Back from Summer Break

Well, we're gearing up for fall again. I've got to confess that the past few days, as cool as they've been, have me starting to say goodbye to summer, pack the capris and sandals away for the time being and start thinking of apples, pumpkins, and all sorts of other autumn things.

My hiatus this summer was due to several reasons. First and foremost, my husband and I have been enjoying the summer. And part of that involves me NOT cooking. We spent the majority of the summer grilling outside. A lot of the time it was nothing really special - grilled burgers or chicken for the most part, with variations of grilled veggies. Especially veggie kebabs and corn.

Some notes on quick after-work meals, though:

• Perdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts have been a lifesaver this summer. They're vacuum-sealed chicken breasts that freeze very well. We usually get the plain ones or the Italian seasoned ones (which are great for the grill, because they're already pre-marinated and very yummy!) Best of all, the package says "gluten free!" I also found a significant price savings between Walmart and Price Chopper.
  
• Kraft Free Italian dressing makes a great baste for veggie kebabs. We're partial to: mushrooms (either white or baby bella, but grilled mushrooms are a must), red pepper, vidalia onion, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes.
  
• There's no such thing as too many grilled veggies! Leftovers taste great stir-fried with rice. :-)
  

Anyway. Now that the weather is cooling, class has started (requiring leftovers on school nights), and winter is coming I'll be cooking quite a bit more!

Since this is my "Back from Summer Break" blog entry, I'll also add a few other updates. a.k.a. "What I did this summer since I didn't do much gluten free blogging:"

• I had busted my knee training for a 5K race in the spring. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm the only person in existence who can require physical therapy after running. However, it's all better now and I've been happily biking and doing other sports all summer.
  
• My husband and I went to Cape Cod on vacation, where I highly recommend visiting the Chatham Fish and Lobster Co. aka Marina Cuisine. Naturally gluten free fish fries, with gluten free breads and desserts. Amazing food, wonderful people, and definitely on our list of places to go the next time we visit!
  
• We also attended a very nice wedding at the Links golf club in East Syracuse. They were very accommodating for my husband - while they served stations for the guests, they made up a special plate for him with chicken, veggies and a baked potato. They also pointed out all the stations that were safe for him - for example the turkey carving station. We had a great time!
• Unfortunately, on the ride home from that wedding, we were in a car accident on the Thruway. Thankfully no one was hurt - only our car and dignity. My car chose the same week to die so we're now driving two new cars.
• We also went to a bridal shower (well, Jack and Jill shower) at the Albany Pump Station. Again, my husband had a very nice steak cooked and delivered to him. Everyone else at our table was jealous! :-)
  
• We finally checked out Yankees stadium. We had planned to tailgate in the parking lot before the game (cheaper, and easier to eat gluten free), but unfortunately, this was not meant to be! I went out of my way to pick up Bard's Beer at the Brew Crew (everyone else had Sam Adams) and forgot a bottle opener. (It was OK, someone else had one). Then the grill broke leaving us with approximately 7 lbs. of raw meat! No worries - I packed the gluten free hot dog buns in my purse and ordered two hot dogs without the buns. I got a weird look from the guy behind the counter, but we had gluten free lunch at the stadium! :-)

Anyway, that's been our summer. I look forward to getting back into gluten free blogging this fall!