Adventures in Grilling and Rain Rain Go Away

I hope all my American readers had a wonderful Independence Day celebration last week. I love July 4th for many reasons, but the best one is that it's the week all my cousins come to town every summer.  I especially love seeing my cousin, Kevin, who is just a few months younger than I, and his son, who is just three weeks older than Grace.  The two of them together bring back so many happy memories of our summer visits growing up and the way cousins seem to be able to pick up right where they left off last July.

It does tend to get competitive at times.   Yes, she's thirteen now.  She's perfecting that look.

The only downside this year was the rain that would. not. stop.  We played a lot of cards and Catch Phrase.  There was a karaoke machine. We may have also had more than our share of cosmopolitans.  With 34 people at dinner, you do what you gotta do.

Everyone was excited that The Pit Boss was going to grill a tri tip on Thursday.  We went to our favorite butcher to get two beautiful hunks of beef, rubbed them down, and made sure there was plenty of gas in the tank.  It was all going perfectly until the alarm went off at his office and he had no choice but to drive back across town to make sure everything was okay.  He hastily gave me instructions and assured me that I would be fine.

He warned me that the marinade made it flame up a lot.

You think?

This is after I turned the grill completely off.  You should have seen the flames shooting out the back of the grill.  After many frantic text messages -okay, yes, I took pictures to show him just how badly I needed him to come back - a reassuring phone call, and a little help from a professional chef, we managed to get it cooked without setting my parents' house on fire. 

Also, if you think Atlanta is humid during a normal summer, you should try standing next to a grill on fire during a rain storm.  I was looking extra pretty by the time we ate.

Luckily it was a false alarm at the office and TPB showed up in time to slice up the roast.  Even after all that, it was delicious and there wasn't a bite left over!  (Not to mention the 2 dozen hamburgers, 2 packs of hot dogs, and several pounds of sausage and peppers plus all the fixings and dessert.)  Like locusts!

Next post: college orientation and emotional overload.  Don't miss it!



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