Special Thanks to the Pioneer Woman

This recipe was posted on the pioneer woman. Pork chops with an onion sauce. I love onions so this was a great recipe for me. Though my pork chops don't look as good as the ones in her shot, they were great. Check out her blog for more cooking ideas.

Asian Honey Chicken

I recently grilled some chicken breasts and used a bottle of Kraft Asian Honey Barbecue Sauce. Served over a bed of rice these breasts were perfect. Kraft makes a variety of sauces that sound different than a typical barbecue.

I rubbed the breasts in salt and pepper. After cooking on both sides for about six minutes I added the sauce and cooked a few more minutes on each side.

Saturday menu and football

Today I am planning on grilling a combo sausage-beef burger. I have seen these called "ham" burgers or sausage burgers. To be honest, I am not sure what I will call them. I have not yet decided what spices I need to add. Depending on the sausage it may not need any. I hope to have an update posted soon.

Should be an exciting day of football. The forecast is for rain much of the day so between games of hungry-hungry hippo and Geo-trax, I am sure I will catch a little football. As I sit down to make my "picks" I realize how little I know about football.

Louisville at Kentucky- After living in Kentucky for four years I enjoy this rivalry. Kentucky is picked by 12 and I think that they will just cover. I see UK winning 24-10.

North Texas at Alabama. Look for Alabama to roll over UNT 44-3.

Tennessee at Florida. Marquee game of the day. All followers of football are aware of the drama that Lane Kiffin has created this off season. Florida is picked by 25 and it probably won't be that close at the half. Will Florida take their foot off the gas? With our current format for selecting national championship participants I look for Florida to win big. UF 56 UT 9.

Florida Atlantic at South Carolina. Two teams that I know little. USC 31 FAU 10.

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt. My Alma Marta vs. my wife's. A guys night out vs. a girls night out is on the line. Vanderbilt is rightly picked on paper. Good thing games are not played on paper. Mississippi State 27 Vanderbilt 20

Louisiana Lafayette at LSU. LSU takes down an in-state "rival" LSU 35 ULL 17.

Southeastern Louisiana at Ole Miss. Ole Miss needs a big win to justify their #5 ranking. Ole Miss 42 SLU 10.

West Virginia at Auburn. Another exciting game. Is Auburn for real? Auburn 27 West Virginia 23.

Georgia at Arkansas. Another game with lots of questions on each side. Is Arkansas ready to take it to the next level. Which Georgia team shows up? Odds makers like Arkansas. I like Georgia. UGA 29 Arkansas 17.

Pork Chops

Another night cooking on the grill. Though I usually prefer a custom rub there are many delicious rubs available in your local grocery store. The rub I used was Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. I lightly rubbed both sides with the seasoning. After letting the pork chop sit for about 20 minutes I cooked them on charcoal for about 6 minutes per side.

Along with a salad and potato wedges cooked on the side burner it was a great meal.

Coming tomorrow...pork chops cooked following a recipe on Pioneer Woman.

Shrimp Kabobs

On Saturday along with the pork roast we also had shrimp kabobs. While cooking the pork I twice added charcoal to keep the coals hot. Once the pork was removed the shrimp were added to the grill. Since the fire was starting to cool I was a little worried they would not cook. However, they were perfect.

Since one of the guests brought the shrimp I am unsure how they were prepared. From the picture you can probably notice the green peppers, onions, and pineapple on the skewers. I am guessing (how I would do it) that a heavy brushing of olive oil then adding salt and pepper.  The olive oil not only keeps the food from sticking to the grill but also adds flavor to the food!

The shrimp cook quickly...really a couple of minutes on each side.  Since peppers and onions can be eaten raw it wasn't too big of deal.  If I did it again I would likely have a skewer of shrimp and a skewer of vegetables. 

A loaf of French bread on the top rack rounded out our dinner.

Grilled Pork Roast

For football Saturday I decided to try to to grill a pork roast. Though I could not find a great recipe on-line I attempted to try. I cooked it similar to the way I prepare ribs. I used the dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. I also dumped some barbecue sauce into the foil pack.

I also wrapped it in foil and cooked it over charcoal for around two hours.




After cooking the pork I sliced it as thin as possible. Some of the guests used barbecue sauce with the pork but it was fine without it. I have never tried an injectable marinade but next time I grill a pork roast I will try it.

My football predictions did not turn out well but I did enjoy watching the game and the fellowship.

Finally football

I have been busy traveling much of the summer but have had plenty of opportunities to grill. I usually take pictures but, as you can see, have not updated my blog. Today we have friends coming over to watch football- specifically the Auburn/Mississippi State game. I am going to attempt to cook a pork roast on the grill. Later this evening I will post the results.

Driving home from working at the farmers market I thought I would post some of my SEC football predictions for today. I don't really know the point spreads nor do I know the over-unders. I have no inside knowledge so I would not recommend placing bets based on my predictions. Having said that....

LSU-Vandy. LSU did not have a great game last week but were on the road. I look for them to roll over my wife's Commodore team. LSU 27 Vandy 14.

UCLA @ Tennessee. Lane Kiffin has made everyone outside the state of Tennessee become Vol haters. However, UT should have no problems this week.

South Carolina @ Georgia. This should be a good game. UGA does not want to start 0-2 and USC is looking to start the SEC season with a win on the road. If this game were not the same time as my team then I would certainly tune-in. I see Georgia winning a close one 21-20.

Alabama vs. FIU. FIU has no chance. Alabama 47 FIU 3.

Mississippi State @ Auburn. I was one of the unfortunate fans who got to attend last years 3-2 game. I think that after that game the writing was on the wall for both schools. Six months later both schools had new coaching staffs. Auburn is picked to win by 14. Why? I have no idea. Both have new offenses and strong defenses. Look for Mississippi State to "upset" Auburn. MSU 28 Auburn 23.