Fast Fixes for your 4th of July BBQ: Grilled Sweet Corn and Special Sauce

It's almost the 4th of July! For me it's the unofficial high point of the summer...there is so much excitement and reverence surrounding it. It is a weekend of families, friends, and food for many, including us. But foremost, it is a day to remember why we can celebrate with BBQs, fireworks, and pool time. We are the "land of the Free because of the Brave." I am enormously grateful for those who have, currently do, and will serve in our Armed Forces. Take some time to appreciate, reflect, and honor our heroes and privileges.

We're looking forward to spending time with bestie M, her hubby J, and sweet baby C for part of the weekend and then with our families and more friends for the remainder of the weekend. I can promise I'll eat too much and likely have the remnants of a sunburn come Monday morning. As this post airs, I am in the kitchen baking some sweet treats for our festivities. Those recipes will appear on Born Daily soon. 

In the meantime, I have some fast fixes you can add to your holiday spread. We'll start with one of Nick's favorite summer foods: sweet corn. Until him, I'd never seen anyone consume as many ears of corn as he can in one setting. He just plain loves it. And in true Nick style, let's cut to the chase.

Grilled Sweet Corn
Ingredients
6-8 ears of sweet corn 
1 stick of salted butter
salt 
pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium heat.
2. Clean/shuck corn but don't pull the shucks completely off on the ears. (If you need tips on how to shuck like a pro, read these tips.) 
3. Butter each ear generously. Salt and pepper to preference. 
   
4. Close shucks back around each ear. Nick likes to keep the shucks closed so he devised a little aluminum foil tie to just that. 
   
5. 4. Place on grill. Leave to grill for 25-30 minutes, typically turning the ears 2-3 times just to ensure they're not getting too charred. Kernels should be tender to touch (with a knife, not your fingers!) and likely a little golden brown in some areas.
   
6. To serve, remove shucks. Caution, the corn will be hot!
   
7. Repeat butter, salt, and pepper process if desired. 
   

Nick has declared grilled corn his favorite way to eat corn on the cob. Undoubtedly, we'll be eating this on a regular basis until summer is over. And we can bet that when we have more space in a future garden, there will corn popping up in rows. 

Now another quick fix for your summer meals: SPECIAL SAUCE! I know that sounds a little yucky or fast food-y, but really there's no better name. This sauce is great for burgers, brats, and fries. It's a pretty common combination of ingredients. Here's our rendition of special sauce. 

Special Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise (we're a Hellman's household)
2 tablespoons ketchup 
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 splashes Worcestershire Sauce
Salt 
Pepper
Celery Salt (if you have it on hand) 

Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Serve in a small dish or squeeze bottle. (YES, it's that easy!) 

Note: this was enough sauce for three hamburgers and three brats, but we're heavy condiment users so yours might spread a little further. 

As always, thanks for reading along! May you have a wonderful 4th of July and weekend! And, may the independence we enjoy ever be honored and protected. 
Talk to you soon! 
-xo