Houseguests....

Our string of wonderful house guests have gone and all is back to normal. The house is quiet and we are a bit more unlikely to pick up our messes so fast. The lawn needs mowing and the weeds are peeking through (again!), all of the towels and sheets are blowing in the wind. 

Having guests when the temperature keeps rising can heat the house up very quickly, so we are doing much of our cooking outside, barbecued on Matt's new cast iron monster. Our tasty dinners were: chicken grilled with fresh garden peppers and onions; hot dogs and hamburgers with homemade mustard and pickles; fajitas; delicious steak with Gorgonzola butter, fresh asparagus, new potatoes, and tomato basil mozzarella salad (thanks to my parents for the photo!). We only cooked inside once.... pasta.

Although we always eat fresh, we don't always have great new company to share it with. It's fun to add another setting to the table, pour another glass of wine, and toast to friendships far and wide. I am ready for more guests, so if you're in town, stop by!

Here is a great all-around recipe for grilled veggies:

1 med. Red or Sweet Onion cut into 4 pieces then separated.

1 med. Yellow Squash sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise.

1 med. Zucchini Squash sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise.

1 med. Green Pepper cut into 1' strips.

1 med. Red Pepper cut into 1" strips.

12-14 med. fresh Mushrooms, stems removed.

Olive Oil mixture:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil.

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper.

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt.

1 Garlic clove, crushed.

Toss vegetables with Olive Oil mixture and place in oil sprayed grill basket.

Grill with lid closed over med. coals or lava rocks, stir occasionally until vegetables are tender (approx. 10-12 minutes)