Today, July 11th, is National Blueberry Muffin Day. Okay, so this is not a blueberry muffin, it is something better. And I mean way better! My skillet bread uses a simple batter that could be used for muffins, but why when you can make skillet bread. The cast iron skillet allows the bread to cook evenly and gives a nice crust to the outsides of the bread.
The sour cream and lemon juice add a nice tang to the sweet and tartness of the blueberries. You will want to definitely make this for breakfast tomorrow. I should have made two because my first bread was gone in a couple of hours. I had to hide a piece for my wife to have when she got home. Darn kids wouldn’t stop eating it. :))
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So yesterday I spent the day demolishing my deck for the new one I am starting to build in a few weeks. It was supposed to rain by noon, so my plan was to work outside until the rain started then move inside for work on the blog. Well the rain didn’t start until after 6:00 pm. So I kept working on the deck until 5:30. No blog work, but I still needed to make dinner.
Sunday I had taken some chicken out of the freezer to use this week. I also had cauliflower, mushrooms and fresh corn, that were needing to be cooked, before they found their way to the trash bin. What I came up with was this fairly healthy simple chicken casserole. This is a quick and easy recipe which allows you to substitute whatever items you have in the fridge that are on their last legs.
Makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. Trust me I just had it for lunch.
My kids loved this and didn’t even notice the smashed cauliflower for the bottom crust. Smashed cauliflower adds a nutritious nice flavor to the dish.
So here is your last-minute treat to bring to the cookout. I know you are sitting there trying to think of something festive and creative; well this is the recipe you have been looking for. A quick, no bake, easy dessert, that looks great.
I came up with this recipe last night while looking at all of the very creative July 4th recipes on pinterest. I actually typed my idea into my phone around 12:30 this morning.
These truffles can be made the night before, just keep refrigerated.
July is National Grilling Month so I decided to pass on a few tips to keep your grill in tip top shape. Since this weekend is July 4th, many part time BBQ chefs will try to fire up their neglected grills. I suspect those grills are not in the best shape and need a little love. The performance of your grill can diminish over time if has not been maintained properly. Low temperatures, uneven heat, hot spots and food sticking to grates are all possible side effects of poor grill cleaning and maintenance.
Most of the year I use my grill at least two times a week. I try to keep my grill clean and ready to go. I give my Weber a thorough cleaning in the spring and fall and also follow these tips from Weber.com monthly. I also have provided 10 grilling hacks to help you become a grill master. So get out there, clean up your grill and cook up some great food this weekend.
Happy Grilling!
Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Burger
Grill Cleaning and Maintenance Tips:
Wipe the outside of the grill lid with a paper towel and cleaner (glass cleaner for porcelain-coated lids and stainless steel cleaner for stainless steel lids). If your grill is stainless steel, you’ll get the best results by buffing with the grain, not against, using a microfiber towel.
Clean side tables with a microfiber towel and stainless steel cleaner. Again, make sure to buff with the grain. If your tables are made of theromset plastic, use a mild dish detergent and warm water instead.
Cleaning a cook box may seem tricky, but it’s actually extremely simple and can have a big impact on the way your grill performs. When your grill is completely cool, carefully remove your cooking grates and Flavorizer bars. Then, using a stainless steel grill brush, brush all excess grease and debris from inside the cook box into the bottom tray. From here, it will be easy to discard.
It’s a good practice to burn off any food residue left on your grill by turning all your burners to high for 15 minutes before grilling. When your grill reaches these high temperatures, food debris will turn to ash, and will then be easy to brush off using a stainless steel bristle brush. Courtesy of Weber.com
Grilling Hacks
Use an onion to clean and oil grill grates. Place 1 tbsp of oil in small bowl. Cut onion in half and soak cut side in oil. Use fork to rub onion on grill grates. Cleans and oils the grates and adds a nice flavor.
Bring marinated meat to room temperatures and pat dry before grilling. Excess marinade on meat will cause it to steam and not grill, even at high temperatures. Baste with sauce if needed.
Place meat on a platter covered with plastic wrap before bringing to the grill. After placing meat on the grill, remove plastic wrap. You have a clean platter ready to serve cooked meats.
Bring all meats to room temperature before grilling.
Make sure your grill is hot before starting.
KEEP THE LID CLOSED as much as possible to retain heat and create even cooking.
Brush sauces containing sugar on the meat the last five minutes of cooking. Keeps the sauce from burning.
Cook all meats to proper temperature. Nothing ruins a party like under cooked meats.
Check gas level before starting to grill. Keep and extra tank on hand. I have my grill hooked up to my homes natural gas so I never run out.
Sear meat on high direct heat then finish cooking meat on indirect heat to ensure moist even cooking.
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I’m not sure what it is but I’ve had little desire to cook this week. Maybe it’s because my girls are at camp and I have been at baseball every night with my son. Last night I was home but my son was out and my wife spent the evening getting her hair done. Still nothing. Father’s Day was spent on the road dropping the kids off at camp so we just picked up some ribs from the local market. I threw them on the grill with a salad. That is the most cooking I’ve done all week.
If you are lucky enough to send your kids to a good summer camp, it is well worth it. Our kids have attended Springhill christian camps for years. They have a location in Seymour, IN and Evart, MI. It is your typical summer camp with horseback riding, lake activities, and zip lines. My summer camps never had zip lines! They have a blast, in a very loving environment. They get back in a couple of days so maybe I will get my enthusiasm back for cooking. We miss them very much, but happy they can have this time away to grow and learn.
A few weeks back I made one of my kids favorites. Wet Burritos. If you have never had wet burritos you and your family are in for a treat. I cooked this for the blog and made a double batch to freeze the second batch. They freeze great.. Since I am not cooking this week, I grabbed the second batch from the freezer for dinner. Always great to have extra meals frozen and ready to go..
Last month I introduced you to The Daring Kitchen and the Daring Baker challenge which I participated in. Last month the challenge was to make Lamingtons which is a kind of snack cake from Australia. So if you are still wondering what the heck is The Daring Kitchen/Bakers here is a little synopsis?
The Daring Kitchen is the home of The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks. The premise of both groups is to create one recipe each month, given to us by a monthly host. We all create the same exact recipe and then post about it on our personal blogs on a designated date.
This months challenge was to make a Charlotte. The challenge comes from Rebecca at BakeNQuilt.com. She has been a member of the Daring Bakers since 2011. She introduced all of Daring Bakers how to make a classic Charlotte Royale and Charlotte Russe! Here is how Rebecca describes the Charlotte.
Do you need a recipe the kids can make dad for Father’s Day? This is an easy homemade blueberry muffin recipe that uses mascarpone cheese for extra creaminess. I also had mascarpone in the fridge and needed to use it; so why not make muffins. If you do not have mascarpone, you can also use cream cheese. (See below)
I first made these muffins for my daughters soccer team, a few weeks back.
On tournament weekends we usually bring breakfast for the kids and the parents. The girls took second place in the tournament. Maybe my mini muffins slowed them down.
Dad will love these muffins for his Fathers Day breakfast and kids will love the chance to show off their cooking skills.
Fathers Day is coming up this weekend and I wanted to get this awesome burger recipe posted so you can make them for your father or husband. It’s a great twist on two favorites; Philly Cheese Steaks and Burgers.
My father passed away two years ago after battling heart disease, for over 30 years. He lived a long time with a disease that killed most of his brothers at a much earlier age. My dad was a good christian man, who would help anyone and was always there for my mother, who is blind. I think he lived as long as he did because he felt the need to take care of her.
I’m also lucky enough to have a great father-n-law, John. John has always been very supportive and a great help on projects around the house. As I was once a builder and re-modeler, we usually make a pretty good team with projects my wife wants us to complete.
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John has a gift for building furniture, which I do not possess. He has made many of the pieces in our home. For Christmas, this year, he made us a built-in entertainment center for our great room. Last week Continue reading Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Burgers
I’m sure everyone has had one of those weeks. I’ve had one of those weeks, maybe too. Can’t seem to get anything accomplished and cooking sounds like work. Not good when you are a food blogger. Then our refrigerator goes out on Tuesday. In truth, it has been dying a slow death since February. I am just to cheap to buy a new one until it is completely broke. Well there was no doubt that it flat-lined on Tuesday. “Hey (No Name Company) should a compressor die after 8 years?” When you open up the freezer at 6:00 am and the ice cream is soft and when you touch the fridge, it is hot: you have a problem. I don’t make big decision easily, so trying to find the best appliances and price became a full-time job the past few days. But of course the new toys can’t be delivered until next Tuesday. Lucky I have a second fridge in the garage and a full size freezer in the basement. Continue reading Cherry Habanero BBQ Sauce
Yesterday my 16-year-old son passed his drivers test. He is now a licensed driver in the State of Ohio, with all the freedoms and responsibilities such license brings. I hope we have instilled in him the importance of being able to control a machine that can kill him or others. My mantra has always been to him (Think what the consequences of your actions will be. Does my decision have a chance of changing my life or someone else’s forever).
Dad Whats 4 Dinner 
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