Oh what a day...

Saturday was the most splendid day. We enjoyed the most glorious weather since early spring. Paul and Sam took advantage of the cooler temperatures by going for a morning bike ride with the majority of my family. They rode the Swamp Rabbit Trail up into Travelers Rest for breakfast at a cafe. After they rode back to Greenville, they stopped for some "special ice cream".
I'm sorely disappointed that I missed out on the morning's activities, particularly the ice cream. That particular ice cream won a special place in my heart when we first discovered it in Canada more than a decade ago on a family vacation. The only time I've had it since then was when we found that it was served at Stan's Diner in Provo, UT. I must get me some of that!
Meanwhile, Nathanael and I were attending his sweet friend, Riley's birthday party. Nathanael was the only boy there; I don't think he minded.
In the evening, the weather was so nice we were once again able to enjoy dinner on our screened-in porch. That is certainly a rare occasion in the middle of summer. While the boys played soccer in the yard,

Paul and I dined on a delicious meal: Asian BBQ chicken with Asian cabbage salad.


Asian BBQ Chicken
Our Best Bites

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 1 lb of boneless,skinless chicken breast)

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)


Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Optional: garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip: When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade. I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 14 oz bag coleslaw mix
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 small handful sugar snap peas (about 20 baby ones)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1 T toasted sesame seeds*
1/3 C slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*
Optional: 1 1/2 C cooked, shredded or diced chicken

Dressing:
2 T canola oil
2 T cider vinegar
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T sugar (or equivalent of sugar substitute)
1 t kosher salt
2 t soy sauce
1/4 t garlic powder, or one small garlic clove, minced
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t sesame oil

* To toast almonds or sesame seeds, place them (not together, do one thing at a time!) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Turn constantly until golden brown. Let cool before using.

Begin by making dressing. Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake shake shake. Store in the fridge until ready to use. You can definitely do this part a few days ahead of time. Place all salad ingredients in a bowl. You need to pour on the dressing and toss to coat at least 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. When you pour the dressing on you might think it’s not quite enough, but just wait. When it sits and marinates, it combines with the veggies and draws out liquid and there will be more than plenty of dressing after it sits. After you’ve poured on the dressing, place salad in the fridge to sit for 30-60 minutes.
Right before serving mix in toasted almonds and sesame seeds.