Time for another recipe! I enjoy trying new recipes; sometimes I hit upon a winner and sometimes...well, sometimes the recipe just doesn't work for my family. Most of the time I tweak the recipe just a bit. Either because I don't have all of the listed ingredients and there is no way I am driving to town for one or two items. Or because I think it will taste better with just a smidgen of this or pinch of that. There are also the few times when I break down and make the recipe exactly as it's written. Each of these receips made their debut at our dinner table last night and I didn't tweak a thing!

The steaks were delicious and so easy! No tweaking necessary. Mesquite seasoning has a great flavor. It doesn't overwhelm the steak, just gives it a nice kick.

The biscuits were a last minute addition to the menu. They were chosen solely based on the recipe title. Easiest-Ever Biscuits. Can't go wrong there! They were easy to throw together and tasted scrumptious, but they are a bit heavy and very filling.

Finally, we have the salad. I have to admit that I did change this one just a bit. I increased the number of cucmbers simply because my garden is overflowing with cucumbers right now. Other than that I prepared it as originally written. Grilled vegetables have a delightful flavor, so I knew my family would enjoy this salad. Next time I make this recipe though, I think I will either alter or omit the dressing. I didn't necessarily love the pairing of a red wine vinegar with the grilled veggies. The salad was still yummy and the bowl was scraped clean, which is a definite plus.

Steak salad is a staple on our summer menu. Although I prepare several different versions of steak salad, this one is currently at the top of my family's list of favorites. My kids think the neatest thing about this salad is that it is arranged in rows. My daughter prefers that her salads are not "mixed up". She likes to arrange all of the steak and veggies in separate areas of her plate. The boys don't necessarily mind if I toss a salad before I put it on the table, but given the option they prefer to do their own tossing...while making volcano noises. Prompting me to remind them of Table Manner #27: No Volcano Noises at the Table. (Surely you have this rule at your house, too?)

The vinaigrette is flavorful with a nice kick from the smoked paprika. I like to pass the vinaigrette at the table as opposed to drizzling the entire salad, only because the kids like to do it themselves or skip it altogether. Either way is fine with me, as long as they eat! Well, eat and be mindful of Table Manner #27, of course!

Enjoy!

Sliders are all the rage these days and my family is enjoying them, too. My kids are thrilled when I make these mini-burgers; they love anything that is pint-sized, down-sized, or kid-sized. The younger kids are so proud of themselves when they eat their whole cheeseburger. The older kids dive in for second-helpings. Love that!

I like to serve these with a wide variety of toppings. Some days we do traditional burgers with ketchup, mayo, mustard and lettuce, tomatoes, pickles. Other days we may add a dollop of guacamole and salsa. My husband prefers them with bacon and onions. Because of the variety of toppings we like to add, I keep the burgers themselves quite simple.

I used small slider rolls for these burgers, but you could also use slider buns. I didn't have slider buns on hand and instead of driving to town to buy buns, I decided to make these yummy rolls. I realize this makes no sense whatsoever. Sometimes I just do crazy things like make homemade rolls all the while knowing that I could make my life a whole lot simpler and actually purchase rolls or buns.

For the record, I usually make these rolls with whole wheat flour.

Unfortunately, my whole wheat flour was involved in a bit of a mishap.

A toddler-related mishap, to be specific.

That metal box is where I store my whole wheat flour. He lifted the entire box out of the open drawer behind him, sat it on the floor and climbed right in the middle of it. In typical toddler fashion, he accomplished all of this in the same amount of time it took me to wipe down the kitchen table.

Heaven help me when turns two; I can't imagine what he'll be like during the "terrible twos"!

Have you got plans to fire up the grill this holiday weekend?

It is the middle of grilling season and I'm curious who mans the grill at your house? Traditionally, the grill is the man's domain, right? Open flame in the great outdoors; by definition it's gotta be a guy thing. Does this hold true at your house? It certainly doesn't at mine. Around here, I am the one in charge of the grill. Just me, my bbq tongs and my meat thermometer.

Oh, and this super-cute Girl's Grill Guide!

This little pink booklet is packed full of grilling information. Tons of useful information about charcoal vs. gas, direct heat vs. indirect heat, and cooking times. It also includes a handful of recipes (with photos!) that will be perfect for neighborhood barbecues or dinner for your family.

Here's the best part, ladies: I want to give each of you a copy of Grill Talk! If you would like one, just leave a comment on this post telling me what your plans are for the Fourth of July. Then shoot me an email beefmatters@gmail.com with a mailing address so I know where to send your booklet.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!

Tonight is the first night my family and I have all been home for dinner in several weeks! We have been busy running to baseball games, baseball practices, swimming lessons, birthday parties...you can relate, right?  So, for our rare dinner-at-home I made these Steak and Veggie Kabobs.

My husband really enjoys these steak and veggie kabobs. I have a hard time getting them to the table because he keeps wandering through the kitchen nibbling as he goes! The kids and I have to make sure to serve ourselves first, otherwise it may be PB&J for us.

The marinade adds a nice tanginess to the steak. It's easy to adapt to your preferences; I like to use different flavored vinegars to change things up a bit. I haven't tried different flavors of mustard, but that would be fun, too!

1. Combine marinade ingredients. Place beef and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Thread beef onto skewers.
3. In bowl, drizzle canola oil over tomatoes and mushroom caps. Thread vegetables onto skewers.
4. Grill, uncovered, 7-9 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness.

In my continuing quest for new and different hamburgers, I found these yummy Korean Bulgogi Burgers. Korean Bulgogi is a dish consisting of marinated beef (usually sirloin) which is then grilled and sliced thinly. These burgers use the ingredients typically found in Bulgogi marinade and adds them to the burger itself. I served these burgers with a few baby Romaine leaves and sliced tomatoes.

My kids all liked the burgers; however a couple of them chose not to add the onion topping to their burger. (I didn't tell them that there were onions mixed into the burger!) My youngest decided to have seconds, but not until after we had cleared the table, of course. As I was doing the dishes, he swiped the last burger from the plate! He plunked himself down next to the dishwasher, happily eating his burger while I cleaned up the kitchen. I was just thrilled he didn't take off running with hamburger crumbles trailing behind him!

If you are looking for a new take on your typical burger give this recipe a try!

I am always on the lookout for interesting variations of the traditional hamburgers. Kafta is the Arabic equivalent of the American hamburger. These meatballs are delicious! There are several variations of Kafta and different ways to cook the meat. I chose to make meatballs, but you could also make regular bun-sized patties or log shapes to fit in pita bread. If you find that the meatballs tend to fall apart, add a few breadcrumbs to the mixture. 

My kids always enjoy these meatballs. This is definitely a family favorite around our house.

Enjoy!

1. In a large bowl, mix together the, onion, parsley, allspice, salt, pepper and cayenne until evenly blended.
2. Add mixture to ground beef. Form meat mixture into large meatballs and thread onto metal skewer.
3. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Do you ever find a new recipe and decide you have to make it immediately? Even if you don't have all of the ingredients? Knowing that you will be making a few substitutions?

This morning, I was reading an article about the importance of eating lean protein particularly if you are involved in a strength training program. It is an interesting article, but I was drawn in by the recipe. After skimming the ingredients list, I decided to make it for lunch. Of course, I didn't make this decision until about thirty minutes before lunchtime. I grabbed my chef's knife and got to work!

After a few minutes I realized a little substitution would be in order. The original recipe calls for five-spice powder. I planned to serve this to the kids and knew it would be too spicy-hot for them, so I omitted it. I did leave the crushed red pepper in the sauce, so there was still a bit of a kick in the finished dish. The original recipe also uses snow peas, which I thought I had, but alas, I was mistaken. Next time I will definitely include snow peas! Also, I think I will add a bit of ginger the next time I make this recipe. My only other alteration was using brown rice instead of white rice.

Final verdict? Delicious! The sauce is quite flavorful, the beef is tender, and the veggies have a little crunch. The kids all enjoyed it. My husband wasn't home for lunch today...so I had a second serving!

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well; sprinkle evenly over steak.
2. Combine cornstarch, sugar, and red pepper in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in broth and soy sauce.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add carrot to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes.
5. Add steak and broccoli; stir-fry 1 minute.
6. Stir in broth mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Add snow peas; cook 30 seconds or until desired degree of doneness.
8. Serve with rice.

You thought I'd forgotten about the giveaway, didn't you?

I didn't forget, I was just having a little difficulty getting to the computer. Kids with high fevers needing to be held, kids without fevers needing to go outside, and one husband requesting lunch for fifteen guys (two days in a row)...

After a trip to the doctor's office, several hours in the kitchen and turning a blind eye to the dishes and laundry threatening to take over my home, I have finally made my way to the computer!

The winner of the Grilling Gift Basket is Emily! Congratulations!

Thank you everyone who left a comment.

It has been a hectic week. I haven't posted as frequently as I had hoped. Here's my excuse: I've spent most of the week trailing after a certain Kindergartener in our family.

Remember this kiddo? You know, the one who refuses to smile for the camera?

In his final week as a Kindergartener he took a field trip to the zoo, where his favorite exhibit was the goats. They got to feed the goats; all of the kids enjoyed this exhibit.

Kindergarten Graduation. Love that they wear caps and tassels!

Now that he is home for summer vacation he has put me to work! Reading stories, drawing pictures, craft projects, baking cookies, bike rides, ...

To apologize for my scant posting this week, I thought we'd do a giveaway. A Grilling Gift Basket Giveaway!

Included in this awesome Gift Basket is a copy of How to Grill by Steven Raichlen.

A few of the other items include a meat thermometer, a refrigerator magnet listing the proper cooking times for beef, an apron, a variety of spice packets and more! I told you it was awesome, didn't I?

It's easy to enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post answering the following question: "What is your favorite meal to cook on the grill?"

Enter before 11:59 p.m. on May 26th. Winner selected at random.

I look forward to reading your comments!