5 Ways to Make Your BBQ a Memorable Family Event

By:Moriah Shemer

Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecues have been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit.

2) Try foil-wrapped surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas.

3) A little variety goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items.

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In the game Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the prize!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecues!

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: barbecue, BBQ, grill, fun, family, ideas, variety, kids, games, unforgettable, memorable, tips.backyard, activities

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Moriah Shemer works for Chris & Tal's Better Foods, a food innovation company focused on crafting no compromise, guilt-free versions of your favorite foods. Our top product is the Better Burger, made of a blend of lean meat and high-grade textured soy protein. The result? The delicious beef taste you love with half the fat, calories and cholesterol. For store availability visit www.betterfoods.ca

Top Cooking Articles
1). Choosing A Culinary School By : Noel Matthew You have made the decision to go to a culinary school. Now what? Culinary school options are many, around the world, even. To choose one, you need to consider several aspects. Think that it doesn’t matter? Around the world there are hundreds of thousands of people looking to be the next big chef. One of the first deciding factors on who you are as a chef is the culinary school that you attend.
2). Which Grill Should You Buy, Charcoal Or Gas? By : Roy Green If you are considering purchasing a new grill, or barbecue, you will be faced with a multitude of options to choose between. However, there is one choice which you will need to make fairly quickly in your quest for the perfect grill for you. That decision is whether to buy a charcoal or gas grill. Both charcoal and gas grills have advantages over each other depending on what you are looking for and how you intend to use it.
3). Keep That Cooking Area Clean By : JM Jackson One of the most prevalent illnesses today is food poisoning. It starts as a slight discomfort a few hours after eating and grows into a life- threatening episode requiring hospitalization. The most common cause are the salmonella e-coli and listeria bacteria. And, they can be common problems in the chef's kitchen. Common breeding grounds for bacteria are kitchen towels, dish rags and brushes, cutting boards, kitchen sinks, door, drawer and refrigerator handles.
4). Cooking As A Culinary Art By : Trevor Marshall Culinary arts is the art of cooking. Cooking is a way to prepare food that will be eaten or served to other people. The culinary arts is comprised of many categories - some of which are tools, methods, combination of spices and ingredients that adds flavour to the food. It normally needs the right measurements, proper selection and accurate combination of ingredients involved to reach desired result.
5). Rediscovering Grilled Pizza By : Scott Schirkofsky America’s favorite food has long been the pizza cooked in a traditional oven but is that about to change? While most Americans have probably never indulged in a grilled pizza, the origins of pizza are making a big comeback. There is no denying that we love our traditional backyard barbeque but rarely, if ever has the barbeque included grilling a pizza.
6). Basic Cookware Explained By : Larry A. Johnson What is All-Clad stainless steel cookware and why is it the best top-of-the-line bake ware you can buy? All-Clad cookware is made with a heavy aluminum inside which extends up the sides of the pan. It is coated with a stainless steel cooking surface and has an outside layer of magnetic stainless steel. This type of bake ware is ideal for cooking on a gas stove where the flames can burn up the sides of the pots and pans.
7). A Brief History of Pizza: The Dish that Conquered the World By : annamaria Pizza, the way we know it today, is a derivation from focaccia (from the Latin word for fire), flat bread that has been prepared since antiquity in different forms and garnished with herbs, olives, fat, raisin, honey, and nuts. The word pizza in Italian identifies any type of flat bread or pie—fried or baked. Although you’d find many types of pitas or pizzas around the Mediterranean, it is in Naples that pizza in the form we know it today first emerged, after the tomato appeared on the table in the 1700s.
8). Breadmakers For Easy Baking By : Robert Thatcher A bread maker is a home appliance that has revolutionized the process of making breads. First manufactured in 1986 in Japan, breadmaker since then moved its way to homes in the United States and United Kingdom. By means of a breadmaker, automatic baking has become possible and more convenient. As with ordinary baking, ingredients must first be measured according to the recipe.
9). What Exactly Is a Crockpot? By : Tony Buel Copyright 2006 Tony Buel The word 'crockpot' is a name which is actually a trademarked name, but is often used as a generic term. The terms 'crockpot' and 'slow cooker' have come to be used interchangeably. 'Rival' is the original holder of the trademarked term 'Crock-Pot'. The Rival Crock-Pot / slow cooker has been one of the most important cooking tools for busy families since its introduction in 1971.
10). Amazing Thai Recipe By : Barney Garcia Bamboo Shoots: Bamboo shoots are called for in many Thai recipes. In order to prepare a bamboo shoot for cooking you need to peel them and boil the white inner stalks for 30 minutes in water. If you are using canned bamboo shoots you will only need to boil them for 10 minutes, or if they are going into curries or soups, boiling might not be required.

New Cooking Articles
1). Cake Decorating Book - Make your cake look more delicious By : Isabel Rodrigues Everyone loves to eat cake, which is nicely and perfectly decorated. But due to lack of decorating skill ones wish is not fulfilled up to the maximum level. Now with the help of cake decorating book one can easily decorate the cake and make it look more rich and delicious. These books are specially designed for preparing cakes. They also provide you with additional mouth watering recipes and tips to make your cake more delicious for consumption.
2). Cookware - What’s New In Cookware? By : John Francis As in most other industries, the cookware industry are constantly coming out with new lines and innovations. Some of the new lines are only available in gourmet or specialty shops and are sure to be expensive. Regalware has a new cast iron cookware with a twice-fired ceramic exterior. It’s available in Royale Blue or Brick Red. As opposed to older cast iron cookware, this new ceramic exterior will work on any cooking surface, including glass top stoves.
3). Tips For A Perfect Low Carb Cheesecake By : Sheila Easton Who doesn’t love low carb cheesecake? The Low carb cheesecake is now one of the recommended products for low carb dieting which will greatly contribute a big part for the quick and successful results with the diet. There is no doubt that due to the increased number of people who love low carb cheesecakes for their low carb diet, many food companies are now offering so many flavors and varieties of low carb cheesecake.
4). They Say “Look In The Mirror, Don’t See Fat, See Beautiful!” That’s Not Going To Make You Healthy Or Unclog Your Arteries Or Improve Your Diabetes By : Helen Robinson Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you can't, you are usually right.” If you really want to improve yourself, know that you can. You will not be dieting, you will be changing ingredients and you will give in to some changes without turning your nose up before trying. It took a long time to put that weight on, it will come off, but not in 6 weeks like the skinny models on your TV screen.
5). What’s So Great About A George Foreman Grill? By : Doug Mahopac When he entered the cooking appliance market, George Foreman ended up delivering a knockout punch in terms of sales. A number of people—whether they’re seasoned chefs or novice cooks—rave about the George Foreman grill. Still, you may be wondering what’s so special about this popular product. Some consumers say the Foreman grill is the best “as seen on TV” product ever produced.
6). What To Look For When Purchasing A Grill By : Donna Somerkin For many of us, summer will forever be associated with grills. Grills mean Father’s Day cookouts, graduation parties, and relaxing family get-togethers. You may think that the scent of bratwurst on the grill is one of the best aromas around. Therefore, if you’ve just moved into a home with a deck—or an apartment with a patio—you may want to invest in a grill in order to make your time outdoors a bit more memorable.
7). Choose Vegetarian Recipes By : Triston Huntsmin Whether you are a seasoned chef or someone who has never put together an edible meal, consider expanding your knowledge of cooking by adding vegetarian recipes. Chefs of great restaurants and moms of hungry families will enjoy having more meals to cook, and the customers and children who eat the food will be happy as well. Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new.
8). Cast Iron Cookware By : John Francis How to Season and Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware You have a skillet that came from your mom, and before that your grandma, and has now fallen into your hands. So how do you take care of it, use it, clean it, and get the best taste possible from it? I hope to answer some of those questions in this article. I love my cast iron skillets, passed down from my Mom; I remember her using them to make delicious fried chicken dinners, cornbread to go with our Great Northern beans and the best popcorn.
9). Are You Professional Chef Material? By : Tom Ehrhardt © 2006, All Rights Reserved We see them on the Food Network every day. Rachael, Paula, Emeril and others zip around their kitchens making quick work of fabulous recipes. In no time, they've whipped up three or four dishes that look so appetizing you can almost smell them through the TV. As thoughts like "I can do that" ramble around in your mind, you begin dreaming about the glory of becoming a professional chef.
10). Cooking Recipes, Anytime And Anywhere. By : Sparky Hrelek Have you ever known exactly what you want to cook but searched and searched through all of your cook books and had no luck finding that tender morsel that has been making your mouth water all day? Having to settle for something else is so disappointing isn't it? Or have you been to a restaurant and fell in love with a dish or a dessert but don't have.