So while it’s not Texas hot, it still gets pretty warm and muggy in the hills of Tennessee.  Between my kids, dogs, chickens, pigs and horses, keeping everyone hydrated in the summer is a chore in and of itself.

I’d seen on Pinterest the idea of freezing veggies and water in cupcake trays for chicken treats.  Genius.  My pigs, chickens, horses, everyone loves them.  But I found they melted very quickly.  So in an effort to add longevity to the recreational aspect of this treat (i.e. Keep them busy longer!), I decided to make them a Bundt. Hahaha….but seriously.

Aside from a short-lived brain freeze my Roo encountered (See video below), it was a huge hit. Recreation, hydration and nutrition all in one!  So from our coop to yours….

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup corn
• 1 1/2 cup chopped greens
• 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 diced Apple
• Water

*you can absolutely substitute whichever fruits or veggies your critters prefer.

1.  Spread corn evenly in bottom of Bundt pan. Add enough water to cover.  Let freeze for 1-2 hours, until frozen.

2.  Spread greens over the frozen corn.  Add enough water to cover.  Let freeze for another 1-2 hours; until frozen.

3.  Repeat with carrots and then with apples.

4.  When ready to serve, invert pan and place under running water (pan side up) for 1-2 minutes; until ice cake removes easily.

5.  Sit back and watch your chickens (or other critters!) enjoy.

You’d think after being married to a master griller for 5 years, I’d know to keep burger meat or steaks on standby for those nights he gets a last minute hankering to light the fire….but last night I was not prepared.  It was, after all, Taco Tuesday….and who would want to deviate from Taco Tuesday?

So, when Jay said he wanted to grill, I had to get creative with what we had.  Lots of fresh veggies from the garden, some chicken breasts, some leftover breakfast sausage and bacon.  Because, well, we always have bacon.

So this happened; accidental bliss.  Accidental bacon wrapped bliss happened at the Smokin’ F.

But first, Sausage Guacamole.  Yes, my favorite part of Mexican food (well, besides margaritas) just got better!  Yall, this turned out ridiculously good.  I’ll be dishing this up with tortilla chips just as soon as I get the opportunity.

You’ll need:

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 to 1 jalapeño (to your liking)
• 8 oz. breakfast sausage
• 1 lemon
• Salt and Pepper
• Optional: Zesty Lemon seasoning (I like Webers)

1.  Brown your sausage in a heavy skillet.

2.  Dice your tomato, onion and jalapeño.

3. Mash your avocado. Gently mix in your diced veggies and cooled sausage.

4.  Add the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper (and if using, zesty lemon seasoning) to taste.

5.  If you’re just making this for dip, grab some chips, some crackers or a spoon and dig in!

If you’ve got your eye on making the chicken, and you can resist the urge to gobble all of the guacamole, read on :).

Now you’ll need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 slices of bacon
• Salt and Pepper
• Zesty lemon seasoning
• Toothpicks
• 1 batch of Sausage Guacamole

1.  Slice each of your chicken breasts almost completely in half.

2.  Put a big glob (technical term, I know) of the aforementioned Sausage Guacamole in each breast.  Sprinkle with Zesty Lemon Seasoning and salt and pepper.

3.  Fold back into place the best you can.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t close completely.

4.  Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast, seem side down if possible.  Not only does this seal in flavor and moisture, it also will help keep your guacamole from oozing out while it cooks.  Hold in place with 2-3 toothpicks.

5. Sprinkle again with Zesty Lemon seasoning.

At my house, this is where my job ends.  I pass it off to my hunky husband and he takes it to a delicious, safely edible level of gloriousness.

But last night I watched him so I could pass on his secret to success.

6.  Heat your grill or oven to 350-375. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. The internal temperature of chicken is considered safe above 165, but with the bacon and the stuffing, he cooked these to 200 degrees.

Remove from the grill and enjoy!   We loved ours with fresh summer squash, grilled peaches and porch-made vanilla ice cream!

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