Coffee chipotle meat rub? Just say WOW! and get it over with — you know you want to.

Seriously, what is not to like about summer…well besides the 107 degree heat? Cooking out is the best! I must admit that Marc likes the gas grill and I miss the taste of good old fashioned charcoal in my burgers but still, there is just something about eating a hamburger that has been cooked out of doors that is amazing.
My dad used to brush hamburgers with a little honey. I can’t seem to replicate that flavor and he never told me how he …read more

I can’t believe that this is the next to the last Saturday in July. I had meant to do some serious planning so I could be more effective in the fall but it doesn’t look that that is happening any time soon. We are having a great time this summer, trying to get in things like mountain biking, the fountains at a local mall, and lots of family time. We met my oldest daughter and son-in-law there last week for a picnic and had a great time. I have started making Sean and Nick wear T-shirts because they are so …read more

O.k. so when it gets to be a muggy 110 degrees and the only breeze at night comes from your husband who snores, you know you are in the South and you need a quick and easy dinner.
Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.
Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot …read more

I am addicted to taco salad. Seriously, who ever invented this stuff was brilliant. Meat, beans, cheese, lettuce and other raw vegetables…Just add watermelon for dessert and you have all four food groups!
Back in the day, when I forst got married everyone made taco salad the same way. Doritos, canned kidney beans, cheddar cheese, hamburger, sour cream, iceburg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and catalina dressing.  There might be a little variation on that but not much.

Well, taco salads have evolved into much more than that. They are still easy and budget friendly, but fresher and more delicous I think. If you …read more

I love eating salads in the summer. Some of it is because it just gets so hot here in Texas that you want something fresh and cold. Some of it is that I grew up eating a lot of salads. Some of it is I love the fresh produce…and I guess the rest of it is that I am just that lazy!
I like combining colors and texture and flavors. Iceburg lettuce rarely comes into our home because it is just bland and tasteless. My favorite salad base is either the Organic Baby Herbs or the Organic Baby Spinach. I don’t …read more

There is something about Texas food. it is unassuming, not particularly fussy and usually easy to make with local ingredients. The flavors are as in your face as a drunk cowboy and it seems to be served in amounts that would feed a whole corral of hungry cowpokes.
For me, Texas foods and flavors are just exactly what summer is all about.

 
Fourth of July is coming up and I thought that I would put together a few menus from our past holidays.
When I was growing up we had a pool and my parents did a big July 4th bash every year.  One year that I remember especially well was themed “Christmas in July” and they strung lights around the landscaping bushes that were around the deck.  They wrapped small gifts and had “Santa” deliver them to the guests. It was great fun, wonderful memories, and I think that they may have gotten through that entire day without one arguement.  Amazing.

 
If you have never had beef brisket you have never lived in Texas.  A huge beef brisket is a must have at nearly any summer celebration from Memorial Day to a family reunion, and there are as many arguments about making a good one as there are about whether or not Texas should succeed from the Union.
If you didn’t know THAT was a common conversation then you haven’t even VISITED here.  Another thing you must know is that it can be spelled barbeque or barbecue. I will probably spell it both ways in the course of writing this because spell …read more

  These wraps are so good. Really. My kids love them, and you can use just about any vegetable in them…Do make sure to have a mixture,  and you need the zucchini (or you could substitute eggplant).
 For the tappanade
1 can black olives
1/2 c green salad olives
1/4 c onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tbs olive oil
pulse together in food processor until coarsely pureed. Set aside.
16 flour tortillas, whole wheat homemade is best, but whatever you like.   

For filling:
2 zucchini-sliced in 1/8″ thick slices LONGWISE.
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/2 …read more

I know I have mentioned before how much I like salad dinners in the summer.  They are quick, easy, and refreshing. An added bonus is that the kitchen doesn’t  heat up!  Lately, with Marc having spent so much time in the hospital and various costs money has been tight so I am revisiting my vegetarian youth. Blessedly my kids are not fussy eaters!
 
This salad is great but do not substitute or remove the fresh cilantro. It’s fresh, earthy, warmth is necessary to the success of these flavors. Don’t be focused in on exact amounts…This is a handful of this …read more