Pineapple Schweppes Grapefruit Granita

Cookout and BBQ Season!

So a few posts ago I attempted to recreate my childhood sky juice to no avail but I refused to accept the defeat. After all no summer is complete without an icy beverage to cool you down. While the watermelonade is refreshing, an icy slush of sugar and fruit is even more so.

Cherry mustard BBQ kebabs

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Say hello to the last protein for this month of BBQ backyard cookout foods, I bring you the kebab. But not any kebab, pure meat filled, juicy yummy goodness, using a cherry mustard bbq sauce.

Watermelonade turned Sky juice turned Watermelonade

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Initially I had the idea to make a refreshing summer drink, by combining  watermelon and limeade.  However I decided to go even more refreshing and make a sky juice.

There are just some things you remember as a child that will never leave you. Back in the day at ‘little Belair’ before mom had a car; she would pick me up after teachers college and we would walk to the taxi stand and take a taxi home. Right in the middle of the park there was a little blue and white wooden stall where a man would sell sky juice, red and blue ones in  little plastic bags with a straw. He didn't have any fancy ice crushers, all he had was a huge block of ice and a little metal thing in his hand, he shaved some off  put it in the little bag and put whatever color syrup you wanted. My mother is not and has never been a fan of street side food, however once in a while she would get me a sky juice.

Ranch Fried Chicken Sliders

 

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Where do you get your best ideas? For some it is in the shower, for me it’s while driving to and from work every day.  It’s on one of those drives that I decided to do Greedy Girl Cooks; it’s also where I decided to make Ranch fried chicken.

Salt and not so Vinegar chips

Cookout and BBQ Season!

The Potato chip is one of the classic summer BBQ side dishes. Second only to fries, it goes with every summer sandwich. Hot dogs and burgers would not be the same without a hand full of potato chips to munch on.

Barbe-Jerk Chicken

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Is there anything worse than dried out chicken? There probably is, but in the context of this post, it’s the worst thing ever. Over the years I have had too much dried out chicken cooked on an open flame.  No one has time for low and slow (unless you’re from the south) everyone throws the chicken on the grill at high heat until it cooks, then coats it with a nice sauce in an effort to camouflage the dryness. I know very well, in the past I too was an offender, but a chance rain shower helped a friend and I stumble upon the best technique. And I have never looked back.

Doc’s Macaroni Salad

Cookout and BBQ Season!

I have realized that my love for cooking must have come from my grandmother Doc. We spent most  summers with her as children, and and even though she did not actually teach us how to cook,  I vividly remember  how much she enjoyed cooking and serving people. She was always cooking; there was a large spread of food every single Sunday, without fail. She loved Christmas, thanksgiving, making green bean casserole, turkey and chicken salads, lasagna the works.

Four Cheese Pumpkin Penne

a.k.a Grown up Macaroni and Cheese
 

Cookout and BBQ Season!

A beautiful rainy morning (a work day I might add) I woke up and decided I’m not going to work. Nope, I am in the mood to stay home and cook something real hearty and comforting in the cold and gloomy weather. I knew I wanted something different, something I never cooked before or have never seen anyone else cook. I had purchased some pumpkin a few days before, as well as an interesting butternut squash pasta sauce, so I figured I could incorporate them in some way. Headed down to the kitchen with a pumpkin and a dream.

Vanilla bean, Grape-nut Ice-cream (NO EGGS)

Cookout and BBQ Season!

For the month of July my posts will be dedicated to summer foods. The food you can expect at every BBQ; Ice-creams, sorbets, grilling, potato salads, and sauces, all with my special twist of course.

So to kick off the month which also happens to be National ice-cream month (USA) let’s begin with an ice-cream recipe I have made countless times.  Vanilla bean, grape-nut ice-cream