I think one of the best parts of The Teacher Success Club is the digital download for using National Days in the classroom. Since the Club is currently closed until next month, I wanted to share with you a fun National Day that is coming up quickly! This day was meant for teachers –it is an event that combines celebrating summer with the traditions of Thanksgiving. This has “teacher” written all over it!
The Saturday after the summer solstice has been officially declared a national day of “Summersgiving.” This year it falls on Saturday, June 25. It originated in 2009, when Robert Solomon hosted a Thanksgiving themed bar-b-que. He invited friends over to celebrate the summer season while also enjoying all of his favorite Thanksgiving foods and drinks. (Source: https://nationaldaycalendar.
On this national day in June, take time to gather with friends and/or family to celebrate the wonderful season of summer and all that you are grateful for. Summer is by far the best season (in my humble opinion) and this is a wonderful chance to get together with friends and family for a more laid-back celebration than its more popular counterpart coming up just a week later, the Fourth of July. This day is about enjoying time with the people who mean the most to you, while enjoying delicious food and drinks. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.
Here are some ideas for what to serve: a recipe for a grilled turkey breast from my amazing chef husband, and a cranberry martini recipe that is also served at the restaurant he is the executive chef for. Enjoy!
Grilled Turkey Breast
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- ½ Tablespoon of cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of granulated garlic
- 1 Tablespoon of granulated onion
- 3 Pound skin-on turkey breast (should be fresh or completely thawed if it is frozen)
In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Next, unwrap the turkey breast and pat dry. Rub the whole turkey breast with avocado oil, and then sprinkle the seasoning blend all around.
Place the turkey breast on a rack. Let it sit for a half hour until it reaches room temperature.
While that is resting, preheat the grill to 400 degrees. Before putting the turkey breast on, clean off the grill – scrape it so that there are no other bits of food left on the cooking surface. If it is a gas grill, once the grill is heated, turn off one side of the grill to create a spot of indirect heat. If it is a charcoal grill, place the coals all on one side of the grill to create the same effect.
Once the grill is ready and the turkey has rested, place the turkey on the indirect heat side of the grill; skin side up. Cook it for about 10 minutes, then rotate it 45 degrees to create the grill marks, and cook for 10 more minutes.
After that is done, flip the turkey breast over to skin side down and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate 45 degrees to create the grill marks again, and cook the turkey for 10 more minutes. Then flip it again–back to the skin side up and cook it until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees on your meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast. Once it reaches that temperature, remove it from the heat, place on a serving platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Cranberry Martini:
- 1 ¼ oz Vodka
- ¾ oz of Triple Sec or Cointreau
- Splash of fresh lime juice
- Splash of Cranberry juice (about one ounce)
Place all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold (about 10-15 shakes). Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy!
Summersgiving is a fun, new celebration that I am so glad I found out about! Let me know if you celebrate this event as well and what you served at your feast! If you post pictures on Facebook or Instagram, be sure to tag me at Your Teaching Mentor. I’d love to see how you celebrated!
Happy Summer!