What Do You Grill?

Nick and I officially became homeowners this week. Yes, we bought this house three years ago next month, but I don't think we were true homeowners until now. Know why? Because we didn't have a grill until now. Sure, we had this beast (seriously, beast) of a George Foreman Grill, but that doesn't really count. We couldn't just fire it up, cook our food and then be done with it. No, we had to then spend 20 minutes cleaning the darn thing any time we used it.

So this week we took some birthday money Nick received and the money I made during our garage sale and we bought a grill. Sweet!

Here's where you all come in... Considering Nick and I are novices at the grilling world, we don't have many ideas of what to grill. I know about burgers, dogs and chicken and I remember an episode of America's Test Kitchen a few years ago where they grilled pizza (I know I want to try that!), but what else is there? What do you and your family love to make on your grill?

Side Salad Please

My kids are weird. Look at what they had for lunch the other day...

Yep, that would be ham sandwiches, pieces of cheese and side salads. My kids are only 2, right?

For the last several months the boys have bugged Nick to share his salad with them at dinner time. He'd slip them a piece of lettuce here and there and they seemed to like it. We joked a couple of weeks ago that if we made them their own salads they probably wouldn't eat them because part of the allure is Nick's plate. Well this weekend Nick decided to give it a shot and see what happened... They ate the salads! (And by "salad" I mean a pile of red and green leaf lettuce, a couple of croutons and a little dressing.)

So the next day at lunch we gave them salads again...

Notice what Tyler ate first on the plate?

And Jackson ate his salad first too!

Now before you all start thinking my kids are little health nuts, think again... just the night before these pictures were taken Tyler scarfed down his fries before his chicken at Applebee's. Maybe he knew the salad had to balance it out!

Super Sticky

Yesterday it was warm and humid here in Kansas City, so Nick eagerly agreed that we should all head to the nearby frozen custard place after dinner. The boys have been there once before, but it was early last fall and they only received a few spoonfuls of the cold treat.

Last night the boys got to each hold their own cone for the first time. They LOVED it!

Tyler taking his first bite!

Chase and Jackson trying it out.

Needless to say, the boys thought it was good stuff and there was some mild sadness when the custard was all gone! We told them not to worry, that we'd be back. At the very least we'll go when Grandma and Pop Pop are in town next month (Pop Pop loves it)!

A New England Tradition

Last night the boys got to partake in a New England tradition: the consumption of Whoopie Pies. My readers from New England are all probably nodding their heads at the thought of it being a tradition and at the same time drooling on their keyboards at the thought of eating their very own Whoopie Pie. For those not from New England or those who do not know any New England implants in their part of the country who have brought the Whoopie Pie to them, allow me to enlighten you.


That my friends is a Whoopie Pie. To put it simply it is heaven. It's rich chocolate cake with an equally rich cream filling. It's terribly bad for you (trust me, you don't want to know what's in that filling!) but as all bad things do, it tastes oh-so-good. In New England it is common to find giant Whoopie Pies (6-8 inches in diameter) wrapped in plastic wrap and for sale in pretty much any gas station or convenience store.

Yesterday I made a batch of Whoopie Pies to bring to brunch this morning. Yes, I realize this isn't a brunch food but they were requested and really chocolate at 9:30am is perfectly acceptable in my book. Anyway, I set aside a couple so that the boys and Nick could have one. The boys loved it! Lots of "mmmmms!" were heard in this dining room.




Chase and Tyler aren't eating Whoopie Pies here, but it is an adorable picture I snapped of them after nap time yesterday. I just had to share it!