Grit Cakes With Grilled Chicken: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Grilled Chicken with Grit Cake
and pureed peas

This meal is an extension of the previous evening’s festivities. It started with Chris’s search for a way to use the rest of the grits she made for the stuffed peppers. We had some chicken she wanted to use and, of course, every family dinner needs a green veggie plugged in somewhere along the way. Even though the grits were leftover, she put a twist on things that became a totally unique and original idea that was a big hit with our little family.

Farmer’s Market Stuffed Pepper Fun Time: Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Dibs on the red one!

The vast majority of our meals start out at the local grocery store chain with the question “what do you want to eat tonight?” We wander the aisles looking for something fresh or on sale to spark our interest. On this particular Tuesday, however, we limited our search by heading for the local farmer’s market instead of the grocery store. Fresh fruits and veggies would be the centerpiece of Chris’s creative spark this evening and all three of us were excited about it.

Actually, Ivan was more interested in the giant Halloween pumpkins but he was a big part of the adventure nonetheless. 

The ThisIsWhyBrettWritesInsteadOfCooks Gumbo: Saturday, September 24, 2011

On Friday, September 23^rd, Chris had an outpatient surgical procedure that required a weekend of rest, painkillers and quality care by a loving husband. As that loving husband, I was excited about the opportunity to make her feel as comfortable and happy as she does for me every day of my life. I wanted to make sure she had everything she wanted at her fingertips and even bought her a bell she could ring if she needed anything that was not in arms reach of her place on the couch.

 

I was so into my nursing assignment that I even got excited about cooking her dinner.  Alas, a man should know his limitations.

Super Awesome Chicken Soup: Sunday, September 18, 2011

On September 11, Chris and I celebrated the start of football season and the obvious memorial anniversary the only way we know how – food and friends. The centerpiece of the meal was a beer can chicken slow cooked on the smoker for about six hours. The day and the meal were fantastic but sometimes the best part of the story is the epilogue, which brings us to the following Sunday Funday.

Chris had frozen the remains of the chicken from the week earlier with big plans to make a soup. The chicken came out of the freezer to be reinvented one week after its first appearance in our kitchen. Here is how it turned into soup…

Hot Rod Mussels: Thursday, September 15, 2011

First of all, this is what happens when you let a six-year-old name the recipe. However, when said-six-year-old makes the transition from The World’s Pickiest Eater to Devourer of All Things Edible in a matter of two years or less, you let him call things whatever the heck he wants. 

Not one member of my family had any real idea what we wanted for dinner Thursday night but all had the same general craving… seafood. After work we made a beeline to the seafood counter to see what looked fresh (and with any luck, not terribly expensive). A quick decision was made and we walked out with two pounds of live mussels for $7.98. 

Slow Roasted Chicken Tacos & Enchiladas: Sunday September 4, 2011

The chicken thighs sat thawing on the kitchen counter for most of the day.  Chris has to work and I worked around the house being the best House Husband I could possibly be. Chris brought the bacon to a spotless home and lonely furry guy and our attention turned to the chicken on the counter.

“What are we doing with that?” She asked.

“I don’t know. I figured I would thaw it out and we’d come up with something.”

With that we ventured to the grocery store and wandered the aisles looking for a sense of inspiration. Chris was in a daze from being slammed at work all weekend and I am just not that creative. The best I could come up with was “Um, how about something spicy that I will pay dearly for tomorrow?”

This is what she came up with.

Boston Butt On The Smoker: Sunday August 28, 2011

On Thursday we decided we were going to have a lazy Sunday and slow cook a big hunk of meat on the smoker. On Saturday we finally purchased said hunk of meat in the form of a Boston Butt.  I spent Saturday afternoon and evening listening to my wife tell me that she could not decide what she was going to do the meat before it landed on the smoker.

Should she go with a dry rub? Should she marinate it over night? What about an injection? She is the chef and I am the loving, supportive husband that keeps the smoker at the right temperature and puts fresh wood chips on the coals every thirty minutes for ten hours. Therefore I had nothing to offer but assurance that whatever she decided would taste great and I would promise not to burn it.