Summer at my house is all about being outside. I cook everything on the grille in the summer. I sit outside and read for hours. If I have work I need to do from home, I bring the computer out and sit on the deck to work. Being inside when it’s THIS nice out is a no-no in my household.

My dog guards the cedar tree line, watching for squirrels and chipmunks. He’ll pace back and forth, sitting under whichever tree the furry creature went under. Or, he’ll have a temporary lapse in judgement and lay in the sun. Panting. Because you know, a black dog in the hot sun isn’t going to be hot.

The greatest addition to our household is our new grille. We were in Home Depot one night way back in February picking stuff up for my husband’s job and were offered a deal we would have been dumb to refuse. 2 brand new grilles for $5. Yup. 2 NEW grilles, totally over $400 for $5. One was gas and one was charcoal. Both were twice, if not three times the size of my George Foreman that I’d had for almost 10 years. They were display models, both had broken handles and a scratch or a ding, but we didn’t think twice. We took them!

We gave the charcoal one to a friend and kept the gas one for ourselves because it had an island, a rack for all the fancy attachments – and lots of fancy attachments. My favorite? The veggie tray. I’ve used it more times than I can count. I take the center piece to the grille out, line the veggie tray with tin foil and I’ll do stir fry and skillet type dinners right on the grille. No more dirty pans. No more hot house when I’m in the mood for stir fry.

Pictured is alfresco’s Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage with 1/2 chopped onion, medium yellow and red bell peppers and 1/3 cup white wine