This weekend, in preparation for Independence Day, we lit up the grill twice – the first time serving LeeLee, me, and a couple of friends who happened to drop by to say hello at a very opportune time, and the second time just for the two of us. Both meals turned out well – there weren’t any leftovers, which is always a good sign!
On Thursday evening, I put some Brussels sprouts and broccoli on the grill to bake in foil packets while I boiled some new potatoes indoors. Closer to serving time, I threw the veggie burgers on, and just before they were ready, I toasted the hamburger buns until they were just beginning to brown. You’ve got to be careful with toasting bread on the grill – one minute too long and you’ve got charcoal!
This was the first time I’d grilled broccoli, and it worked out well. The stems became much more pliable, and the green tops were tender but not weak. I’ll definitely give it another go!
Then, on Friday, we lit the grill up again for some chik’n patties, accompanied by zucchini procured at the Wednesday farmer’s market (again, baked in a foil packet). The onion rings were a decadent little treat as they baked indoors, and they went with the rest of the meal beautifully.
But the most decadent part of the meal was the vanilla soy ice cream we ate for dessert, topped with homemade strawberry preserves. Talk about sugar shock! But every sugary spoonful went down so smoothly, evoking memories of childhood summers and Independence Day weekends gone by. There’s just nothing more American than strawberries and vanilla ice cream!
Saturday night was spent sitting atop a hill at the Marine Corps War Memorial with some friends, picnicking and game-playing in anticipation of the fireworks that surely did not disappoint. No pictures, no stats, but a good time nonetheless!
I hope everyone had as much fun this weekend as I did! Here’s to a great week ahead.
Now, the stats:
Veggie Burgers With Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Parslied Potatoes.
Veggie burgers: $2.99/four ($0.75/person)
Brussels sprouts: $2.50 ($0.63/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Red potatoes: $2.00 ($0.50/person)
Broccoli: Prepaid!
GRAND TOTAL: $8.48 … or $2.00 per person.
Chik’n Patties With Zucchini and Onion Rings.
Chik’n patties: $4.99/four ($1.25/person)
Zucchini: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Buns: $0.99/eight ($0.12/person)
Onion rings: $3.69 ($0.92/person)
GRAND TOTAL: $12.17 … or $3.54 per person.
:)