Fireworks and Barbecues and a Special Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

The Fourth of July is Friday, and lots of us will be barbecuing and grilling and picnicking. I thought I'd pull together some recipes you might want to consider for the festivities. I don't know what's going to be on sale, so I'll just give you a bunch of ideas but no prices or costs.

Chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs are the most common meats to cook on the grill, especially for those of us on a budget. You're on your own when it comes to cooking hamburgers and hot dogs, and I've given several recipes for grilled chicken. Here's a list of them:

GRILLED CHICKEN
Basic Grilled or Roasted Chicken Breast
Better BBQ Chicken Sauce
Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce (aka State Fair Chicken)
Fused Grilled Chicken
Greek or Italian Grilled Chicken

Looking for vegetarian options? We've got those, too! Do you know the story of how Mother Hubbard's Cupboard got started? It was started by two mothers, one of whom was a vegetarian who had been given tuna and pork rinds at a food pantry, and thought that there had to be a better way. While the Hub is far from a vegetarian-only pantry, vegetarianism is still supported both for those who have chosen for whatever reason not to eat meat and also as a low-cost alternative for those who do eat meat. Here are some main dish alternatives that do not include meat. They're mostly make-ahead, unfortunately, but still very good picnic fare. And you can always cook veggie burgers and similar things on the grill.

VEGETARIAN MAIN DISH PICNIC FOOD
Black Bean Burgers
Eggplant Tempura (included because the picture with the recipe has Kayte cooking outside!)
Empanadas with Greens and Olives
Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbs
Russian Vegetable Pie
Savory Bread Pudding with Vegetables and Cheese
Quiche (the only recipes we have up so far have meat, but you can use more veggies instead of meat)

Baked beans, potato salad and macaroni salad are the usual side dishes at a picnic, and I assume you have your own recipes for those. Here are some alternatives.

PICNIC SIDE DISHES
Baked Beans
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Onions
Kittencal's Best Deviled Eggs
Mango Salsa
Salads -
  Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
  Coleslaw
  Coleslaw for Company
  Kale Salad
  Kim Chi - Korean Sauerkraut
  Laurel's Coleslaw
  Panzanella Bread Salad
  Russian Korean Carrot Salad
  Spicy Mexican Coleslaw
  Tomato and Cucumber Salad
  Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper Salad

By the way, have you tried a salad picnic? You can get everything done ahead of time and not have to worry about cooking at the last minute. And it's great for a potluck gathering and a great way to accommodate all the different food plans people are on - low fat, low carb, vegetarian, diabetic, low sodium, etc.

And then there's dessert. S'mores, of course. And you can take cookies and cake and fresh fruit. Watermelon for sure. Or try some COFFEE CAN ICE CREAM or GRILLED FRUIT.

Fortunately it's almost supper time, 'cuz I'm getting hungry from all this talk of food!

Have a wonderful Fourth of July, everyone. Be safe. And don't forget what it's all about. Thanks to all those who've gone before us to establish, maintain and defend this great country of ours.

Mary Anne

Memorial Day Picnics and the Weekly Special with Mary Anne

Yikes! I can’t believe this will be Memorial Day weekend! I mean, I know that Monday is Memorial Day, but somehow it just never really sunk in that that makes this Memorial Day weekend.

Aldi has pineapples again for 89 cents each, and cantaloupe for 99 cents each. Tomatoes on the vine are $1.49 for 24 ounces ($1.00 a pound, or about 30 cents each). Strawberries are $1.49 for a one-pound box. Brats are $1.99 a pound and beef franks are $2.49. Bun length wieners are $2.99 for three pounds, or $1.00 a pound. Barbeque sauces are 99 cents for 18 ounces, and steak sauce is 99 cents for 10 ounces. Deli mustards (honey mustard, spicy brown and Dijon) are 79 cents for 12 ounces and yellow mustard is 69 cents for 20 ounces. Hamburger dill chips are $1.69 for 32 ounces and kosher dill spears are $1.69 for 24 ounces. Sliced cheese is $1.79 for twelve ounces. These prices are good through next Tuesday, May 27.

Walmart has corn on the cob for 20 cents an ear. Ground chuck is $13.45 for 4.5 pounds, or $2.99 per pound. Oscar Meyer wieners are $1.50 a pound. Prices are good through Monday, May 26. Don’t forget that Walmart will match the price of a local competitor’s printed price on an identical item if you take in the ad.

Marsh has whole seedless watermelons for $2.99 each. The ad says that they average ten to twelve pounds each. At ten pounds, that would be 30 cents a pound; at twelve pounds that would be 25 cents. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.89 a pound in the family pack. Ground beef is 20% off, but they don’t say what the original prices are. Prices are good through next Wednesday, May 28.

Kroger has one pound packs of Eckrich franks ten for $10.00, or $1.00 each. Sour cream and dip are also ten for $10.00, or $1.00 per pint. Johnsonville brats and Italian sausage are $2.99 for 19 ounces. Vidalia onions are 59 cents a pound. Cream cheese is $1.00 for an eight ounce pack. Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce is $1.00 for 18 ounces. Boneless chicken thighs are $1.99 a pound. Green beans are 99 cents a pound. Prices are good through next Wednesday, May 28. They had Swai (Vietnamese catfish) nuggets on sale for 99 cents a pound when I was in on Saturday, but it wasn’t in the ads. They said it might be on sale again this week.

IGA has ground chuck for $2.99, in packs of 3 pounds or more. Hunt’s ketchup is 99 cents for a 24 ounce bottle. Kraft barbecue sauce is 99 cents for an 18 ounce bottle. Fryer wings are $1.59 a pound. Keta (chum) salmon sides are $2.99 a pound. “On the vine red ripe tomatoes” and “red ripe tomatoes” are both 98 cents a pound. Various kinds of pickles are $3.79 for 80 ounces. Ball Park franks are two 15-ounce packs for $3.00, or just over $1.50 a pound. Bar-S franks are 89 cents a pound. Eckrich franks are 99 cents a pound. An eight pound box of quarter pound “pure beef patties” (32 patties) is $21.00, or $2.63 per pound or 66 cents per patty. They’re 75% lean, so it’s not a great price per pound, but the convenience might be worth it – especially if you’re having that many people for dinner! Prices are good through Monday, May 26.

We pretty much have to go with picnics and grilling, don’t we? It’s not only traditional for Memorial Day, but the sales seem to be geared that way, too. A lot of things don’t need recipes, like wieners and brats. And you know how to make potato salad and macaroni salad and things like that. I’ll give recipes to round out your Memorial Day picnic.

You can’t have a good picnic without dessert. Just plain fresh fruit is good. A ten pound watermelon should yield at least 30 cups of fruit. If you eat the watermelon in slices, though, or wedges, you’re likely to eat more than if it’s cut up in bite-size pieces. So let’s say 20 servings of a cup and a half each. That’s 15 cents per serving. A pineapple should yield about eight to ten slices. Let’s say nine slices. That’s 10 cents per slice. A quarter of cantaloupe is a bit over a cup of diced fruit and costs 25 cents. Or make a huge fruit salad from a quarter of a watermelon (save the rind and use it for a basket to serve the salad in), a cantaloupe, a pineapple, and a pound of strawberries, all for just under $4.15. Figure three cups of strawberries, four cups of cantaloupe, five cups of pineapple, and eight cups of watermelon, or a total of about 20 cups of fruit salad. That’s about 21 cents per cup. Or any combination of fruit. They all go well together.

If you happen to have some fresh mint (grow some if you have a chance – it grows like a weed!) to add, that’s even better.

If you want to get a bit fancier, you can grill the fruit. I knew about grilled pineapple, but did you know you can grill other fruit, too?

And don’t forget good old toasted marshmallows and S’mores! S’mores are traditionally made with graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate bars, and marshmallows, but Mom used to give us chocolate coated graham crackers to put the roasted marshmallows between. A word of warning – use metal toasting forks, not sticks, unless you’re really sure of the sticks. Use the wrong ones and you can have an unpleasant reaction, from a bad taste to a blistered mouth. I don’t have the cost for S’mores, but I know that the chocolate covered graham crackers are cheaper than using Hershey bars.

You can’t beat homemade ice cream as a summer time treat. But what if you don’t have an ice cream freezer? Not to worry. Just make your own and a batch of Coffee Can Ice Cream. You’ll get just over two cups, or a pint, of ice cream at a cost of about $1.00. A pint of ice cream isn’t very much, especially if you have to divide it among a lot of people, but it may keep the kids occupied making it. A cup of ice cream would cost about 50 cents, and half a cup of ice cream would cost about 25 cents.

Grilled corn on the cob is delicious and easy. The corn is 20 cents an ear, and most people will eat either one or two ears.

Grilled Onions are great on hot dogs and hamburgers, and Vidalia onions are especially good for this. One Vidalia onion will probably weigh close to a pound and will serve four at 15 cents a serving.

Looking for something a bit different than your regular old run of the mill grilled hot dogs? How about a Seattle Dog – a grilled wiener with Grilled Onions, cream cheese and mustard. How much these cost will depend on what brand of hot dogs you buy. The cheapest are 89 cents a pound, or about 11 cents each, and they go up from there. Let’s say $1.50 a pound. No, let’s say $1.60 a pound, because that divides more easily. Assuming eight wieners to a pound, a Seattle Dog will cost about 65 cents.

Now let’s put it all together and make some menus. It’s Memorial Day, after all, so I’m not going to be quite as strict about keeping things to $1.50 per person. For a holiday meal, let’s go up to $2.00 per person. So, to review the prices, including the chicken and sides from a couple of weeks ago:

Seattle Dogs - 65 cents each.

Grilled corn on the cob - 20 cents an ear.

Grilled onions - 15 cents a serving.

Coffee can ice cream - 25 cents for half a cup.

Watermelon - 15 cents for a one and a half cup serving.

Pineapple - 10 cents per slice, or about half a cup.

Cantaloupe - 13 cents for an eighth of a melon, or a bit over half a cup.

Strawberries – 50 cents a cup.

Mixed fruit salad - 22 cents a cup.

Chicken leg quarter, with rub or sauce - 95 cents.

Coleslaw - 20 cents a cup.

Brats (just the brat, no bun or anything) - about 60 cents each.

Plain wieners (just the wiener, no bun or anything) - starting at 13 cents each.

Buns - about 11 cents each.

Quarter pound hamburger patties – 65 cents each.

Ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc. – about 10 cents per person.

So let’s see. How about a Seattle Dog, a cup of coleslaw, an ear of corn, and a big wedge of watermelon for just $1.20? Or a hamburger, with grilled onions and ketchup, mustard and pickles, an ear of corn, and a cup of ice cream for $1.61? Or a brat on a bun with a slice of cheese, or a … Well, you get the picture.

Happy Memorial Day, and many, many special thanks to those who gave their lives for our country. We salute you!

Coffee Can Ice Cream

You’ll need a one-pound coffee can with lid, a three-pound coffee can with lid, crushed ice, and rock salt. The simplest ice cream is just a pint (two cups) of half and half (or whipping cream), half a cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Put them all in the smaller coffee can, and put the lid on. Use duct tape to be sure it stays on. Put the smaller coffee can in the larger one, and fill the gap between the two with crushed ice and rock salt. The rock salt makes the ice freeze at a lower temperature so it doesn’t melt as fast and it freezes the ice cream faster. Put the lid on the bigger can and secure it with duct tape, too. Grab a couple of kids and sit them on the ground (or at either end of a picnic table) and give them the coffee cans. They’ll need to roll it back and forth between them for about 10 minutes. When it’s done, remove the duct tape from the big can and carefully pour out the ice and salt water. Don’t pour it on the grass or on other plants; the salt can kill it. Wipe or rinse off the smaller can, remove the duct tape, and take off the lid. Your ice cream is ready to eat! 

You can use a couple of tablespoons of chocolate syrup instead of the vanilla, or you can mash up some strawberries and add them to the mixture before you start rolling it.

BBQs, Grilling, Picnics and Outdoor Cooking

Balsamic BBQ Sauce     

Basic Grilled or Roasted Chicken Breasts     

Basil and Tomato Stuffed Chicken     

Better BBQ Chicken Sauce     

Coffee Can Ice Cream     

Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce     

Fused Grilled Chicken     

Garlic Corn on the Cob     

Greek Grilled Chicken     

Grilled Chicken Banh Mi Salad     

Grilled Corn on the Cob     

Grilled Fruit     

Grilled Onions     

Grilled Pineapple     

Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Salsa     

Grilled Zucchini Pizzas     

Italian Grilled Chicken    

London Broil 

Seattle Dogs    

Swai Nuggets a la Hilda and Howard

Zucchini with Corn and Cilantro