Q. I’ve heard about so many ways to grow tomato and other tender plants early – from using Wall-O-Water’s to taking the bottom out of wastebaskets, and they all seem to be a lot of work, with no guarantee of success. What do you suggest for someone who’s serious about growing the high-value crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants?

A. If you are only growing a few plants the methods you use may not be all that important. However, if you are wanting to grow a sizable garden or maximize your production, you should pay careful attention to the following procedures as taught by the Garden Doctor, Jacob Mittleider. Dr. Mittleider’s methods have been extensively tested and proven highly effective in 30 countries around the world. If these instructions seem difficult or too much work, just consider that you are learning “The Poor Man’s Hydroponic System” that will give you yields of tasty and healthy vegetables between 3 and 10 times what your neighbors get.

Here is a summary of the procedures:

1. Plant your tomato, pepper, or eggplant seeds 8 to 12 weeks before the average last spring frost date – 8 weeks for 8-10″ plants in 4″ pots, and 12 weeks for 12-14″ plants in gallon pots. Peppers and eggplant will take a little longer than tomatoes.

2. Prepare growing mix by combining 25-35% sand and 65-75% sawdust (or other clean material such as peat moss or perlite, etc.), and adding the Mittleider Pre-Plant Mix at the rate of 1 1/2 ounces per 18″ X 18″ X 2 3/4″ seedling flat. You can make your own natural mineral nutrient mixes by looking in the Fertilizer pages of the Learn section on the website at www.foodforeveryone.org/soil_bed_fertilizing/49/how-do-i-mix-t he-pre-plant-formula.

3. Using plain water, thoroughly wet the mixed materials, let sit overnight, then plant about 100 seeds in each of 6 or 7 very shallow rows in the flat and sprinkle sand over the top, just sufficient to cover the seeds.

4. Place burlap over the flat, water gently so as not to move the seeds, and keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet in temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. No light is needed, but cold temperatures will kill germinating seeds, so pay particular attention to maintaining temperatures in this range if possible.

5. As soon as sprouts emerge, water through the burlap, then remove the burlap and place the flat in full light all day long. Waiting even a few hours will cause your plants to “stretch” looking for sunlight, and will create long, skinny, weak stems, from which your plants will never fully recover. Temperatures can now be cooler than for germination, but remember that your plants will go dormant if temperatures go much below 60 degrees for any length of time.

6. Begin watering daily or as needed to maintain soil moisture, with the Constant Feed solution of 1 ounce Weekly Feed mix in 3 gallons of water (16 ounces in a 55 gallon barrel). Continue with the Constant Feed watering until plants are placed in the garden.

7. When your plants have at least one set of true leaves (not the seed leaves), but before they crowd each other and begin to stretch, transplant at least 2″ apart in flats or 2″ pots.

8. When plant leaves begin overlapping, prune 2 or 3 leaves from each plant. This will shock the plant briefly, and it will make a thicker stem, then after a few days it will again extend the growing tip and produce new leaves. This procedure can be done twice without harming the plant.

9. As soon as leaves begin to overlap the third time, transplant into 4″ or gallon pots, depending on your time schedule for planting in the garden and the amount of space in your greenhouse or growing area. When leaves overlap again, separate the pots to provide unrestricted light to all plants. These procedures will give you plants with short, stocky and sturdy stems, very capable of handling the rigors of growing outdoors.

10. If your plants begin producing sucker stems, prune them all off, leaving only one main stem on each plant. And when the plants approach 12″ in height push a small stick or dowel into the soil near the stem and tie the stem loosely, protecting it from falling over.

11. When the danger of frost is past, transplant your seedlings into the garden. Harden off outside for 2 days first, and then immediately after transplanting, apply 8 ounces of ammonium nitrate to a 30′ row of seedlings – at a distance of 4″ from the plant stems, and water it in thoroughly. Three days later, begin applying the Weekly Feed mix in the same manner.

If you have limited space and cannot accommodate 4″ or gallon pots, or you just want to put your plants into the ground sooner than the ideal time, you may have success using the Mittleider “Mini-Greenhouses.” Cut 4′ lengths of 3/4″ Schedule 200 PVC pipe, then bend them into a capital A shape, with a 4″ flat top, 9″ sides and 13″ legs. Put both legs into the ground at the top of the ridges to a depth of 5-6″. Place a 4′-wide X 33′-long piece of 6 mil clear greenhouse plastic over the bed and bury the edges with dirt on all sides.

Open the ends during the day for air circulation, and on warm days, remove the dirt from one side and lay the plastic in the aisle. Failure to do this may cause your plants to cook, as the mini greenhouses will heat up quickly with sunlight. On nights when frost is expected, put an extension cord with a couple of 100 watt bulbs near the ends of your beds, and for a hard frost use a small heater (be careful you don’t melt your plastic cover).

Complete instructions and excellent illustrations are in Dr. Mittleider’s books at www.foodforeveryone.org/garden_books/.

About the author: Jim is a Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor, and has taught classes and worked one-on-one with Dr. Jacob Mittleider on several gardening projects in the USA and abroad. In the past three years Jim has conducted intensive food production training projects in Armenia, Madagascar, and Turkey. The Foundation website www.foodforeveryone.org provides free materials and information including an ebook, greenhouse plans, Gardening Group, and large FAQ section.

Rooted deep in the culture of the Southern states, you can bet your bottom dollar that for authentic, meticulously prepared Southern cuisine you will find juicy, succulent brisket to be number one on my list! Because I was blessed to be born and raised in Texas, I can assure you that brisket, when cooked to perfection, is not only the best comfort food, but it is also a cultural tradition of the South.

History of Brisket

There are many variations as to the history of brisket used in barbecues depending on what region of the world is studied. In fact, the earliest tale of brisket originated in Medieval Europe with the process of preserving meat with salt. This is an ancient process of preserving beef with “corns” which are large grains of salt, thus, the term “corned beef” originated in 1621 in Europe. This process of preserving beef was extremely popular among colonial Americans because it was an economical, effective way in which to preserve meat.

According to The Virginia House-Wife by Mary Randolph (1824), take a piece of thin brisket and rub both sides with two large spoonfuls of pounded salt. Pour a gill of molasses and a quart of salt onto the brisket and rub it into the meat. Put the brisket in a vessel just large enough to hold it, but not to tight, for the bloody brine must run off as it makes or the meat will spoil. Make sure the brisket is covered top, bottom, and sides with the molasses and salt. If you have an ice-house or refrigerator, it will be best to keep it there. In four days, the brisket is ready to be cooked. (Well, thank heaven, that today we have grocery stores with the meat already prepared in nice little Styrofoam packages wrapped in plastic wrap!) Times were definitely hard in Colonial America, however, with this divine process of killing the cow, cutting off the meat, preserving the meat, and then preparing the brisket, people were brought together with a societal gathering to feast on the freshly cooked brisket.

As America came to be throughout all the endured hardships of creating this great country to present day culture, people have always seemed to find time to get together to converse and share food, especially when dining outdoors.

Brisket and American Picnics

Americans, through a celebration of human spirit, traditionally love the adventure of dining outdoors with family and friends. Picnics are a personal time filled with a joyful atmosphere of extreme love, friendship, and togetherness as people share in intimate conversations and feast on freshly cooked food directly from the grill. In Texas we refer to picnics, as “backyard barbecues” where we prepare large briskets in which to bring people together to share in a feast. It is common to have 10-100 people in a backyard at any given barbecue where you can feel the Southern hospitality through the conversations, laughter, hugs, and love.

When Texans barbecue, they prepare brisket through a method called “hot smoking” where the meat is cooked with both smoke and low heat provided by pecan, oak, or mesquite wood in a grill. Meat prepared by this method has a red tinge, even when fully cooked, and a pink smoke ring adorns the edges of the meat. This provides a piece of juicy meat that will simply fall apart making the use of a knife extinct!

What Exactly is Brisket?

Brisket is a cut of beef taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs of the cow making this cut of meat inexpensive. This cut is an inexpensive piece of meat that requires long, slow cooking, preferably on a grill outside, to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues in order to achieve tenderness. Even though brisket is one of the least tender cuts of beef, it can be made tender and the flavor is tough to beat! With a little bit of time and the proper cooking method, even the toughest piece of meat can be made palatable!

Brisket Cooking Tips

Brisket is usually prepared using a braising method, which is a moist heat cooking method that uses liquid to make tough cuts of meat tender. Because well exercised muscles contain more connective tissue to hold muscle fibers together, a protein called collagen is formed. Time, heat, and moisture break down the collagen into gelatin, the substance that decadently lavishes your palate. However, as the proteins in the muscle tissue cook, they tighten and squeeze out their moisture which actually reduces tenderness. However, the gelatin as well as the fat in the meat more than compensates for this loss of succulence. Therefore, when cooking brisket, leave the excess fat until after cooking and then remove any and all fat if desired. (The fat produces “juice” when cooking that makes the brisket remain tender.) Typically in Texas, we braise our brisket with apple cider vinegar, however, you may use dry white wine, liquid smoke, or Worcestershire sauce, whatever liquid that you feel will taste succulent with brisket. After the brisket has been cooked and is ready to serve, make sure to slice the brisket along the grain through the long fibers into thin slices. By cutting these long fibers to break them down, the texture of the brisket becomes easier to chew so that the flavor can be savored. If by chance you have any brisket left over, the proper way to store it is to cover it with tin foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. However, by following the recipe below, I can almost guarantee that you will have no brisket left over in which to fool with!

Well, now it’s time to fire up the grill and invite family and friends to our backyard for an all-out brisket brigade filled with laughter, conversations, and love! In order to ensure that your “Texas barbecue” is perfect, I have provided a recipe that is sure to please all your guests and have them asking for a “doggie bag” to boot! So, get your apron, and get ready to cook a brisket feast that is fit for a king!

Brisket Recipe

Texas (Yee-Haw) Brisket

• 4-10 pounds beef brisket
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ T. bacon fat
• 1 cup strong, black coffee

(What a great way to use breakfast as a way to get ready to prepare your brisket by using your left over bacon fat and coffee!)

• salt and pepper
• ½ cup water

With a long, thin, sharp knife, make slits in the meat and insert the slivers of garlic. Place the meat in a bowl, spread one sliced onion and the crushed garlic over the meat, and pour in the vinegar. Marinate for 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning several times.

While meat is marinating, prepare the grill for cooking the brisket. Clean out the fire box, the area of the grill where the wood, charcoal, etc. is placed. Also be sure to clean the grate with a wire brush with a mixture of mild soap and water. When the grill is cleaned, place fresh, dried pecan, mesquite, or oak wood into the fire box. (I prefer the taste that mesquite wood/smoke leaves on the meat!) Place dry kindling or lighter fluid on the wood and light with a match. Adjust the smoke stack cap to allow smoke and heat to flow at a semi-rapid speed. Open/close the vents to keep heat in and the fire going. When all this is done, and the grill has the proper flow of smoke and heat and the fire is at a constant burn, the grill is ready for the brisket.

Heat the bacon fat in a deep, heavy iron skillet on the stove over medium heat. Remove brisket from marinade and discard onion and vinegar. Place brisket in the skillet with the bacon fat and baste the brisket with the bacon fat. Remove the brisket and place on a plate. Line a platter with enough tin foil to tightly wrap the brisket. In the fat remaining in the skillet, sauté the remaining sliced onions until deeply browned. Pour ½ cup coffee into the skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits. Spread the onions and liquid from the skillet on the foil lined platter. Place the brisket on the onions. Season meat with salt and pepper to taste. Pull the foil up to make a bowl around the brisket and pour in the remaining coffee and add ½ cup of water. Tightly cover the meat and place the brisket on the prepared grill. Grill for 4-8 hours, checking the meat through out the grilling process. When meat is very tender, remove from grill and slice brisket thinly against the grain. Serve brisket at once or refrigerate for later use.

Well, as you can see, preparing a brisket takes a great deal of time and tender loving care. If you put forth the effort, I can assure you that you as well as your guests will be extremely pleased with the finished brisket. So, take some time out of your busy lives and have a Texas style barbecue this weekend to share in the lives of your family and friends and to feast on succulent, savory brisket!

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Growing up as one of the oldest children in a family of nine, I know that cooking for a crowd can almost be a full-time job. Once-a-month-cooking has been a lifesaver for our family. When we first heard of cooking 30 meals in one day, it sounded rather impossible. It was not until we had tried it, that we found it is not only possible, but it can even be quite simple and fun!

Blessings

If you are skeptical about taking on what might seem like an overwhelming task to you, let me first share some of the blessings which have resulted for our family from once-a-month-cooking.

• It has saved us many hours of trying to figure out what to have for dinner and answered the infamous question, “What’s for dinner?”
• We have been more readily able to show hospitality to other families when the main dish is already made and in the freezer. (We usually plan ahead for this by doubling or tripling seven to ten of the recipes on cooking day to use as “company meals.”) In like manner, it is much easier to being meals to needy families when you have casseroles in the freezer ready to be pulled out and heated at the drop of a hat. (We also plan for this by preparing many of the dishes in disposable pans.)
• It saves time (You only have to do mountains of dishes one day a month, not every day! You also don’t have to start dinner at 4:30 p.m. or earlier everyday… just pull dinner out to thaw in the morning.) and money (You can usually save quite a bit by buying in bulk).
• We are brought closer together as we spend a special day as a family cooking these meals.
• This is an excellent lesson in Home Economics for your children. Mom always has the oldest girls plan the menu, grocery list, and strategy for the cooking day. She often has us do the grocery shopping, as well.

Planning

Proper planning is essential for a successful cooking day. I usually start planning at least a week in advance. First, pick which day will be your cooking day. Clear your schedule that day. You will want to focus your energies entirely on cooking.

Menu Planning: After you have chosen your cooking day, begin menu planning. Go through your cookbooks and find recipes suitable for freezing. Strive for variety. My list usually includes: one-dish dinners, meatloaf, meatballs, layered casseroles, soups, chili, hamburgers, meatless dishes, and so on. Make sure that you include a number of family favorites, in addition to any new recipes you may be trying out. You do not want to fill your freezer with meals your family won’t find appetizing! When you write down your menu, make sure and write down the cookbook and page number the recipe came from. In addition, mark whether you are planning to double or triple the recipe.

Make Your Grocery List: Using your menu list, write down the quantities of ingredients needed for each recipe. I like to categorize like ingredients on five to seven different lists (meats, vegetables, cheese, pasta, spices, etc.). Take these lists and combine all like ingredients onto a final list. For example, if there are fifteen recipes calling for one pound of ground beef, you will write “15 pounds ground beef” on your final grocery list.

After you have made your final grocery list, make sure and check your cupboards to see what you might already have on hand. You probably have most of the seasonings. But be sure that if you need four teaspoons of garlic powder, you actually have that much in the jar. I have not checked thoroughly before, and it has been real headache.

I have found it most helpful to keep a separate “food preparation list” along with my grocery list which states what is to be done with the items which I need large quantities (Such as, if one the items on your list is “20 pounds of chicken breasts,” note beside that item how many cups need to be cooked and diced, how many chicken breasts need to be cooked and left whole, how many need to be left frozen, etc.).

You will also want to make sure you have plenty of freezer bags and foil on hand. These will be essential on your cooking day.

Cooking Day Strategy: It is wise to develop a basic cooking day strategy of what you will do when. This does not need to be an exhaustive list, but it will save you time and effort if you have planned the basic order of what you will be cooking when. If you are going to be working together as a family on cooking, plan who is responsible for what tasks. Although everyone will need to be flexible, it will definitely save hassle to have most of the schedule worked out ahead of time.

Shopping: The day before you begin cooking, do your grocery shopping. Make sure you do not rush through this. Read your list thoroughly and check to get the best deal.

Cooking

The sooner you can start in the morning, the better. Begin by cooking the meats, grating the cheese, chopping the onions, or whatever bulk preparations your “food preparation list” says you need to do. If you have planned to make soups, you should start these early on, as they usually need to cook for longer.

Cooking the meat is one of the most time-consuming projects and you will probably find you end up browning ground beef and boiling chicken most of the day! As much as is possible, use all of the burners on your stove at the same time.

Keep soapy water in the sink at all times and take turns being on “dish duty.” As soon as a dish is used, wash it. This will save you from having an enormous mess at the end of the day. You might also find it helpful to take a five-minute kitchen cleaning break every hour or so to wipe down the counters and put things away which you are no longer using.

Freezing

What do you do with the completed dishes?

Here are some guidelines for freezing:

• We always designate the kitchen table as our “finished recipe” zone. We often have someone who is specifically just working on labeling things and taking them to the freezer from the kitchen table.
• Proper labeling is a key factor in making sure you know what you have in freezer. Make sure you label the containers with the recipe, the cookbook it came from, the page number, how many it serves, and any additional instructions for the dish. Also write out a list with all of the recipes you make and freeze and how many they serve on the outside of your freezer.
• Transfer soup to a big bowl and cool for about an hour. You can either place the soup in plastic freezer bags or plastic containers with lids (32 oz. cottage cheese and yogurt containers work well for this).
• Most other recipes can be transferred to plastic freezer bags. Do not fill the bags very full, as foods expand when frozen. Do not put anything which is still hot into bags. You will likely split the bag at the seams and have a gigantic mess to deal with!
• Use smaller labeled bags for cheese or anything else to be sprinkled on top once the dish is cooked. Make sure you keep these in a very accessible place in the freezer.
• If the recipe is something like lasagna which cannot be frozen in a plastic bag, freeze it in the size of pan the recipe calls for, cover with foil, and label.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to give once-a-month-cooking a try. If you are like us, you will soon wonder how you ever lived without cooking this way! You could also simplify this plan and just cook for two weeks at a time to start.

For further information, ideas, and recipes, I highly recommend you read Once-A-Month-Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg and Dinner’s in the Freezer by Jill Bond.

Happy Cooking!

About the Author: Crystal Paine is a 23-year-old homeschool graduate and the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC (an online retail bridal business specializing in custom-made affordable bridal wear). She writes articles on a variety of topics and recently authored her first book. She lives with her husband in Topeka, KS. For more information on her business and booklet, visit her website: www.covenantweddingsource.com.

50% Less Cooking without hitting the fast food button! Don’t you just cringe when some clever kitchen type tells you what you could be doing with the leftovers in the fridge, when it’s plainly obvious the leftovers will stay there until they walk out by themselves! More often than not, saving money with leftovers, although a great idea, takes a lot of time in preparation and relies on many other ingredients being available.

So……….

Design your own leftovers! Cooking twice as much as you need ‘by design’ allows you the extra time tomorrow with the added bonus of knowing what you’re going to cook. Dithering around in the kitchen working out who wants what and what you forgot to buy, takes ages. If you know you’ve already got a portion of the evening meal ready in the fridge, life becomes a lot less stressful. Most ‘in-the-pot’ dishes like bolognaise, chile, casseroles and stews can all be made in double quantities in very little extra time. Make sure you thoroughly reheat meat dishes until very hot.

The only real problem with in the pot recipes is that you’re obliged to eat the same meal two nights in a row. Although you can serve it with rice, pasta, or potatoes to add some variety. If you’ve managed to cook enough rice to feed the neighborhood, don’t throw away the leftovers. Let the rice cool completely, place in a bowl, cover with plastic food wrap, and refrigerate. Then the following evening you have a base for a new and exciting meal…try these ideas:

Egg Fried Rice: Make a plain omelet and remove from pan. Cut into small pieces and set aside.. Put cold leftover rice in the pan and stir gently. Add omelet pieces, stir and heat until hot right through. Serve with Chinese style ribs, or veggie sausages.

Special Fried Rice: Fry in olive or nut oil a finely chopped onion, tomato, green pepper and a few sliced mushrooms. Add leftover rice to pan. Stir gently. Add sweetcorn for color and a few chopped walnuts if liked. Serve with any meat, fish, egg or veggie dish.

Rice Salad: In a large bowl, mix leftover rice with fresh raw chopped vegetables; onion, tomato, sweet pepper, celery, sweetcorn, and any other favorites hanging around in the fridge. Chill for half an hour before serving. A half mayo-half natural yogurt dressing can be gently stirred in if liked. To create a whole summer meal in a bowl, add chopped boiled egg, cooked flaked fish, pieces of ham or cooked chicken or even nuts and raisins! Potatoes can easily be turned into ‘designer leftovers’ Cooking a whole tray of jacket potatoes will take no longer than cooking one or two, just a few extra minutes scrubbing time needed. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Flat Fries: Slice and shallow fry leftover jackets in hot olive oil and some mixed dried herbs or cumin spice. Turn occasionally. Serve hot with anything.

Family Omelet: Peel and dice leftover jackets and gently fry in olive oil, with a chopped onion. Pour over beaten eggs and add some grated cheese. Cook gently for a few minutes. Turn and cook the other side. The omelet will probably fall apart during this maneuver. Just push it back together. No-one will know! Serve hot with a green salad.

Rough Potato Salad: Peel leftover jackets and chop roughly. Mix in a large bowl with sweetcorn, tuna and a little chopped onion or chives. Serve with a mayonnaise sauce. Hot mashed potato, served with a delicious gravy, is always a family favorite. Make twice as much and delight the family two days in a row! Cool the leftover mash thoroughly. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate.

Baked Mash: Put leftover mash into a large bowl and stir in cooked flaked white fish, bacon pieces, or cooked vegetables. Place in a greased ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and bake in a medium oven until hot right through.

Burger Mash: In a large bowl, mix leftover mash with a little beaten egg, some chopped chives or very finely chopped onion. Then form small balls in your hands. Flatten slightly and, if available, coat with breadcrumbs or chopped nuts. Fry as you would a burger!

Cottage Pie: Cook minced beef, or veggie equivalent, a chopped onion and a tin of tomatoes together and place mixture in a large lightly greased ovenproof dish. Spoon leftover mashed potato over the top, and sprinkle on a little grated cheese, if liked. Heat through thoroughly in a medium to hot oven and serve hot with green vegetables. Cook a slightly larger chicken and keep the leftovers covered – and maybe hidden – in the fridge. A vegetarian equivalent of chicken will work equally well with these dishes.

Quick Chicken Curry: Pour a home made curry sauce or a jar of ready – made over cut up leftover chicken pieces and heat through thoroughly in a hot oven. Always make sure re-heated meat is steaming hot right through. Serve with rice or jacket potatoes.

Chicken Salad: Mix cold leftover chicken with a finely chopped onion and stir in a half mayo, half natural yogurt dressing. Add a few walnuts for an extra special treat. Chill for 30 minutes and serve with any dish..

Chicken Stir Fry: Put cut up chicken pieces in a frying pan with a little olive or nut oil. Mix in thinly sliced sweet peppers, onion, tomato and any other bits in the fridge that look healthy enough to eat. Cook gently for a few minutes, ensuring the chicken is thoroughly hot. Then mix into a bowl of hot cooked noodles. Serve with an oriental style sauce.

Hot Tip: Planning a few menus in advance will mean you are always in control of nourishing and tasty meals, and no need to lean guiltily on the microwave waiting for the latest TV dinner to cook!

For more great family recipes drop in at www.mylot.org/Inhouse/homepage.htm anytime!

Today’s barbecue choices have never been greater. The designs and options are wonderful, there really is a barbecue that fits your individual barbecuing needs. Barbecues come in both natural gas and propane grills. Barbecues are available in portable fire pit models excellent for a patio or backyard, giving the feeling of being around an actual fire pit. Other barbecue designs include charcoal-wood grills, portable grills and outdoor stoves. Weber makes some of the most durable and reliable quality grills, using stainless steel burners to provide long- wearing even heat and burners with spider and insect screens to keep the burners pest free. The stainless steel hoods and bodies are long lasting and great looking. Several of the designs also include built in thermometers.

Another great addition to your backyard cooking options might be a BBQ smoker. These BBQ smokers are perfect for seafood delicacies and traditional barbecue meals like beef brisket, ribs or pork. They are also excellent for chicken, seafood or anything needing direct high temperatures. Briquettes are available that burn for up to eight hours giving a wonderful smoked flavor.

A beautiful patio leaves you with the feeling that your at a cottage or a wonderful outdoor retreat, the nice thing is it’s a much more affordable alternative to owning a cottage. With the great selection of patio furniture and accessories on the market you can design your patio to be your own personal vacation in your backyard. The patio is not only a convenient getaway, but also a natural extension of your home’s design and décor. Black is a popular color for furniture as is antiqued greens with a distressed look. Wooden furniture is again popular, teak being a favorite as it ages so beautifully. Patio furniture is available with armrests, high back chairs and swivel rockers with matching ottomans, all for ultimate comfort. Most of the outdoor furniture sold today is made with all weather fabrics; it’s also wise to select furniture that will be durable and low maintenance.

When throwing and planning a barbecue patio party you’ll want to be prepared and know approximately how many people will be coming. You want to be sure there is enough available seating so everyone is comfortable. You’ll also want to be prepared for unexpected weather. Awnings are an excellent option, allowing you to take control of the weather on your deck or patio in a moment; there are also outdoor tents that you can set up with a table inside to shelter yourself from the rain. It’s important to have at least one outdoor umbrella to provide protection and shade for your guests from the hot sun, not to mention they also look nice. There is no shortage of excellent patio furniture and comfortable outdoor sitting options. Patio heaters are also welcome for cooler evenings after the sun goes down.

It’s important to have a proper serving or buffet surface for your party, a place where you can have all the food, beverages, plates and utensils. Portable carts or side tables can also work well. You may even have a built-in counter top.

The lighting for your outdoor party will only matter if the barbecue carries on into the evening; regardless the lighting is something that is nice to think about as it adds so many ambiances to your backyard setting. There are outdoor solar-powered lights available and other lighting options in several designs. Luminaries, candles, miniature white lights strung between trees or along your patio, or some lovely white paper lanterns hanging from your trees can make your patio extraordinary.

Bug control is a must at your outdoor party. Burn citronella candles to help keep a variety of bugs away. If yellow jackets are a nuisance in your yard, traps are available from your garden center or nursery. Remember to cover food, especially the meat and sweet drinks on the table to protect from bugs.

A few other nice additions to your party might be; gift bags for any children attending the party, you can fill the bags with fun ideas found at the dollar store like glow sticks, crayons and little notepads etc., it’s a nice idea to keep the children occupied; patio heaters are excellent if it starts to cool down in the evening, or for unexpected cooler days; flowers in planters or hanging baskets will further add to the appeal of your yard; lastly a nice variety of music sets the mood and adds a nice overall feeling to your party.

Planning the meal is probably the biggest challenge to your party. You’ll want to know in advance if any of your guests have any special eating preferences, allergies, dislikes. You can always go with the standard burgers, veggie burgers (f there will be any vegetarians attending), steaks and salads knowing that everyone will be satisfied and full. On the other hand, you might want to surprise your guests with a wonderful honey barbecue broiled steak; a simple marinade can be made with garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper, dry mustard, honey, and balsamic vinegar. The selected steak or chicken can then be kept in the marinade for a couple of hours in the fridge, next step is onto the barbecue. Excellent side dishes might be some potato salad, a green salad and corn on the cob.

In the summertime cold drinks are a must. You might make some cold lemonade, and have some carbonated beverages on hand. A nice addition to any buffet table is a lovely punch (alcohol or non-alcohol) with some lemon slices and fresh fruit additions. Always have lots of ice available to keep the drinks cold. For dessert some cut fruit such as strawberries, melon and watermelon slices prove refreshing or a fruit salad can be nice, and of course a nice cake or some cookies is always sinful but popular. Later on, a bowl of corn tortilla chips served with salsa is well liked.

Of course your budget will determine how much you can and can’t do as far as decorating at your party. But don’t let that discourage you, it takes time to get your patio looking exactly the way you want it, in the meantime keep your eyes open and look for ideas. A simple picnic table and some plastic outdoor chairs work well too; a barbecue really is all about the food and atmosphere created.

With some planning and the right atmosphere your outdoor barbecue party will be a success. Whether your party is big or small, a barbecue is a wonderful way to get together with your closest friends and family members to enjoy the summertime and some great food.

About the Author: Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring bbq grills, bbq smokers, weber gas grills, grill accessories, bbq recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbequing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com. Try some of our free Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes.

Barbecuing has never been more exciting; with the endless designs of barbecues available and the myriad of barbecue cookbooks and cooking shows it really does take barbecuing into a whole new realm. With recipes for everything from grilled bananas to peaches and dry rubs for ribs, barbecues aren’t just for cooking steaks and burgers anymore. With all the available barbecuing options it helps to know a few of the barbecuing terms and barbecuing utensils that are used.

Firstly, barbecues come in a wide variety of options; there are propane, natural gas and the standard barbecues for use with charcoal. Barbecues can come with range style one, two and four burner options along with rotisseries. There are even barbecues that have coolers built right into the bottom! Barbecuing has never been quite so convenient.

Accessories

When you’re using your barbecue it really helps to have the right utensils and barbeque accessories, this will make your barbecuing experience easier and more enjoyable. Long handled tongs, basting brushes and spatulas are quite helpful. Heavy-duty oven mitts can also be useful. Of course you don’t want to forget the proper wire brushes and scrubbers (crumpled foil even works well) to remove build-up, keeping your grill racks clean.

Foods that are tender such as fish, vegetables and some burgers can benefit from cooking in a special grill basket (this way you aren’t loosing any of your meal into the barbecue). There are also special racks available to be used with corn, potatoes, ribs and meat.

An excellent barbecue accessory is the grill wok, with this you can make you’re favorite stir fries and vegetable dishes; the wok has small holes throughout that allow heat and smoke to penetrate the food. Another great grill accessory is the grill pizza tray used mostly for grilled pizza. Other grill accessories include; the grill topper used for fish and vegetables providing an even cooking surface, which prevents foods from falling through the grill rack; you can never have too many skewers in assorted lengths which can be used with a skewer rack for grilling your favorite marinated vegetables and meats; smoker boxes for gas grills filled with soaked wood chips add a wonderful smoked flavor to foods. Lastly foil packets are available or simple tin foil to wrap foods, just remember that you may be sacrificing the grill and smoke flavors when foods are wrapped tightly.

Grilling Processes

After you have the utensils and proper grilling accessories needed for you’re barbeque experience you’ll want to familiarize yourself on the different types of grilling processes and terms to find the ones that work best for you and to know exactly what has to be done. To start, basting is probably the most familiar of barbecuing terms, a simple brushing with a seasoned liquid adding both flavor and moisture to your food. A brochette is just French for a kabob, or simply food cooked on a skewer. A glaze is a glossy, flavorful coating on food as it cooks as a result of regular basting.

Three very popular methods of barbecuing are the direct grilling, dry smoking and indirect grilling methods. Direct grilling is probably the most popular grilling used, it is when food is placed directly over the flame. It is a fast method because of the intense heat and allows for browning on the outside of foods. This process works best for food requiring short cooking times such as burgers and steaks, you must remember to turn food over to allow cooking on both sides. The dry smoking method is achieved by placing a grill rack indirectly over the heat source with the barbecue lid down, this allows the flame to burn thus creating smoke which covers the food, giving you a smoky flavor. Lastly the indirect grilling is a slow process of cooking because of less heat, it is done by surrounding a drip pan with the coals and putting the food over the pan, so the hot air circulates around the food (similar to a convection oven). It is wise to check with your barbecue owner manual for indirect grilling specific to your barbecue, roasts work well with this method.

After you’ve acquired the barbecue and all the necessary cooking utensils and accessories you’re ready for the best part of barbecuing and that is the cooking of the food. Sauces, marinades and rubs are popular cooking ideas when barbecuing. Barbecue sauce can be said to define a great barbecue. Whether you use a little or a lot is a matter of preference. A sauce often includes sugar, honey or preserves, which can cause the sauce to burn when cooking; a suggestion is to brush your sauce on in the last five to ten minutes of cooking. There are a wide variety of sauces and glazes to be made ranging from apple butter barbecue sauce to raspberry piquant sauce.

Marinades are used for soaking your choice of meat, tofu or vegetables. The marinating both tenderizes and permeates the food with flavor, adding flavor and promoting crisp brown exteriors, changing an otherwise average dinner into a great one. Marinades are virtually fool proof and can be made in advance refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. The three basic ingredients in a marinade are; flavorings such as herbs, spices, sweeteners; oils which keep the food pliable and give a crispy crust; acids such as citrus juices, wines, vinegars and yogurts used to balance the sweetness. It is suggested to use the acids sparingly on fish and poultry, as they will soften the flesh when used.

A virtually fat free and easy way to add flavor to food is by using a variety of bold seasonings in a rub. The food is rubbed with spices prior to grilling, the rub transforms into a crunchy brown crust that seals in the juices and enhances the flavors of the food. The spices should be generously applied coating the entire surface of the food; the food should then be covered and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Simplicity is the key for making rubs, salt and sugar are two of the main ingredients and the rest are up to you.

In summary, whatever your barbecuing specialty might be barbecues can be both a fun and convenient way to make dinner. Summertime needn’t be the only time of year that you’re barbecuing, if weather allows you can barbecue all year round. The options have never been more exciting, and the variety of foods and recipes never more abundant.

About the Author: Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring barbecue grills, grill accessories and BBQ recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbecuing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com. Try some of our complimentary Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes.

Let’s get all of the ingredients together that you will need to prepare this wonderful chicken dish. You can either purchase a whole chicken and then cut it into pieces or just buy the cuts that your family enjoys such as chicken thighs or breasts. You will also need 10 cloves of minced garlic, 4 tablespoons of margarine, 3 large lemons, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley.

You should begin by preheating your broiler. Take your chicken and rinse underwater and skin, then rinse again well under cold water and place in a large baking dish. Squeeze the lemons and reserve the juice. Sprinkle about one half of the garlic over the chicken and dab ½ of the margarine on various spots on the chicken. Pour ½ of the juice from the lemons on your chicken, and season with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Broil for about 15 minutes, remember to baste quite often. Remove and turn the chicken, add the remaining of the ingredients just like you did before broiling for the first time. Now you will need to broil your chicken again for another 15 minutes. Remember, to baste your chicken so it does not burn. If the chicken starts to become too crispy, you can change from broil to bake and bake at 350 degrees until the chicken is completely done. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the remaining sauce from the baking dish over your chicken and serve.

Everyone will absolutely love this garlic chicken dish. Serving suggestions would be whipped potatoes and a garden salad.

About The Author: Anita is author of Steaks, Seafood and Barbecue guide Steak-Guides.com.
hansd@netresearch.nl