A recipe, a contest and a promo code OH MY!

apparently, as far as ohio is concerned, spring only needs to be about 45 minutes long. it went from uncomfortably cold about a week ago and now it's 80 and sunny daily. make up your mind, midwest! but it's been a long and terrible winter though so i'm pretty happy to see the sun shining more consistently. i think everyone i know is ready for camping, flea markets and all the fresh foods you can get your mitten-less hands on. thank you farmers!

summer time grill outs are kind of my love language. i think it was about 2 years ago that i scored an outdoor grill on the good old craigslist that had only been used once. and it's been one of my best CL finds to date. (tied for first with my persian rug, my marble topped side table and my sheep skin throws. hashtag what is retail?) that grill has more than paid for itself considering i think i paid about $30 for that sucker. when we found this apartment, i was pretty stoked to find a small outdoor space crammed back behind my bedroom window. granted, it was covered in burger king cups, garbage and more cigarette butts than i like to remember, but with sweat and handwork and about 37 mosquito bites, that little back alley has become my summer oasis! from hosting small bonfires to drawing all over the brick walls with chalk to GRILL OUTS! grill outs are summer. summer is grill outs. so the second it started to heat up outside, we got our butts out there and cleared out the winter gunk. leaves and twigs and whatever else. the lights got strung back up, the plants went back outside and the whole area got a good scrub down. i'm always proud of that little space! i convinced the roomie to help me crank up the grill and made the yummiest kabobs i've ever tasted! continue reading. this post has a point, i promise ;) 

i love seeing my plant life thriving outside where they belong. i don't have many sunny rooms in my house. just that front room. so when i can get them outside in the fresh air and sunshine, i can practically hear them thanking me. i speak plant. duh. also, yes i filled my fire pit thing with candles. this is the city. and i don't know what kind of regulations we got over here haha. whatever. they look cute i think?

I'm not one for complicated, marinate-over-night, recipes. i like quick and easy and simple so i can explain it to people without them losing interest. So here's a quick recipe that will take you less than the length of a sitcom to put together… 

Steak and Chicken Kabobs! 

You'll need:

2 1/2 pounds of sirloin steak (i bought the kind that's already cut up in chunks then cut those in half)

2 1/2 pounds of chicken, cut into cubes as well 

20 cherry tomatoes 

20 mushrooms, cut in halves 

2 zucchinis, cut into cubes 

1 large green pepper, cubed 

1 large sweet red pepper, cubed

1 onion, cut into wedges 

salt and pepper to taste

these kabobs are simple to make and even simpler to eat. just be sure to cut all veggies big enough to hold up their strength on a kabob stick. cutting them too thin and they will fall off into the flames. 

rotate your veggies with your meats on the stick and place directly on the grill. (steak tomato steak mushroom steak pepper… you get the idea)  i like my steaks medium rare so they shouldn't be sitting on the grill for too long. maybe 7 minutes or so. pair those bad boys up with a bed of rice or a twice baked potato and a cold brew and you've got summer time on a plate!  

fresh vegetables and fruits are one of the highlights of summer time. farmers markets and all that business, ya know? and with all of those yummy foods comes delicious summer recipes like this one! one of my favorite partners with the blog, Green Bean Delivery  is hosting a really cool contest over on their site! in case you didn't know, Green Bean Delivery delivers fresh produce right to your home that you order offline. i can't even explain how brilliant and easy this site is to use! so anyway, their competition is called PLATE PROUD and it's a summer recipe contest. it's as easy as clicking HERE  and submitting a recipe. also, use the hashtag #plateproud on social media to link up with others and learn about more recipes out there! i've already found several that i'm stoked about. the contest ends in a few weeks so get 'em entered quick! also, did i mention the hundreds of dollars in prizes for the winners? we're talking grill sets, you guys. (not that i don't love my little craigslist grill!)

So get your buns over to Green Bean and get those recipes entered! Also, Green Bean is blowing my mind with their generosity and offering up something great for my readers!  Whether you're new to their site or a returning guest, use promo code 15LJD for $15 off of your purchase at Green Bean… that's a lotta bananas people! Good luck and may the best chef win!! 

obviously, i have to throw in a pic of this guy for good measure. he's my baby.