“Makes me wonder why the smell from a grill can spark up nostalgia…” -“Sumertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
This a line from one of my all-time favorite summer songs and it just rings so true. For me, the smell of a charcoal grill brings back memories of fresh-from-the-fields sweet corn, ice cold lemonade, and my Dad’s favorite steak on the grill. I don’t even eat red meat anymore, but I still love the smell of a charcoal grill cooking up some meat.
Even though I don’t eat red meat, my husband does and after a recent all-beef hot dog cookout, my kids have now been indoctrinated to the joys of red meat too. I decided that as long as my family was eating meat that was of good quality, I could be OK with letting a some beef into the house. With that in mind, I was happy to hear that the organic all-natural meat company, Applegate Farms, is now selling their all-beef, nitrate-free hotdogs at Kroger and Whole Foods in Atlanta. (To find a store near you, visit http://www.facebook.com/applegatefarms and click “Product Locator.”)
It can be hard to find good, healthy foods, but Applegate Farms is making it a little easier. Applegate makes sure their animals are never given antibiotics, hormones or artificial growth promotants. Their products are made with natural and organic ingredients. They conduct their farming practices with integrity and treat their animals and land with respect. And now, Applegate hot dogs are widely available in the Atlanta area!
In honor of summer beginning officially this week, here are my top five summertime grilling tips:
1. Use the best meat you can get. (Like Applegate hot dogs for example?)
2. Don’t forgt about the kids! Having kid-friendly foods, (ones they can recognize) will help both the kids and their parents.
3. Make sure to include veggies! You can throw them right on the grill for some delicious flavors and easy clean up.
4. Don’t wait for the “perfect” day. Being from Wisconsin I remember family members pulling on their boots to grill out in the snow. Just pick a day and go with it.
5. Eat outside! It doesn’t have to be fancy, just grab some chairs and a card table if one’s handy, and enjoy the sweet smell of summer.
Want more tips? Check out my Pinterest “grilling” board.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Applegate blogging program and received compensation. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.
