AllAboutFoodand BBQ: June 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015

In case you’re wondering what those photos are all about, you’re...

In case you’re wondering what those photos are all about, you’re seeing images of what you can do on your own barbecue by using the latest barbecue gadget - the BBQ Grill Mat. These handy items haven’t been around that long but they are gaining in popularity very rapidly because they provide a whole new world of possibilities with the barbecue grill.

Before the grill mats came along I never would have dreamed that I could cook an entire breakfast on the grill and so I had never gone out on the deck in the early morning and used the barbecue before. It’s such a pleasant time to cook outside and I have come to enjoy it immensely.

I got these Chef Caron grill mats for a Fathers’ Day gift and wasn’t even sure what the purpose of them was or what use they would be at first. After reading the instructions on the back of the package I had the “ah-ha moment.” I know, they aren’t that complicated. But keep in mind, I’ve been using my barbecue the same way to cook the same things for longer than most people who are reading this have been alive. I’m not kidding. We do get entrenched in our habits, that’s for sure. Even when I understood that you were supposed to just put the grill mats on the grate of the BBQ and cook on them, I was a bit resistant. It just seemed like it defeated the purpose of the whole barbecue experience, or at least changed it so much that it wasn’t even the same process anymore.

After I thought about it for a while I figured I’d better try it, since I didn’t want to offend my daughter who had excitedly given me the mats on Fathers’ Day. Nothing like guilt to force you into new experiences.

I do it every morning now. So you’re probably wondering what I cook on the BBQ grill for breakfast. Well, as you can see in the images, there’s eggs and pancakes. It’s pretty fun to fry an egg and end up with grill marks on it. Same thing with pancakes. But there’s also the hash browns, sausages, bacon, mixed vegetables, and omelettes. With the lid closed you can bake fresh biscuits on your barbecue grill, too.

Obviously this isn’t Just a breakfast device and I do use it when making dinner meals too. I use a grill mat on one side of the barbecue and cook my steaks on the other side. My daughter is still insisting that I try the steaks on the mat too - she says I’ll like them a lot better prepared that way. But the fact is I like them just fine the way I’ve been doing it for forty some years. Anyway, for an old dog to learn one new trick is a big deal. I don’t need to push it.

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Friday, June 19, 2015

Barbecue Fundraisers

Fundraisers

Occasion fundraising is the most promoted way of raising funds. It includes everyone in the neighborhood and sure to bring in higher monetary gain. Getting the community occupied and having a good time and the outcome is more funds. Even if your group is low on fund-raising, the event amasses optimum gain with minimum effort. It is likewise an excellent addition to any fundraising you do all through the year.

What About a Barbecue?

One way to get a neighborhood fundraiser going is to have a block barbecue, where everyone on your block pulls their barbecue into the street and cooks up their favorite recipe. Eating is a free for all and people wander from one house to the next trying everyone’s specialties and chatting. If you really want to live it up you could do a bbq pit, provided someone wants to loan out the use of their yard or garden to dig a deep hole. The object pictured below is the contemporary version of a bbq pit, but not nearly as much fun.

I Use the Stainless Steel BBQ Model

If you don’t have a barbecue yet, keep in mind that the stainless steel gas barbecue grill is a terrific development for outside cooking. You can take it when you go camping or when you want to simply prepare your preferred meals outside. The flames can easily be controlled, especially since it has a tight-fitting lid. So, it is easy to manage the temperature level when barbecuing your meat and veggies, and you are guaranteed to end up with food just the way you want it to taste.

Messy Barbecue and Cleanup

Outdoor cooking needs to be easy. Cleaning outdoor cooking devices ought to likewise be easy. Ceramic tile is simple to clean, extremely long lasting, and heat resistant. Another way to keep the grill clean is to use a bbq grill mat. There are several top brands for grill mats, such as Chef Caron, Kona, Yoshi, and Miracle. I checked them all out and prefer the Chef Caron mats. But that’s beside the point. If you use bbq grill mats while grilling you won’t have any grill cleanup to do. And the mats are easy as can be to clean because nothing will ever stick to them. I never grill without them anymore. You even get grill marks on your food the same as if you were cooking directly on the grill!

Features to Look For

Back to picking out a barbecue grill for your block party. Exactly what features should the grill have? That all depends on what you need in a grill. Do you need it to also be a smoker for making jerky and preserving meats and fish? Do you need side burners for your cooking style, to prepare sauces or rice while barbecuing? Do you need a rotisserie? Do you want to be able to bake in it? Would you like it to be portable so you can take it camping? You might need some of these features in the future from your bbq. You can do everything on an outdoor grill these days that you can do in your kitchen.

A Word of Caution
But wait! That doesn't mean you can drag your outside grill indoors and unwind on your couch while your sausages cook. Never. You can't utilize an outside grill inside your home - both gas and charcoal barbecues produce carbon monoxide and if there's one there you do not desire in your house, it's carbon monoxide gas. It can be fatal even in percentages and there have been a number of deaths from people attempting to do this.

Freezer Tip Meat and Fish People

Here’s a tip for those of you show store a lot of stuff in a freezer. People who hunt their own meat tend to use big freezers for all those steaks. Fishermen might stockpile a year's supply of fish filets in the icebox. If you absolutely need the refrigerator or freezer and have extra area in it, fill it up with bottles of water or other containers. These items will function as insulators and help keep more of the cold. Some designs need a little air space around the objects, so it should not be jam-packed. But that empty space is expensive to keep cooled. You can cut your costs quite a bit by using this tip.

Buy Your BBQ Online

Anyway, about that block party fundraiser. If you do need to buy a barbecue be sure to look online for one. Sure, instant gratification can be gotten in a retail store even if the choice is restricted. But online you will have a much bigger selection, and you may be able to score a considerable discount. Nowadays there are a lot of options that didn’t exist before and it can be fun to try out some mew features. What some people do is take a trip to the store to look at what’s available and then buy it online to save money. Have a great summer! And remember, that barbecue can be better.