Grill-out bragging

This is just a quick note to pat myself on the back, because I cooked a successful dinner tonight and ran our new charcoal grill very efficiently. I tried a few new things, and they all worked. Stats: All prep took place within three hours. The fresh ingredients for my dishes cost less than $40. There were 8 adults and 2 kids attending. I stuck to my diet, which still meant I was able to eat from 60% of all the dishes. Menu:

- grilled pork and red bell pepper kebabs
- grilled mild-peppery-rub chicken breasts
- very spicy ika poke (AKA Hawaiian-style squid salad) lightly grilled before tossing
- olive-oil-broiled butternut squash
- coconut rice with caramelized shallots
- marinated mushroom salad (not cooked by me)
- mango cream cake (not cooked by me)
- grilled marinated zucchini (not cooked by me)
- grilled corn on the cob
- potato salad (not cooked by me)

The temperature is perfect. We're still suffering from a drought, but it also means the mosquitos are scarce. This is an absolutely wonderful time to eat outside in Atlanta.