Bratwurst, Three Ways

Despite the mostly bare tree branches, I think it’s safe to say that it’s Spring.  For one thing, there’s robins.  Daffodils are popping up all over, a thin film of pollen covers nearly everything, and each day our world looks a tiny bit brighter and greener.  While nature does her greening blossoming thing, we humans have our own ways of marking the change of seasons.  We shove skis and snow boots and puffy coats to the back of our closets, reacquaint ourselves with neighbors we’ve hardly seen since the first frost, set our adirondack chairs out in the sun, and fire up our grills.

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Ribs, Two Ways + Maple Barbecue Beans

Summer officially began at 1:45 EDT Sunday morning, ushering in a season of blissfully long days filled with backyard barbecues, lakeside picnics, and impromptu beach parties.  It’s the time of year we’re most likely to surround ourselves with family and friends yet least likely to feel like hanging out in the kitchen all day preparing food for them.  Fortunately, most modern-day beaches and lakesides are equipped with grills, so if you toss a couple racks of ribs and a jar of Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce into your cooler, you’ll be able to host a summer get-together just about anywhere.

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