Labor Day is right around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about what great meals you will prepare. Picnic and barbecue fare top the list, but you must also be prepared for a rainy outing. If you can't barbecue chicken on the grill due to a monsoon outside, try an alternative like Southern fried chicken. You may also precook your ribs, brats or what have you indoors in a slow cooker or oven. Then you can run outside to the grill, get a nice sear on your meat, and swim back inside before you become a human lightning rod.

I'm sure you have many recipe ideas for a delicious Labor Day lunch or dinner. Here are some of my easy recipes for Labor Day that you might want to try, inclement weather or not.

Easy Steak Supper

What you need:

• 1.5 lbs chuck steak, 1 inch or more thick
• 3 carrots, cut in bite size pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut in bite size pieces
• 3 potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 3 T butter, melted
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/8 t pepper
• 1 T chopped parsley
• 1 envelope onion soup mix

What you do:

• Place beef on large piece of heavy duty foil (3' x 18"). Rub on onion soup mix; sprinkle excess on beef. Cover steak with vegetables. Mix butter, salt, pepper and parsley. Pour mixture over vegetables. Wrap up in foil.
• Place on grill and cook over warm coals or on low heat for about 1 hour. Check after 1 hour to see if meat and vegetables are tender. If not quite done, place back on grill and check again every 15 minutes.

Camp Potatoes

What you need:

• 4 large potatoes, sliced thin with peels on
• 2/3 c half and half
• 3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/3 c butter
• 2 T parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture onto a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bring up edges of foil together to tightly seal potatoes. Place on a gas or charcoal grill and cook over medium heat for 40 - 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Turn foil packet over a few times during grilling to make sure all potatoes are evenly cooked.

Flank Steak on the Grill

What you need:

• 2 lbs flank steak
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 1/4 c red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 t liquid smoke
• 11/2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 c onion, diced
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 c olive oil

What you do:

• In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for steak and mix well. In a gallon size plastic bag, add steak. Pour mixture into bag, close and shake to coat. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Grill steak over medium heat; 6 - 7 minutes per side.

Grill Roasted Chicken

What you need:

• 3-4 lb whole roasting chicken
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/4 t thyme
• 1/4 t rosemary
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

What you do:

• Wash and dry chicken inside and out with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Rub oil on inside and outside surface of chicken. Salt and pepper chicken per taste, inside and out. Add onion to inside cavity of chicken. Place chicken breast side up on center of grill. Cook, covered, over low-medium coals or heat for 2 hours. Place in a shallow pan if having flare up problems.

Spaghetti Olive Salad

What you need:

• 1 lb uncooked spaghetti
• 1 large tomato or 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 c chopped green olives
• 1/2 c chopped black olives
• 3/4 c fresh chopped basil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 T balsamic vinegar

What you do:

• Cook spaghetti per box directions, making sure you don't overcook; drain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in large bowl. In another bowl, mix tomato, olives, vinegar, oil, garlic and basil. Marinate for 15 minutes. Add mixture and Parmesan to noodles and toss; serve.