Grilling and Family

Today we got a head start on Father’s day and headed out to Kmart to pick up some grilling tools for dad. Here in Wisconsin it is grilling season and we intend on taking full advantage of summer. This was the perfect way to spend a Sunday night and wrap up a wonderful weekend. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and I couldn’t be more blessed. Join us!

We have a small hand-me-down charcoal grill. It can be a pain to start and a real deal-breaker on a windy day. We headed out to Kmart looking for grilling tools. There was one thing the husband knew he had to have, a charcoal starter. He had heard about them and he wanted one. A little more browsing and we had all of our grilling essentials. To learn more about our shopping trip, check out my Google+ album here.

Check out our haul!

Of course I couldn’t resist some cute outdoor table decor for a our family cookout.

This was our first go-around on the grill this season so it was time to put some of these tools to work and get the grill cleaned up a bit.

Scrub, scrub, scrub. Really, it only took a few minutes and voila.

What a difference. Time to get this grill started! Ross’ MUST HAVE grilling tool (look below). First time using it and he loved it! No lighter fluid, super quick and would probably be a huge help on a windy day. Have any of you tried one of these bad boys before?

What I love about grilling is it is so simple. Fresh ingredients a touch of olive oil and seasoning and you are FEASTING.

Red and yellow pepper, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and little red potatoes. Add just a touch of olive oil and a little bit of that seasoning salt we picked up from Kmart.

We cooked the chicken on a cedar plank we picked up from Kmart too. Officially part of our grilling arsenal now.

Have you guys ever used one of those cedar planks before? This was our first time and we were super impressed. We have never had chicken so tender in our lives. It just fell apart. YUM!

While we were at Kmart we let Quinn pick out his own cup. So glad we did. That cup kept him occupied while we got dinner on the table.

Anyone else have a kid who is fascinated with straws?

Exactly how food is meant to be enjoyed!  On a beautiful day. Outside. With family. Fresh and simple.

When we were at Kmart there was a center aisle display with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. This had Quinn begging for s’mores. They seemed like the perfect way to end the night so we threw some s’more essentials into the cart. Any of you ever roasted marshmallows on the grill before? First time for me.

The night was perfect. The weather was perfect, there were no mosquitoes (knock on wood). The food was great, the company was even better. A beer and a few glasses of wine, great food, and fun conversation. Looks like Father’s Day came a little early around here. If you have a dad who has to start a charcoal grill, I highly recommend that charcoal starter. The husband LOVED it.

For more outdoor entertaining inspiration check out the Outdoor Living catalog (#KmartOutdoor).

The following deals and promotions can be found in the Sunday 6/3 circular: SALE on a deluxe full size charcoal grill & SALE on Jaclyn Smith 5 pc bar set. To learn more about Kmart sales you can check out their weekly deals Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.