Step Away from the Hotdogs and Hamburgers

I can’t believe we just passed the first day of summer. Our weather has been absolutely amazing. It’s been so wonderful that I don’t even mind the rainy days.

We do make the most of the sunny days though. Playing in the yard, gardening, working on the deck, and eating outside whenever we can. I love our barbecues. That’s plural, because we have two. One is propane, and the other is charcoal. My husband likes to think of himself as an amateur pitmaster. Personally, I think he could go toe to toe with any of the pros and hold his own.

As much as we love to barbecue, we always get to a point during the summer where we don’t want to eat hotdogs and hamburgers. Even steak or chicken begin to wear out their welcome. So what can we do if we love to barbecue, but have grown tired of the regular lineup?

Lots.

I compiled a few alternate food ideas for backyard enthusiasts like us that will have you eating outside all summer long. If you have any other ideas, please feel free to add them in the comments.

Pizza on the barbecue
Thanks to a new item on the shelves right now, you can make a great-tasting, pizzeria-quality pizza on the barbecue. BakerStone has created a mini stone pizza oven that sits right on your gas barbecue. We used our pizza dough recipe (there is also a dough recipe included with the BakerStone), and cooked one up last weekend. The stone took a little longer to heat up than recommended in the instructions, but once it was ready, it cooked quickly. Our pizza was ready in about 4 – 5 minutes. It bubbled as it cooked and came out great. I feel like I can’t go back to my oven-baked pizza now.

If pizza isn’t enough, this stone oven can also bake cookies, rolls, and more.

Fondue
Give your barbecue a rest and have a fondue party. There are three different kinds of fondues (that I am familiar with). Meat, cheese, and chocolate. I’ve had all three and loved them. I recommend finding a fondue set that will accommodate all three types of fondues because you never know if you will want to use it for a full dinner, or a casual dessert. Fondues can also be a lot of fun for kids as they love hands-on activities. Just remember to supervise them as the fondue pots get very hot.

For example, the Home Presence 18-piece Fondue Set can handle all three types of fondues, while others may only be able to handle one or two. Using a fondue pot incorrectly can result in serious injury, so make sure you know what you are buying.

How about a healthy dessert that tastes like ice cream with no processed sugar or dairy?
The Swirlio is a ‘must-have’ item for the summer months in our home. Our kids are always asking for ice cream, freezies, or popsicles when the sun is out, and we are (almost) always saying ‘no’.

Swirlio uses only fruit and the end result is a frozen treat that resembles ice cream, so much so that my girls now ask for ‘banana ice cream’ for dessert, and I have no problem saying ‘yes’ to that request. The fruit is frozen a head of time, then combined just before being served. there are some recipes that call for chocolate, or chocolate sauce, but you can control how much to put in (if at all).

You can make an ice cream dessert (if you add a banana), a sorbet (without the banana), or a popsicle (some of the frozen desserts can be frozen into a popsicle after making). If you are trying to limit sugar in your home, or if you suffer from a dairy intolerance, the Swirlio is the perfect frozen dessert-maker. The Swirlio also makes some dips (recipes included).

All of the items mentioned in this post can be purchased at your local London Drugs store. You can also purchase them online at LondonDrugs.com and have them sent to your nearest location.

What meals do you turn to when you’ve had one too many hotdogs or hamburgers?

Disclosure: I am collaborating with London Drugs on this feature and receive various forms of compensation including monetary or product to complete my features. Some of the items listed in this post were received for free. Personal opinions on the products in this post are the author’s and are not influenced.

Sheri Landry

Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.

www.thisbirdsday.com