Grilling: An Affordable Luxury

With the cost of gasoline averaging $3.46/gallon, you may want to consider a Memorial Day celebration at home with friends and family. I dug through the archives of Southern Living and here are some luscious recipes with cost saving tips.

Kick up the flavor, and keep down the costs with tender and juicy cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. By Mary Allen Perry / photography Tina Cornett / styling Cari South
www.southernliving.com


Great Grilling Recipes:

1. Marinated London Broil
2. Grilled Steaks Balsamico
3. Thai Pork Chops With Caramelized Onions
4. Margarita Pork Tenderloin
5. Molasses-Glazed Chicken Thighs
6. Strawberry-Citrus Chicken Salad
7. Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Hearty 8-ounce cuts of Grilled Steaks Balsamico sizzle in at only $3 per serving.

Even with today's high meat prices, grilling is an affordable luxury. If you haven't discovered the new cuts of bargain steaks, start with Grilled Steaks Balsamico. We used boneless beef chuck-eye steaks, a distant cousin of the rib-eye.

Marinated London Broil, an extra-thick cut of boneless top round steak, serves six to eight people for just under $14. Keep a close watch for buy-one-get-one-free sales, and you'll slice that price in half.

Instead of splurging on beef filets, pick up pork tenderloin. It's every bit as tender and flavorful and can be grilled whole or cut into quick-cooking medallions for a fresh presentation.

left: Marinated London Broil is best carved across the grain into thin slices. above, right: A splash of tequila sparks the fresh citrus flavor of Margarita Pork Tenderloin.

Browse our complete list of 142 grill recipes.

Collecting Antiques Texas Style

If you happen to be planning a trip to Deep East Texas around the Tyler/Longview area Memorial Day weekend, you might consider stopping by the three-day auction of Richardson Castle in Kilgore, Tx.

"AUCTIONEER'S NOTE: The Richardson Ranch represents one of East Texas' most incredible showplaces. This three-day auction event will offer a massive array of priceless antiques, museum quality furnishings, art glass, rare collections, and one-of-a-kind finds as well as ranch accoutrement. The term eclectic does not begin to describe the variety of offerings at this sale...there is truly something for every taste and budget."

Below are just some of the highlighted offerings to be auctioned and more pictures can be found at http://www.beardauction.com/schedule.html

Of course no Texas auction would be complete without a Longhorn Steer to round out the package!! Happy Bidding!

Spruce up your garden with ornaments

GARDEN ORNAMENTS
Cottage Living Magazine


Marion Brenner

Ornaments
In every cottage gardener is the heart of a sculptor working in an ever changing medium. Weeds get plucked and flowers get planted to create order and garden ornaments are the finishing touch to the work. Here, a glass ball in a birdbath add year-round color in a shady spot.




Richard Warren

Create a focal point
A square vessel planted with 'Sum and Substance' hostas reflects the shape of a garden cut into the center of a lawn. The container rests on the edge of the bed like a visual exclamation point. Local nurseries, antique stores, and online sites such as Smith, Treillage OR Two Blonds & Co. are reliable sources for planters pots and ornaments.




Victoria Pearson

Romantic entry point
Every garden needs an entry point. Climbing roses drape over an arbor that draws your eye into the garden towared a burgundy striped flax in an oversized pot.




Michael Hill

Draw a plan
Putting pen to paper will help you evision how garden ornaments will work in a space. Even a simple pencil drawing can help you visualize sight lines and paths that are important in creating order in the garden.




Lynn Karlin

Personalize your garden
Found wooden ornaments like birdhouses or plant shelves weather quickly to add instant age and character to the garden.




Victoria Pearson

Elevate the ordinary
Don't hide necessities such as hoses; celebrate them by putting them front and center in a simple garden pot.




Jane Colclasure

Create a border
For centuries, english gardeners have been weaving branches into fencing known as wattles or hurdles. This bamboo wattle and stone ball mark the boundry of a path and planting bed.




Deborah Jaffe

Add a destination
Every path needs an end. Gardener Michael Kirshmann Jr. created a sitting area under bright orange sedum planted in an aged concrete bowl. The bowl is elevated on inexpensive concrete block. The metal Bertoia Diamond chairs are finished in a durable coating that works indoors or in the garden.




Tom McWilliam

Containers keep it simple
Easy growing boxwoods in a stone vessel and galvanized container flank the entrance to a garden shed. Gardener James Cramer suggests placing a single potted topiary in your garden where you need to "rest the eye," or use them in pairs to frame a gate or bench.


Find a complete line of planters, bird baths & feeders, sundials, weathervanes on Two Blonds & Co.

You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

Just writing about this recipe makes my mouth begin to water. Rachel Ray has some fantastic recipes and this is one that Dale raves about. I haven't tried it yet although it will be added to the list of things we need to try soon. My husband and I cooked penne alla vodka a few times and loved the results so this should be a great one also.

Here's the recipe: You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

Serious junk transformations

HGTV Canada has a great program for everyone out there who just can't throw things away and loves hitting up garage sales for stuff. They are transforming broken junk into new, functional items that you never would expect. I mean, who thinks about turning a lawn mower into a multi-level bar and drink caddy? Or a bird bath into an outdoor lantern?

Most of the videos didn't work for me because I'm trying to view them from Europe but they may still work from the US. And even if they don't they give some really interesting inspiration. There are also a few articles in the Tips & Advice section worth checking out.

Building the perfect home office

This Old House is always full of tons of great ideas, and their latest newsletter had something in it that really got my attention. Creating a good home office really should be more than throwing a desk and a few chairs in a spare room of the house, especially if you work from there full time. I have been known to work 12 hours straight at home, only getting up a few times to refill the coffee cup or let the dog in. This article, Home Office Solutions, has a few things to keep in mind and is a good starting place if you're considering adding or renovating a home office.