So, Labor Day weekend is upon us. That means you’d better have all your weekend vittles marinating and defrosting.

And get that grill ready cuz it is time to use it!

After this, much of the country will start to get colder in the coming weeks so you’d better make the most of this precious time we have right now. And get outside! Your grill is calling.

What’s it calling for, you may ask?

I think you know.

Really? You don’t know?

Steak.

Are you new here?

If so — welcome! We’ll help you figure out what Labor Day is calling for. Is it T-bones? Steakburgers?

Click on the “Recipes” tab up at the top. That’s a great place to start.

And check out this article from today on abcnews.com. It’s got lots of ideas for this weekend.

Enjoy your time off and revel in the deliciosity that is steak. I know I will be. I’ll post photos of what I’ll be eating next week.

You can bet beef will be involved. Oh, yeah.

Have a great Labor Day, everybody!

That’s what my kids have been saying all day today.

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate America than to be in one of her greatest treasures — the beaches of Florida. And along the drive here we got to enjoy all that America has to offer like green rolling hills, clean restrooms and lots and lots of beef jerky.

We celebrated our freedom and the amazing good fortune of being Americans last night by grilling the steaks we had the freedom to have delivered to our door. They were in a word:  spectacular. . .

We started off rubbing the steak seasoning on the ribeyes and KC strips.

Then we broke out the dueling George Foreman grills — one for strips and one for ribeyes.

Then we grilled enough steaks to feed an army — well, at least us and the other family who traveled with us.

Anyone who thinks a George Foreman grill takes all the juice out has never used a GF grill. We had loads of juice. And there wasn’t a bite of meat left.

Tonight we celebrate with a fireworks display on the beach. That is too cool.

I’m having my kids wear these matching shirts when they are done swimming for the day . . .

I have to do it now because pretty soon I’ll hear, “Mom, that is so ridiculous! Why do I have to wear the same thing as him???”

Happy birthday, America! Thanks George, John and all the other forefathers for paving the way for the country we have today. It sure has been a great place to explore!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY, EVERYONE!

This was the scene in my parents’ front yard and all around our area. It’s been a very patriotic weekend — just the way it should be.

We’ve celebrated so far by eating LOTS and LOTS of meat.

Yesterday, we gathered my family, my parents and my brother, his wife, his mother-in-law and my niece and nephew for ribs and brisket.

Around these parts, we call it brisket. In some areas of the country it’s called tri-tip and others the same cut of beef is used to make corned beef.

Whatever you call it, we smoked them both in the smoker for a long time and it was all really tender and flavorful.

You can see in the photo no one would keep their mitts off the plate long enough for me to take a picture. That meat was decimated by the time we were done. No leftovers around here.

We’ve done lots of swimming — although it’s not nearly as warm as I’d like it. But that NEVER stops the kids. They don’t mind swimming with goose bumps.

I hope you’re having a great weekend, too!