How was your Fourth of July? .......Roxanne Rustand

How was your Fourth of July--or for that matter, this holiday weekend?

It sure has been different, at least in our part of the country.  Instead of having a house full of relatives for a big cookout meal,  we had...yep,  just my husband and I. And our 80# Golden Retriever Sage, who clung to my side like a limpet because of the fireworks out here in the country. Believe me--it's not easy to be productive with a big, worried dog clinging to me. And it's entirely too easy to fall!

Were you able to get together with your family?  Do you have a certain special meal that you enjoy on the Fourth?  I usually have potato salad, a big fresh fruit salad, a lettuce salad,  crudites, corn on the cob (if it is available yet), garlicky buttered French bread and chicken or ribs on the pellet grill, and/or steaks on the gas grill. It was very simple this year...except for one incredible change!


In our early marriage (the dark ages of the late 1970s) we had a charcoal grill, but then moved "up" to an easy-lighting Weber gas grill and never looked back. We added a pellet grill a couple years ago, for the wonderful smokey flavor. I thought we were set. 

But then, a few weeks ago, our daughter and her husband invited us for supper,  and made pork steaks on their new Weber charcoal grill.
Oh. My. Goodness!  The flavor was amazing! 

Smitten, I searched Facebook Marketplace and found a used 22" Weber grill for just $20, and then bought a Weber coal starter chimney, cover and some gadgets at the hardware store. Yesterday, for my birthday, I bought a nice ribeye that my husband and I shared. It was SO good!

Do you like to cook outside?  What is your favorite method? I'd love to hear about it! Do you have any favorite rubs and BBQ sauces, or just opt for salt and pepper?

Wishing you all my best for a wonderful Sunday, and a perfect summer.  Stay safe and well!


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Roxanne Rustand

Quick and Easy Grilling Recipes! By Raine English

I love May. The leaves are on the trees; the flowers are in bloom; and it’s warm enough to grill outside.

Here are two of my favorite quick and easy grilling recipes:

Soy-Sesame Grilled Shrimp

1 ½ pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined (24 to 28)

½ cup minced onion

½ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

2 tbsp. sesame seed

2 tbsp. salad oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. ginger

About 5 minutes before grilling:

In a large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Add shrimp: toss gently to coat. Skewer shrimp and grill about 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink, turning once.

Grilled Rosemary Zucchini

6 medium zucchini, cut in ½-inch slices

½ cup chopped onion

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. salt

½ cup butter or margarine

About 1 hour before serving:

On a large sheet of heavy duty foil, mix zucchini with onion, rosemary, and salt. Dot mixture with butter or margarine; fold sheet of foil over and seal ends. Grill over medium coals 25 minutes or until zucchini is tender-crisp.

What are some of your favorite quick and easy grilling recipes?

~*~

USA Today bestselling author Raine English writes sweet small-town contemporary romance, along with steamier paranormal and Gothic romantic suspense. She’s a Daphne du Maurier Award winner and a Golden Heart finalist. Too Good to Believe, book three in her sweet series, Love Always, is available now. It features three childhood friends who encounter a lot more than anticipated while searching for love. To receive information on all her new releases, you can sign up for her newsletter, visit her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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