Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! Make sure you take a moment to thank your father for all the times he fixed your car, mended your broken toy, or helped you with your homework. I am grateful for his continued support and willingness to my fix it guy. Thank you for all you have done for me Dad! So fire up the grill, grab your sports equipment, and enjoy this special time with your family. I hope you and your fathers have a wonderful day!

Sauce on the Side

Everyone loves some good ole barbeque, especially in the South. However, there is always the sauce debate. Whether it's sweet, ketchup based, vinegar base, or the consistency is thick or thin, each area has it's own unique version. What you usually find in Houston is the smokier flavor that the meat is not only marinated in, but then also dipped in while eating. I am weird because I am not really a sauce person while eating barbeque. I don't like the meat drenched in sauce, but I do appreciate the meat that's marinated in the sauce. I found an interesting sauce recipe on Pinterest via The Black Peppercorn.

I have never made a barbeque sauce before and figured this would be the perfect time to try one. Father's Day is right around the corner and it seems like every weekend has the perfect weather for an outdoor gathering. This sauce is on the sweeter side and had a thicker consistency. I made a few modifications to the original recipe based on what ingredients I had. I had some difficulty with getting a super smooth texture, but it could be because my onions were diced not minced. You can definitely taste the sweetness of the brown sugar and it has a hint of of smoke at the end. Note*: I doubled the recipe and got about 42 ounces worth of sauce or about 3 of the containers pictured.

I haven't had a chance to try it on some meat yet, but I know it will be great. It will also be a great accompaniment to the dry spice rub I just made! What more could the father in your life ask for? Now you have all the essentials to create a perfect piece of barbequed meat. Try it out and let me know what you think! 

BBQ Sauce Recipe:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 onions, minced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 cup beer (I used Miller Lite)
• 1/2 cup vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (I used chili powder)
• 1 cup (8oz can)tomato paste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, and garlic to the saucepan and saute until they are tender and beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the molasses, beer, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne . Bring to a boil. Let it cook with a low rolling boil for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the saucepan.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and lower the heat. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature.
5. Puree in a blender until smooth.

Preparing and Packing for a Picnic

When one of my reader's suggested that I check out One Kings Lane, I had no idea what I was in for. She had suggested it as an alternative for kitchen gadgets, but it is so much more. It is basically a private online home accessory and decor website that does different sales everyday. All you do is sign up with an email and then you get emails every day about the different sale items. There is everything from stationary to candles to books and chairs. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the items really are discounted, making things super reasonable.

After browsing through things, I found something that I have been subconsciously wanting for a while. Every now and then it will pop back into my head and I again contemplate purchasing it. What is it you may ask? Well, it's a picnic basket. There is something utterly romantic and old fashioned about packing up some food and wine and enjoying the scenery. Even though the Houston summers are brutal, there is plenty of sunshine year round to make the purchase worth while for me. There are also a lot of outdoor performances and concerts that I have been wanting to go to, so this would come in handy. I found some really cute totes and baskets on the website. Some of the baskets even come with plates, napkins, glasses, and flatware that are all dishwasher safe. What more could you ask for?! They are all insulated and come in a variety of colors and patterns, and also in wicker. 


If you are looking for a great Father's Day present, they even have bottle holders, blankets, pop up tables and chairs, and a portable grill! Honestly, they seem to have everything that you would possibly need for a picnic, except the food and wine. But who wouldn't want to pick those things out? This has become one of my favorite websites to browse and if you haven't checked it out, then you definitely should!