Chicken Kabobs

Introduction:

As summer is drawing to a close, we’re all trying to get a few last barbecues in before it starts getting cold again. Kabobs are a nice way to change things up and can be very versatile depending on the ingredients you have on hand. For this meal we had peppers, onions and chicken, but you can really use whatever you have available.

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts
• green and red peppers
• onions
• skewers (very important)
• BBQ sauce
• Italian dressing (or homemade concoction)

Instructions:

1.) In a pan/bowl/water holding device, let skewers soak in water for at least a half hour so that they don’t burn when you put them on the grill.

2.) Cut up your chicken into roughly one-inch cubes. Slice up your onion into either sixths or eighths. Lastly, cut your peppers so that they’re kind of the same size/shape as your chicken pieces.

3.) Get the grill going on medium heat. Now you can begin arranging the pieces on the skewers. It’s a good idea to put the veggies and meat on different skewers since they cook at different rates. Doing so will allow you to make your dish vegetarian if you have mixed company (that is, veggie AND meat eaters). Also, put your BBQ sauce and/or Italian dressing in separate bowls so that you can brush them on the kabobs later. If you’d like, you can marinate your chicken before putting them on the grill.

4.) Now you’re ready to start grilling. If you’re worried about the food sticking to the grill plates, feel free to spray some cooking spray down first. Be careful though, as the cooking spray is flammable. Throw the veggies on first since they’re going to take a little more time than the chicken (15-30 minutes, depending on how you like ‘em). Apply dressing to the veggies and close grill lid. After about 8 minutes, rotate your veggies and apply dressing to the other side. If the outsides are cooking too quickly, lower the heat on the grill. Cook until soft and slightly charred, rotating as needed.

5.) After removing your veggies, it’s time for the chicken. Put the chicken skewers on the grill and brush BBQ sauce onto the top side. Close the lid again and let cook for about 5 minutes. Check on the goods and rotate if necessary; apply more BBQ sauce (the more the merrier). If you’re not familiar with cooking chicken, the key is for there to be no pink in the middle. Since we’re using pretty small pieces, 15 minutes should be long enough.

6.) Remove everything from the grill and turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy your meal, you deserve it!

 

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Monkey Bread

Introduction:

Happy August! To celebrate this beautiful summer month, here is a delicious dessert (or breakfast, if you think your stomach can handle so much sugar first thing in the morning). It’s a fun food for all ages, but be forewarned it is very messy to eat…you’ll be using your fingers! This is a very simple recipe to follow, so even our inexperienced readers can try it at home. So, what are you waiting for?! Roll up your sleeves and make it, this bread is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 cans refrigerated biscuits
• 3/4 stick of butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Cut each biscuit into four segments.

2.) In a medium sized plastic bag, mix the cinnamon and white sugar together. You’ll use this bag to coat your biscuit in yummy goodness. Place a few segments into the bag and shake what your mother gave you!

3.) Once all the segments are properly coated, take the biscuits out and layer them in the pan. Repeat this process until all of the biscuits are used up.

4.) Combine the butter, brown sugar and any remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture in a small pot over medium heat. Allow them to boil for one minute.

5.) Pour the glaze over the biscuits. Try to make sure that the glaze gets to the lower layers of the bread (it might even be a good idea to layer the glaze as you add biscuit segments).

6.) Bake your dish in the oven for 28-35 minutes. Remove when bread is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, turn it over onto a plate and ENJOY!

The original recipe comes from the Pillsbury website, but it can also be found  over here.

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