grilled dinner!

This is not really called "grilled dinner."  

And I haven't actually made it yet; I had it last night, at a midnight barbecue.

But it's so easy to make, and so good, that I had to post it!  And it's all made on the grill!

The main dish is grilled chicken tenders.  You can buy boneless chicken breast and cut it into strips for this purpose.

I would hammer down the chicken strips to make them flat, so they will cook quicker.  Then marinate in Italian salad dressing; Add onion powder, garlic powder, and Tony Chacherie's Creole Seasoning.

If you don't have Tony Chacherie's, you can add any type of cajun seasoning, or none at all.

Then put them in a cast iron grill pan, on the BBQ grill.  You COULD put them directly on the grill, but because they are chicken strips, a grill pan is probably better.  Grill until done.

The first side dish was grilled corn on the cob.  Take the husks off the corn, spread butter on them, wrap in aluminum foil, and grill.

The second side dish was baked beans.  This was made with canned Bush's grilling beans, with added butter and chopped onions.  Put in a cast iron pot, and heat it up on the grill.

The garlic bread was also grilled; Slice a loaf of french bread, and butter each slice.  Add onion powder, garlic powder, McCormick's garlic bread seasoning, and some dried minced garlic.  Wrap the whole sliced loaf in aluminum foil, and put it on the grill.

There was also homemade potato salad that was not grilled, but very good.  

This potato salad was seasoned with Tony Chacherie's instead of paprika.

I realize that I broke normal protocol by posting a recipe before I actually make it.

But I will!  Soon!

Cooking beans in a bean pot

Pictured above is a Lodge 6 quart flat bottomed straight kettle, which took me two years to find.

It's also known as a "bean pot"; Due to it's shape, which is taller and more narrow than a regular pot, it's more fuel efficient for foods that require long cooking times.

If you don't have one, don't worry; You can cook beans in any pot!

This was my first time cooking dried beans on the stovetop; I usually use a crock pot.

I read somewhere that you can't beat beans cooked over an open fire.

Well, this wasn't an open fire, it was a gas stove.  But I have to admit, these beans were VERY good!

I just cooked them; I didn't add any seasoning or flavoring.  Perhaps I should have, but they were still good!

They were pinto beans.

I soaked them overnight in water, drained, put them in the pot with enough water to cover them.

Brought to a boil, then reduced to medium heat and left them on the stove until done.

I noticed that I did not have to add water while cooking, like I usually do when cooking beans in a crock pot.

I had so many of them that I ended up making baked beans.