Citrus Sirloins on the Grill with Italian Pasta Salad
July 22, 2008
Summer time means gillin’ time for many people. For me any time is grillin’ time — stop by on Christmas Eve and you’ll find me cooking steaks on the grill as has been my tradition for the past several years. Here’s a recipe I tried over the weekend and it tasted delicious. I thought you might like it as well.
Citrus Sirloins
Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 1 1/2 lb sirloin steaks, trimmed
Instructions:
Place the orange juice, lime juice and vegetable oil in a large zippered bag. In a small bowl combine the steak seasoning, oregano and cumin.
Rub seasoning mixture on both side of the steak and add any remaining seasoning to the juice mixture in the bag. Place the steaks in the bag and seal. Refrigerate 1 hour. Be sure to turn the bag a few times to marinade all sides of the steaks well.
Remove the steaks and discard the marinade. Heat grill to medium high. Grill steaks 6-8 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached. Can be served with some grilled lemon, lime or oranges slices as a garnish.
Here’s a great pasta salad that would accompany the steaks well:
Italian Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
6-8 fresh plum tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves fresh chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh chopped basil
1 lb. bow tie pasta
½ cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
Cook pasta as directed on the package. When it’s al dente, remove the pasta and drain. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the cheese and mix well. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture. Finish the dish by grating Romano cheese directly over the mixture.
If you happen to have someone special to share the meal you can add wine or your favorite beverage and some candles.
First Aid Tips for Single Moms
July 22, 2008
For a single mom — well any parent for that matter — having a properly stocked first aid kit is extremely important. I’ve found that having a few essentials on hand can make a difference when you’re faced with an emergency situation and can help you to stay calmer than if you had to run around searching for stuff.
Phone numbers – these should be programmed on your phone, posted on the fridge, or put in some convenient place that you can remember and readily access
ice packs – I have a couple that I picked up that work great as hot or cold packs. I keep them in the freezer all the time; if I need to warm them up it’s quick and easy to pop in the microwave.
thermometer
Vaseline – to use with rectal thermometer
pain reliever – ibuprofen or acetaminophen
measuring syringe – you might prefer to use a spoon or dropper whichever will work best for your child
elastic and adhesive bandages
tape and gauze
small scissors
alcohol pads
tweezers
pocket flashlight
A few other things you might want to add to your first aid kit would be:
calamine lotion
hydrocortisone ointment
Benadryl
antibiotic ointment
epinephrine
and of course some wire cutters.
Wire cutters? Well take a look and you’ll see why I think a decent pair of wire cutters should be included in your first aid kit.
