A long time ago, when you had to refill the propane or LP cylinder on your barbecue grill, you had to disconnect the hose, then struggle to heave the empty, albeit generally greasy, cylinder into your car and hightail it over to the nearest U-haul for a refill. Today, the LP exchange center has all but eliminated the need for a refill of your propane tank. But is that a good thing?

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How many of you have to recall the old poem to figure out which way to turn off the propane tank?  Hands up, please, don’t be shy.  A lot more people than you can imagine have to recite those words (in their head, hopefully) to open or close the valve.  But is that all there is to it, really?

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Who doesn’t love to continue their barbecue or party well into the evening hours?  At the end of a long day of family, friends, food, frolic and fun, it’s just nice to sit down on the patio or inside your gazebo and watch the fireflies flitting all around, while the children lie on the grass and count the shooting stars.  Aaaaah, so relaxing.  That is so long as you’re not blinded by your flood lights.

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Somewhere in a Detroit, Michigan suburb, residents of one little town stand poised to defy (spatula in hand) a local ordinance restricting them from their forefathers-endowed right to barbecue.  These patriots are willing to risk their own incarceration simply by celebrating their Independence Day holiday the way it always has been, and the way it should be… with a 4^th of July barbecue!

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Will you puke if you see another pink flamingo?  Are you gnashing your teeth over the glut of garden gnomes?  Tired of gaping and gawking at the gazing ball?  Wish you could wish your wishing well away?  Yay!  Cause there are so many more fun things that you can use to add whimsy and fun to your lawn than gangly birds, deranged dwarves and boring old orbs.  And unless someone in your neighborhood is pitching in silver dollars, there’s really no need to keep that washed-out wishing well, is there?

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You’re probably so used to meat and chicken on the grill that the thought of anything else puts you into panic mode.  Give you a burger, chop, steak, hot dog or even a whole fish to throw on the barbecue and you’ve got no worries, right?  Well, go pop a tranquilizer or find your happy place cause its time to consider something on the grill you’ve never even dreamed about:  Shellfish!

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Charcoal grills are very temperamental.  You can never be sure if you’re going to have a fire hot enough to even flame up a single marshmallow.  When you think your fire is going out there’s two reflexive barbecue actions - blowing on the flames or giving it another squirt f charcoal lighter fluid.  What if you’re out of breath or out of lighter fluid and your fire is ebbing?  Do you scan through the shed looking for something else?  Eureka! Read the rest of this entry »

Smoked food is wonderful, but you don’t have to buy an expensive smoker to be able to enjoy it. You can build your own smoker with just a few components and in only an hour or so. So, go and buy yourself a garbage can - one of the old-fashioned galvanized jobs (don’t even think about plastic), and get ready to smoke. Read the rest of this entry »

Once in a great while, you just need to get away from the safety, comfort and convenience of your home and rough it.  Maybe your kids have been bugging you to go hiking, fishing or even camping.   You’ve grudgingly agreed, even though it means being away from your beloved barbecue grill for a little while.  Maybe, if you’re lucky, there’ll be a bonfire or something, just so you can get your fire fix.  But there’s no need to go through barbecue withdrawal, not if you’ve got the Rambler! Read the rest of this entry »

Are you guilty of being boring?  Not you personally, but your meat?  Do you just slap your burger or steak onto the grill and call it barbecue?  There’s nothing sadder than having your mouth water from the smell of something that should taste wonderful, only to take your first bite and find that you’re actually eating charbroiled cardboard? Read the rest of this entry »

There are so many things to love about eating al fresco that there’s no way that you could list them all here.  But the things that one doesn’t like about eating al fresco can be summed up in one word:  BUGS.  Those loathsome, pesky little creatures - both winged and multi-legged - do nothing but annoy, harass and irritate (to say the least).  They’re flying in your face, buzzing in your hair, climbing up your ankles and sitting (and doing heaven knows what) right on the food that you’re about to bite into. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you planning on getting dad another tie for Father’s day?  Or maybe another drill bit to add his ever-growing collection?  Or a coupon for the local car wash to get his car detailed.  All of them are very good ideas.  They’re also very boring.  How about spicing up dad’s day with some bling? Read the rest of this entry »

Meat ain’t cheap, even the so-called “budget” cuts are beaucoup bucks.  So when you buy meat, whether from your butcher or the local supermarket, you’ve got to make sure that that freshness travels well, all the way to your fridge (or freezer).  Yeah, yeah, you threw the bag of frozen French fries on top of the meat and that should be good enough, right?  Maybe.  Or maybe not. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s nearly summer time, and anglers everywhere will soon be handing over their overflowing creel to their housebound spouse. Keep the frying pan where it is. There’s simply no need for that; not when you’ve got a lovely grill right outside in the backyard. Don’t be afraid. Read the rest of this entry »

The BBQ community asked and (Ta Da!) here it is: Self-starting charcoal! But is self-starting charcoal one of those things that will have you wondering if you should have wished for a lottery win instead? Do the benefits of a quickly ignited barbecue outweigh these disadvantages? You make the decision. Read the rest of this entry »

This is it. At long last, it’s finally here. Memorial Day Weekend. This is the weekend for having a barbecue, enjoying the company of friends and family and sitting down to a lovely grilled meal. So let’s not spoil it by creating a pyrotechnic display worthy of the Grucci Brothers and having to call in the local fire department to put out said “display.” Read the rest of this entry »

Now that you’ve got all of the equipment ready, pull out the turkey (you did remember to buy the turkey, didn’t you?) and your cooking oil - lots and lots of cooking oil. You’re going to need about 5 gallons (20 quarts!) of cooking oil — peanut oil works great at higher frying temperatures. How much oil depends on the turkey; to check, put the turkey in the pot you’re going to cook in, and cover it with water (2″ over), then remove the turkey and measure the water. That’s how much oil you need. Read the rest of this entry »

If it has to be cooked outdoors, it has everything to do with barbecue! And turkey is no exception. We’ve all enjoyed fried chicken - a drumstick, thigh or chicken breast is mighty fine eating. But notice how they’re always just fried “pieces” of chicken? When did you last see a whole fried chicken? Not recently, huh? Grilled chicken, roasted chicken, even boiled chicken - but never fried, and that’s because frying a whole bird takes a lot more work. So why, then, are we talking turkey? Because if you’re gonna go to that much trouble, you might as well go big; “In for a penny, in for a pound,” right? Read the rest of this entry »

Sick of the same old same old on the grill? Had it with hamburgers and hot dogs? Ready to chuck the chicken breasts? How about something a little different, but not so different that you’d get nervous about eating it, like tripe or head cheese? Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all heard that expression before. It means that you a) are finished, b) have had it up to here, and c) have got nothing left to give. That idiom is perfectly fine to use if you’re talking about your own existence, but in barbecue, sticking a fork in to check for doneness is simply a big fat no no. When you poke a piece of meat a half dozen times to check whether or not it’s cooked the way you like it, you’re effectively letting the juices drain out. And then, that piece of steak that you thought was done to perfection is going to be dry and tough. Hope it wasn’t a Black Angus N.Y. strip at $12.99 a pound. Read the rest of this entry »

All this talk of barbecue grills - the kind with 6 burners and an oven, a heating rack for bread, attached rotisserie and all of those other gadgets and gizmos - can really be a downer to the individual with a 2×4 space in which to put a grill. That person is thinking, “Yeah, nice, but where the heck am I gonna put a cool grill like that. I’ve hardly got room for a Hibachi!” Read the rest of this entry »

In only a few days, we will be celebrating the most beloved of all holidays: Mother’s Day. Now, typically, the family makes plans to bring “mom” (or your wife or your mother-in-law) to a nice fancy schmancy (i.e. expensive) restaurant so that she can get a break from the cooking and the cleaning and the general caring of everyone else in the household. Read the rest of this entry »

And you thought your barbecue cooking choices were limited to propane and charcoal, didn’t you? Well, how about nuclear barbecue? Just kidding on that (though you’ve got to wonder how far in the future we have to go before that won’t be a joke). How about infrared cooking? No, this kind of infrared is nothing like the infrared warming lights that they use in the chain restaurants to keep your food “hot off the grill” fresh (even though it was sitting around for the past two hours). This infrared grilling method is quickly becoming main stream, and even the king of barbecue grills, Char-broil, has jumped into the fray by offering “affordable” infrared technology on several of its grills. Read the rest of this entry »

Believe it or not (and despite what your kids may tell you), not every house on the block (except your, of course) has a swimming pool. And the absence of a swimming pool does not mean that summer vacation is going to be “sucky” (again, according to your kids). There are lots of ways to get wet in the summer, and none of them involve being fully submerged in a high-maintenance swimming pool or frolicking in the rain during a sudden summer storm. Read the rest of this entry »

Is that an oxymoron on what? Barbecue is the most “informal” type of dining ever created, yet there are still “rules” that must be followed if you are planning one, else anarchy and chaos will exist, and barbecues will go the way of the afternoon tea. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to walk through the barbecue area of your local DIY center or specialty barbecue store, you’ve probably noticed a couple of tools. Actually, maybe you noticed a couple of thousand barbecuing tools. It’s confusing; and not a bit enticing - that shiny gleaming whatchamacallit is just calling your name, isn’t it? But at $12.99, do you really need a new whatchamacallit? What exactly do you need for perfecting your barbecue? Read the rest of this entry »

Even if you have faithfully planted a backyard vegetable garden year after year, this year, it’s likely that you’re going to be hearing comparisons to Michelle Obama’s recently planted White House vegetable garden - “Oh, so you’ve planted a vegetable garden! Just like Michelle Obama’s.” Depending on your political leaning, you may or may not have to bite back a snappy retort (and feel free to use this one), “No, she planted a vegetable garden, just like mine!” Read the rest of this entry »

When you’re living from paycheck to paycheck, filet mignon and jumbo shrimp are probably not at the top of your grocery list. But neither do you have to settle for pig’s feet and “artificial” crab legs. Recession-proof cuts of meat that lend themselves to barbecue give you lots of options, including the old stand-bys (hamburgers and hot dogs, naturally). Read the rest of this entry »

You don’t need to live near an active volcano to benefit from lava rocks in your barbecue grill. Lava rocks and their ilk are used in gas grills to diffuse the heat evenly, generally in the same manner as charcoal briquettes, except that you don’t have a massive messy clean-up of charcoal ash after each barbecue. Read the rest of this entry »

With the more temperate months upon us now, many people are spending more and more time in their backyards, enjoying all of the gifts that nature can offer. In an attempt to recreate what Mother Nature does, well, naturally, it’s not unusual to find backyard fish ponds. The sound of the bubbling water, the gentle swish of the exotic aquatic plants and the shiny glittery glimpse of your darting fish are what lazy summer days are all about. But are you aware that your precious koi or goldfish are in danger and it’s up to you to protect them. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone thinks they know exactly how to barbecue - from preheating the grill until the moment when the food is cooked to perfection. How is it then that there are sooo many barbecue related disasters that occur? It’s because you don’t know the rules. Yes, there are rules, or commandments, if you will, to barbecuing and here they are… Read the rest of this entry »

The tastiest, juiciest, meatiest hamburger is going to taste like a hockey puck if you keep pressing down on the spatula while the burger is grilling. There is too much at stake (no pun intended) for this practice to be allowed to continue. It has got to be stopped, right here and right now. Put the spatula down, and don’t pick it up again until you read the rest of this post! Learn how to make the best hamburger you can possibly make. Read the rest of this entry »

As a barbecue host, you probably work very hard to make sure that everything is just right for your invited guests. You want them all to leave feeling happy, well nourished and satisfied. You want them to leave singing your praises. And all of them do, except for one: your vegetarian friend. Oh, you thought they’d be happy with a good ol’ salad and dressing. You even added croutons for good measure. Isn’t that enough? Would it be for you? Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy a barbecue as much as anyone and you can make it happen. Here’s how. Read the rest of this entry »

From time immemorial, human beings have used good old fashioned wood for cooking. It’s only the past few decades that man created the hottest invention since sliced bread - the charcoal briquette. The charcoal briquette is a composite of sawdust and woods (the crappy kind) that are burned down to a carbon state, after which they’re compressed with a binder (usually starch) to which may be added ground up coal which helps it burn. Some briquettes come with an additive, like petroleum, which helps them ignite faster. Controversy abounds as to whether or not briquettes change the taste of your food, and the jury is still out on whether or not they’re harmful to your health. Read the rest of this entry »

If anyone has ever had an eyesore in their backyard, it’s usually because of the shed. Remember those? Every self-respecting family on the block had a shed in their back yard which contained (at least) an old manual lawn mower (surely a collector’s item by now?), bags of manure and potting soil, outdoor toys, hedge clippers, webbed folding chairs plus a few hundred other such items, i.e. junk. Where do you keep those things now? In your garage, basement or attic, if you’re like most people. But sheds don’t need to be ugly to be functional. Read the rest of this entry »

But does it have to fall on the weekend when you’ve got the big barbecue planned? Doesn’t it always seem to happen this way - Monday through Friday it’s blue skies and warm temperatures. But come the weekend, Mother Nature decides to pull a fast one. Pouring buckets, raining cats and dogs, its coming down in sheets, the heavens are opening up… whatever your rainy day analogy, it stinks. But you don’t have to sit inside and mope. Rain is just an opportunity to unfurl your deck awning! Read the rest of this entry »

Ya gotta love those resin stacking chairs and tables that you can find stacked up 10′ high in every mass merchandiser and DIY store in town. You’re almost afraid to walk through that section of the store, for fear they’ll come tumbling down on top of you. But they’re very big sellers - generally because they’re durable and cheap. Fortunately, they now come in various colors and styles so there’s something out there to suit everyone’s style and/or pocket book. , chairs with and without arms, chaise lounges, tables, storage boxes, cabinets - the whole kit and caboodle. They’re great. Read the rest of this entry »

Having an outdoor grill can be a wonderful convenience in the summer - especially when the distance from the grill to patio table is only a couple of feet. What makes outdoor grilling a pain in the derrière, however, is the back and forth schlepping of food from the kitchen counter, where you’ve prepped it out to the grill or the table, back inside cause you forgot to wash off the lettuce or need to get the marinade out of the fridge. Oh yeah, outdoor grilling is the joy of every harried man and woman. “Next time, let’s go to the neighbors’ house for barbecue,” you’re probably thinking. Read the rest of this entry »

Proponents of green living have long complained about the affects on the environment from the carbon dioxide released when charcoal and wood burning grills are put to use. You’ve got other choices, naturally, including propane and electric. All of them have their own particular affect, some worse than others. But what about grilling using only the sun? We know that the sun only takes a couple of hours (or minutes, depending) to burn our skin to a crisp if left the house without the protection of a good quality sun block. So, what can the sun do for a nice porterhouse steak or a chicken breast? Good question. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of solar grilling. Read the rest of this entry »

Do people enjoy your barbecues so much that they’re forever telling you that you ought to bottle up this stuff, or open your own barbecue joint? It’s that good, huh? Well, maybe you ought to consider it. You know, doing more than just barbecuing for friends and family for fun. How about cooking for the masses for profit? Read the rest of this entry »

Water can add a different element to the ambiance of your backyard garden. And no, we’re not talking about pools, sprinklers or even puddles; we’re talking about fountains and ponds. Never thought about putting one in, did you? Your opinion has probably been that they’re either too old fashioned, too fussy or too outré. Not to mention too much work. Maybe in the past they’d be guilty of all of the above, but they can also be lots of fun. And you’re no longer limited to teary eyed angel fountains or wishing well ponds; there are hundreds of design options available. And as far as powering your fountain or pond, what could be easier (and freer) than solar energy. Read the rest of this entry »

What is it about a charcoal grill that suggests that it’s okay to cook on it, even if it’s not clean? Most people do a very cursory wiping down of the grates just before slapping on the first hamburger patty and call it a day. It’s Miller time! You’ve got others (men, usually) who’ll argue (vociferously, and with said Miller in hand) that the “leftovers” add “flavor.” Ask yourself this question, “If your kitchen stove was as nasty looking as your grill, would you want to eat out of your kitchen?” Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone wants to get in on the rotisserie chicken phenomenon. It’s pretty incredible that supermarkets, delicatessens, ethnic, upscale and gourmet grocery stores and even good ol’ fried chicken fast food outlets like the Colonel are cashing in on the on the rotisserie chicken craze. People will rave, “Oh, the inside is so juicy, and the skin is so crispy, I never can get my home cooked chicken to taste like that!” Hogwash. All you need is a rotisserie, and once you’ve got one, you’ll wonder how you existed without out! Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve spent days getting everything ready for the first big barbecue get-together of the season. You’ve got the prime cut strip and porterhouse steaks, jumbo shrimp (10 to a pound!), marinated chicken breasts, buckets of cold salads and dozens of ears of corn. Everything else falls into place like magic - the house is clean, the lawn is mowed, the drinks and dessert are chilling, the weather is gorgeous and even the kids are cooperating (for a change). Then you go outside and get ready to fire up the grill. Oops! Read the rest of this entry »

Porch swings, backyard gliders, hammocks, rockers, and Adirondack chairs: What do they all have in common? They’re the perfect place to relax and enjoy whatever Mother Nature cares to dole your way. In all forms, they harken back to the days past when we escaped to our backyards for relaxation as opposed to activity, for enjoyment as opposed to exercise. Read the rest of this entry »

There are people who love the great outdoors just the way it is; these are the nature lovers. And then there are others who love it, but just in very small, very regulated doses; these are the nature likers. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of people like the impromptu-ness of a barbecue, as in “Come on over, we’re throwing some burgers and franks on the grill.” Others, however, like to have their barbecue fêtes well planned out. This post is for the advance planner, not the spur-of-the-momenter. Read the rest of this entry »

The goal of feng shui is to add the components of wind and water to indoor spaces. The fact that wind and water are already outdoorsy type elements doesn’t necessarily mean that feng shui couldn’t be used to enhance your outdoor areas, though. The goal is to cultivate your outdoor space to make it more soothing and harmonious, and less chaotic and haphazard. Nature,it seems, is highly overrated. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is still a few (albeit, seemingly very long) weeks away, and many individuals are standing wistfully at their windows, eager to spot the first harbinger of spring and nicer weather. But not a few of those people are standing at the window and are bypassing the thoughts of spring and imagining the joys of summer instead. They’re envisioning how relaxing it will be to sit out on their deck, sipping a cold beverage, and just enjoying the great outdoors. Oh. You don’t have a deck. Well, why not? A deck isn’t that difficult or expensive a construction project and it adds significant charm and comfort to your home (not to mention increasing the property value). Whether you haven’t thought about it at all, or can think of nothing else, here are some considerations to putting in a backyard deck. Read the rest of this entry »

This is not a discussion on which tastes best: Beef, chicken or pork. This is a discussion on which works best: Gas, electric or charcoal. We’re talking barbecue grills, if you haven’t figured that one out yet. There are advocates on every side, but if you haven’t got a preference (yet), just you wait. You will. If you’re just joining the debate, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the various types of grills. Read the rest of this entry »

Edible birdhouses. Ewwww! Even the staunchest vegetarian will want to pass on that - bird seed, straw, tiny squirming larvae. Thanks, but no thanks, right? Maybe not for you, but what about for your little feathered friend, the ones perched in your tree desperately waiting for you to toss out a handful of breadcrumbs. This is so much better than a loaf of stale Wonder bread! The edible birdhouse is to a bird what consuming a Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookie in a bed is to a diva: Pure unadulterated bliss. Read the rest of this entry »

Wind chimes are one of those “love ‘em or hate ‘em” kinds of things. The people who love them do so for the tranquility and the serenity that they evoke. The people who hate them do so for the noise and cacophony that they create. Wind chimes have been used for many centuries in ancient Asian cultures to scare away evil spirits and attract good luck. In modern times, wind chimes are primarily eye and ear candy, adding a focal point to an otherwise staid environment. Read the rest of this entry »

As soon as the weather turns nice enough, people will begin to emerge from their homes, like butterflies from a chrysalis, ready to enjoy the great outdoors. They will do whatever they need to do to maximize the hours they can spend outside, including taking all of their meals on the patio or picnic table or even on a porch swing. But, for the poor person with kitchen duty, it’s surely no picnic. First, out with the salad, then in and out for the main meal, and then back in for ketchup for junior. Enough already! Read the rest of this entry »

“What’s old is new again” has never been truer than when it comes to backyard games. Kids today are just not familiar with a real game unless it comes in Wii or PSP format. Ask a kid if he knows how to play bocce ball and he’ll likely ask you if it’s a multi-player game and does it involve Mario. The answer to the former is yes, and to the latter is a definitive no. If your response to the summertime battle cry (i.e. whine) “Mom/Dad, I’m bored” is almost always “go outside and play” here are some ideas to make that response a little more palatable. Read the rest of this entry »

Many of the baby boomer generation will remember fondly the days when your parents piled up the station wagon and drove the brood to the nearest drive-in movie theater to watch the latest James Bond or Disney release. Despite the tinny sound coming from the window speaker, the shifting and shuffling within the confines of the car so that everyone had a good view of the big screen, and the buzz of thousands of mosquitoes in your ears, it was always worth it. Watching a movie under the stars was pure bliss - well, at least for the kids. For the most part, drive-in theaters are now a thing of the past, but you can recreate a movie theater in your own backyard that will come real close. Read the rest of this entry »

It may be hard to believe right now while you’re still shoveling snow out of your driveway and day time temperatures remain in the single digits, but in only a few short weeks, spring will have sprung. Sweet little crocuses will have popped up out of the frozen ground signaling the dawn of a new season. What?! You didn’t plant any crocuses? Snowdrops, maybe? How about daffodils? Tulips? No? Tsk tsk tsk. Well then, you’ll just have to wait for some other harbinger of spring… like summer clothes catalogs stuffed into your mailbox or advertisements for fishing tackle. Read the rest of this entry »

Freezing temperatures, sub-zero wind chill factors, face numbing cold - all excellent reasons to spend as little time outdoors as possible, right? Well, mostly right. But sometimes, a quick vitamin D fix is in order, is only to satisfy your sunshine craving. The sun does still shine, after all, even in the dead of winter. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a nice place to enjoy the great outdoors? Then you’re looking for a sweet, open air little building in which to do absolutely whatever - anything, everything, nothing - your little heart desires. The epitome of summer is to sit and relax, sipping a cool drink in your own personal summer hut. If you’ve got one, regardless of what you call it, you know all about the pleasures of serenity and solitude. Read the rest of this entry »

Hawaii holds a great deal of intrigue for a great many people. It sounds so different from what we’re all used to - a group of tropical islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where the weather is almost always beautiful and balmy and the land is lush and verdant - not to mention the novelty of an active volcano or two. *sigh* Don’t you wish you could be there right now? Read the rest of this entry »

From cities to suburbs to rural small towns, there is a trend toward spending more time outdoors … and making it just as comfortable as the indoors.

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