This year has really been one heck of a roller coaster ride. Those who know me know I’m not a fan of roller coasters. Give me spinning tea cups any day. I don’t mind being dizzy since that’s my natural state. I do not like the ups and downs of a roller coaster life.
Much of our childhood forms who we become as adults. Some of us cope better than others. Some of us deal with upheavals better than others. My coping mechanisms of a roller coaster childhood are visible even today, although with Hubby’s help I’ve gotten better. If you were to walk into my kitchen right this moment, on the refrigerator would be a menu for the entire week. There would also be notes such as activities or plans for each day that week. I make lists. It’s now I feel in control. Which of course is a lie. We are never really in control. But one of my ways of coping with uncertainty is to have a plan. Hubby has taught me that I don’t need to plan every second of every day to be okay.
While my childhood was not always a happy one, I remember more joy than saddness. There was a lot of love and faith in our home. We were a close family both immediate and extended. We may have fought among ourselves, but if an outsider dare to say or do anything to any of us, we became a united front to be reckoned with. I believe that’s the same with most families. While I can say my sister’s a real pill, no one else better say it.
Summers were the best time. Dad made a special barbecue that took all day to cook. I can still hear the grinding sound the motor of the rotisserie made as it circled round above the blazing bed of coals. The meat would drip, causing a sizzling sound as flavorful smoke rose out from Dad’s Webber on the side patio. My brother and I would dance around in the smoke, licking our lips in excited anticipation. When will it be ready? We would clamor. When the first piece of meat falls from the rod Dad would answer. Sometimes Brother Dear would use a stick to see if he could hurry things along by knocking a piece of marinated steak into the fire below. He never could.
One thing we could count on when Dad broke out the rotisserie was that dinner would be followed by the most amazing Strawberry Pie. It was a tradition. Come July various members of Mom’s family that lived elsewhere would pass through. I don’t think I realized it at the time, but they were checking in – making sure she was okay. I just looked at it as a party. Aunts and uncles, cousins and family friends. Dad’s amazing Kabobs and Marie Calendar’s Strawberry Pie. It was the only time we got a special treat from a bakery. Every other pie or cake was home-made.
While far from perfect, I miss those days. I especially miss Brother Dear who is resting with our mother. It sure feels like it’s getting crowded up there. I guess that’s the consequence of a long life.
Dad’s Marinated Beef Kabobs
Dad’s Secret Marinade
2 cups Vegetable Oil
1 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Dry Mustard
2-1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 tablespoon Coarse, freshly ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
3 Garlic Cloves
Measure and pour vegetable oil, soy sayce and Worcestershire Sauce into a large non-reactive bowl. Add dry mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, parsley flakes and lemon juice. Peel and press garlic into the mixture. Whisk well, set aside.
Dad’s Kabobs
2 lbs Beef Tenderloin or Sirloin Steak
1 Recipe Farley’s Secret Marinade (above)
1 bag Pear Onions
1 basket Cherry Tomatoes
2 Red Bell Peppers
2 Orange Bell Peppers
20 bamboo Skewers or 10 long metal skewers for threading
Cut tenderloin into 2-inch cubes. Place beef pieces in a Tupperware Marinating container or in a large resealable bag that is placed in a casserole dish. Pour marinade over meat and place in refrigerator overnight. Flip container occasionally to turn meat and better saturate with marinade.
If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning. Remove meat from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
If using a zip-lock bag for marinating, pour meat into the casserole dish for easy access. Reserve the marinade for basting while grilling, set aside.
Blanch and peel outer layer from pearl onions. Rinse tomatoes. Stem, core and cut bell peppers into chunks.
Thread onion, steak, bell pepper and tomatoes alternating as desired onto the skewer. Repeat until skewer is filled. DO NOT thread too tight or meat will not cook properly. Repeat same with remaining skewers until all the ingredients are used. (I usually end up with one skewer that is almost all meat, which is fine by Hubby).
Build a hot bed of coals or heat a gas grill. Grill Kabobs 5 inches from fire for about 3 or 4 minutes per side, giving a quarter turn each time for even grilling. Meat should be medium-rare for best results. With each turn, baste the skewers to keep moist while intensfying the awesome flavor.
If you have a motorized spit for your trusty Webber, by all means use it. Although the meat will take longer to reach perfection, it is well worth the wait.
Serve Kabobs with a side such as Rice Pilaf.
Just don’t forget that amazing Strawberry Pie – it’s really what summer is all about!
Foolproof Summertime Strawberry Pie
1 Refrigerated Pie Crust
2 cups fresh Strawberries
1 container Mare’s Strawberry Glaze
1 can Extra-Creamy Whipped Cream
Remove one pie crust from the package. DO NOT unroll. Let crust stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Heat oven to 375-degrees.
Carefully unroll pie dough. Drape pie dough over a rolling-pin and position over a pie pan. Lay dough into the pan, pressing into place. Mend any cracks or imperfections with wetting fingers with cold water and pinching cracks together. To keep the curst from pulling away from the pan during baking, press it firmly against the sides and bottom. Take care not to stretch the crust too thin.
To prevent bubbles from forming in the unfilled crust as it bakes, use pie weights or raw beans. Place the empty shell into the oven and bake until golden and flaky, about 12 minutes or so.
Remove shell from oven; place on a cooling rack. Remove pie weights as soon as possible to prevent over-browning. Let pie shell cool completely before filling.
While the shell cools, wash berries. Trim green tops from the berries, then hull. Let berries dry on a paper towel. Once dried, combine berries with glaze in a very large bowl. Chill well.
To fill shell, there are two options. The first is to spoon all the berries into the shell in a big pile. The second is to fill the shell one berry at a time, beginning at the outer edge and working in a tight spiral to the center. Both will taste delicious, it is all a matter of presentation.
Once filled, continue to chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, pipe a nice ring of whipped cream around the outer circle, leaving the inner circle exposed to show off the lovely glazed strawberries.
Blessed are You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
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