DON'T GET BURNED! - Grilled Rosemary Chicken

Hey there, and welcome to another addition of DIGestingINvesting.

This weekend has proven to be the sunniest weekend of the summer by far! As I'm sitting here in the comfort of the a/c I am wondering to myself, "self ... do you really feel like heading back out into that sweltering heat today"? Oh ya baby! You bet! Loads of heat, heaps of sunshine, ice cold coolies and the backyard barbeque. Perfect!

Talking about 'sunshine', I met up with a pal of mine a couple of weeks ago and he had a pretty good tan considering the absence of sunshine we've had this summer. I asked him where he had found the sun. Gone down south? Or been to the electric beach? (tanning bed) He replied jokingly, " I got burned in the global stock markets." Naturally I asked him how he had let this happen, to which I received a reply that I have heard hundreds of times before ... "I don't know, guess I didn't ask enough questions."

Before we went any further I reminded my pal that the global stock markets and the bond markets have gone through a pretty tough cycle over the last couple of years and we would be hard pressed to find any investments in these arenas that had done well. This is where that old adage, 'misery loves company' comes into play as even I have had a gut wrenching ride over the last two years. Furthermore, I have read about former five star mutual funds that now post negative returns over the last five years. Egads!

Retirement plans being down 25-40-60%, or more. Retirees having to rejoin the workforce to subsidize their lost retirement income and so on, and so on.

But before I could really DIG IN to the painful underperformance of these once stellar investments I just had to throw out a few backyard barbeque ideas for him to try this weekend to help ease his anxiety. (food always makes us feel a little better)

REMINDER: any questions regarding the content here? Post your questions at the end of this blog and I will do my best to get you the answer.

Figuring that everyone would want to be cranking on the 'q' this weekend I decided to go with ;

Summertime Grilled Rosemary Chicken

(includes recipe for Jed's secret rub)

BBQ'd Ginger Taters

Now I'm going to toss out this idea to you. If you haven't already tried that 'Blueberry Shazzam' (two posts back) then you gotta think that THIS is a perfect time to try this dessert. I just made this on Friday night. It took me about six minutes to make (an hour to set) and it was a huge hit!

Summertime Grilled Rosemary Chicken

Quick, easy, tasty.

Here's what you need;

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp of your favourite seasoned rub (try making my recipe at the end of this blog)

2-3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of dried rosemary (1 1/2 tbsp of chopped fresh if you have it)

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts and then apply the rub.

Pre-heat the grill on high heat

Be sure to coat all of the chicken with rub and then drizzle with olive oil.

Place chicken on the grill and turn heat down to medium. Rotate chicken 90 degrees after five minutes (to make the grill marks) and then turn over five minutes later. Repeat the rotation process again and total grilling time should be about twenty minutes.

Remove from grill, sprinkle with rosemary, cover with foil, let it rest for 3-4 minutes.

NOTE: I would prep these potatoes and get them on the grill BEFORE putting on the chicken. This way, the taters and the chicken will be done at about the same time.

BBQ'd Ginger Taters

6 medium red potatoes

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger (that's right...ginger!)

1 tbsp butter

Toss the potatoes in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to pre-cook before going in the grill.

Once done, place the taters on a large piece of aluminum foil (you're going to wrap 'em up later)

Slice potatoes in half, add onion evenly to each tater.

Sprinkle ginger evenly over each tater.

Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Fold over the foil, wrap these up tight and put them on the top shelf of your grill.

Jed's Dynamite Rub Recipe: (this is a secret recipe, so do not tell anyone!)

This is simple to make and is a blend of common household spices. Make up this batch, put in an airtight container away from heat and light and it will last ... until you have to make it again.

Great on chicken,ribs, seafood and beef.

1/2 cup of paprika

1/4 cup of chili powder

1/3 cup of salt (sea salt if you have it)

4 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp of onion flakes (powder if you don't have flakes)

2 tbsp of cumin

2 tbsp of mustard

1 tbsp of thyme / 1 tbsp of basil / 1 tbsp of oregano

1 tbsp of coriander / 1 tbsp of ground pepper

Alrighty then, dinner is well underway, everybody's happy ... well, everybody except my pal who watched his investment portfolio decline with the meltdown of the global economy. I suggested to my friend that he and his wife sit down and re-visit their investment and retirement objectives with their investment advisor and ask a ton of questions. Maybe re-assess their risk tolerance and get down to basics. I mentioned the 'RULE OF 72' in my earlier blog and I believe that everybody who invests their money should be aware of this simple and effective tool. Google 'Rule of 72' for a crystal clear definition.

Remember. If your investment has declined in value by 50% that means that you have to achieve a 100% return on your investment to get back to your original investment. If your investment yields an 8% Rate of Return it will take 9 yrs to get back to where you were. If you are getting a 3% Rate of Return it will take (72 divided by 3) 24 years to get back to where you once were.

Wow! Warren Buffett once said, "Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful." I think it is safe to say that there are a lot of fearful investors out there. What do you think?

Remember, 3% = 24 years. 8% = 9 years. "Be greedy when others are fearful".

Re-visit your goals. Re-visit realistic returns. Re-visit your risk tolerance. Make all of the necessary adjustments to ensure a good nights sleep. Don't get burned. And don't overcook that Summertime Grilled Rosemary Chicken 'cause it sure is good.

Don't forget that Blueberry Shazzam!

All the best, enjoy the sun, but for Heaven's sake ... don't forget the sunblock!

DIG IN!

Jeff

ps. a little footnote to my friends Cora and Joe who are the biggest fans of DIG IN and the coolest friends that anyone could ask for. Thanks you two ... hope you have a great time this weekend in Deerhurst.