Independence Day Lunch

Grilled Sweet Sausage Rolls, Lobster Potato Salad, Grilled Seasoned Shrimp Skewer

An unforeseen confluence of events has freed my recent schedule of both client and personal work, affording me this day, July 4th, the extremely rare opportunity to have a complete day to myself.

And as I prepare to "hit the ground running" tomorrow preparing Pop Sauce™ for market in just a couple of weeks, I chose to spend this last 24-hour opportunity to spend it completely by myself, avoiding social gathering invitations (replete with a variety of popular outdoor summer dishes) to make a little feast of my own, to enjoy at home, independent from the responsibility of having to engage with any other distractions.

So sweet sausages replaced the more tradition hot dogs, and I added some lobster meat to the staple red potato salad — mixed with lemon juice, grain mustard, a drop of vinegar, salt, fresh cracked pepper, and chopped scallions — to which I added pan-crisped bacon bits.

I then dry-rubbed shrimp with pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, and oregano, collected them onto a wooden skewer, and grilled them in the same cast iron skillet I browned the bacon bits.

As this country celebrates its independence from Britain — and most of its citizens celebrate their independence from their offices and bosses — I deliciously celebrated my very rare independence from any vocational or social obligations.