Oh hey, just me! I’m not sure how, but we’ve already made it to July. I haven’t written a new post in ages, so sharing a few of my summer staples feels like a good idea.
First up, tacky outdoor tablecloth! You can’t eat a meal outside without it nor should you be eating inside until September. My tacky tablecloth is probably enjoying it’s final summer but I’ll be damned if I buy a new one before the end of the season. It’s colourful and patterned and in no way classy. Wipe clean and away you go. It is getting double duty this year as I am selling cookies at our local farmers market and I use it on my table. I have yet to receive a compliment on my tablecloth choice…
Next, one of our go to summer meals: BBQ’d chicken thighs slathered in a 1:1 mix of BBQ sauce and sweet chilli sauce. I am pretty sure I have sent this BBQ game changer in a newsletter in the past and I stand by it. Season your thighs (skin on or off – your preference) generously with seasoning salt and pepper. Mix equal parts your favourite BBQ sauce with sweet chilli sauce. Start grilling and enjoy! To make sure your chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees F, make sure you check out the amazing food thermometers over at Thermoworks (and I get a little kickback from that link!). They are even having a Prime sale right now so hop to it!
Okay, number 3 on my summer staples list is wooden skewers. We love to make a pork satay (growing up, our house simply called it “meat on a stick”) but the possibilities are endless. Throw some bell peppers and onions on a skewer, maybe a veggie skewer with halloumi (found a recipe for this on Pinterest, recently, definitely a good one). Chicken souvlaki is also never a bad idea. Mix some oil and red wine vinegar with plain greek yogurt and you’ve got yourself a great little dipping sauce too!
How many summer staples do I have? I guess we are going to find out. At number 4, we have smokies. Smokies are the fancy version of a hot dog, in my opinion, but don’t require any extra work. You can spend more time making fun sides (aka potatoes.. always potatoes) when all you have to do is throw a tube steak on the grill and slice open a bun.
Alrighty, last but not least, when the summer season hits, a newer staple in our home is ichiban salad (is that the right name? If you know, you know). Grab a pack of noodles and a pack of mixed cabbage and you are good to go. My aunt makes the best one, but I lost her recipe and instead of admitting that and asking her for it again – I just use one from Pinterest. Honestly, if you need anything from Pinterest, just pick the first one that you have all the right ingredients for and you are not likely to be disappointed. That’s the best advice I can give.
What sort of summer staples do you have in your home? I’m sure I will think of a few more of my summer staples after I press “publish” on this post. I didn’t even talk about dessert.. who doesn’t love an ice cream sandwich? Although, the box doesn’t last very long, so we don’t typically buy them to begin with.
Until next time, happy cooking!
What exactly is sweet chili sauce Laura?
Hi Catherine! You can find sweet chilli sauce at the grocery store, I think it is usually with the soy sauce etc. There is a giant one at Costco (Thai Kitchen brand) that we usually buy but there are smaller ones, too. I do not recommend the Frank’s version, we didn’t like it.