Meet Me in St. Louis?

Yes, it's that time of year once again. American Christian Fiction Writer's annual conference is always the high point of my year. It's like a giant family reunion. I get to see so many friends. And there's nothing quite like spending a few days with like-minded people. Especially we're bonded by God and writing for His glory.

Can I get an amen?

Conference prep is always a busy time. So much to do. I have to make sure all my clothes are clean. Not that that's exciting. Laundry is never exciting. 

Something that is exciting this year, though, is that, along with making sure things are clean, I find myself having to make sure they fit. 

Virginia might chastise me for this, but I've discovered that many of the clothes I'd planned to take to conference are now too big. And while that's good, it's also frustrating.

However, getting ready for conference isn't just about packing. It's also about making sure those I leave at home have clean clothes, as well as a stocked pantry and fridge. Of course, it's all males that I'm leaving behind, so the latter two elements are much more important than the first.

All this busy work and ACK!

I still have to fix dinner.

Shrimp is one of my favorite things to use for a quick meal. I always keep a couple bags of frozen shrimp on hand, because all I have to do is dump them in a bowl of cold water and they're thawed in 15-20 minutes. (I usually change the water at least once)

So we're going to whip up some quick grilled shrimp that is full of flavor and very versatile.

As already stated, first you need to thaw your shrimp. Once thawed, peel those little babies and toss them in a large zip-top bag.

In a small bowl, add 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 - 1/3 cup lemon juice, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp. dried parsley, a dash or two of Old Bay Seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste. 

In my case, that was a couple shakes.

Whisk together and pour over shrimp.

Mush things around to make sure everything is coated and tuck the bag in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

This is a good time to fire up the grill.

Remove shrimp from fridge and drain.

Place on heated grill and cook for 3 minutes.

Turn them over.

And cook for another 3-4 minutes. The goal is to make sure they're opaque, but don't overcook them.

Now you can eat them however you like.

Of course, they're yummy right out of the bowl. Or, you could put them in a wrap or tortilla, maybe with some guacamole. You could toss them with pasta and add a little pesto sauce (LOVE this).

I put mine on a salad.

You can't go wrong, however you choose to eat them. 

Well, unless you opted for some chocolate sauce and then that would be just gross.

Your turn.

Will you be at this year's ACFW Conference?

If so, I'll see you in St. Louis. :)