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BBQ Tips: Summer Grilling Dos and Don’ts

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Do:

Inspect and Clean the Grill Thoroughly

Inspect the grill to make sure it doesn’t have rust and its vents are working properly. Clean the burner of fat and grease as these can provide fuel for a fire if left neglected. If you have a gas grill, make sure its hose doesn’t have any holes or leaks. Hook up the hose properly and ensure all connections are working.

Keep the Grill At Least 10 feet from your House

Keep the grill far from your house to reduce the risk of fire. Make sure it is out of high-traffic areas where children and pets can’t bump into it. Additionally, don’t place it under wooden overhangs as fire can erupt into the structure above. This rule applies to both gas and charcoal grills.

Create Zones of Varying Heat

When grilling with charcoal, move the coals to one side so that they incline towards the centre. This way, you have one hot zone for direct heat and a less hot one for indirect heat. When your barbecue is almost done, you can move it to the less hot side to prevent it from burning.

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Don’t:

Char Meat

You may love the charred and crispy bits on grilled meat, but such meat isn’t good for your health. It may contain cancer-causing chemicals formed when meat is grilled at high temperatures over an open flame.

Image via: America’s Test Kitchen

Cover the Grill When Cooking Meat Directly Over Coals

This is a grilling mistake many people make. Covering the grill causes the meat to release fat drippings which turn into puffs of foul-tasting smoke when they hit the coals. The smoke gives your food a bad flavor. When grilling, build a multi-level fire and pay close attention to the meat.

Image via: Williams – Sonoma

Summer brings with it many backyard parties and quick meals on the grill. Without proper caution however, lovely barbeques can quickly turn into disasters. Use these summer grilling tips to make your food tasty and healthy.

For more bbq tips on Stagetecture, click here.

This summer how about spending more time entertaining your family, guests and of course, you! One way to take advantage of your great backyard is to design a beautiful summer kitchen. Whether you plan on grilling, keeping food warm, preparing your food, and keeping it cold – a summer kitchen enables you to bring your culinary and entertaining activities outdoors.  If you’ve been thinking of ways to make your outdoor home more enjoyable

Image via: Mark Scott Associates

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Now, imagine a well-designed kitchen that fits the summer season. This idea will definitely inspire you to cook more and even better. With everything at stake in the outcome of your food, you don’t have to settle for anything less. A perfect summer design for your kitchen is a great project. To help you out with your plan, here are some important tips when designing your summer kitchen:

Consider the climate

Since it’s summer time, your kitchen should be able to sustain the heat from inside and out. You have to consider proper ventilation so that the circulation of air will be good. Also, consider the insulation of your roofing. You may opt to have wider windows so you can open them if the temperature in getting higher. Another good idea to neutralize the summer heat is to use a natural wood as materials for your summer kitchen.

Image via: Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes

Assess your furniture

Kitchen furniture can make or break your desired summer kitchen. These furnishings play a vital role in making the best kitchen for summer and any other seasons. Your furniture must complement with your floor plan. Kitchen furniture can include seating area, accessories, and side amenities like carts, tables, and any elements that could effect how the cook moves throughout the summer kitchen preparation area. Look to a layout that enables the cook and guests to be far enough from one another to not distract the other party. Consider having a kitchen design professional to layout your summer kitchen if you have questions.

Image via: Lynx Professional Grills

Invest in the quality of materials

You have to think of long term and not just for one season. Bear in mind that summer will not last for a year. Another season will come and the cycle will keep on going. Therefore, the materials you have chosen will be essential in the long run. These materials should be in high quality and can sustain in a changing environment.

On top of it all, you have to plan it properly before implementing. It is very important to think about every aspect of your plan and see if it is your ideal summer kitchen design.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/how-to-design-the-perfect-outdoor-summer-kitchen/feed/ 0 52029 https://stagetecture.com/the-perfect-4th-of-july-holiday-cookout-recipes/ https://stagetecture.com/the-perfect-4th-of-july-holiday-cookout-recipes/#respond Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:57:05 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=29194 Entry #1354, July 1, 2012

The 4th of July holiday is a celebration of our nation’s first steps toward sovereignty and freedom when the Founding Fathers drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence. Every year families and friends gather together congregating in the backyard for fun, food and good times. The smell of delicious and flavorful foods being cooked over the grill drifts through the air and into the olfactory systems of everyone within the area.

Image via: Pottery Barn

Because the 4th of July is all about traditions, values and freedom, many backyard get together feasts consist of old, reliable and comforting dishes like hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, deviled eggs, and apple pie. Often the decorating and tableware reflect the event of the day with red, white and blue items and US flags hung for all to see. This color theme is generally carried over into the dessert dishes to liven up the festivities and enhance the significance of the day.

Now to get down to the nitty-gritty purpose of this article – creating a memorable and delightful 4th of July culinary concoctions certain to bring a smile to all your guests and have them begging for seconds.

Image via: Bower Power

Condiments and dips 

Fresh hamburger and hotdog buns, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, sweet and/or dill pickle relish, iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, butter/margarine, seasoned salt, BBQ sauce, sliced red onions, cheese slices assortment (American, Cheddar, Swiss and Monterrey Jack), guacamole (see recipe below), sliced pickles, chili con carne (get your favorite brand), and salsa (again, get your favorite brand). Have all of these items prepared and laid out like an assembly line with the plates and cutlery at one end so your guests know where to begin fixing their plates.

Hamburgers

Get enough raw hamburger meat (preferably ground chuck) to feed at least one 5 – 6 oz. patty to each person. In a large bowl crumble up the raw hamburger and then add the following ingredients for each 2 pounds of meat: 1 – egg, 2 – T black pepper, 1 – T onion powder, 3 – T Worcestershire sauce, 3 – dashes of salt. You will want to get the BBQ grill started and hot before consider cooking. A hot grill will sear or seal in the juices of the meat. Be sure to not pack the patties too hard or tight and also place a small thumb indentation in the center of each patty. Once the grill is good and hot, place the patties on there and let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes on side – only turn once and DO NOT smash or squish the patties with the spatula as this will cause them to dry out. A good burger is moist and juicy not charred and dry.

Hotdogs 

Grilling hotdogs is relatively easy and affords no preparation work. Choose your favorite hotdog brand at the grocery figuring 1 to 2 dogs per person (I recommend getting the “all-beef” marked). Again, you want a hot grill before you begin cooking. Place the hotdogs individually separated on the grill and let them cook. Turn them every 2 minutes until they reach a nice pinkish red color, a plumped up and have grill or char lines on them.

Image via: HWTM

Corn on the cob

On your kitchen stove, heat a large caldron of water to boiling. Add in ½ cup of sugar and stir until dissolved. Now place as many ears of corn as possible (leave room for movement – do not stuff them in there solid). Once the water begins to boil again, start your timer at 8 minutes and let the corn cook. After the time ends, remove the corn from the pot and spread and roll the butter/margarine all over the ear of corn. Add seasoned salt to taste.

Potato Salad

Use 4 to 5 pounds of red potatoes. Remove the peeling and slice the potatoes into the size of 1” to 2” cubes. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 – T of salt to the water. Once boiling, add in all of the chopped potatoes. Let them boil until tender (about 15 minutes). Place 2 eggs in another pot of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and remove from the heat and let the eggs steep for 12 minutes. Place the now hard-boiled eggs under cool running water and let me cool off until you can pick them up and peel the shell off. Chop up one small red onion, 4 celery stalks, and a small (16 oz. jar) of sweet pickles. Pour the potatoes out of the pot and into a colander and them return them to the empty pot. Add in the chopped eggs, red onion, celery, sweet pickles, 1 cup of mustard, ¾ cup of mayonnaise, 1 – T of salt and 1 – T of black pepper. Use a large spoon to mix everything together. Pour the potato salad into a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 5 hours to cool.

Deviled Eggs

In a large pot of water, place 1 dozen eggs, 1 – T of vinegar and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the cover pot stand for 12 minutes so the eggs will be hard-boiled. When done, place the pot of boiled eggs in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until they are cool. Now, remove the shell from each egg and slice each one in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk from both halves and place them in a small bowl. Using a potato smasher, mash up the cooked yolks and then add in 1 – tsp salt, 1 – ½ tsp red pepper, ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, 1 – ½ tsp onion powder, and 1 – ¼ cup mayonnaise. Mix all together and spoon mixture into each egg white half where the yolk was. Sprinkle each deviled egg with paprika. Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours to cool and set.

Image via: Pinterest

Apple Pie

You have already made several wonderful homemade dishes, so why not buy a nice frozen or freshly made apple pie at the grocery or bakery.

And there you have it – the quintessential 4th of July menu – all favorites and all easy to do.

For more 4th of July ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Father’s Day is coming around in the USA. I know that I sometimes struggle to be able to find a good gift for my dear old dad but there are good ideas that you can do to help your father or father-in-law to be able to have a Happy Father’s Day. There are a few potential gift ideas that you could provide for him:

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Tools, or gift cards to home improvement stores

I know several of the uncles and dads in my area tend to like working on things. Consequentially, they probably have a few broken tools or could use to have options for being able to get a new set of tools or supplies for the latest project that they are working on. That can help them get something that they will want and can use on a regular basis.

A book or a movie that they’ll enjoy reading or watching

After all, they might have their eye or other forms of entertainment as well. This can be a great way to help your father have that latest how-to book for building a set of shelves or having a movie that will help them unwind after a day at work. I know my dad enjoys reading on occasion and sometimes comes home after dark, thus making it hard for him to do much else while he’s shut inside.

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Treat him to an activity that he wants to do or to a family dinner

Sometimes, dads might want to go spend time at the lake or have an opportunity to have a nice dinner meal with his family. Dads tend to like spending time with their families doing the activities that they enjoy doing. Dinners also tend to be great for creating an atmosphere of communication with the family so treating him to a dinner can be a good move for reconnecting with him, especially if you’ve been busy with work and other things in life.

Offer to get him something for his grill.

I know there are a few fathers that are greatly interested in grilling food. Getting him something for the grill that he has might help him to be encouraged to continue working on this particular craft.

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These are just a few ideas of what you could provide your father when that Father’s Day comes around. I know that you’ll make the most of the ideas that I have presented to you. Have a Happy Father’s Day!

Mike Carroll is an emerging consultant and freelancer/freelance copywriter specializing in lifestyle design for men and helping lawyers to be able to increase their bottom lines. For fun, he likes to learn Chinese, Korean and go for runs. Visit him on his blog: www.abetterbachelorhood.info

For more Father’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there! What are you going to do with Dad today? Here are 3 activities that will help you enjoy your time with Dad, without killing your wallet!

1.) Visit your local Pottery Barn Kids for a Father’s Day Crafts Workshop.  Find your local store here: Pottery Barn Kids locations.

2.) Have a Barbecue!  What Dad doesn’t enjoy throwing some steaks on the grill and enjoying family? Enjoy food, family and fun this Father’s Day.

3.) Relax! Sometimes the best activities involve a hammock and relaxing outdoors!

Image Courtesy of Pottery Barn

For more Father’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

1.) Cleaning the grill: When is the last time you pulled out the grill? Martha’s advice: Go over the burners with a grill brush, and clear clogged burner holes with a pipe cleaner or a sewing needle.

2.) Prep your outdoor fabrics:  From your decorative patio furniture pillows, to the removable covers on the cushions, get them cleaned now. Martha’s advice: Removable covers sometimes can be machine-washed in cold water, using mild, bleach-free laundry soap, and then air-dried. To hand-wash, submerge the fabric in a solution of 1/4 cup gentle liquid soap, such as Ivory, and 1 gallon lukewarm water (do not exceed 100 degrees), swishing gently. Rinse, and air-dry. ..more

3.) Rinsing the Awnings: Let’s be honest – who cleans awnings? Obviously Martha does, and if we kept up with our awnings more, maybe they would look fresher, longer? Martha’s Advice: For the initial seasonal cleaning, rinse the awning, then use a long-handled brush to apply a solution of water and mild soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s. Rinse again. Rinse regularly with a spray hose throughout the outdoor season. Allow the awning to air-dry thoroughly after cleaning; always open awnings after rain to let them dry thoroughly.

4.) Cleaning Umbrellas: Even though your umbrella isn’t “front and center” when it comes to entertaining, they need to be cleaned. Most umbrellas stay out in the elements, and can show wear and tear quickly.  Martha’s Advice: scrub with a utility brush and a solution of mild soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s, and lukewarm water. Avoid detergents and hot water, which can strip the protective coating off of umbrella fabric. If umbrella is badly stained or mildewed, scrub with a solution of 1/ 2 cup oxygen bleach and 5 gallons warm water.

Remember, whether you are celebrating a holiday, having guests over for a pool party, or just letting the  breeze pass through your hair, celebrate the idea of family and friends.

For more tips, visit Martha Stewart.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been getting into the preparation mode for summer. I’ve showed you beautiful outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware. As you get your patio ready for the warmer weather, don’t forget about your summer kitchen.

A summer kitchen can be a simple counter, and grill outside, or it can be as extravagant as your indoor kitchen.  The more elaborate kitchens have: refrigerator, grill, sink, warming station, wine chiller, and lots of counter and eating space.  Look at these beautiful images below to get your juices ready for summer!

Planning on building a summer kitchen? Make sure a plumber and electrician confirms your home can handle the loads of a summer kitchen.  Gas lines may need to be run, and a new electrical breaker box may need to be added.

Summer kitchens are becoming more popular in higher price bracket homes.  Buyer’s are starting to put a higher value on entertaining, especially outdoors!

Do you have any summer kitchen inspiration photos you want to share? Leave us a comment, and we’ll share them.