Love the Long Weekend

Many people look forward to weekends in the summer to escape to the lake/cottage.  When the weather has been so beautiful and hot it's not hard to see why they want to be near a body of water to cool off.  Then, every once in awhile we get the pleasure of a long weekend - an extra day of R & R (although I know I'm not good at resting and relaxing; likely reading and running errands for me!). 

With hopes for a sunny weekend, I'm sure that people are looking forward to eating outside and using the barbeque.  We recently tried kabobs that my mom likes to make.  They are very delicious and a great way to make sure vegetables show up at your barbeque!  She uses a recipe (see below) from AllRecipes and adapts it based on what she has or can find. 

Happy August Long!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Mushroom Kabobs

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 40 Minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 2 red bell peppers, chopped 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1.	Preheat grill for medium heat.
2.	Thread mushrooms and peppers alternately on skewers.
3.	In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Brush mushrooms and peppers with this flavored oil.
4.	Brush grate with oil, and place kabobs on the grill. Baste frequently with oil mixture. Cook for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and thoroughly cooked.

Q's Day: Plan a Picnic

We can have fun eating in different locations once the snow has gone and the grass is green.  It finally feels like Spring is here and that gets me excited about picnics and BBQs.  We had planned to have a Sunday picnic with friends this past weekend, but the rain put a damper on that!

Please remember to keep food at appropriate temperatures when you're bringing it outdoors with you.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has some food safety tips to avoid food poisoning:

• If you plan on grilling, make sure you know what temperature some of your favorites like hamburgers (160°F; 71°C) and chicken (165°F; 74°C) should be cooked to for safe eating. If you are unsure, take a look at our safe minimum internal temperature chart. Always bring a food thermometer to check if food is done.
• Make sure to keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate in your picnic basket. Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable food in another.
• If you are transporting perishable foods, pack an icepack to keep foods at their appropriate temperature of 40°F (4°C).
• Remember food is no longer good if it's been sitting out for more than two hours, or one hour in weather above 90°F (32°C).

Then you have to plan the menu - I of course will encourage you to pack vegetables and fruit!  However, since it's Q's Day, I'm asking:

What is your favourite picnic food?

I don't know if I have just one, but today I would say a few slices of juicy watermelon!  Feel free to comment, question, share, and help others with their picnics.

Happy picnic planning,

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com