Labor Day 2009

Today is traditionally a day of rest in the United States. A day for workers to enjoy the end of the summer. One of my favorite activities for labor day is the family barbecue. We actually grilled last night, under threat of rain - though did not see more than a sprinkle. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of BBQ chicken, stuffed bacon wrapped jalapenos, fresh sweet corn on the cob and roasted asparagus. Even the kids enjoyed the meal (minus the jalapeno!) with Logan wolfing down a pureed version of the feast.

The chicken was done by pounding three chicken breasts with a mallet until there were an even thickness. Seasoned with salt and pepper then grilled until cooked through. Then they were coated with BBQ sauce on both sides and and grilled until the sauce started to brown and get crispy in places.

The jalapenos were sliced in half and the seeds and ribs scrapped out (you might want to wear gloves - hubby didn't and ended up having his hands burn). They were then filled with a cream cheese spiced with Armadillo Rub (Texas steak rub - basically paprika, garlic, onion, and various pepper powders mixed together). The peppers were then reassembled, wrapped with bacon and secured with a toothpick (make sure you soak the toothpicks so they don't burn on the grill!). Grill until the bacon is crispy and the pepper is soften and slightly charred on the outside.

The asparagus was done one of my favorite ways. Wash the asparagus then pat them dry. Snap or cut the woody ends off, then peel the outer skin off the bottom section. If your cooking with kids you could have then help with the snapping of the stems (Aidan was too busy playing Wii to want to cook with me!) Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. I actually cooked mine in my Foreman Grill but you can do them under the broiler or in a vegetable basket on the grill. Cook until bright green and softened.

The corn was done simply by boiling for about 6 min in a lightly sugar seasoned water. Another good place for kiddos to help is with the shucking of the corn - though you might want to check them over for silk strands if your dealing with young kids.

We are using this day to get caught up on some of our household projects. This morning I finished planting a small garden we added to the side of the house and my husband is outside currently moving a few plants around in our front garden and mulching. I am hoping to get started on building our compost bin this afternoon - a segment a will photo blog and share with all of you!

Well, I am off to labor on this labor day. I hope you enjoy your Labor Day festivities (or rest as you should!)