Cones for the Cure Winner and Grilled Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash and Red Onion with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Hi fans!  I'm here to announce the Cones for the Cure Giveaway Winner and while I'm at it, I wanted to share a recipe for Summer's last hurrah as Fall seems to be rapidly upon us!  Oh, and in other news, we finally took the plunge and bought one of those fancy dSLR cameras so we could take lots of great pictures of our little cutie.  This also means better (hopefully!) food photography coming your way.  What do you think??

First thing's first, congratulations Kesha G. for winning the prize pack.  I've sent you an email with details on how to claim your prize.  I hope you enjoy the goodness!

Now for this recipe.  I loved grilled veggies but it never fails that when I send my husband out to grill em up, many of them end up as grill casualties when they slide down between the grates during transfer and/or flipping.  With this recipe, I skewered the vegetables for him so that they'd stay intact.  Good thing too because while the recipe said it served 4-6, I doubled it and it still only seemed to serve 4-6 which was a bummer considering I was trying to serve 10.  I made changes to the below so that you can get sufficient quantities and not be disappointed with your yield.  The flavor was wonderful so it was too bad we had to ration it...loved that caramelized flavor with the brightness of the lemon!  You can use whatever veggies you have on hand.  The farm had sent us zucchini and yellow squash so that's what I used.  I would have loved to add eggplant if we had it.  Yum!

One Year Ago: Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps
Two Years Ago: Foil-Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn
Three Years Ago: Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Four Years Ago: Sausage, Pepper, Onion, and Green Pepper Fra Diavolo

Grilled Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash and Red Onion with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette 

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds 
• 1 lb yellow summer squash, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
• 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds 
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp olive oil 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• Zest and juice from 1 lemon (preferably organic)
• 2 tsp spicy brown mustard 
• 6-8 large basil leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium and prepare skewers by soaking in water per the instructions on your package.
2. Carefully thread the onion rounds onto prepared skewers, taking care to ensure the skewer goes through every onion ring.  If desired, thread the remaining vegetables onto skewers as well.  
3. Brush onions, zucchini, and yellow summer squash rounds with 1/2 cup olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. 
4. Grill vegetables 9-10 minutes each side, until nicely caramelized. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk garlic, lemon juice, zest, mustard, remaining 3 tablespons oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
6. Place cooked vegetables on a platter, drizzle with dressing, and top with chopped basil leaves.

Source: Barely modified from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Second Free Cone Giveaway Date!

Have you stopped in to make a donation to the Cones for the Cure campaign yet?  I stopped in on the last free cone day and made my donation of $5 to get a sweet Graeter's coupon book.  It included another free cone coupon and a coupon for a free pint with a $15 purchase.  Money well spent towards a good cause and the extra sweets provide extra incentive ;).

As of Monday, $25,000 had already been raised for the 2013 campaign. Their goal is at least $40,000 so please stop in and help them reach it!

This coming Monday, September 16 from 3-8PM will be the second free Elena's Blueberry Pie cone giveaway day so make sure to stop in to support the cause!

Also, my Cones for the Cure prize pack giveaway is still going on for those that can't make it into the scoop shop.  Enter to win here!

More Elena's Blueberry Pie and a Giveaway!

Hi fans!  Did you get your free ice cream on Wednesday and make a donation to The Cure Starts Now yet?  If you can’t get enough of Graeter's Elena’s Blueberry Pie Ice Cream, stop by the Glendale Beer, Wine & Food Festival tonight for a special “Happy Hour” giveaway from 6-7 PM!

I also have a Cones for the Cure prize pack giveaway that will go from September 9 - 16.  It includes a $5 Graeter's giftcard, $7 worth of candy, Notes Left Behind book, and some other goodies!  Enter below for your chance to win!

Last but not least, check back again before September 16th for the announcement of the second and final free cone giveaway date!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Hi!  I'm popping in really quickly to share a quick recipe.  Who remembers those orange push up pops with the primary colored dots on the outside?  They remind me of my Grandparents because they always bought them for us when we visited.  It's been years since I've had one and frankly, I'm not sure if they still make them anymore?

When I made this recipe, it reminded me of that long lost orange push-up pop flavor.  The only difference was that it was in the form of a smoothie rather than the classic and fun push-up pop.  Depending on the brand of orange concentrate you use you may need more or less sugar as there are varying levels of "orange peel" bitterness to each brand.

Bottoms up and here's to our childhoods!

Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Ingredients

• 1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups ice, or to taste 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the ice, in a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated. If desired, add a splash more water or more milk. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Makes approximately three eight-ounce portions.

Source: Averie Cooks as seen on Delicious Melicious

Cones for the Cure Kick Off

Free ice cream.  Curing cancer.  These are both wonderful things!  As a Christine's Kitchen Chronicles reader you're getting the inside scoop on how these two things go together.

I'm happy to announce the kickoff of this year's annual Cones for the Cure campaign.  The Cure Starts Now and Graeter’s team up once again this September in their annual Cones for the Cure campaign. This two-week long campaign will take place September 4-16 at participating Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Lexington and Louisville Graeter's locations to help spread the word about The Cure Starts Now and its mission to find the “homerun” cure for all cancers by focusing on pediatric brain cancer.  It's a delicious way to support a precious cause.

During Cones for the Cure, guests that visit a Graeter’s store during the campaign period have the opportunity to donate a $1 or $5 “Cone for the Cure.” Graeter’s will also offer a $15 savings booklet for every donation of $5 or more to The Cure Starts Now.

Watch this short video to learn more about Cones for the Cure and Elena's Blueberry Pie special ice cream (Note: this video was created in 2011 so the date mentioned for the campaign is incorrect):



Remember how I mentioned free ice cream?  All local Graeter's will also be offering free scoops of their Elena's Blueberry Pie Ice Cream from 3-8 PM on Wednesday, September 4th.  Elena’s Blueberry Pie is a special flavor that was created in honor of 6-year-old Elena Desserich who was lost to cancer in 2007.  Stop into your local Graeter's shop for this delicious treat and while you're there, please don't forget to make a donation.  In 2012, nearly 40,000 people participated in the campaign which generated over $42,000 for The Cure Starts Now.  With your help, here's to hoping the 2013 campaign is even more successful!

Can't make it on September 4th?  Check back between now and September 16th for another free scoop date to be announced!  Also, there will be a special online giveaway for one lucky reader.