I grilled!

Peppery Teriyaki Marinade
Betty Crocker Grilling Made Easy Copyright 2005

¼ cup soy sauce I used low-sodium
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
¼ coarsely ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. In shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable plastic food-storage bag, mix all ingredients. Add a bout 1 ½ pounds meat (pork, chicken, beef); turn to coat. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
2. Remove meat from marinade; reserve marinade. Grill meat as desired, brushing occasionally with marinade. I didn't baste. Discard any remaining marinade.
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Wow, I grilled. That's quite a rarity. We've been on the same tank of propane for 4 years. When we first bought the grill, my husband worked nights so I only grilled on the weekends and then when he switched to days, I had the baby to contend with and I couldn't be leaving him to tend to the grill (hubby doesn't get home until after dinner is done). We only have one big shindig every summer and I never grill anything that takes a long time, such as beer butt chicken, mainly just burgers, dogs, boneless chicken and pork, and shrimp.

This was a really nice marinade. Not much different than the Grilled Chicken Marinade I've tried before but I really liked that marinade too. This one tasted a little heavier towards the soy sauce. It was salty enough with the low-sodium soy sauce, full-sodium might be too much but personally I think full-sodium soy sauce is too salty for just about everything. The chicken was nice and tender too. There is a huge boost of flavor from using the outdoor gril that you just don't get using the contact grill.

In case anyone else was curious about Claire's selection of Mississippi Sin as her favorite dip yesterday, here's a link to a recipe for it. This recipe lists cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, ham, green onions, chilies and Worcestershire sauce but I bet there are many variations. I'm shocked that I've never heard of this before now. It sounds fabulous.

Well I picked the date for our annual summer cookout so now I can start planning and worrying about the weather. We only host two annual events, my son's birthday party which isn't that large of a party since it's in January and we have indoor space issues, and a summer shindig for family and friends. Not an immense amount of guests, maybe 25-30, but we expand the guest list every year (I get braver). Since this is my only big event, I like to do it up.

Question of the Day: How many large parties or family gatherings do you host each year?