Giveaways | In Season
Labor Day is upon us. Without sounding too sentimental, where has the summer gone? When I think back over summers gone by, I can’t help but think about my favorite topic: food. With food memoirs (and movies) all the rage, it’s fun to stop and think about our own food memories. (Work with me, they don’t have to include feasting across the globe to be special.)
Summertime elicits thoughts of crashing waves, firecrackers, and hot, hot days. But for me, none of this means quite as much without pairing it with some sort of food experience. Crashing waves plus piles of boiled gulf shrimp and Silver Queen corn tipped over newspaper; firecrackers plus my daughter with watermelon juice streaming down her chin; hot, hot days plus a pitcher of ice cold margaritas. Now, those are memories I can hold on to.
In honor of the last days of summer, we’re doing a BIG mid-week giveaway. Thanks to our friends at amazon.com, we’re giving away an O-Grill 3000 Portable Gas Barbecue Grill. It weighs just 24 pounds, has a large cooking surface, and looks cool to boot. We think this is perfect way to pay homage to the summer and usher in the fall. After all, once Labor Day is done, it’s time to create new food memories around tailgates, camp fires, and backyard fire pits.
To be eligible to win the O-Grill:
Step 1: “Like” us on Facebook (use the Facebook box to the right and click “Like” if you don’t already like us) OR follow us on Twitter @Cooking_Light.
Step 2: Describe for us here in 50 words or less your most prized summertime food memory. Entries should be typed into the comments field of this blog post. Entries are due by Monday, Sept 6 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Editors will select their favorite based on originality, creativity, and how well you address our question. Winner will be notified via email by Sept 10, 2010. For full contest rules, click here.
For a complete guide to all things grilling, visit www.amazon.com/grilling. And for grilling recipes to inspire, check out our Essential Grilling Guide.
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My most prized summertime memory comes from just last year when we took my little boy and my niece to stay in a beach house on Sullivan's Island in SC and had a shrimp boil! It was so much fun and relaxing at the same time. Can't wait to go back!
My most prized summertime memory comes from camping. Even while losing weight my favorite thing is the taste of grilled chicken and smores while camping.
We had just switched from a gas to a charcoal grill, and were trying out our first grilled pizza. We used a recipe for grilled pizza with wild mushrooms and caramelized onions, and I searched for the best crust for grilling. We put the crust right on the grill and watched the dough drip through, but it was still delicious. We've since perfected our approach to grilling dough!
The first time my boyfriend and I made fresh bison burgers together. It was not only one of my favorite summer memories, but one of my favorite memories period because that's one of the first times I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.
My most favorite grilling memories are of my dad standing with an umbrella out at the edge of the carport in the rain cooking barbequed chicken havles for my birthday each year.
The summertime food memory this year was when we took our kids for a day lake trip, which we've never done and had a picnic. In the middle of eating it started raining and my three year old was in panic that the food was going to melt away.
a grease fire ignited the gas grill. Before taking the food off the grill a guest poured salt on the grill to extiguish the fire. I washed the mildly charred, still edible dinner off in the pool finishing it on the charcoal grill. Everyone raved how wonderful the recipe was.
S'mores! I first had them as a girl scout and enjoyed them on the beach with my church youth group or my high school friends. As my daughter grew up, we had them on the beach with her soccer team. When it was just the two of us, we would roast the marshmallows over the flame on the gas stove. And, later, when she was in high school and was always on the go, we would just pop them into the microwave for a quick, sticky, delicious treat.
My summertime food memory for this year happened last week at our cottage in northern Michigan. We made smores over the backyard fire pit with my son, nephews, and niece. The kids always have a blast doing this but this year amped it up and tried other candy bars besides just Hershey's on their smores. Reese's peanut butter cups was a true fave!
My favorite summer time food memory is camping in northern California with a huge group of family friends, 40+ people, sharing potluck dishes and my Dad BBQ'ing beer can chicken and ribs in giant barrels. I'm looking forward to carrying on this tradition with my children.
My favorite summer time food memory is camping in northern California with a huge group of family friends, 40+ people, sharing potluck dishes and my Dad BBQ'ing beer can chicken and ribs in giant barrels. I'm looking forward to carrying on this tradition with my children.
Summertime food memory has to be camping food! The smell of bacon cooking followed by fried eggs and toast. Definitely not the prettiest plate but there's nothing like food out in the open air while camping. Love it!
My fiancee and I took our mini charcoal grill to tailgate at a pre-season Jets game. Man, did it pour. Luckily we had a tarp, huddled around the grill and BBQ’d for hours. I’m hoping for the gas O-Grill 3000, b/c we stunk like charcoal for days!
One of my favorite summer food memories is happening right now. Camping with my dad in Big Bear, CA, trying out great recipes (rosemary sourdough egg/bacon sandwiches this morning, summer corn on the cob and baked potatoes cooked in the fire last night.) Quality time spent together in the fresh air. Can't beat it.
When I was a child we spent the summers in a trailer at the beach, and almost exclusively cooked on a charcoal grill. I'll always remember waking to dad cooking Sunday breakfast on the grill - he'd place a griddle over the coals, cook bacon, eggs and home fries! Fabulous!
A perfect summer evening, we invited four families for seafood paella. Clams, mussels, shrimp, white fish, saffron rice, spices all presented as imaginatively as when I first ate paella in Spain. A daring first-time cooking choice, it tasted magnificent, the wine flowed, deck lights twinkled, and the company grand.
Enjoying Low County Boil with friends and family on St. George Island, Florida is my favorite summer food memory. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the gulf "swimming last night" shrimp, fresh local corn, sausage and new potatoes. There is no need to shower and dress to go a restaurant - just slip on flip flops and a tee shirts over our swim suits, pop a beer or pour a glass of wine ... perfection!
Any time with my grandparents. That was such a break from the craziness and time to kick back, relax and eat real, fresh food from the farm. I guess that's what I love local food to this day - they were "locavores" before it was cool and hip.
Wow! My Favorite Summer happened about 5 years ago.. It was a great family day, and everyone was out enjoying the weather on the patio with our various beverages. My Pops, who we call Glen-bo, was lighting the grill. Not paying much attention to the amount of gas that was filling the grill. As he threw the match to light it, there was a much expected flame.. As he turned around in pain and fright, he had lost his eyebrows and some of his mustache!
We all laughed and he finished his brewski!
The End.
My favorite memory is watching my two children (2 and 4 years) share popsicles on the beach. They love to buy “Ninja Turtle” and “SpongeBob” pops from the beach ice cream truck. The photos I have of them sharing so sweetly, with bright colored ice cream dripping all over their hands and faces are priceless.
My most fond memories of summertime dinig was when my parents would grill hamburgers while my brothers and I would be playing whiffle ball on the front lawn of our cabin. After our game, we would all come in to eat burgers and potato salad after a long day of competition, sun and skiing. Ahhh, those were the days!
My most fond memories of summertime dinig was when my parents would grill hamburgers while my brothers and I would be playing whiffle ball on the front lawn of our cabin. After our game, we would all come in to eat burgers and potato salad after a long day of competition, sun and skiing. Ahhh, those were the days!
My most prized summertime food memory is Mom's chicken on the spit. It was always a big deal for Dad to set up the rotisserie and we couldn't wait until it was ready -- seemed like an eternity! I don't know what she did, but I wish I had that recipe!
After driving for 16 hours from Colorado (my new home) to Chicago (where my family lives) to celebrate my graduation from college and the starting of my first full-time "big kid" job over all of my favorite foods! My parents threw a graduation party and had homemade pulled pork, Italian green beans, pasta salad, and lemon bars and invited my whole extended family! This was a summer to remember!
My fondest summer food memory is eating watermelon with my grandma when I was little. The juice would dribble down my chin, and she always tried to teach me how to spit the watermelon seeds the farthest until my mom interrupted us with a "Mother! Don't show her that!", and then my grandma would look at me with a mischievous grin and I'd get the giggles.
