How to Smoke a Turkey: Tutorial, Tips, and a Sauce Recipe

Disclosure: Today’s post is sponsored by We Love Fire. The opinions are my own.

With Halloween coming up this week, Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  Today I’m getting ahead of the game and sharing a tutorial on how to smoke a turkey.  At our house, we cook a lot of meats.  We only do turkey 2 or 3 times a year, and at this point we have cooked it by smoking/grilling, baking, and frying.  Today we are going to specifically talk about smoking a turkey.  I’ve got tips to help you get a moist and flavorful turkey, and I’ve also got a recipe for Southern White Sauce, which is MUST have item in our house when we are having smoked turkey or chicken.

If you are looking for a new grill or smoker this holiday season I Love Fire has a fantastic guide for you.

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Grilled Hot Wings + 6 Tips to Make Your Summer Cookout a Success

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MakeYourSummer #MADEFORDOERS #CollectiveBias

Summer time is party time!  My husband and I love to have cookouts during the summer, and we are sort of famous for our last minute impromptu get-togethers, featuring my husband’s grilled masterpieces, and my amazing sides and desserts.  Today I’m excited to offer you an easy but unique recipe for your next cookout, plus tips to make your summer cookout a success from prep to clean up.

 

Party Time Clean Up Essentials

When it comes to parties, most people focus on the food first and then the decorations, but you must not forget other essentials like plates, cups, eating utensils, and of course, something to help guests to clean their hands.  VIVA® Vantage® Big Roll Paper Towels come in a convenient 6 pack that is perfect for your party.  I love putting out a roll of paper towels, because it is easy, convenient, and cost effective.  Also, in the event of a spill, you just grab a roll and get to cleaning!

Paper towels can also be a big help for cleaning as you go before your party begins.  Just wipe down tables and counter tops as you work, so the messes don’t add up!  Then after the party is over, I like to grab my favorite spray cleaner and a roll of paper towels for quick clean up!

New Kleenex® Wet Wipes Gentle Clean are also a convenient product to have on hand.  These are safe to use on hands and your face.

Summer parties are often outdoors, which means no sink is immediately available, and so it’s great to offer guests some wipes for personal clean up (especially if you are serving a messy food like ribs, wings, or ice cream).

I recommend placing a package of Kleenex® Wet Wipes at the center of each of the tables where people will be eating, as well as an additional package next to your messiest foods, which may require the use of the wipes (ie – right next to your tray of hot wings).

You can find both of these products in the bath tissue, facial tissue and paper towel aisle at your local Kroger.  I used my Kroger Plus card and was able to save $5 on the VIVA® Vantage® Big Roll Paper Towels 6 pack!

The Kleenex® wipes found on the facial tissue aisle.  I actually found them on the same aisle as the paper towels.  I found them at the opposite end of the aisle, in between bath tissue and facial tissue.

Place Non-Food Essentials in One Place

I have been to so many parties and get-togethers where everyone appears lost!  Where are the plates?  I can’t find the cups!  I forgot to get a paper towel. Where are the forks?  The confusion can be solved rather easily, by placing all of these essential items at the end of your buffet, all together in one place.

Fun Theme

Even the smallest party can be made more fun with a few decorations.  My stepson recently graduated high school and will be leaving in August to join the army, so for his upcoming party, I would use some simple red, white, and blue decorations.  I LOVE patriotic decorations to begin with, so this is an especially fun theme for me.  Plus, with Memorial Day and the 4th of July being summer time holidays it is very easy to find paper plates, balloons, tablecloths, and other fun decorations and party favors to go with this theme.

Make Ahead Menu Items

To shorten prep time and make less mess on the day of your party, choose a few make ahead menu items.

  • Casseroles that can be mixed up the night before and simply warmed in the oven the next day are great.
  • You can also make salads the night before. (We always make our potato salad a day ahead!)
  • No bake desserts are also great for this, as well most other desserts from homemade cookies to pies and cupcakes.

Unique Menu

Think outside the box when planning your menu; just a few unique menu items can take your menu from bland and basic to original and full of flavor.

Right now we are brainstorming party ideas for Noah. My husband and I LOVE to do cookouts, and we also love doing appetizer parties, so my idea is to do a combination of the two.  I’d like to serve hamburgers and hot dogs (because it is easy and everyone loves it), but I also want to throw in some of our favorite appetizers like hot wings, sausage balls, and buffalo chicken dip.

You could also add a few appetizers to your menu if your are having a fish fry.  Or offer up veggie kebobs alongside your grilled steaks or barbecue chicken.

Fresh fruits and salads are also great additions to your backyard barbecue, and of course, you never want to forget the dessert!

Fire Up That Grill!

If you’re serving appetizers at your next cookout, I have a simple, yet unique recipe.  Where I live hot wings are not typically served at a barbecue.  They are usually reserved for tailgating parties and holiday parties, so just having them at a summer party is an interesting menu twist for us.  And if that’s not enough, these wings are GRILLED!  Usually when people think of wings, they think of wings fried in a fryer.

Grilling your wings will add extra flavor that frying just won’t do, and because you aren’t using any oil, and the fat from the wings drips down into your grill, your wings will actually be a lot more healthy!

 

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 Sweepstakes!

Enter the #MakeYourSummer Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kroger gift card or a NASCAR experience!

  • No Purchase Necessary. The #MakeYourSummer #Sweepstakes begins on June 11, 2018 at 12:00:00 AM ET and ends on July 23, 2018 at 11:59:59 PM ET.
  • There are multiple Entry Periods during the Sweepstakes. Legal residents of the 50 US/DC only, 18+.
  • Void where prohibited. By participating, you agree to the Official Rules at https://makeyoursummerrules.pgtb.me/MRsDsl.
  • All shared entries should include: #MakeYourSummer #Sweepstakes. Ends 7/23/18. See rules at https://makeyoursummerrules.pgtb.me/MRsDsl.

Do you love cookouts and summer parties? Visit the Make Your Summer Social Hub for more unique grilling inspiration.  And as always, I invite you to join the conversation by commenting on today’s post!

Asian Inspired Steak with Fried Rice

My husband and I grill all year long, but we still look forward to those warm months when we can enjoy the great outdoors while we cook. Like a lot of people, one of our favorite meats to cook is steak.  I personally like a nice New York Strip Steak or a basic sirloin served up with a loaded baked potato and a salad or steamed vegetables..  As far as marinades and seasonings, I’m happy with just a little salt, pepper, or seasoning salts, but my husband, The King of the Grill, loves to experiment, so I’m always getting to try new marinades and seasoning blends.

The other day, we put together an Asian Inspired Steak.  We made these with some delicious Flat Iron Steaks, and they were delicious! To reinforce the Asian flavors of the steak, I served them up with a little Chicken Fried Rice.

I’d love to say, I made the rice from scratch, but in this case I took a short cut.  We used PF Chang’s Chicken Fried Rice.  They have delicious frozen entrees that taste delicious and are quick and easy to make.  For me, these entrees are a meal all by themselves, but they are also a great complement to other homemade items you may be cooking.

 

Here’s the recipe for the marinade we used for our steaks, along with instructions on how to best cook the steak.  Normally I like my steak cooked medium well, but as it’s a Flat Iron steak, my husband said they could only be cooked medium rare or medium. (And since he’s my resident expert on steaks, I agree.)

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These steaks were definitely delicious, and the PF Chang’s Chicken Fried Rice was a great complement to the dish (not to mention a great convenience food to go along with our homecooking).

Do you ever pair frozen entrees or sides with your homecooking?  I’d love to hear about your favorite product recommendations or tips for getting dinner to the table faster!

 

 

Tangy Dr Pepper® Chicken and Grill-gating Fun

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GrillGatingHero #GrillGating

Tangy Dr Pepper Chicken and Grill-gating Fund

It’s that time of year again! Time to break out your favorite fan gear, whip up your favorite recipes, and get ready for fun-filled football Saturdays!  Every fall I enjoy sitting in front of the television with my husband on Saturdays and watching our favorite college football team (and any other college team who’s playing).   Whether we have a house full of people or it’s just our family at home, we always have a good time, and we always enjoy our share of delicious homegating and grill-gating food!  Today I’m going to share a recipe for grilled chicken.  It features a Tangy Dr Pepper® marinade, and can be used for your chicken fingers, boneless and bone-in wings, or any other meat of your choice! [Read more…]

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Red Vinegar Sauce + El Yucateco Sweepstakes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KingOfFlavor #CollectiveBias

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Red Vinegar Sauce

This summer we’ve been making the most of our grill and smoker!  One of my family’s favorite summertime cook out foods is pulled pork sandwiches. The secret to our delicious pulled pork is a yummy red vinegar sauce that we make using El Yucateco® sauces.  Today I’m sharing a special sweepstakes from our friends at El Yucateco®, and I’m going to show you how we make the secret sauce, and I’ll also tell you about our method for cooking and serving up our delicious pork sandwiches. [Read more…]

Summer Grilling with Smithfield® BBQ Ribs

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HogWildThrowdown #CollectiveBias
Summer Grilling with Smithfield BBQ Ribs

For my family, the summer grilling season never really ends. My husband will grill out no matter what kind of weather we’re having, but he’s certainly glad the summer season is almost upon us!  We grill a number of different meats from burgers and steaks to pork tenderloins and pork ribs.  A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed some Smithfield® pork ribs.  A lot of people say that cooking good ribs is difficult, and many are even intimidated by it, but my hubby always manages to cook the most delicious, mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone ribs you could ever want!  Today I’m going to reveal some of the secrets of how he does it! [Read more…]

Grilled Barbecue Chicken and $1000 Deluxe Grilling Giveaway from El Yucateco

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KingOfFlavor #CollectiveBias

Chipotle Chicken

With the hot summer weather, comes summer grilling!  Like many households, here at Simply Sweet Home, my husband is the Grill King!  Not only does he do a great job of cooking up meats to perfection, but he is also a master when it comes to creating custom sauces and marinades.

Just like our Southern summers, when it comes to sauces, we like it hot!  Over the weekend my hubby grilled up some delicious chicken, featuring a hot, bold, and savory sauce that doubles as both a marinade and a dipping sauce for entrees and appetizers!

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Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs + 10 Tips to Totally Take Care of Your Family This Summer

Disclosure: I received LISTERINE® Brand products and a Walgreens gift card from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® Brand Totally Taken Care Of program. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own. #ListerineMom

My family spends so much of the time indoors, but the summer weather definitely gives us more excuses to get outside, from grilling out to playing with the dog, and doing yard work.  Whether we’re at work or play, I always try to take extra steps to take care of my family.  Today, in partnership with Walgreen’s, Johnson & Johnson, and Listerine, I’ll be sharing some of my tips to make sure your family is totally taken care of.

10 Tips to Totally Take Care of Your Family

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Turkey Burgers

turkeyburger

This week I’m sharing some lean grilling tips.  One super easy way to go lean is with turkey burgers. I recently bought box of Jennie-O Turkey Burgers.  These are found in your grocer’s freezer. They come pre-patted and pre-flavored, and they only take 7 to 9 minutes to cook on each side.  Excellent!

And if you’re like me and can’t stand the heat, these are terrific on the George Foreman Grill!

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Father’s Day Grilling Giveaway

I’m really excited to be participating in another group giveaway this week!  The prizes here would not only make a perfect Father’s Day present, but they’re also perfect for the summer season! Check out the details below and enter to win!

It’s time to give back to DAD! Sponsored by:

Route 249 Mom Does Reviews Jackie’s Reviews, Mom Blog Society

It is open to both US & Canada

The giveaway will run May 15th, 12:01 until May 31st 12:01

1 winner will receive their choice of the gas grill or Paypal Cash Value 129.00

$100 Gift Certificate to Omaha Steaks

DAD Branding Iron

Wood Chip Box and an Injector Kit

&

7-Piece BBQ Set with Apron

$100 Omaha Steaks Gift Card Sponsored by Mom To Bed By 8

Branding Iron and Wood Chip Box and an Injector Kit Sponsored by Dixie Lands Deals

7-Piece BBQ Set with Apron Sponsored by I Love My Coupon Fans & Coupon Queen that Saves the Green

This Fiesta gas grill is spacious enough to meet your grilling needs. It is suitable for preparing a meal for up to four people. With this grill, you will enjoy cooking your favorite meals outdoors.

 

Fiesta 25,000 BTU 2-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner, Blue:

  • Porcelain-coated cooking grid
  • 260 sq. in. primary cooking area
  • 175 sq. in. chrome-plated warming rack
  • Two stainless steel burners with 25,000 BTU cooking performance
  • 10,000 BTU side burner
  • Porcelain/steel heat tents vaporize drippings and reduce flare-ups
  • Spacious, weather-resistant side shelves
  • Fiesta gas grill features porcelain-enameled, steel-top lid and base
  • Easily assembled cart
  • Color: Blue
  • Fiesta gas grill model #BP26035-024BL

Grill Sponsored by:

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Win it! To enter this giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter form below!

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