I think I might actually be getting a little better at this whole grilling thing!

Today was a day of splashing in the pool, and of dueling sparklers, but mostly it was a day of grilling – the first time we’ve done so this year, in fact. I actually like to grill, save for the fact that sometimes I’m not sure if I’m very good at it and also because it’s kind of a pain in the ass to get all fired up … especially if you’re only grilling for two.

But today we had my sister and her family over for some fun, and with it being 4th of July weekend and all, I suppose that grilling is pretty much a requirement. We went simple – hotdogs, hamburgers, and some pork chops that admittedly only got thrown into the mix because otherwise they’d have gone in the garbage if they didn’t get cooked tonight anyways! I didn’t even do anything “fancy” like mixing the meat (?) and pressing my own burgers – just pre-cut/shaped/whatever that I could throw on the grill with a bit of seasoning and that was it…

And for what it’s worth, I think they turned out pretty good! I tried to rely on my trusty meat thermometer a little more because I have a tendency to cook the shit out of meat just to avoid giving anybody salmonella, which unfortunately also manages to suck all of the juices out of the meat at the same time. This round seemed to go pretty fair, though … I didn’t try the pork, but the burgers were cooked well and a couple of the hotdogs had some really nice color to them without just being all charred and disgusting. 😛

I always say that I want to grill more during the summer because I like it in concept, but it was also really hot out tonight, which kind of ruins the relaxing vibe of hanging out by the grill while things are cooking when sweat is pouring down your face and you’re just doing your best to keep it away from the burgers! Still, I’d like to try more with fish … maybe some shrimp, and even some nice grilled corn on the cob would’ve been yummy.

We just need a nice, mild summer’s night with a hint of a breeze to help me refrain from running back indoors after every single flip to truly even out the summer grilling atmosphere! Maybe that’s why so many Floridians who grill this time of year choose to do it on the water… 🙂