I don’t like to take computers on vacation. To me, a vacation is time to get unplugged, and that meens NO electronics! OK, maybe a book on a reader, but that’s it. No blog at the beach.
Yep, we made a quick trip to one of my favorite places on earth, the Gulf Coast. We also boarded the girls, so no dogs to care for. That’s about like a vacation without children. You love your children and your dogs, but sometimes it’s refreshing to have time without them.

The food was as wonderful as always, and the moon was full, producing a special beach night view that we call a “moon trail”. That’s when the waves sparkle with the light of the moon all the way from the horizon to the sand. Moon trails don’t appear every night, but they are beautiful when they do.
Now let’s catch up on the menu around here.
One recipe that I think tastes as good as it is fun to prepare is Beer Can Chicken.  The poor bird looks really silly sitting on the can! It takes a while to cook, so this chicken is a good Sunday dinner.

As long as Michael had the grill going, we had Jalapeno Potato Poppers to munch on while we waited. Even though I was careful to remove all the seeds and heat producing membranes, this batch was very hot.
Meatless Monday was truly meatless last week. I took the time to make a batch of Potato Gnocchi to serve as a base for my Roasted Vegetable Medley.

Although Monday was meatless, Tuesday was not international. We had good old American Smoky Chicken Barbecue Sandwiches made with Sunday’s leftover chicken.
Wednesday was another work day. Chuck roasts were on sale, so I ground some up to replenish our lunch supply of Krystal Style Sliders. I also put together a couple of Italian Meatloaves . I came up with the meatloaf recipe after Michael ordered it at Big River Grill in Chattanooga. They serve thick slices of the meatloaf grilled and topped with a tangy sauce that is just delicious. The baked meatloaf itself is very good, and just a little different with the twist of Italian sausage instead of the usual ground pork.  I always bake a large meatloaf so we have extra to grill and freeze small containers of the sauce to go on top.

The rest of the week was pretty easy. Thursday I was Thankful for freezer food. We had Grillades served over Quick and Light Cheese Grits.

Fishy Friday was another catch from my freezer, Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks, simple and satisfying. Grilled tuna is not beach fare, but Michael says that if we lived at the beach the seafood wouldn’t be as special anymore. I guess he’s right.
Be thankful for what life gives you.