Our Summer Oasis

Hubby and I have always enjoyed entertaining, and he also enjoys using the bbq. I don't use the grill, but I do love the taste of food from it! We spend a lot of weekend afternoons and evenings in our backyard. Chatting and soaking up some vitamin d, as well as eating dinner outside, and then ending the evening by the firepit (and making s'mores!) Our back deck really is set up for relaxing!

Hubby just purchased a new bbq this season. Our old one was on it's last legs. It saw us through many bbqs with family and friends, but was time for a new one. He upgraded size wise, and now we can fit everything we need for a meal (even while entertaining guests) on the grill at once! He spent a lot of time researching brands and looking at features before deciding on the one he wanted. A good resource for this is We Love Fire. They also have information on outdoor fireplaces - which we enjoy using most weekends in the summer and fall. It really adds to the ambiance.

Sometimes dinner is simple and easy food like hamburgers, sausages and hot dogs. Other times he grills up steaks, salmon, chicken or lobster. We always have veggies on the side, but we discovered a couple of years ago that we actually prefer our veggies grilled.

My favourite meal is from the grill is salmon and veggies! I normally pair it with rice, and sometimes a greek salad.

Ingredients (all produce should be washed first)

- bell peppers, sliced
- carrots (cut into smaller pieces, or baby carrots)
- broccoli florets
- zucchini, sliced
- olive oil
- salmon fillet


Directions

- lay vegetables out on a foil tray
- drizzle with olive oil
- season with pepper
- squeeze a lemon over the salmon and season with pepper, then wrap in foil (I double wrap)
- place foil on bbq and turn a few times while cooking (we like ours cooked well, but you can adjust the timing for how you like your salmon)
- place foil tray with veggies on grill for 7-12 minutes (we like ours to still have a bit of crispness, so you may need to adjust the timing)

 Serve with rice and enjoy!

Once dinner is finished and everything is cleaned up and put away, we will often grab a glass of wine and sit in our gazebo with the firepit on. Sometimes we roast marshmallows or make s’mores (such a delicious treat to have). We have also played card games many nights with neighbours, or just sit and chat and catch up on life.

hubby and I sitting by the fire in the evening