Happy Memorial Day Everyone

From the east coast...
-New York strip steak
-Baltimore blue claws
-Philly cheese steaks

To the west coast...
-Fish tacos
-Napa wines
-Wild salmon

And everything in between...
-Kansas city barbecue
-Biscuits and gravy
-Apple pie

We live in the best - and most delicious - country in the world.  Thank you to everyone who has sacrificed to make this country what it is today.  Happy Memorial Day to all!  Enjoy!

Cook Out Season: Salute to a Classic

With summer comes many, many dinners outside with the focus on the grill. I believe that the most iconic of these outdoor cookers is the classic black Weber kettle grill. When I was a kid, my father had one and we loved it. There was something about the smokey taste from the charcoal and wood chips that made every dish – from burgers to salmon – that much better.


For that reason, every time I see this Weber ad it makes me smile. And, before you ask, I have danced in front of my grill! Enjoy!

Count Down To Memorial Day

Memorial Day is right around the corner so it is time to start planning your holiday weekend – and more importantly your cook out menu. Like everyone else, my plans are set and include a barbecue with family and friends. This is an annual tradition and something I look forward to every spring. With that, the challenge is keeping the event fresh each year. No one likes to attend the same party every Memorial Day so I encourage you to put a little more thought and creativity into your menu this year.

Here are a few twists on the cook out classics to give you some inspiration:
Hamburgers
-Blue cheese and bacon burger
-Barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, and bacon burger
-Jalapeno peppers, fresh onions, and pepper jack cheese burger

Hot Dogs
-The German Sheppard: Sauerkraut and diced fresh onions
-The Boston Terrier: Baked beans, cheese, and caramelized onions
-The Hawaii Beach Dog: Pineapple chutney
-The Mutt: A little bit of everything

Potato Salad
-Red-skin potato salad
-Dijon potato salad
-Grilled potato salad

Beverages
-Summer seasonal beers (the smaller the brewery, the better)
-Strawberry mojitos
-Sangria (see my May 24 ’09 post)

Desserts
-Individual strawberry short cakes
-Homemade ice cream
-Key lime pie (see my July 26 ’09 post)

This Memorial Day, be creative…and have fun. Enjoy!

Saturday Morning: Cartoons and Cereal

Saturday mornings always remind me of childhood. Waking up first, going downstairs to watch cartoons and enjoy a bowl of the sugary cereal that defined that time in my life. Enjoying some quality time with my close friends Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck until my parents woke up. Now, being older, things are much different. I reach for Raisin Bran or Cheerios – always longing for those colorful boxes with cartoon characters smiling back at you. But I’m an adult – I have to worry about sugar intake and fiber levels. My biggest concern is no longer the free toy inside the box.

This week, my wife and I laughed talking about growing up and the memories of Saturday mornings. Despite growing up three states away from me, she too went through the weekly childhood ritual of cartoons and cereal. Now, the world is much different. Children can’t have real sugary cereal. They can’t even watch real cartoons. The Warner Brothers classics have been replaced by Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Ho because they were too violent. I don’t even know what a Pokemon or a Yu-Gi-Ho even is! Was Bugs Bunny really that bad? Were their children growing up and dropping pianos or anvils on people’s heads because they saw it on Saturday morning? I think I missed that memo.
Let’s take a quick trip back to that time in our lives when every day was more fun…and they each started with that sugary treat. Here are our top five children’s cereals. Enjoy.

My Top Five Children’s Cereals

1: Fruity Pebbles

2: Cocoa Pebbles

3: Sugar Crisp (now Golden Crisp)

4: Sugar Pops (now just Pops)

5: Cap’n Crunch

The Girl’s Top Five

1: Cinnamon Toast Crunch

2: Cap’n Crunch

3: Cocoa Pebbles

4: Trix

5: Raisin Bran Crunch