A Labor Saving Coffee Grinder

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One of the things that I have always enjoyed first thing I the morning is a fresh brewed cup of great tasting coffee. The only problem has been that to get it, I always had to get up and get dressed and get out of the house to visit my local cafe where they sold it. No matter how I tried, I could never quite get that same taste at home. That was until I got my own electric coffee bean grinder, that is.

I first heard about the Bodum Bistro coffee grinder when I was reading some reviews in a magazine someplace and it struck me then that the only way I was ever going to enjoy a real cup of coffee that I could make myself at home was to actually go through the whole process of making it from start to finish. That means grinding up the fresh beans myself, instead of buying the ready ground stuff in a packet at the supermarket. So I bit the bullet and bought myself my very first ever coffee grinder and straight away I noticed a huge difference in the way my home brewed coffee tasted.

It was like getting a really great lift after I brewed my first ever cup of the real stuff after using my grinder for the first time. I had prepared for that moment by buying a pack of freshly roasted coffee beans from a specialist coffee store in the city and I was not disappointed. It has to be the best purchase I ever made!

Southern Food: Pecan-Grilled Pork Chops

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If you’re a big fan of southern food, it’s pretty much a requirement that you have to like pork. And what’s not to like? Pork is delicious just about any ole way, but when you grill it over charcoal or wood, it’s even better. If you’ve never tried adding some pecan flavor to your grilled pork, you don’t know what you’re missing!

If you live in the South, go out and cut some small pecan limbs, or find some on the ground that are still green. If you can’t do this, purchase some pecan chips or chunks. Soak the twig, limbs, chips, or chunks in water for several hours. Place a weight on top to keep the pecan wood submerged. Now, prepare the pork chops using the following recipe:

Pecan-Grilled Pork Chops recipe

Ingredients:

  • 6 center-cut pork chops, about ½-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne

Directions: Rinse pork chops and pat dry. Combine remaining ingredients and rub into pork flesh. Place meat in the fridge.

Make a charcoal fire in your grill and create two cooking zones. Pile the coals on one side. When the coals are almost ready, add the pecan wood. When the heat gets to medium-high, place the chops on the grill to sear both sides. Move the meat over to the cooler side of the grill and close the lid. This will allow the chops to finish cooking and to get more of the pecan smoke into the flesh.

 

Hamburger Recipes: Teriyaki Burgers

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My family and I enjoy all kinds of hamburger recipes. Sometimes nothing seems as good as a plain ole grilled burger, but at other times, we prefer burgers that are a little different. Some may even call them unusual. These burgers are really delicious! The sweet pineapple and the teriyaki sauce go great with the beef, and the bell pepper adds a nice crunch.

Teriyaki Burgers recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup soft bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (thin kind)
  • 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 ½ pounds ground chuck
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 pineapple rings
  • Olive oil
  • Green bell pepper strips
  • 1 dozen Hawaiian rolls
  • Teriyaki glaze (thick kind)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice, and egg. Let stand for five minutes. Mix in ground chuck, garlic salt, and black pepper. Divide mixture into 12 balls. Flatten balls to make 12 patties that are slightly larger than the Hawaiian rolls. Place burgers on a plate and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Grill hamburgers over medium coals to desired doneness. While burgers are cooking, brush pineapple rings with olive oil and grill fruit until grill marks are left on both sides. Grill peppers, too, if desired.

Place cooked burgers on rolls and top with pineapple, bell pepper, and teriyaki glaze.

 

 

Natural Mosquito Repellent Better than DEET?

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Many years back I drove the length Asia in a charity road race, and while it was a heck of a lot of fun I had to deal with millions of mosquitoes along the way.  I’d get up every day covered in dozens of fresh bites, and the blisters got so bad that I had to see a doctor more than once.  

I carried a can of 50% DEET mosquito repellent to keep away the bugs  in my travel toiletry bag, which I sprayed everywhere – on my skin, clothes and inside the car – to keep the bugs out of my home from home.  The DEET worked great, and my car was usually mosquito free.

Unfortunately, by the time my trip ended in Mongolia the car was an absolute wreck.  The DEET had melted the window seals, the rear view mirror, the seat covers, the dash board and the heating vent.  The car was destroyed.  It was only months later that I learned that DEET is a solvent strong enough to melt clear through a layer of plastic. 

Since then I’ve switched to natural mosquito repellent that doesn’t use DEET as an active ingredient.  Natural repellent use cedar and citronella to control mosquitoes, and while natural stuff may not be that powerful it’s certainly healthier.  

 

Posted in BBQ

Jerk BBQ Chicken Recipe

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This BBQ chicken recipe will bring the flavors of Jamaica to your back yard! The traditional jerk chicken marinade will do the trick, and it will also keep your chicken breasts moist as they cook. Serve the grilled chicken with rice and peas (kidney beans cooked with coconut milk and peppers), and you’ll have a complete island-style meal.

Jerk BBQ Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch ground cloves

Directions: Remove and discard any skin or cartilage from chicken breasts. Rinse breasts and pat dry. With a meat mallet, pound chicken so that breasts are of uniform thickness all over, about ½ inch. Place chicken in a large plastic food bag.

Add remaining ingredients to blender and liquefy. Pour marinade over chicken and close bag. Place bag in a bowl or dish and refrigerate overnight. Move chicken breasts around a few times in the bag while they’re marinating.

Remove chicken from marinade and grill breasts on medium-high grill for about 5-6 minutes per side.

 

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Shrimp Recipe

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With this great grilled shrimp recipe, you get two favorite examples of seafood in one bite – shrimp and crabmeat. Many American recipes are often “heavy” on the meats, so, in addition to seafood, you’ll also get a taste of savory, smoky bacon. What more could you ask of a recipe?

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Jumbo or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
  • ½ cup fresh crabmeat
  • 2 tablespoons crushed saltine crackers
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 2 teaspoons minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • Mayonnaise
  • Thin bacon strips
  • Toothpicks

Directions: Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. The split in the back of the shrimp needs to be deep, so use a sharp knife if you need to make the split deeper, being careful not to slice all the way through the flesh.

Combine crabmeat, saltine crackers, egg, ground red pepper. And garlic salt. When cracker crumbs are soft, mix in just enough mayonnaise to hold everything together. Wrap each stuffed shrimp with a slice of bacon and use a toothpick to secure.

Clean and lightly oil grill grates and heat grill to medium-high. Grill shrimp for about two or three minutes per side, or until bacon is done and shrimp are opaque and pink.

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Recipe

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This is a wonderful pulled pork recipe that’s sweet, spicy, and delicious. If you’re looking for a no-fail pulled pork recipe that everyone will love, look no further. For the very best pulled pork, you’ll want to use a pork shoulder – a Boston butt. Choose one that has some fat on it so the meat will be super juicy and tender. Boston butts usually weigh between four and eight pounds or so, so choose one that matches the number of folks you want to feed. To smoke the meat, you’ll need a smoker or a grill that closes tightly.

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 pork butt (five or six pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Hickory chunks or chips

Directions: Rinse butt and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, apple juice, and olive oil. Blend in dry ingredients and let sit on the counter for about thirty minutes, then stir again. Rub mixture all over pork butt. Wrap rubbed butt and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Soak the wood chunks or chips in water for an hour, then add to smoker. Fire up the smoker and heat it to 220 degrees. Smoke the rubbed butt for about two hours per pound.

Remove the smoked pork shoulder from the smoker or grill and let rest for thirty minutes. Pull the meat and add barbecue sauce, if desired.