Ben and I have been busy making the most of our sunny Sunday. We’ll be snowed in before we know it – there’s no time to waste! ;)
An early morning grocery shopping run was followed by a quick trip to the mall for new work kicks for Ben, and a mad dash to the onsite Panera for lunch. We were shopping away just fine, then all of the sudden both of us were ravenous!
(Totally repping for my fallen Hawkeyes…)
I was going to be adventurous and try the Thai Chicken Salad, but panicked from my aforementioned hunger level, and went with my standard order – You Pick 2 with Cream of Chicken Wild Rice & Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich.
You can’t go wrong with this combo! Creamy soup with chewy wild rice,
and the zestiest sandwich ever. The combo of cilantro hummus, feta cheese, cucumber, red onion, lettuce and spicy peppadew peppers is so delish.
I HATE peppers, but I just love those peppadew ones. They’re like a cross between pickles and banana peppers- which, ok I guess I love too. :)
A sweet apple served as dessert.
We were both to the point of stomach-shrinking hunger when we walked in, and were stoooofed by the time we walked out.
We decided to push through it though, and drive 20 minutes west to Adel, IA for a stroll on the local bike trail afterwards. It is gorgeous out today – no time to stay indoors!
Adel is home to the free sweet corn festival every summer (which I tragically missed this year!) and sits in a great spot right on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.
Normally we park and head east on the trail, but today we decided to switch it up and head west!
Ummm, it was kind of creepy!
The first 1/2 mile was normal enough, but then the trail emerged from a thick canopy of trees and started running right next to this eerie looking brickyard.
The whole vibe was totally horror movie-esque, and the abandoned warehouse-like structures randomly running along the other side of the trail didn’t help matters.
Ben, on the other hand, thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen.
Babe, let’s LIVE HERE! he pitched, regarding one of the most-busted looking buildings we encountered.
Seriously, we’ll buy the place, turn it into a bar for the bikers, and live upstairs!
Uh-huh! I semi encouraged.
Sorry, I just love old, decrepit things…
Teeheehee. ;)
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. Once we finally got past the 1/2 mile long brickyard, the trail led us back into the trees and sweet, sweet nature!
That’s better. :)
I love to grill cajun shrimp.
Any kind of veggies, especially sweet corn! My husband also makes a mean steak on the grill.
I love to grill kabobs and thick fish steaks!
i love to grill cajun shrimp on a skewer!
I love grilling zuchinni and squash with balsamic vinagrette brushed on…yum!
I liked Mr Bar-B-Q on FB!
My favorite thing to grill is eggplant!
I love a big juicy ribeye and grilled zucchini. My fav…I need to get a skillet asap! Looks great!
I liked Mr. BBQ on facebook and left a comment on that page too :)
Fareway makes a great flatbread that is awesome on the grill! My favorite is cheddar and pepperoni. Just heat it up and add a little grill char…delicious!
Oh…I covet this grill skillet!! I live in Texas and my husband and I grill/smoke almost every dinner we eat! My new favorite thing we made was bacon-wrapped bunches of fresh green beans. I’ve learned that when you bacon-wrap anything opt for the thick sliced bacon…do not settle for the cheap bacon, you will really regret it! My Husband grilled them to go alongside our steak covered in roasted hatch peppers. It was delicous!!
I liked the Mr B-bq’s facebook page! Hope to win :)
My absolute favorite thing to grill is pineapple. It is quick, easy, and so tasty. When grilled it seems to become a smokey sweet medley that everyone enjoys. I am originally from Iowa but recently moved to Florida and the pineapple down here is so fresh. I go to my local farmer’s market on Saturday morning and they have a freshly rippened pineapple stand, with the juiciest of the fruit you have ever seen or tasted. You pick out a winner and they skin and chop it up right in front of you, bag it, and send you on your way. I usually don’t make it to the car before I have had a few pieces. I take it home, either slice it in the cubes, if I am doing kabobs, or I chop it into length wise quarters. I love to enjoy them with marinated shrimp or chicken on skewers or I make a fruit and vegetable medley out on the grill.