Ruthanna, I thought I might have been the only one who ever made dandelion wine. It was very sweet and altogether disgusting. LOL I've also made beer and Elery made a batch of wine that was much better. At least I guess it was, atleast people drank HIS! I've made everything listed here at leas5t once, including the sauerkraut, yogurt, butter, pickles, ketchup. I also make my own sausage and my own pancetta. Elery is in charge of smoking fish, though. I work fulltime and don't have a lot of people to feed, but it's more like my hobby than anything. I like to can and make things that cause others to raise their eyebrows. Sometimes it's worth the trouble, sometimes not. I don't think peanut butter or English Muffins are worth the trouble, neither are bagels. Sauerkraut is, though! Annie

Another Shrimp suggestion - I posted this for Stacy on her key limes thread and read somewhere she loved it. It is supposed to serve 6. For that many people, I would either skewer 3 shrimp per OR grill them unskewered and present on a platter in a mound. this is great grilled ahead of time & served at room temp - also great the next day cold. More work, but definitely different flavor & still simple and impressive. I use regular limes most of the time. This is delicious and makes a beautiful presentation. It can be cooked ahead of time and served at room temperature. I use 2 bamboo skewers (soaked at least 30 mins) threading thru the top portion and tail. Serve with rice or pasta salad and a vegetable. Rum Glazed Spicy Shrimp (recipe from my local grocer's ad that was featuring Key West Pink Shrimp) 2 1/2 lb shrimp 6T light Rum (4T + 2T) 2T fresh Key Lime juice ( I have also used regular limes) 2 T olive oil (see note) 3 garlic gloves, minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I use more) 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1T cider vinegar Peel shrimp, keeping tails intact. Place in bowl with 4T of rum, key lime juice, oil, garlic, red pepper flakes & salt. Toss to coat throughly. Cover; marinate in frig for 30 - 60 mins. In small bowl combine brown sugar, vinegar,& remaining 2T rum. Stir. Thread shrimp on skewers. Lightly brush with brown sugar glaze. Grill over med - hot fire about 3 minutes per side, brushing w/ additional glaze until shrimp are opaque. Note: For more zing I use 1T olive oil + 1T hot chili oil

Whoo Hoo! Your first Weber! Play time ahead girl. You have got to do a chicken. Cheap easy and you will be amazed how easy. Here are some action shots of my grill... click the thumbnails for a big picture. Charcoal on the sides under the grate flaps. Later you can drop some wood or more charcoal. Probably won't need more charcoal! Bird in the middle. Stuff if you want but at least get the gizzard package out. Vents both bottom and top wide open! Go drink alcohol and party! *picture censured for indecent content* When you are drunk and partied out return for food. Note paper like skin. Eat it with your fingers while slugging on your beer. Relax... beer and chicken skin are calorie free when consumed together. Often best to work with kitchen gloves and tear the bird apart with your hands. Leftover skin, fat, and the bones should go in a pot for soup broth... a great lentil soup base because of the smokey flavor. There is a whole 'nuther bird stuck to the bones and you will be amazed at how meaty the soup is! After simmering for about an hour strain the broth to get the skin and bones back out. A wishbone in there!... remember those. Return any meat to the pot that you don't nibble away. In the picture I added coconut milk, curry paste, and cayenne pepper (flaming hot! and !!! hot) to the chicken broth and spooned it over lentils cooked in the microwave.... lentils cook in about 20 minutes when nuked! Being single I reserve the breast meat for sandwiches. Thighs have fat deposits that pick out with ease leaving nice lean meat. Wings and legs are prime snack parts... hand to husband and tell him to go lay down.. "good boy". I can still get a decent fryer bird for about $4. Leftover shredded chicken meat can be covered in bbq sauce and refried for a dandy sandwich filler... taco sauce for taco meat... soy sauce for fried rice... you get the ideas. Best spent 3-4 bucks in my whole grocery bill. Works fine with a whole turkey. Note the bird is so tender and well done that the legs pulled out to their sockets while rolling into the pan for transport to the kitchen. Works with every meat I've tried!... london broil, eye of round, bottom round, pork roast, and brisket. It even makes a meatloaf if you wrap the loaf in foil. Caution with foil wrapped stuff as there may be hot liquid to drain off... don't get splashed or drizzled on. It works in the winter and in the rain! No need to let a little rain stop the bbq. In fair weather you can use your Weber with the top off for traditional grilled steaks or whatever. Sometimes when smoking a chicken I'll slip a burger or steak over the coals. You may need extra charcoal if you lift the lid often... like an oven it cooks faster when left alone. Soak the wood but if you are lazy like me just drop a chunk on top the charcoal. A few peppercorns on the coals makes a pepper smoke... great flavor but don't get the smoke in your eyes. Now you need an injector kit! Inject those dry beef roasts with good stuffs for super juicy tasty experiments. Butter and cajun spice are a favorite. The grocery store probably has a dozen pre-made liquids for injecting. I'm currently eating on a beef brisket that I thusly smoked using charcoal, hickory wood, and black pepper. Last night pulled a chunk of cooked brisket from the fridge and covered it with vinegar, evoo, and rosemary before reheating in the microwave... a great main course in under 2 minutes! So good I'm having more for breakfast. I like to put an empty catfood can in the middle of the ash catcher to collect dripping grease... much of the fat will drip out the bottom. Your dog will probably eat it ashes and all before redepositing it on your livingroom carpet. : ) lyra

My girls like coke chicken, I usualy did it in a dutch oven but you can just brown the chicken in the skillet, add half and half mixture of catsup and Coke, and simmer until the chicken is done. We made "camp slop" which was basically some chopped bacon or crumbled sausage, potatoes and onions, cooked until done, then a couple of eggs were stirred in. Cheese if you like. Quesadillas are easy to make in a skillet over the fire, if you don't want cheese or chicken or whatever, you can use flour tortillas with a smeal of peanut butter, sprinkled with marshmallows and chocolate chips and cooked until melted. Add sliced bananas if you must. Chili is good, so are baked beans and beef or chicken stew can be simmered until nearly done and small dumplings dropped in. Fresh fruit like peaches or blueberries or apples can also be simmered until done and then sweet dumplings added for a hot dessert. Lots of things you can cook in a skillet over a campfire. You can also wrap potatoes in foil and add them to the ashes, or take empty soup cans, ut a little applesauce in the bottom, add gignerbread batter to the can, cover tightly with foil and place carefully in the coals so they don't spill. This works with muffin batter in hollowed out orange halves too. Have fun. Annie