Mesquite Beer Can Chicken

This flavorful Mesquite Beer Can Chicken is a smoky take on a classic grilling recipe...

This post is sponsored by McCormick Grill Mates & Soapbox Influence.

I can't even tell you all how excited I am about the arrival of grilling season. I mean, I have been looking for just about any reason to get outside of the house and out on my back deck at this point. Any reason. Not that doing a little grilling is a hard sell for me at all.

One of my absolute favorite recipes to make on the grill is a classic beer can chicken. It is so easy and simple to make. A little olive oil, a good seasoning mix, a can of beer, and a hot grill are all that you need to pull off this impressive whole grilled chicken recipe.

Recently, I discovered McCormick Grill Mates Seasonings & Marinades at my local Walmart. With flavor profiles like Roasted Garlic and Herb, Brown Sugar Bourbon, and Mesquite, I thought why not take my usual beer can chicken recipe to a whole other level of seasoning?

Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger

This juicy & flavorful Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger is sure to quickly become your new go-to burger recipe this summer...

This recipe first appeared on the Bridgeport Farmers Market Let's Get Fresh site.

I am on a mission once again this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing mostly locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market. I started this locally inspired recipe series in the summer of 2017, and I am thrilled to be continuing the series this year as well. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

For the month of July, I am sharing the recipe for this juicy & flavorful Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger. For those who are not familiar with cooking with venison, it is deer meat. 

And deer meat tends to be on the leaner side with very little fat & with a slightly gamey flavor. My remedy for both of these predicaments? Thick cut local bacon, of course! ;)

Hawaiian Pizza Pineapple Bites

These grilled Hawaiian Pizza Pineapple Bites have all the deliciousness of a traditional Hawaiian pizza minus the guilt...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.

Can we talk tailgating/football party food for just a sec? I think the food is the best part of game day. 

Yes, I get into the game (most of the time), but it doesn't matter to me if the home team is winning or losing just as long as there is good food being served. 

The only issue I take with most traditional game day snacks is how unhealthy they can be. Not that I am a huge health nut, but it is definitely nice when there are a few healthier options on the menu for the big game.

I know what you all are thinking right now- healthier food has to be more expensive & that just doesn't jive when you have to feed a crowd for the game. But healthier game day eating doesn't have to empty your wallet. Not when you can shop at your local Save-A-Lot for all your football party needs. ;) 

That's right- your local Save-A-Lot has all the fresh (& healthy!) produce, meats, & even the essential paper products you need to make your game day get-together delicious & healthier without breaking the bank!

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos

Stuffed with a creamy cheese filling and topped with sweet pineapple, these Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos are the perfect way to start your backyard barbecue...

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

Who else is excited that barbecue season has finally arrived? I have two reasons for my love of grilling season: 1) I adore barbecued food! and 2) My husband is the primary tender of our grill, so this lady gets the evening off from cooking when we decide to cook out. 






While I love a good rack of ribs or a juicy grilled steak, sometimes it's hard to wait that long for that delicious grilled flavor. That's why I like to have a couple of simple and quick summer barbecue finger food recipes on hand like these Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos that I am sharing with you all today.






A few tips for these stuffed jalapenos ... Buy the straightest jalapenos that you can find! If your jalapeno pepper has a curve in it, it will not lay flat on the grill rack, and that cheesy goodness will spill out. Just remember- a flat pepper lies flat. 






The most time-consuming part of this recipe is the halving and seeding of the jalapenos, so if you're planning to whip these up for an evening barbecue, just cut and seed them a few hours before, cover, and refrigerate. Stuff them right before throwing them on the grill.

Grilled Beer Cheese Fondue

This ooey, gooey Grilled Beer Cheese Fondue is a perfectly tasty way to start off your next cook-out or campfire dinner...

So it just occurred to me over the weekend that Father's Day is next Sunday. I swear, all of these holidays always seem to sneak up on me! Or maybe I am just trying to block out knowing that it is coming... 

Have I ever mentioned that my dad happens to be the hardest person ever to shop for?? I am sure I am not the only daughter who has this same issue, but when my dad sees something that he wants he just buys it. 

So every single year, Father's Day, Christmas, and his birthday are always a gift-giving struggle for me. I had been buying him gift cards to his favorite stores and online shops to solve this on-going dilemma, but my mother confessed to me recently that my dad often forgets that he has them and they are all stacked together in a far corner of a shelf. 

So this coming Father's Day, I have a new plan- to make him a dinner fit for a dad! ;)

When I think of my dad and food, grilling automatically comes to mind. My dad rarely cooked when I was at home, but he always manned the grill. 

When I started planning my Father's Day feast, I knew that the grill would definitely have to be involved. Yep, the grill and cheese. And meat and beer. All the makings of a perfect Father's Day cook-out. 

Bavarian Ham Burger

 A juicy burger is topped with ham, cheddar cheese, & Heinz Yellow Mustard on a pretzel bun in this crowd-pleasing Bavarian Ham Burger...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

I look forward to warmer weather all throughout winter. First of all, I am not a fan of snow or the cold. Yes, I know I need to move south or west. ;) But the other reason is for full-time grilling season! 

We grill all year round in this house- even if we have to shovel a little snow to get to the grill- but once the warmer weather becomes a regular thing around here we are out grilling at least twice a week. Usually my husband is the one manning the grill, so that also means I get a little break from the kitchen. (Not complaining, folks.)

Two essentials that we always have on hand for grilling is New Heinz® Yellow Mustard and Heinz Ketchup. Before we fired up the grill last week, I headed over to my local Walmart to stock up on our grilling must-haves...

Orange Barbecued Ribs

We live by a little motto here- The family that grills all year round, eats well all year round. Am I right, folks? ;)

It doesn't matter if it is 20 degrees outside or if there is a foot of snow on the ground, we break out our grill and electric smoker all year long.

We are also huge fans of fancying up our favorite bottled barbecue sauces. Why make it from scratch when you can pick up a bottle of your favorite Kraft Barbecue Sauce made with high-quality ingredients like tomatoes, sweet molasses, cider vinegar and cane sugar (ahem- no high fructose corn syrup here, folks!)?  If you haven't tried Kraft Barbecue Sauces lately, be prepared to be impressed. Their line of newly revamped sauces in Original, Hickory Smoke, Sweet Honey, Mesquite Smoke, Sweet Brown Sugar, Sweet & Spicy, Spicy Honey, and Thick & Spicy are not only made with better ingredients, but are also bolder in flavor.

When I saw Kraft's recipe for Orange Barbecued Ribs, I knew we had to give it a try. My husband had been itching to grill the baby back ribs we have had in our freezer, and I couldn't wait to try this sauce. Kraft Original Barbecue sauce comes together with fresh oranges and a little spicy kick in these juicy and flavorful basted & grilled ribs recipe...