Greetings, everyone! I hope that in the midst of this brutally hot weather you all are staying cool and hydrated. I had the opportunity to ride along with a few of our service technicians at work this week, and I now have a much greater appreciation for my air-conditioned office. Mom is coming to visit tonight, and we plan to hike to the waterfall at Petit Jean mountain Saturday morning. An ominous forecast of scattered thunderstorms threatens our plans, but hopefully it'll hold off. I'll be sure to take and post pictures, as that hike will take us through some beautiful scenery.
Thursday marked the one-month point in the countdown to our Hawaii wedding. Excitement is in the air, and we are (hopefully) paid up, planned up, and ready to go. I still need to buy some books for the flight, which is long enough to require the showing of two movies. Fortunately, the fiancé and I landed window seats so we won't be wedged between any large and/or smelly people. I hope that everyone got an invitation to our reception, to be held in September at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. It's going to have an island theme. We'll have our wedding video playing, pictures on display, and appetizers and cake for everyone. It's going to be fun, so we hope everyone can make it!
Am I the only one who prefers the wailing buzz of vuvuzelas to the countless political ads currently running on TV and radio? Do people really make voting decisions based on thirty seconds of finger-pointing and fact-stretching? Stop the pain, please.
It's been grill week at the Summitt house. I don't think I even ate a supper that wasn't cooked over an open flame. I love using the grill because
- food cooked over an open flame tastes great and,
- my kitchen stays clean.
Marinated and grilled chicken, grilled pizza (oh yeah), and BBQ chicken kebabs all passed through my kitchen this week. The kebabs were excellent. Onions, peppers, marinated chicken, and pineapple were skewered and grilled to perfection, then given a brush of hot BBQ sauce right before being removed from the grill. They're delicious and healthy to boot. Try them and be amazed.
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 bell peppers ( I used red, orange, and yellow)
- 1 large red onion
- 1 pineapple, diced (instructions here)
- 1 jar marinade of choice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Cavendar's Greek seasoning
- 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice, warmed
- salt and pepper
- canola oil
- skewers
If you're using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in cold water for at least 1 hour. Cut chicken breasts into large chunks, place into zip-top plastic bag, and cover with marinade. Store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably 2. Cut peppers and onions into large chunks, place in a bowl, and add Cavendar's and olive oil. Toss to coat and set aside. Cut pineapple and dice into large chunks. Remove chicken from bag, shake off excess marinade, and place into a metal bowl. Preheat grill to medium-high. Assemble kebabs by sliding food onto skewer, beginning and ending with pieces of onion. I assembled mine in the following order - onion, pepper, pepper, chicken, pineapple. You should be able to get three pieces of chicken on each skewer. Give kebabs a sprinke of salt and pepper followed by a thin coat of canola oil. Place kebabs on the grill and cook for five minutes. Turn and cook for 4-5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. You might have to rotate some kebabs a third time to catch uncooked surfaces. Just before removing, lightly brush kebabs with warm BBQ sauce. Remove from grill and allow food to sit for 5 minutes before eating.
