What I Ate (off the grill) Wednesday

Happy Wednesday late Tuesday night! I know I'm a wee bit early this week, but I just couldn't wait to say hi! I'm so sorry that I have been MIA this week. Derek and I went away for a mini-vacation and went totally offline for almost 4 whole days! I have to admit it was absolutely wonderful and even though I've been home since late Sunday night, I've totally remained in vacation (aka lazy bones) mode!

Thankfully, I was able to get enough energy to whip up a delicious dinner on the barbecue because I just couldn't let a What I Ate Wednesday go by without sharing something fabulous!




I had grilled corn, grilled sweet potaters, a grilled balsamic mushroom cap and some grape tomatoes from my patio garden. Dinner was absolutely scrumptious!

It was the first time I'd ever tried grilling corn in the husks.  We've boiled corn, grilled it in tinfoil, steamed the cobs and nuked them in the microwave. Fresh corn can be cooked so many ways, but I wanted to try something new and see how it turned out.....I've gotta say friends it was awesome!

Grilled Corn on the Cob (in the husk!)
Makes as many cobs as you can handle baby :-)

What you need:  Cobs of corn and Earth Balance or butter

Carefully peel down the husks of the corn and remove the silk. Don't pull the husks right off because you need them to wrap back up around your cobs.

Once the silk is removed, spread some Earth Balance on each cob.

You need to spread it around a little more than that!! :-)

Wrap the husks back up around the cobs and tie them together with some kitchen string. I didn't have kitchen string, so I soaked some regular old white string from Derek's shed in water and used it. It did the trick but by the end of the cook time, some had burnt off.

Heat your barbecue grill to medium heat. Place the cobs of corn on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes making sure to turn to ensure all sides are evenly cooked.

Remove from the grill and remove the string and husks.

Eat up!!

There will be a mouthwatering sweet scent of caramelized corn that will waft from your platter as you take your corn off the grill --- I couldn't wait to get a bite! It was Gooo-oooddd!

And I can't forget to give an honourable mention to all the local fruit I've been enjoying. Peaches are my poison today!! I could eat this whole basket! Local = Fabulous!

If you're looking for more amazing meal inspiration, make sure you hop on over to visit Jenn at Peas & Crayons and check out what so many other amazing bloggers have been noshing on this week!

What is the best thing you've eaten today?
Favourite way to cook corn on the cob?

Have a great day!!

Andrea

What I Ate Wednesday & What My Poochies Ate Too!

Happy Hump Day - so we meet here yet again!

It's been hot, sunny and absolutely beautiful this week, so I've been enjoying light, delicious summery meals. There's nothing better and I have to say it's about darn time :-). I am loving barbecue season after the long, cold winter we've had!

I know you're dying to get outside to soak up some of that wonderful Vitamin D, so I'll be quick and get right to it.

I've been starting most days off with one of my iced coffee creations. I was going to limit myself to weekends only, but they're so darn good I just can't resist making them whenever I have time!

For breakie, I've been loving Greek Yogourt with Honey, mixed with some of biggest sweetest blackberries ever and some Summer Berry Kashi Granola. This is so filling and satisfying after an early morning workout and I have to say the creamy yogourt mixed with honey is awesome!

For lunches, I've been bringing a Chickpea and Summer Veggie Salad to work with me. The recipe came from a new cookbook that I won in a giveaway hosted by Lauren at the spiced plate ~ thanks Lauren, you're the best girl!  It's Amy Green's Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. I have read this cookbook from cover to cover (I'm weird like that) and I have a ton of recipes bookmarked to try out. This was the first one I made and it certainly did not disappoint. I served my salad on a bed of baby spinach. Healthy and delish! I promise I'll give a proper review of this book once I've had a chance to really try it out :-)

For dinner, we were all about the grill. Grilled corn on the cob (it wasn't fresh, so it was ok but we are definitely stoked for fresh corn later this summer), a grilled balsamic mushroom with swiss and a warm Asparagus and Potato Salad, by Angela. I followed her recipe exactly except that I grilled my taters and asparagus spears in a wok on the barbie instead of roasting in the oven. Mouthwatering. Delicious. So glad there's leftovers.

And because the weather has been so darn hot, I wanted to share a nice cool treat that I give to my dogs to help them cool down. Being big, black and furry doesn't work out so well during the hot summer months. Meet the frozen stuffed Kong. Looks gross to us, but it is absolutely delectable to our canine friends. I stuff the Kongs with all sorts of goodies and today I used mashed sweet potato mixed with an organic chicken and vegetable baby food. I stuffed the Kong, froze it overnight and voila! Cheap, cool and keeps the dogs busy for over an hour!

So what if there's dog slobber all over my floor - I'm just happy they have something that

makes them happy and helps to cool them down in this HOT, HUMID weather!

So there you have it. As you can see I'm back on track and rockin' some healthy eats. I'm determined to lose the excess weight I've gained over the winter. One significant change you might notice is that there are no snacks; especially late night snacks! And so far, I don't miss them one bit!

If you're looking for some more inspiration, check out Jenn's site at peas & crayons.

I know I  have lots of pet lovers that follow me. What's your favourite summertime treat to feed your furry friends? 

Favourite meal of the day? 

On a side note, my bloggie friend, Cait @ beyond bananas, is hosting a Baking for Boobies bake sale over at her site. All funds raised will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund community programs to support those who are suffering from breast cancer and to help find a cure.The bake sale ends tomorrow at 11:59 p.m., so pop over and check out all the baked goodies and other items and bid!! A little can go a long way ~ we can all make a difference!
Happy Wednesday!!

Andrea