The Best Brine Grilled Chicken Legs for your Summer Picnic and The Cincinnati Reds Opening Day

The other day I went to the store and left with two small bags of groceries. There was no meat and no dog bones (the two things that really add the dollars to my bill.) The sum of the two bags was $92.97! What the heck? Buying groceries is really getting expensive. That got me to thinking about my upcoming Memorial Day Picnic. It is really going to be expensive and I need to seriously plan ahead.



Chicken Legs are a great value and definitely are delicious when grilled. When you are hosting a picnic you don't want to be stuck at the grill the entire time. That is where The Best Brine Grilled Chicken Legs comes to the rescue. These things are easy, good, and can be made ahead of time.



Best Brine Grilled Chicken Legs



Chicken Legs, skinned removed

1/2 of raw sugar

1/4 cup kosher salt

4 tablespoons liquid smoke

barbecue seasoning of your choice

cooking spray

water



(1) To remove skin from chicken legs use paper towels and hold by leg and pull skin (do not throw away if you have a puppy.) (2) Dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add liquid smoke and chicken legs. (3) Brine chicken legs 4 to 5 hours. (4) Remove chicken legs, rinse and pat dry. Spray with cooking spray and lightly sprinkled with seasoning. (5) Grill on charcoal grill over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes. Turn frequently. (6) Remove to aluminum pans and place in a 250 degree oven for another 30 to 45 minutes. (7) Serve to your picnic guests!



The meat is tender, smoked, and seasoned perfectly. For all you Weight Watchers, these chicken legs are 1 point a piece! I guarantee your guest will rave about these chicken legs. I have never heard a negative comment about them. You can serve them with a side of your favorite barbecue sauce.



Here is why I said to keep the skin!

I take the skin and throw it in a hot pan with a little olive oil and fry it up like bacon. Of course, this is a treat beyond all expectations for Kramer. I guess I will have to put a disclaimer to ask your Vet first? I did this and all he did was stare at me. I am taking his silence as a vote of confidence in giving my puppy fried chicken skin!

It is getting ready to turn really bad weather wise here. If you live in this area you expect nothing different for the Reds (baseball) opening day! If it is not snowing or sleeting rain, you definitely would wonder "what the heck?" I figure warm weather and great picnics are just around the corner. I just can't wait!!

The Ultimate in Gourmet Flavored Dipping Oils

I am having one of those perfect days. (This is going to get a little corny) I woke up and could hear the birds singing. Most days my coffee leaves a little bit to be desired, but not today. Today I woke up to a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. I sat down at my computer and was happy about the many nice people that I am meeting through blogging. That is one of the best parts about blogging. You are exposed to people who your path would never cross.

Another great part of blogging is coming in contact with all this really great food information. There are recipes, traditions, gadgets and food products that you might not ever have had the chance to know about. For instance, I read http://girlichef.blogspot.com/2009/04/this-week-at-farmers-marketsea-salt.html from Dar and once again became intrigued with sea salts and the many flavors that they come in. Per Dar, I went to http://www.charmanesgourmetseasonings.com/joomla/ and placed an order for some unbelievable flavored sea salts. I ordered Habanero Heat, Lime Fresco, Roasted Garlic and Toasted Onion. I have done quite a bit of cooking with Smoked Sea Salts, so I am excited to add these flavors to my spice cabinet. FYI, Dar is hosting her first giveaway, the prize being a bag of sea salt, so head on over and try your luck.

On with my wonderful day. I was browsing a local market and came across a shelf of Gourmet Dipping Oils. My culinary inquisitiveness was peaked as a stood there studying these dipping oils from a company called Little Dipper Company. Their line includes six different types of fresh gourmet dipping oils. The color of the oils are so bright and crisp. There are such an abundance of herbs in each bottle, that I started to think of all the other uses besides dipping. After much deliberation I purchased Parmesan with roasted garlic. I would have bought more, but honey (my husband) has brought to my attention the amount of money that I spend at the grocery store. So, I will gradually add the entire line to my pantry. They also have really interesting flavored pastas and bread mixes. This is a small company owned by Susan Jonas. Their oils are made individually by hand, with only the freshest, finest ingredients. I can personally attest to that. I am not sure if she grows her own herbs and dries them by hand, but that is what my oil taste like. The oil I bought has the PERFECT mix of spices. I put a call in to Mrs. Jonas to see if she would help me host my first giveaway! No word yet, but I have high hopes. In the meantime, head on over to Little Dipper Company and let me know what you think. I love supporting small companies like the Little Dipper. These people start these companies because of their love of food and cooking. It is great to buy from people that you have something in common with.

I have high hopes for the rest of my day. I am roasting a chicken and fresh asparagus. I have a loaf of sour dough bread and my bottle of Parmesan with roasted garlic gourmet flavored dipping oil. It is nice out, so we will be taking Kramer (my boxador) to the park for a walk. There is only one possible glitch to my perfect day and his name is Luke (my seventeen year old son.) Recently, dealing with my teenager is hit or miss, a labor of love so to speak. STAY TUNED!

Pass the Homemade Roasted Garlic Taco Sauce, PLEASE!!

How I got on to wanting to learn how to can foods is beyond me. Once I start thinking about something though, I almost always become obsessed with wanting to do it. It is not like my garden is ever overflowing with brilliantly-colored fruits and vegetables. Quite the opposite. I start out with good intentions, but never have the time to devote to caring for my garden. Last year the only thing that survived my lack of a "green thumb" was my basil and a few lonely salad cucumbers. Hardly the bounty to start canning with! But, I love the canning jars and the fact that I could give gifts of homemade jams and jellies. And, if I could effectively learn how to can homemade soups, I could send them to my son who is in college.

The word that resonates through my search for information on canning is... MICROORGANISMS!! Forget it!! The last thing I want to do is poison my friends and family. My honey (Kenny) bought me the equipment, so I just had to try.

That brings me to my homemade taco sauce. This is something that I make a lot because we are a family of spicy eating. It is fresh tasting, free of preservatives and extremely cost effective. The good thing about this taco sauce is that it freezes well. So, if you aren't on a quest to can, then pop several containers in the freezer for your eating pleasure.

Gin's Homemade Roasted Garlic Taco Sauce

3 cups tomato paste
2 heads of roasted garlic, cooled
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Ancho pepper powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
t tablespoon hot pepper sauce
5 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 corn syrup or honey

(1) Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. (2) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thicken. (3) ENJOY!!

The color of this taco sauce is a deep hue of red. The taste is fresh, spicy, with the tang of sweet roasted garlic. Obviously, it goes great with tacos. It also can be used to make soup, meatloaf, and fresh salsa. You can add or delete chili powder to suit your taste for spicy foods.

I did can this. All I do is keep staring at the jars trying to decide if they are free of bacteria, microorganisms, molds and yeast! I feel pretty confident that I did everything correct and my taco sauce is safe to eat. I will tell you just how confident I am that I canned my taco sauce properly. Next week I am going to Tampa to visit my son who goes to the University of South Florida. He has had mono since Thanksgiving and FINALLY has started to feel better. The last thing I would want to do is to poison him with my canned taco sauce. I am taking him a jar!! Stay tuned........

The $12,000 Donut

Who could not use $12,000 dollars right about now? I know that I could. That would pay for my new kitchen counter tops and my broken KitchenAid! I have an ever so slight chance to win $12,000, and so can you!!

For all my foodie friends, this contest is right up your alley. Head over to dunkindonuts.com They are running a contest until April 7, to create their next donut. The prize for the winning donut is $12,000. It is easy to do. There are some really unique flavor combinations to choose from. Let me know it you decide to try your hand at this contest. It is a lot of fun to see the donuts that people have created. You guys are so creative, I just know one of you can win this. The story that you attach to your donut is pretty important, so make sure you bring your best writing skills to the contest.

Who wouldn't want to eat a Dunkin Dounut everyday? I know I would. Their coffee alone is enough to get me there. Add a donut to that coffee and I am all in! I have to face the facts though, I can not eat a donut everyday. No matter how many miles I run, it would never be enough if I was eating a donut a day! For a special treat, I choose Dunkin Donuts. In honor of this contest, I have come up with a "healthy" version of a donut hole.

Gin's Baked Donut Holes

1 cup reduced fat baking mix
1/4 cup Splenda sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon butter extract
1/4 egg substitute
2/3 cup fat free half-n-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 can reduced sugar frosting

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (2) Spray a 12 hole mini muffin pan with cooking spray. (3) In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, 1/4 cup Splenda, cinnamon, egg, half-n-half, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well to combine. (4) Drop by spoonfuls into prepared muffin pan and bake for 14 to 16 minutes. (5) Place muffin pan on a wire rack and cool for 12 minutes. Remove holes from pan. (6) Melt 1/2 can frosting in microwave. Dip donut holes in frosting. Cool and enjoy!!

These donut holes are a simple concoction with a hint of sweetness. I add a couple of tablespoons of fiber to mine to add a bit more "health." You can also roll the holes in sprinkles or colored sugar after dipping in the frosting, if you so do choose.

Now, go to dunkindonut and create for a chance to win $12,000!