Growing up, my family vacations weren’t spent jumping from one European town to another or summering in the Hamptons. In fact, we rarely traveled anywhere that couldn’t be reached by car. But while I would have loved to have had my passport before I turned 30, I also certainly would relive any of my childhood summer vacations.

I now have a family of my own, but my husband and I still take a week-long trip with my parents, brother and some extended family every August. This year, we celebrated our son Joey’s first trip with the group to our annual destination of Fenwick Island, a beach town on the southern border of the Delaware coast. We wasted no time acquainting him with our traditions.

In just one week, which always seems to fly by, we pack in beach days, movie nights, the Ocean City (Maryland) boardwalk, bike riding and kayaking. We also soak up a good bit of down time at the house we stay in, including ping pong tournaments, movie and game nights. To balance out the indulgent eating that comes with vacation territory, we also enjoy making a few family dinners together.

Skewers of meat and vegetables on the grill were the perfect healthy accompaniment to brown rice or tortillas, and the best antidote to a few days of pizza, boardwalk fries and soft-serve ice cream. Even better was the help from the college-aged family members who assumed the task of threading the ingredients onto the wooden skewers.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Kabobs

• 12 oz. andouille sausage, cut into coins, approximately ¾” – 1” thick
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges

Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent from burning ahead of time. Oil grill grates and preheat to medium-low heat. In a large bowl, toss chicken with olive oil, paprika, oregano, cumin and garlic powder until pieces are evenly coated. Thread alternating pieces of meat and vegetables onto skewers, leaving room at the top and bottom of skewer. Place on grill and close cover, cooking for approximately five minutes per side until fully cooked. Remove with tongs and serve with rice or on tortillas.