perfect summers

The weather here has been spectacular. Hot, but not too humid. It makes it hard to want to sit at the computer. That, plus I'm spending the entire week, 24x7, with the kids (the caregiver is on a well-earned vacation).

The wading pools are our best friends. The squeals of delight coming from my 13-month old as he discovers the wading pool for the first time are priceless. Watching the Bean splash and float around on his belly after disastrous swimming lessons made me smile. _This_ is why I took the summer off from work.

With all the sand coming in from the playground, I've moved into cottage mode. (laundry? dishes? Only when absolutely, down-to-the-last-pair/dish necessary.)

In weather like this, the only way to cook is to use the barbecue. Because I'm short on time, but still taking pictures, I'm posting some photos of the food that we my husband grilled. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Parsnips
Tired of the same old chicken marinade, I went to the web and found this recipe. Grilling the parsnips was my own idea, since we had them in the fridge.

Caribbean Rum Shrimp
rum, cilantro and allspice combine beautifully in this marinade, which comes from License to Grill. Our neighbour asked my husband to make this for his latest neighbourhood block party. They disappeared within the first 30 minutes of being served.

Grilled lamb kebabs
The recipe that made me reconsider my opinion of Jamie Oliver. My husband bought jamie at home for me for my birthday. This was the first recipe I tried. I served this for my mom and her friends when they arrived for dinner, straight off the plane.

What the kebabs looked like on the plate as I served them.

Honey Lime Chicken Kebabs
The first time was so good, we did it again as kebabs, using honeydew melon and grape tomatos as vegetables/fruit)