Summer Baseball season is finally over

This season has been a lot of fun for both the kids and the coaches. Finally wrapped up the season with a 2nd place finish at the Benedictine University Best of the Midwest Trophy for the boys. Congratulations to all of you.

Sweet 'n Hot Chicken Wings

Sweet 'n Hot Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings
salt
pepper
1/4 cup cayenne hot sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Salt and pepper chicken wings on both sides. Place wings on a hot grill until done. Combine honey, hot sauce and garlic in a mixing bowl and stir. Add the fully cooked wings to the mixture. Toss them to coat thoroughly and serve.

Calling all Chicken Wing Recipes...

For the next 30 days, I will be collecting chicken wing recipes so we will have some great wing ideas during the Labor Day Weekend and the upcoming football season.

The wings may be grilled, baked, fried, smoked, broiled, boiled or however you like your wings. Please be complete in your recipe so that someone can indeed enjoy your wings just like you like them.

Enter the recipe on your blog and then click below to add your link for your wing recipe to the contest.



The winner will be someone who has become a follower of my blog and submitted a recipe. The winning entry will be randomly selected as I may not have time to make all of the recipes by the end of the contest. The winner shall receive a Habitat for Humanity Cookbook entitled "Simple Decent Cooking". Good Luck to all...

Ballpark Food - What's your favorite park?

Last Friday, we went to US Cellular Field to see the White Sox play the Baltimore Orioles. It gave us a chance to visit one of the better food and family parks in the country. They have done a lot of work to bring a variety of food choices and keep the prices not too bad for the fans.

We had center field seats for the game. Right at the top of our section, near the Fan Deck and the statues of Minnie Minoso and Carlton Fisk is a stand that features Mexican inspired foods. We ordered three different items. The food was great!

I ordered the Nachos Supreme. It came with salsa, cheese and jalapeno peppers. I also ordered a side order of sour cream. My wife had the Chili Cheese Fries and my son ordered a Chicken Quesadilla. The total for the three items was $14.50. The portions were very generous and the food was quite delicious.

A blog post about wineries

Anytime I read about a local winery or wine region, I think of how much fun it is to visit and sample local wines. We are suckers for wineries when we travel. It is a great opportunity to bring back a vacation souvenir when you travel and remember the trip when you enjoy the bottle back at home.

We often visit a region in Southwest Michigan which lies right next to Lake Michigan. There are several local wineries with locally grown grapes that put out some pretty nice wine. If you ever are in the area, the wineries near the Red Arrow Highway are worth some attention. St. Julian is a particular favorite of ours, but there are plenty to choose from. Each has their own style. Some will even sell grapes for wine making in the fall.

Smoking meat on a gas grill

If you've ever wanted to add a little bit of smoke flavor to your gas grilled meats, read on. There are a number of ways to do it.

You may have a grill that has a built in smoker box. That is the easiest way. Soak some wood chips in water for an hour or longer to get them good and wet before adding to the box. It is being wet that helps them smoke vs char and helps to add the smokey flavor without making the meat seem like it was over a campfire.

You may also buy a seperate smoker box. This is typically the method that I use. Once again, soak the chips, add them to the box, and put the box over one of the burners on the grill. The particular grill I use has 6 burners so I am often able to dedicate one burner to controling the heat for the smoke. I like to set this up off to the side so the smoke is in the grill, but not coming up directly into the meat.

If none of the above are available, a small aluminum pan or even aluminum foil shaped to hold the wet chips can also be used. It allows the heat to go into the chips and smoke to come out with little cleanup required.

If you've never tried it, don't be shy. Smoke flavor added to your grill can get you the same flavor as the tru BBQ Houses around the country right at home.

Foods Across America

Here's a way to get some great food gifts for you or a friend. Foods Across America can ship high quality meats to help enjoy the summer barbecue or to share that joy with somebody you wish you could be with that is far away. Clicl below and give it a try.

10% Off Any Order at Foods Across America! Visit Us Today!

Holiday weekend...

This is a great weekend to get together with some friends, have a Bar-B-Que and enjoy our nations freedom. Because it is an American holiday, the great part is that the simple backyard Bar-B-Que menu is quite appropriate. What does not have to be the same is how you prepare the menu. Try to add a little twist to the ideas and bring out bold new flavors.

When you are packing your hamburger patties this weekend, add some minced garlic and your favorite hot pepper sauce to the mixture to give them a little bit of zing. Add a chunk of cheese to the middle of the patty. Or maybe even a terriyaki glaze for a twist.

Be a little bit creative and enjoy your freedom this weekend.