Southern Sunday Y'all

BryGuy wanted one thing for Father's Day and that was homemade coconut cake. Seeing as though it was his first Father's Day, I thought granting his dessert wishes would be a nice thing to do. And since the weather forecast looked pretty good, he decided to smoke some ribs and some pork butt. While the meats were cooking, I whipped up some coleslaw, and Bry mixed up some tasty bourbon cocktails... and my friends, Southern Sunday was born. Check out more photos from our Father's Day below. Also, if you're interested in making the most refreshing bourbon cocktail in your own home, here's the recipe for a Whisky Smash.

Guest Post: Shmokin' Ribs

It's time for another BryGuy blog takeover. So without further ado...

IIII'm back y'all!

Ah, and this time I have some deliciousness to share with you guys and gals, so gather 'round so Papa B can drop some knowledge bombs of epic and irresistibly tasty proportions. This post is about BARBECUE. If you don't like barbecue, go apply to Mars One because this world doesn't need you.

My mom purchased me a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker for my birthday and I have been holding off on using it for months. Barbecue takes time and the summer was just too darn full of fun to find a day to smoke. My mom was also on my tail about using it, so I decided to break this bad boy in.

Grilled pineapple with cinnamon whipped cream

This recipe is very complex. Basically, you grill some pineapple and then top it off with fresh whipped cream. Sounds impossible doesn't it? I kid. It's super easy. The hardest part is whipping the heavy cream (which, if you have a decent stand mixer, isn't really hard at all.) What I love about this dessert is that it feels rich and decadent, but it's simple and on the scale of really unhealthy to not-that-unhealthy, this one definitely falls in the latter category. Oh, and I must mention, this may or may not be the pineapple that was featured in my Memorial Day Weekend post. Check out more photos below.

What my summer will look like

I'm warning you. Many of my posts over the next three months are going to look a lot like this... friends, barbecues, fire pits, lawn games, drinking games, furry babies and lots and lots of laughing and dancing. Doesn't that sound like the most perfect summer? Throw in a handful of trips to the beach here and there, and I might just be the happiest gal in the world! Well last weekend BryGuy was busy with reunion activities with his buddies from UPenn and I had no plans. So my wonderful friends, the K sisters invited me over for a little Saturday get together. Like most shindigs, it started off very innocent and as the sun set, got progressively less innocent.

Oktoberfest 2013

It was another successful Collen Family Oktoberfest this past weekend (read about last year's party here). Although the drizzly weather caused the event to be a little smaller than usual, we had a great time playing lawn games and hammerschlagen, trying new beers, eating brats and franks, and spending quality time with friends and family. This year, we added a new feature to the festivities -- fireworks! The little kiddies were particularly impressed. 

CrossFit Manayunk wins... at life

I've said it before and I'll say it again, my gym rocks. It's not just because the programming is good and the coaches are awesome (although both of those things are true.) It's because the people are welcoming and fun and they don't take themselves too seriously. A bunch of folks from the gym are part of a competition league called the Liberty Box League with other CrossFit gyms from around Philadelphia. Competitions are held every Saturday for five weeks and then there is a championship competition the first weekend in November. Since Saturday was our first week hosting at CrossFit Manyunk, we wanted to make it memorable. In addition to having a stellar cheering section, we hosted a post-event barbecue and potluck. Also, because both our advanced and novice teams kicked butt, we celebrated our victory with a lot of alcoholic beverages and an epic game of Catch Phrase. 

Spicy chicken skewers and saffron quinoa

First things first, happy Friday mother lovers! Second, I really should stop doing these recipe and food posts in the morning because looking at the pictures just makes me hungry and lunch is so. far. away. 

Before you get all judgmental on me. Yes, I know quinoa is kind of a controversial topic when it comes to the paleo diet. However, if you eat bananas and sweet potatoes, then you probably shouldn't be snubbing your nose at quinoa. Here are some random people's opinions on the matter (here, here, and here) in case you care, which I'm 99 percent sure you don't. 

Christos Anesti - Greek Easter in Boston

I'm blessed with some pretty amazing friends from my college years at Northeastern. Unfortunately, they ALL stayed around Boston after graduation. I'm the odd duck out. I lived in New York for a while and then made my way down to Philly to be with BryGuy. While I do get a little jealous at how often they get to see each other because of geographic proximity, I try and make a few visits a year to Boston to spend some quality time with them and cackle like we used to do in college. 

Last month, Bry and I visited Boston and had a blast, so much fun in fact, that while we were visiting (and under the influence of a few espresso martinis) we booked a trip back for May. The real reason we had to get back to the Bean so quickly was because they were hosting their annual, and world-famous Greek Easter celebration! If you don't know about Greek Easter, you clearly don't have any Greek friends. This party is the real deal -- it's a full day of chowing down, drinking and spending time with friends and family. Don't ask me why Greek Orthodox Easter and Western Christian eastern don't fall on the same day, I don't really know... except a quick Google search explains that they are simply calculated differently.

The BEST Barbecue Chicken Ever

About a million people have asked me for this recipe. Okay, a million might be an exaggeration, but at least a handful of people have asked, so here it is. Really, I can't take credit for it. I found it online and adapted it to my needs.

The story of this chicken in my life begins last summer. BryGuy and I typically do red meat (burgers, steaks, etc.) on the grill. Not because I don't like other meat, but because I've never had barbecue chicken that I really liked. Most of it was tough, dry, and not all that appealing. Well, I turned to the web to find a bbq chicken recipe that would make my mouth water, and I stumbled upon this gem that quickly became a household staple. The most important part about this recipe is the grilling process, low and slow is the name of the game. 

Do you want to know the best part? Once you invest in the spices, it's super cheap to make. I usually buy a big family pack of thighs and drumsticks so I can feed 6-10 people for less than $15 with this recipe. 

A Favorite Activity With the Hubs (Yes, It’s G-Rated)

You might know that I like to cook based on my previous posts, but did you know that BryGuy is a serious grill master? I really love when we get home from work on a summer day and deciding that it’s a grilling night;: burgers, steak, chicken, you name it, we grill it. That means he starts preparing the charcoal and the meat and I come up with some veggies to accompany it. This works wonderfully for us because we each have our own domains (I’m not so good about people hovering around the kitchen while I’m cooking). 

BryGuy’s been itching to grill some steaks that he bought but the weather wasn’t cooperating so he decided to do a cast-iron skillet grill session instead. While he “grilled” away at the stove, I whipped up a sweet potato puree and simple garden salad with homemade dressing. While I’m sad that the summer and “official” grilling season is over, I’m looking forward to more evenings where we share the kitchen and prepare a nice meal together. 

Get recipes for the salad dressing and sweet potato purée after the jump.