A long weekend is great, and put that together with fireworks….yes! Ann Kelly wishing all of you a happy and especially a safe 4^th of July from Kelly’s Kitchen. It’s easy to become distracted with all the holiday hoopla, so keep an eye on the kids, especially if the grill is going and the kids are close. Food safety is also important, since so much of what will be cooked out needs to be refrigerated before grilling, so keep that in mind even when transporting the hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks and more to and from the party. Keep the cooler full of ice, and keep the raw meats away from other items like your salads, etc. Also, don’t forget to make sure that grill, fire pit, any sort of flame is completely out before leaving the party. The rainy season may have arrived, but all it takes is one spark to start it right back up again.

Oh, and that lovely chicken perched on the grill? Yes, it's the fan favorite beer can chicken that Steve and Alicia treated us to last week, along with those delectable mushrooms stuffed with a combination cream cheese, garlic and a few secret ingredients that made for a tremendously tasty dish. That and a side of grilled asparagus with even more garlic and lemon...life was good!

WIN A $100 GIFT CARD TO SWEETBAY!

Kelly’s Kitchen is in search of your favorite 4^th of July recipes. Send one by Friday for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Sweetbay Supermarket! We’ll choose one at random and it will be featured in Kelly’s Kitchen. For complete contest rules go to our contest section tab, and click on Sweetbay, then send your recipe to 949comments@coxtampa.com 

Today’s words of wisdom from Kelly’s Kitchen…

“Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.” - Clemenza, in The Godfather