A Week in the Kitchen with Carol

Hello everyone and welcome summer! It’s grilling time and we found out that our grill did not survive the winter. We have an indoor grill that we have been using all winter. It’s been great but there is just something about a steak cooked on the grill! So we broke down and bought a replacement grill. We have been grilling every day since we bought it! One of the new recipes we tried is Sweet and Spicy Steak Rub. The great thing about the rub is that you can choose whether you want it more sweet or more spicy. I’ve tried it several ways. Read the comments section in the recipe for tips on how to adjust the taste. You can prepare the rub ahead of time and just cook the steak when you purchase it or you can freeze the steak with the rub on it (the rub will be more like a marinade as the steak defrosts). Either way will work.

Some days it seems like everything at my house is in a constant state of change. Just as you begin to adjust and get used to the way things are, everything changes again! Life goes by so quickly and it is so easy to think that all the little things that you do don’t add up to much when you are in the middle of it all. Once the dust clears and life starts to slow down, you begin to see glimpses of the big picture – of the reason for doing everything. Change is inevitable but just wait until you see what you learn from it!

One big change for my family is my last child moving out of the house. What a big change! It really makes you ask yourself a lot of questions. Did I teach him everything he needs to know? Can he take care of himself?

As a parent, I believe that you should teach your kids everything they need to know to take care of themselves regardless of gender. All my kids learned how to cook, do laundry, iron, vacuum, clean the bathroom, etc. but you always wonder how much of it sinks in. I got my answer when my son sent me a picture of the Fried Rice that he made using a copy of the Big Book of Freezer Cooking that I had given him before he left! What a great feeling as parent! To all of you who are just starting out or are deep in the trenches on this journey of parenthood:

• It’s worth it!
• They are listening!
• Don’t give up!

I believe that a good sense of humor and a good laugh can get you through just about any situation. For my husband’s birthday, I decided to take him to see Jeanne Robertson in person. For those of you who have never heard of Jeanne, she is a hilarious speaker who tells humorous stories based on her life experiences. We just about busted a gut – I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

One of the stories she shared that evening is called “Don’t send a man to the grocery store!” Jeanne has a recipe for 7-Up® Pound Cake that she makes and keeps extras in the freezer in case a friend is sick or someone in the community passes. One day she needed to send her husband to the store to pick up the ingredients for her Pound Cake. Click here to hear what happened.

Isn’t that a great story! I just had to make Jeanne Robertson’s 7-Up® Pound Cake and let me tell you it is wonderful! One recipe will make one 10-inch bundt pan, 2 8-inch tub pans or 2 full size loaf pans. I made it using the loaf pans which was perfect – one for now and one in the freezer for later. The lemon flavor is great and the soda gives it a lighter texture. Click here to see the recipe.

The cake is very good plain but you can prepare a glaze for the cake, if you prefer. Combine 1-1/2 C. of confectioner’s sugar, 2 T. milk, and 1/4 t. of lemon extract and stir until smooth. If too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar. Pour glaze over cooled cake.

Closing Comments from Carol

Looking for a great recipe to go with the steak? Try my Rosemary Grilled Red Potatoes recipe!

Enjoy the recipes! Do you have a favorite summer recipe? I’d love to try it and share it with everyone. You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. Or do you have any other topics that you would like me to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol