Top of the week to you from the campground. The internet access here at the campground is terrible (hopefully the owners are reading this post) as it is pretty much unuseable. With that said, I took the show on the road and am getting the post done at a local CAP site down the road.

Yesterday was a great day for camping, sun was shining, nice breeze and lots to do.  We got up and loathed around for a few hours and then hit the beach.  The beach was very nice and relaxing, kids had a lot of fun in the sand but the water was “FREEZING“.  I went in with Carter for a little jolt and I thought my toes were going to be frost bitten.  I quickly darted back to the towel and assumed my normal position of lying down.  Yeah I am somewhat lazy at the beach.

After the beach we had too pick up a few things for supper.  We invited our friends over for a little snack which turned out quite well.  I had marinated a couple of small chickens in the fridge before we left as I wanted to roast them on the bbq upon return.

The bird... ready for eats

The marinade was pretty simple but offered a great aroma while the birds were roasting.

The marinade on the chicken getting ready to wait for 4 hours while we go to the beach.

I paired the chicken with roasted caluiflower on the grill served with a mango chutney, some grilled zuchini topped with feta cheese and balsamic vinegar and a nice fresh salad with toasted walnuts and blueberries.  All in all it was a good meal and everyone enjoyed themselves even most of the kids except for picky Mr. Carter who opted for a peanut butter sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 chickens (prepped and cleaned)
• 1 Tbsp. mustard
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 1 Tbsp. corriander
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 Tsp. onion powder

Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Butter
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 4-5 sprigs of basil , torn

Method

1. Mix together all the ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and set aside.  Place the birds in a tinfoil roasting pan.
2. Rub the marinade all over the chicken ensuring it is covered and than wrap it in saran wrap for a few hours. The longer the better.
3. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
4. Place the roasting pan on the grill and let cook for about 90 minutes.  you can turn the chickens to get them really golden brown if you like to eat the skin.
5. For the sauce, preheat a pan over medium heat and melt the butter.  Add the lemon juice and zest and cook together  for 5 minutes.
6. Add the basil and serve.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When doing dry rubs, I like to add a little olive oil to bind the ingredients together and make it into more of a paste.  I find it allows the flavors to adhere to the meat better.

So there you have a simple roasted chicken done on the grill outside.  The flavors were really good especially with that little hint of mustard.  I am going to get going and enjoy camping.  I will talk to you on Wednesday.  Have a good start to your week.

Take care

zesty

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Ever want to escape the weather?  Some choose to go to an all inclusive resort, other choose to have special weekend away in seclusion and than there is some that just pretend to relive the summer and make a kicked up barbeque chicken sauce in the middle of January.

I guess for this week I am the latter of the three described above.  For me, nothing beats the barbeque.  The thrill of the grill and the flavors make my mouth water, hairs stand up and belly growl.  For today, I thought I would share one of my favorite sauces to have on hand – homemade barbeque chicken sauce.  This BBQ sauce can we used on just about anything… from chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, rice, nachos, you name it.

I am pretty sure you could smear this BBQ sauce on your car bumper and love it.

Barbeque (BBQ) Chicken Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Dry Mustard
• 2 Tsp. Smoked paprika
• 1 Clove garlic ( crushed)
• 4 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1 Cup Ketchup
• 1 Cup cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Pepper

Method

1. Preheat large sauce pan over medium heat
2. Stir all dry ingredients together and than add remaining liquid.
3. Mix thoroughly and bring to a gentle boil ( stirring occasionally )
4. Reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  The longer you simmer this barbeque chicken sauce, the better it will be.  If you notice it getting to thick, just add a little water.  Package this in resealable jars and give it to your friends, they will be happy.

OK, so you have to try this sauce… not because I love barbeque but just for the shear excitement of your taste buds.  Let me know if you do give it a try and let me know your thoughts and alterations if you made any.  Have a super day and I will talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Wednesday!  Phew… what a day!  We will get on that in a minute.  I have been working on house decisions what feels like all day yesterday as the builders had made some great progress and had lots of questions as the floor system got underway today.  House Update Below!!!!

On to the carrots!  These babies were amazing.  As part of the huge barbecue feast from yesterday we had some fresh garden carrots that were just aching to be kicked up with some Canadian Maple Syrup.  Now not that this carrot recipe is low in fat… but I really enjoyed them.

Here are the simple step by step instructions on how to spin these carrots for your next dinner.

Ingredients

• Carrots
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Wash carrots and cut ends off.



2. Cut into pieces and place in pot and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
4. Drain water, turn off heat and place pot back on the burner.



5. Season immediately while hot, add butter, thyme and maple syrup.





6. Stir and serve.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to slightly under cook vegetables as I find they taste better than when they are mushy.  So I like to keep a close eye and try to cut them similar in size so they cook evenly.

House Update

So there you have it! Some kicked up carrots and a zesty house update. Have yourself a great Wednesday and I will see you all tomorrow for a very “Beantown” menu choice.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty