhole. Scrabble. Kayaks. Farkle. Hammock. Porch sitting. Reading. Puzzles. Wading pool. 4th of July family dinner. Lots of cousins. Spot-It! Bedknobs & Broomsticks movie. Fishing. Coloring books. Morning coffee on the porch.

Peach Ice Cream. Barbecue. Low Country Boil. Hushpuppies. Lemon Pound Cake. Macaroni & Cheese. Quesadillas. Blueberry Pie. Peach Cobbler. Food Truck Pizza. Baked Rotini. Burgers. Blueberry Pancakes. S'mores. Bean Salad. Homemade Lemonade. Fresh Cucumbers. Shrimp Dip. Snow Cones. Boiled Peanuts.

Here. You can see for yourself. And don't miss the recipe at the very bottom!

The cooking was shared, so no one was burdened. I headed to the store on Tuesday to find something for dinner. No particular plan in mind. Which worked out well because I tried the food sample that day. And bought everything needed for the burgers they were demonstrating. Really easy to put together and totally delicious. It's the Thousand Island dressing that makes it special.

It's from Publix Simple Apron recipes. Because it calls for pre-made burger patties, precooked bacon and bought pimento cheese and Thousand Island dressing, it's very easy. It's really more assembly directions than a recipe. We will do this again for sure. Daddy-O grilled the burgers. Big Sister microwaved the bacon (according to package directions) and Jecca sliced the tomato and onion. Many hands make light work.

PIMENTO CHEESE BURGERS

4 ground beef patties, about 1-1/2 lb (we used pre-made ground chuck patties)
1/2 cup pimiento cheese, divided
8 slices precooked bacon
4 hamburger buns
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 lettuce leaves
8 teaspoons Thousand Island dressing, divided

Preheat grill (or grill pan). Place burgers on grill; cook 4–5 minutes on each side and until meat is 160°F. Top each burger with 2 tablespoons cheese spread during last minute of grill time, then close lid (or cover) for cheese to melt.

Microwave bacon following package instructions. Slice tomato and onion. Separate lettuce leaves.

Spread 2 teaspoons dressing over top halves of buns. Assemble each burger in this order: bottom half of bun, beef patty, bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion, and top half of bun and serve.

Makes 4

Keeping It Easy

Lemon Grilled Chicken

This week has been a "recovery" week for me. Recovery from a very busy September. Recovery from driving by myself on two long trips last week. Recovery from sinus problems. Recovery from watching too much news, It's times like these that I don't particularly want to cook. But our eating out options are limited.

We do have one very good barbecue restaurant in the closest town. We popped in there for lunch last Saturday after I got home from my trip. In addition to eating there, I brought home some of their smoky chicken salad and their Brunswick stew for us to enjoy later. That's one way for us to "eat out" without driving back into town.

But I've searched through the recipes here (check out the Recipe Index at the top of this post) for easy recipes I may have forgotten about. This lemon marinated chicken is super quick and always a hit.

The chicken does not need to be marinated all day. The original recipe said not to leave it in the lemon marinade for longer than an hour or the chicken will get mushy, but this time things happened and it was an hour and a half before it hit the grill. It was fine. Now that gives me even more flexibility. I put the extra grilled cutlets in the freezer* for later. They are great sliced on a salad. Or, chopped up and added to soup. The lemon flavor is not overwhelming. It just makes flavorful chicken.

LEMON GRILLED CHICKEN

1 cup lemon juice (I used bottled juice for ease)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6-8 boneless skinless chicken cutlets 

Whisk marinade ingredients together. Put chicken in a gallon ziplock bag. Pour marinade over chicken and let it marinate for 1 to 1-1/2 hour  in the refrigerator. (Not longer.) Remove chicken from marinade. Grill until chicken is done. Outdoor grill or grill pan—they both work.


The last time I posted this recipe, I wrote about using chicken breasts—which is fine—and pounding them to make them thinner. Using the cutlets just eliminates that step. That's my choice when I can find them. Right now I'm all about making things easier.


*Meats frozen "dry," without a sauce or gravy or broth, will not keep as long as those protected by lots of liquid in the bag with the meat. Note to self: Use this sooner rather than later.

Treasure The Moments

Sometimes I find these blog posts hard to write when the news has been full of sad, tragic events. There is something uncomfortable about telling about our lovely Labor Day weekend at our favorite spot when folks in Texas no longer have a spot at all. Homes are completely gone for so many. Or, seriously damaged for many, many others.

But I posted an Instagram photo from this weekend and a friend commented about my "capturing these moments as treasures." And it dawned on me...that is what we should all do. Help the flood victims by making a donation to the most appropriate relief agency and then treasure your own moments and store them up in your heart.

And we indeed had a family weekend filled with memory making times—kayaking on the lake, skiing, riding the "bumpity bump," the large float that is pulled behind the boat, fishing and swimming. Baby Girl had her own water time in the shade. She was just as happy in her pool as the others were in the lake. There was also the great shoe hunt. A dog had carried off a sandal that was left outside overnight. And miracle of miracles, Daddy-O found it in a neighbor's yard. And bigger miracle—it wasn't chewed up.

Thanks to an app and an iPad, Daddy-O got to enjoy watching his team play on Saturday. Our lake house is as simple as can be, which usually is just fine. No WiFi. No satellite TV. But there are times when a little high tech stuff is in order. The opening game of the season was such a moment. And his team won. Even better.

All meals for the weekend were served on the porch. There is more space there than inside. And we had perfect weather the entire time the family spent at the lake. Baby Girl asked at breakfast the first morning, "Is this the same lake I came to last time I was at the lake?" I love three year old questions. Hopefully one day she will have eaten enough meals on this porch to know this is her lake and have deep memories of good times here. She'll know this is the same lake where her Daddy-O played when he was a little boy. The same lake where her mommy and Aunt Jecca slept in those same beds.

Nights at the lake meant s'mores on the "pavilion" (that's what we call our picnic shelter.") And one night after dinner, we put life jackets on over the little girls' pajamas and we took them a moonlight cruise around our cove. 

The lake is still and quiet at night. The lights looked magical as the boat glided slowly on the water. It was obviously a holiday weekend with nearly all houses lit up around the cove.

And when we pulled back up to the dock, Little Sister led us up the hill to the lake house, lighting the way with her flashlight. I had forgotten how much fun a kid and a flashlight can have outside at night.

When the weekend was over, there were cheeks pink from the sun, blisters from the kayak paddles, a few bug bites and scrapes. All signs of weekend adventures. And we had only one near disaster when Baby Girl took a flying leap off the bed after giving her sister a hug at bedtime. A flying leap, but she didn't fly. She landed hard with a loud thud, followed by louder wailing. I picked her up and asked her what she hit. I was asking about her head, her arm or her knees. But she told me between sobs, "I hit the rug and through the rug, I hit the floor." Thankfully, there was no serious injury to her.

I'm usually in charge of keeping people fed at the lake. And I don't want to spend too much time in our tiny kitchen while everyone else is out on the porch. This easy meal is one we grilled at the lake a couple of weeks ago. It was delicious. So good, in fact, that I put the recipe on the side of the refrigerator where I keep a few favorites. I love having these handy for our lake cooking.

This is my version of a recipe from Skinny Taste. I'm sharing how I made it. You can certainly change things up a little to suit your family or to use what's in your refrigerator. Big Sister's words were, "Oh, I'd eat this again anytime." High praise from a teenager. The marinade gives the chicken flavor without being overwhelming. Keep in mind that chicken cutlets cook quickly. Be careful not to overcook.

HONEY BALSAMIC GRILLED CHICKEN w/VEGGIES

8 chicken cutlets (that was 2 packages at my store)
6 tablespoons pesto (I used Buitoni with basil)
2 cloves mince garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 red bell peppers, sliced in strips
2 medium zucchinis, sliced 1/4-inch thick
olive oil, salt and pepper, for veggies

Mix pesto, garlic, red pepper flakes and lime juice in a gallon ziplock bag. Put chicken cutlets into bag and squish everything around to coat chicken. Let chicken marinate for 1 hour to overnight.

Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and salt in a cup and set aside.

Put red pepper slices and zucchini in a bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon or two or oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix to coat all vegetables.

Using a grill pan or basket (designed for use on a grill,) cook vegetables on your grill about 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until edges get slightly browned. Don't crowd vegetables, using two pans if needed. Remove to platter when done.

Cook chicken on grill, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until done, being careful not to overcook. (Make sure your grill grates are clean and well oiled.) Put grilled chicken on platter with the vegetables and drizzle the honey balsamic dressing over everything,

~~~~~~~~~

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off.  Get the chicken in the marinade early. You can also slice the vegetables in the afternoon. Mix the dressing. And at dinner time, there is only the grilling to do. And at our house, Daddy-O is in charge of that part.

You can use the vegetables you like best for this recipe. I only had red peppers and zucchini in the lake refrigerator. An onion or some asparagus would have been nice in the mix, if I'd had any.

I cooked a packet of yellow rice to go with the chicken and veggies. Such an easy meal for lake cooking. I'm sure we'll make it again at home, too.

Goodbye, summer.

Easy...Lemony...Good

Grilled Lemon Chicken & grilled yellow squash and onions

Warm weather means cooking on the grill around here. This past weekend we tried a recipe I saw on the blog, Judy's Chickens. She shares the best things and I learn things there, too. Check it out.

 

Her recipe called for sprigs of thyme. And my herb garden is in excellent condition right now, thanks to an abundance of rain this spring. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to actually use what I grow. 

Judy's recipe is super simple. She used boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin. I bought chicken cutlets which are already thin. Basically, they are large breasts cut in half horizontally. And I still pounded them a little thinner. Remember, when you cook these very thin pieces that they cook quickly. Don't overcook!

 

Throw some lemon slices and sprigs of thyme into the bag with the chicken and pour the Everyday Dressing over the top. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for a day or two and then grill.

This was not an overly strong lemon flavor, even after two days in the refrigerator. I love that this recipe has a fairly large window of "refrigerator resting" time. Our plans can change at the drop of a hat and this gives me flexibility. The marinade added a nice flavor, but I will throw in more thyme when we do it again. Read Judy's blog for more information about how she uses this recipe to feed a crowd.

It also works well in a two person household. We had it the first night with grilled fresh-from-the-garden squash and onions. And the next day, I sliced cold chicken and paired it with salad and marinated cucumbers for a quick lunch. And for one more lunch, I split the grilled chicken horizontally, warmed it a bit in the microwave and made sandwiches with Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and a thin spread of apricot preserves. I was feeling creative. Delicious!


GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN

2 lbs chicken cutlets (I pounded them a little thinner)
1 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
fresh thyme sprigs
1 recipe Everyday Salad Dressing (recipe below)
splash of white Balsamic vinegar, optional

Place chicken in a gallon ziploc bag. Pound if you want to. Put lemon slices and thyme sprigs over chicken. Pour dressing over all. Close top and marinate in refrigerator for 1-2 days. Grill, being careful not to overcook.


The dressing recipe is from Judy, too. But I've upped the amount of garlic pepper. All recipes like this can be adjusted to suit you and your family. I love this as my regular dressing for green salad. So easy to mix up, so if you are trying to move away from purchased salad dressings, this is a good place to start.

EVERYDAY SALAD DRESSING

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon McCormick’s Garlic Pepper

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight lid. Shake to blend.

Celebration Worthy

 

Easy "Béarnaise" Sauce

Remember Valentine's Day? Was that only a week ago? Back last week when it was warm? This morning is it 10 degrees here! Glad Daddy-O was cooking on the grill last week and not tonight.

We decided to make our own special meal for Valentine's Day last week. (No long wait. We know the food is good. The service is excellent. ) I went to the store with list in hand. But right at the front of the store was the lady doing the recipe demonstration. I tasted her sample and instantly changed my plan.

Daddy-O raises beef cattle after all. I should plan a steak dinner every now and then. This one was a wonderful combination of flavors that boosted it beyond just grilled steak (which he would be perfectly happy with.) The tasting sample included steak, portabella mushrooms, asparagus and a quick "bearnaise" sauce.

So that is exactly what we cooked for our Valentine meal. I say "we" because Daddy-O grilled the steaks outside, while I cooked the asparagus and sliced portabella mushrooms on the grill pan inside. That just made it easier for us. You could do the entire meal on the outdoor grill or on the stove top grill pan.

The recipe card gave instructions for the entire meal, but it is just a grilled steak and grilled vegetables. I brushed the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkled them with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. About 10 minutes on a hot grill pan was all they needed to cook. Daddy-O grilled NY strip steaks, seasoned only with salt and pepper.

What made this a " special occasion" meal was the sauce. This is not the classic bearnaise sauce—the one that calls for a double boiler and needs close watching. This sauce is just stirred together! But it is so delicious. It was good on the steak and good on the asparagus and good on the mushrooms. Really. You need to try it.

EASY "BÉARNAISE" SAUCE

1  tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 carton lemon Greek yogurt (5 or 6 oz.)

2 tablespoons lemon herb finishing butter

Remove the tarragon leaves from the stems and chop. Whisk together yogurt, herb butter and tarragon. 

Spoon over vegetables or meat. (We liked ours on the side.)

I had never heard of "finishing butter." When they do these recipe demonstrations, all of the ingredients are in a refrigerated case next to the cook station, so I didn't have to search for it. But the food demonstrator told me it is found in the seafood section.

In case you can't find finishing butter, here is a link for recipes to make your own.

Life Is Good

Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin

As I was driving early this morning to a ukulele gig, a wild turkey and a black crow were walking down the highway, side by side. Kind of looked like they were buddies, out for a stroll. As I got up to the birds, they stepped aside and let me pass. I looked in the rearview mirror as I drove on, and sure enough, they were continuing their walk. For real.

Where else could I live and see sights like that? I love rural life. Now, on to the recipe.

After the ukulele band played, I headed home, knowing that supper would be easy tonight because I had put pork tenderloins in to marinate first thing this morning. If we had to pick one single recipe that was the only one I could share, I think this would be it. It is our son-in-law's favorite thing that I make.

 

Daddy-O handles the grilling chores here. He's good at it. And yes, he really uses a meat thermometer. It's the surest way to cook to the proper temperature.

I've posted this recipe on the blog a few years back, but I'm happy to post it again. It's just a really good, surefire recipe that's often a celebration meal for us. But tonight we just celebrated getting supper on the table. 

BOURBON MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

2-1/2 lb. pork tenderloins (usually one package contains 2 tenderloins and is about this weight)

3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup bourbon*
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (I use 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Rinse tenderloins and pat dry.

Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a gallon ziploc plastic freezer bag or shallow dish. Add tenderloins. Seal bag or cover dish and chill 4-12 hours. Turn once or twice while they marinate. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400 to 500 degrees) for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 155 degrees, turning occasionally. Remove from heat; cover with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.

If you don't have a grill, or if it's raining, it's also good cooked in the oven.
Put tenderloins in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Let rest before serving.

Tonight I served this with baked sweet potatoes and fried apples. I know there probably should have been something green on the plate, but this suited us just fine. I put one tenderloin in the freezer. (Wrap it properly.) I've done that many times. It's just as good later.

 *Someone gave us a bottle of black cherry bourbon as a gift. It is a really sweet bourbon. (So I'm told. I don't drink any kind.) We discovered that we can use this sweet bourbon and leave out the brown sugar. It tastes just like the usual way we make it. I've also eliminated the salt from the recipe. No one has noticed.

Sunday Revisted

What a weekend! Mommy and Daddy had a quick get-away before they head back home in a few days. So Daddy-O and I had Little Sister and Baby Girl by ourselves for the weekend. We did fine (although we are both tired this morning) and there were no catastrophes like Mommy expected. We played lots and changed a million diapers and bibs. 

Little Sister and I made it to church yesterday, too. I was not brave enough to take Baby Girl with us. Little Sister wore a dress yesterday that I had made for Jessica when she was about five. It was a little big on Little Sister, but close enough for her to wear. How much fun I've had seeing these dresses worn again. There were actually a couple of other grandmothers at church who remembered this dress from when Jessica wore it a long time ago.

Last Sunday, it was Baby Sister who wore one of Jessica's dresses. At this point, I cannot fathom how I ever found to time to actually sew, smock and embroider clothes for my girls. Having babies here this summer has been a full-time venture. Could it be that I was faster at everything when I was 30 years younger? Anyway, I'm just glad I saved the dresses.

I also managed to try one new recipe last night. Not sure what prompted my change of plan in the kitchen, other than I had everything on hand to make this. I saw this recipe on the Plain Chicken blog. I have come to trust her recipes—although I did wonder about this odd combination of marinade ingredients.

When it was done, I cut up some chicken and put a preschool portion on Little Sister's plate. I set her dinner plate out on the porch and went back to get the next plate and glass. When I came back, she had already eaten all of her chicken! This is the child who often avoids meats. She happily ate another larger portion. After his first bite, Daddy-O said, "This is a keeper!" And it is. We will make this again for sure.

BBQ RANCH GRILLED CHICKEN

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup bottled Ranch dressing (I used Hidden Valley)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning (I used Weber Sweet & Tangy)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (at my store, they come 3 to a pkg—close enough)

Whisk together olive oil, Ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ seasoning, and vinegar. 

Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Place chicken in a gallon-size ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate for 8-12 hours.

Cook on grill heated to medium-high. Grill for 8-12 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear. 170 degrees with meat thermometer.

I took a shortcut and put the chicken in the gallon bag (I used a freezer bag which is heavier) and pounded it right in the bag, then added the marinade to the bag. And yes, the BBQ seasoning is a dry mix. You'll find it with the spices at the grocery store.

We have a crazy week ahead as we prepare to send our babies-in-residence back home next weekend. There are last visits to make, a fourth birthday party has to be fitted in, Big Sister comes back here from camp, Jessica arrives to see them off—yes, busy days, indeed. Then, after all of that rush, they will all leave. How different our house will feel this time next week. 

A Feast For Fathers

Daddy (of the sisters) & Daddy-O (king of the castle)

They came by plane (Mommy and Baby Sister) and they came by cross-country car trip (Daddy, Big Sister and Little Sister) and thanks to stormy weather, the car contingent arrived at the farm before the air travelers. But by yesterday, everyone was at the farm. So we celebrated. We celebrated being together and safe travels. And of course, we celebrated Father's Day.

We didn't get home from the airport pick-up until the wee hours of Saturday morning and then Mommy and I were up the rest of the night with the littlest traveler who had a hard time getting settled. So I tried to think of an easy menu for lunch today. We liked this one so much, I'm putting the entire meal here for future reference. Everything was simple. The two salads could be made ahead. The vegetables just required minimal preparation. The biscuits are pretty easy (the bonus is the dozen unbaked biscuits I put in the freezer for another meal) and oh, so good.  

I'm going to give you the link for each recipe. Yes, these are all ones I've made before. And they are among our favorites. We all thought this was just right for a summer meal.

Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Bowties with Tomatoes, Grapes & Feta

Apple Coleslaw

Corn On The Cob

Roasted Asparagus*

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Blueberry Pie & Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

(I'll post the recipes for these tomorrow.)

We managed well for a tired bunch of folks. 

Tomorrow they can think about unpacking the suitcases.

I just realized that I've never put this recipe here. 

*ROASTED ASPARAGUS

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and tough ends trimmed off

olive oil

House Seasoning

Lay asparagus spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. (I use my hands and roll the spears around to coat with oil.) Sprinkle with house seasoning. Roast in hot oven (400-425 degrees) for 18-20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.