Did you have a good 4th of July?

We screeched up to our condo here in Florida just as the fireworks were beginning. We were happy to have made it after driving ALL day.

Michael Jackson tunes had been on the iPod the ENTIRE 10-hour drive. My 5-year-old began requesting “Dirty Diana” after a while. And when the kids started to fuss and fight they’d say, “You better not ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Something!'”

On top of the parking garage at the condo (classy, yes) the kids enjoyed the fireworks show for about 7 minutes, then I began to hear, “Mom, do we have any Popsicles? What about strawberries?”

Anything with water in it sounded good. Apparently, they were thirsty, hot and tired.

So inside we went.

Happy birthday, America!

We have so many great meals planned for the week: a roast with potatoes, the mini steakburgers and steaks I ordered, ground beef tacos — oh yeah, and some frozen pizzas thrown in for good measure.

It’s always a good time sharing good food with the people you love. And here in what we think is the most gorgeous place on earth it can’t get any better.

Happy, happy 4th of July to you!

My gift to you in celebration of this day is the gift of food. Well, a recipe, actually.

And I am loving this recipe! It’s a kaboby-meatballish combo (if you ask me) and I LOVE that it uses ground beef.

The light lemongrass is perfect for hot, hot July weather, too!

Enjoy it under the firecrackers tonight!!!!!!!!!!!

Lemongrass Ground Beef Skewers

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped lemon grass
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
2. Place lemon grass, onion, and garlic in the container of an electric blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until finely chopped, about 10 seconds. Scrape lemon grass mixture into a bowl, and stir in beef, salt, pepper, sugar, cornstarch, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
3. Form meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Thread onto skewers.
4. Cook on the preheated grill until the meatballs are well done, about 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Recipe and photo courtesy of allrecipes.com.

I came across this scrumptious-sounding recipe for the holiday this weekend and it sounds really tempting — light and healthy, perfect for summer.

We’re going to be grilling some steaks, too, this holiday. Try it and see what you think!

Steak Mediterranean

2. Grill steaks, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees) about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness.

3. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, vinegar, sugar and oregano; bring to a boil. Add olives, capers and lemon zest; simmer until heated through.

4. To serve, arrange steaks on a serving platter; top with sauteed mixture and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.