Quick Chicken

I have a basic rub that I keep on hand for nights when I am in a hurry and want to do something different than a store-bought rub. This is a rub that I put on burgers, steaks, or chicken. If you are on my Christmas list you are likey to get a jar of this. Here is what I use:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black powder

I sometimes need to add a little more salt. However, this is a good basic rub.

Creative Burger

Really, how creative can you be with a burger? One way is to try new breads. I patted out four burgers and then realized we had no buns. However, we did have two pieces of French bread. I changed the shape of the patties to better fit the bread.

To the meat I added worcheshire sauce and a small amount of Tony Chachere's seasoning. I added cheese once the burgers were finished cooking. Burgers were good. I went a little too light on the seasoning since we had two relatives over.

Note: Today is Thanksgiving and the burgers were not cooked today. Today I celebrated with family. Over fifty relatives gathered at my parents farm for food, fellowship, and fun. Great tradition!

Camping

Last weekend I took the family camping. We ate dinner, breakfast, and lunch all over the grill. I went with foil bags for dinner and breakfast with hot dogs for lunch.

In the dinner bag I put steak tips, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes. Before dicing the potatoes I nuked them for about three minutes to begin the cooking process. I also dumped half a bottle of Moore's Teriyaki marinade on top. Once we arrived at the camp site I got the fire going and put the foil pack right on top. After fifteen minutes I turned it and put two hot dog buns on top.

For breakfast I used a cheese grater on a potatoesto make hash browns. I also bought some frozen link sausages and included them in the foil pack along with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and scoop of butter.

I did take pictures but all you can see is the foil bag. Not very exciting. Both tasted great! Next time you go camping, I recommend you

Next time we camp I need to buy the pots to prepare hot coffee for breakfast. Iced coffee was good but not what we needed on a cold morning.

Tony Chachere's and bourbon

Tony Chachere's is a great seasoning blend that goes well with chicken or steaks. I favor dry rubs like Tony Chachere's over most marinades. I pulled a couple of steaks out of the deep freeze and allowed them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

I rubbed a generous spoonful of TC on the steaks and placed them in a bag with 1/2 cup of bourbon. After living in Kentucky for four years bourbon is among my favorite adult beverages. I allowed the steaks to marinade for about four hours an then cooked on each side for about six minutes.

In-doors my wife cooked potatoes and green beans. With a side salad and cold beer, it was a perfect meal.

Grilled bacon = Fire

I recently grilled bacon cheese burgers for some friends. I love grilled bacon. Cooking above the burgers allows the grease to drip down onto the burgers and make them taste even better. However, the grease also drips onto the flame and can pretty much make everything catch on fire.

A few minutes after the initial flip of the burgers I opened the grill to see many of the burgers in flames. I was able to blow out the flames and retrieved the water bottle from inside to help control future flame-ups.

The burgers were seasoned with Cavenders Greek Seasoning and the bacon grease. Other than being a little too charred in places the burgers were great. I will grill bacon again soon. However, next time I will have the water bottle on hand from the beginning.

Saturday Picks

Should have several updates this week. Even though it is starting to get cold I have been grilling often. Headed to a children's birthday party this morning and hope to watch some football this afternoon.

South Carolina @ Arkansas. Both teams come into the game desperate for a win. Arkansas has shown it can score and you can never discount the ole ball coach. Since it is at home, I see Arkansas winning a close high-scoring game. Arkansas 29- South Carolina 24.

Tenn Tech @ Georgia. Amazing that all the SEC games are on TV. Georgia 34- Tech 6.

E. Kentucky @ Kentucky. EKU fans will come out for this game since these schools are only 20 minutes apart. EKU has had some strong teams in the championship division but they are not SEC material. Kentucky 38- EKU 14.

Furman @ Auburn. Auburn tunes up for their last two rival games with an easy win. Auburn 42- Furman 7.

LSU @ Alabama. Game of the day in the SEC and one of the best national games. With a win Alabama wraps up the SEC West. LSU is in the drivers seat with a win...but then must win-out to represent the West in the championship game against Florida. LSU is good but doesn't have the quarterback play to keep up with Alabama. Alabama's defense is just too strong. Alabama 26- LSU 17.

Memphis @ Tennessee. Memphis has played some tight games with Tennessee in the past. This year both teams are far from solid. In fact, Memphis is bad. Tennessee 23- Memphis 9.

Vanderbilt @ Florida. Lots of chatter this week with the eye gouging incident and suspension. Vanderbilt won't be in a bowl this year but want to end on a high note. Too bad they have play Florida. Florida 44- Vanderbilt 13.

Northern Arizona @ Ole Miss. The lumberjacks will be the second Division I-AA opponent that Ole Miss plays this year. Expect similar results from their earlier game. Ole Miss 49- N. Arizona 3.

Happy Halloween

In an effort to get junior to eat a hamburger I tried to make a jack-o-lantern face in the cheese. For some reason he has decided he doesn't like hamburgers. He won't even eat a happy meal burger. A cheesy face had it work. This picture was just as I was pulling it off the grill. Granted, it does not really look like a jack-o-lantern. However, he is four. Surely if I tell him what it is then he will eat it.

It didn't work.