A great weekend in the books

Well out second cookout of the summer grilling season is in the books. The hubby's best friend from Texas came for a visit this weekend. And what a great visit it was! Lots of laughs, a few adult beverages, some sentimental conversations, and maybe even a couple of tears shed. We don't see him often enough so when it came time for him to head home no one was ready for it. We did get to grill out on Thursday while he was here though! Well...I did the grilling while the three buddies got tattoos. They had a great time so I don't really mind. And the food turned out awesome!
    I read somewhere that all you really need to season a good steak is salt and pepper. So I decided to try it. Just sea salt and pepper. Coated both sides with course sea salt and ground up peppercorns and let them warm up on the counter for about 45 minutes while the coals burned down on the grill. Threw them on indirect heat and let them simmer. While those were cooking on the bottom rack, I put baby portabellas on the top rack stuffed with mozzarella and leek cheese. Just run a spoon around the stem a couple of times and it will pop right off.  Wash them well and cut small chunks of cheese, about an inch cube, and put in the middle of the mushroom. You can use any cheese you like or try a specialty cheese from dairy department at your favorite grocery store! They warm up, the cheese gets melty, and they take on a wonderful smoke flavor that is to die for! If you enjoy mushrooms, this is a must for the summer grilling season!
    Friday afternoon was the annual Cruise In for our town. People from all over bring their classic cars and motorcycles to the downtown business district, the streets are blocked off, and everyone in town comes out to enjoy the food vendors and conversations. The weather could not have been better! High 70s with a slight breeze made for the perfect day!
    Saturday was pretty much a lazy day. It was rainy most of the day so we all just stayed home and enjoyed long overdue conversations. That evening we did take a trip to another city for great burgers, but it was pretty much a lazy day.
    Sunday was the day we were regretting all weekend. The Texas buddy had to return home to his family. While we totally understand his leaving, we sure weren't ready to let him go.  Although it was Fathers Day, we really didn't do much. The hubby received the usual cards but we really didn't do anything else. So while we are on vacation I'll cook something very special for him.
    As you can see our weekend was blessed. This week will bring more blessings with the Northern children coming home for a visit. Our family will be complete once more...even if it is only for a little while!

Summer has officially started!

    Well...summer vacation anyway. Although, it really does not feel like summer here in the Midwest! It's almost the middle of June and we've barley hit 80 degrees! And some nights are still close to 40!!  We haven't had a week without rain in I can't tell you how long.  Although it's great for our little garden, it's not so great for our swimming pool!
    I finally did get the pool clean.  Took four days of vacuuming and lots of chemicals but it's clear and beautiful...and cold!  I'm hoping by August it's warm enough to swim!!
    I've been reading some wonderful blog posts lately about family gardening, small family farming, and kids still having structure and chores during the summer months. What great ideas I've been finding!  Can't wait to try some of them and see how it works! If there is one single thing that our family lacks during the summer, that is structure.
    Last night we had our first cookout of the summer season. It was just a simple menu with burgers, brats, chips, and deviled eggs. The brother-in-law made stuffed jalapenos with cream cheese, shrimp, Cajun seasoning, and wrapped in bacon. Oh. My. Word.  They were delicious! There will be many more cookouts to come this summer so I'll try to remember to post the menus and some favorite recipes.
   With only two weeks left before our annual family vacation, I'm feeling a little stretched for time. We decided at the last minute it might be a better option to take most of the food with us. So, after payday on Friday, it looks like I'll be grocery shopping for 10 people for an entire week. Thank goodness I had the foresight to plan some menus!
    The next couple of weeks will be quite busy at our house getting ready for our trip and settling in to summer. Wish me luck!