Crazy awesome last week!! Work was hectic as all hell, and Friday could not have come sooner. Chris and I made sure to blast ‘I’m the Ish’ by DJ Class while barreling down the 408 (as if we couldn’t reach the beautiful lights of downtown Orlando fast enough). But that’s not to mean that there wasn’t tons of good things that happened this week…
For starters, I won some AMAZING swag from my favorite radio station, 101.1 WJRR! I won a contest by being a member of Club 101.1- you can register on their website for free and without divulging info like your social, so do it! I initially registered because I was shooting for the Dane Cook tickets last month, so when I didn’t win I completely forgot about it. Then I got a phone call at work from the station saying I won the week’s drawing for lunch for 20 of my coworkers!
So the next day, Supa Dave from 101.1 comes by with Jason’s Deli- FYI their oatmeal cranberry cookies are dangerous! So are their brownies LOL But he brought sammies, desserts, drinks, cups, even a friggin’ box of ice with a scoop LOL It was pretty well done. So he and I chat about how I’ve been listening to the show since I was in middle school (we even joked that I’m only 15, so its not like its been that long LOL at least I laugh how I’m the youngest person in my company…) He remembers that I also have a swag bag, so we get it and inside I get 2 copies of the new Green Day CD, Korn’s latest CD, Earth Day Birthday shirts, stickers, 2 tickets to see Bruno, and 2 great seats to see Green Day when they come in August!! How cool?? COLD AS ICE!! And of course, all of my coworkers loved me for the chair massages that also came with their lunch!
So the weather is beautiful out today, and a lot of my friends are out by their pools. I’ve most def got the sunshine pouring in all of the windows. I LOVE FLORIDA!! …Sometimes. But because a lot of us are chilling by the pool and having friends over for parties, I thought I’d throw together a quickie menu that you can take to the pool that’s wicked cheap and easy to make for your friends. Barley is one of my new favorite pantry staples: you can use it like rice, but its much healthier for you by being packed with fiber. I had leftover barley from the other night, but you can make this dish the day-of and serve it hot, or keep it cold.
Barley-Black Bean Salad
3 cups of cooked barley
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 lime juiced
A good drizzle of olive oil
Cilantro (if you’ve got it)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Throw everything into a bowl and mix it up! See, couldn’t be easier than that LOL I’m a big fan of those quick recipes that don’t take much effort or time. Besides, when you’re getting ready to chill with your friends, all you want to do it throw things together and go hang out, not stay tied to the kitchen. You can serve this with any kind of grilled veggies or meat that you’d like. Here’s another really easy thing to do with chicken.
TIP: When you’re grilling with friends, don’t think you have to break the bank to wow them! If you’re like me, you’re friends are already with the fact that 1. You’re feeding them, 2. You’re feeding them, and 3. You actually know how to cook! Pick up chicken legs at the grocery store (either skinless or with the skin, its your call).
Chicken legs
Pick a juice: orange, lemon, lime
Pick an herb: Cilantro, thyme, rosemary, basil (dry or fresh work just fine)
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Get a ziplock bag big enough to hold all of your chicken legs, and put them in it. Do about 3:1 juice to oil mixture in the bag. Chop up your herbs and throw those in, and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Seal the bag, squish things around to mix, and let the chicken chill out in the fridge. You can do this about an hour before you want to throw them on the grill. Overnight works really well, too, if you’ve got the time. Fire up your grill and lay these on it for about 5 minutes a side on medium-high heat, or until you cook them all the way through. This recipe works well though for when you wake up, see how great the weather is, and call up your comrades to hit the pool ASAP.
Time for a summer beverage!! I love refreshing poolside drinks- and it gets a little too hot sometimes to be sipping on a sugary-syrupy daiquiri, so I prefer the simpler things in life, like a gin and tonic with LOTS of lime! But if you want to make your get together a little more special, try this on for size:
Caipirinha (the Brazilian answer to the mojito!)
Take a wedge of lime and smash it up in a glass with a pinch or two of sugar. You can also just squeeze the lime in the glass if you’re feeling lazy (or just in a rush…). Add ice to the glass, and top with about 2 oz. of cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane rum). You can drink this straight, or top it with a splash of tonic water. If you want to jazz it up a bit, add some mint to make a tasty cross between a mojito and caipirinha. Cheers!
Happy weekending!!!
