Summer BBQ

SSC Library's Teen Cooking Club returned in July for the Summer BBQ.  When you think BBQ, warm weather, outdoor games, and good times with friends may come to mind.  We had most of that...minus the weather!  For a second year, our summer barbecue was destined for indoor fun.

Fire Success, not so much with weather

We struggled with the weather forecast, which has a fickle personality in general.  I got the fire stoked on the grill and the coals were just ready for our first sandwiches when the skies opened up and FORCED US INSIDE!  Some folks were given unexpected showers while playing bag-toss.

Note those WET BRICKS!

Grilled Cheese with(out!!) Bacon was the first and ONLY recipe we had a chance to actually grill.  To accommodate for quantity, an electric skillet was used indoors.  That appliance saved our BBQ!!!

Displaced BBQ'ers Seek Refuge from the Storm

Luckily we had refreshments and games to keep the fun going inside.  A patriotic punch using the principles of science took center stage and maintained a high energy of excitement.  The layers of this Patriotic Punch work because of the sugar density.  The highest sugar content drink is poured into the pitcher first, followed by a drink with less sugar.  The top layer has little to no sugar.  This variety used cherry juice, light Gatorade, and seltzer water.  This was a WINNER!

Layered Punch for the Win

Another winner at any barbecue is the S'more.  Since we lacked a real fire, some kids claimed we could use the microwave.  The fire-lover in me died a bit.  I can't cook with a microwave, actually detest that device!  Our Union Hall has a wonderful 400 burner (ok, I'm exaggerating) gas stove top.  What do you do when your fire has been washed out?  Turn on the burners to roast those marshmallows!!!

Direct Supervision REQUIRED

Cooking sugar over an open flame as pictured is not ideal for most home settings, but providing a barbecue feel on a rainy afternoon proved this technique effective.

Deluxe S'mores

Using Keebler Deluxe Grahams, which are covered in chocolate made this snack a cinch.  After roasting the marshmallow, use two cookies to peel the goo off of your roasting stick.  Repeat as necessary until you've achieved sugar overload.

Wegmans O's Cookie-wich

Wegmans O's cookies give the same result with less of a chocolaty mess.  We pulled apart the cookie sandwich and applied the roasted marshmallow goo.  No one admitted which snack was their favorite, they just wanted S'more!

Musical-Must-Have

To finish off our festivities, we pulled out the old boom box and played Musical Chairs.  It's refreshing to watch a mixture of ages play this timeless game.

This wraps another Teen Cooking Club.  Special thanks to Wegmans Food Markets for providing the food funding for this program.  Join us in August for Cake Boss, a cooking competition.  The summer reading theme is Build a Better World, so I ask who can Build a Better Cake?

See you in August.  Thanks for visiting.

BBQ 2016

Barbecues are the best thing about summer cooking.  

Stoking the grill and prepping food, while enjoying the great outdoors brings our appreciation for food and fire another level higher.

Grilled Pinapple

We started our event by moving indoors!  A tremendous thunderstorm rushed through the valley at the precise moment our BBQ began.  With the Local 1000 Union Hall as an inclement weather standby, we had the comfort of cool air and dry hair, while our food cooked on the grill outside in the rain.  

Grilled Pineapple was a fun and easy recipe to start the event.  It cooked quickly and excited the crew.  "Ooh! I've never tried grilling fruit before," said several participants. The recipe is vegan and very yummy, but we skipped the coconut milk and went right for the whipped cream from the can.  Sometimes shortcuts are necessary.

"Baked" Potato Bar

Speaking of shortcuts...

We had a "Baked" Potato Bar, but they were really boiled salt potatoes, following the bag instructions and provided a row of yummy toppings to smother the tubers.

Vegan Satay Skewers

There were a few vegetarians who signed up for this program, so I decided to attempt some unusual BBQ fair for all to try. The recipe I sourced needed translation, but was easy to accomplish.  Vegan Satay Skewers are delicious, especially when you follow the dip recipe precisely. Along with vegetarian needs, I also balance nut allergies, so the peanut butter required for the skewer sauce was replaced with sunflower butter.  

That sauce was an EPIC FAIL!

Blueberry Chia Pudding

Sticking to the vegan fare, I sourced a recipe for Blueberry Chia Pudding.  I mentioned how chia seeds are a super food and the hot food item at the moment.  Seeing a bag of black seeds did not impress my group.  When I teased that chia seeds are the same product used on Chia Pets, the group was less enthused to taste test this recipe.  "So, you're basically giving us grass seed to eat," was the resounding sentiment.  Despite hesitation, the team that made this pudding took it seriously and several students truly enjoyed the unusual texture.  No left overs always proves a recipe's success.

Mexican Street Corn

The last menu item was Mexican Street Corn.  This was a top favorite along with the potatoes. Spicy tang and creamy spread made these cobs major menu competitors.  

Corn cooks quickly and the topping was a simple addition to move this grain from 

corny to crazy cool!

Despite rain, we had fun in our indoor picnic/ barbecue.  We were busy as usual, but left with a little more cooking knowledge than when we started.  That is the goal.

Extra special THANKS goes to Wegmans Food Market in Corning for their generous gift card donation, which helped purchase all of the food used in this program.

Teen Cooking Club will be on hiatus until October.  This seems like forever away, but the cool weather creeps in quickly in Upstate New York, school starts soon and foliage will be falling before you can say Autumn.

Thanks for visiting!

~erica