Charcoal Vs Propane The great debate

Now you talk to Mr Hank Hill , he will tell you there is no choice when it comes to cooking out. "taste the meat not the heat, i tell you what", thats what he would most likely say. Well I'm not so sure.

Sure a propane grill is more convenient. We have both in our house , and we will use the propane grill ten times more then we will use the charcoal equivalent. In fact at least 3 days a week we cook outside. Originally we purchase the gas grill for a large family event we had planned. Our small charcoal grill could not have handled the amount of food we needed to cook.
    We decided on a 6 burner Char-broil grill. It has a side burner that i originally thought i would never use turns out it comes in really handy for keeping chili warm. Something i never really thought i would have a use for.
 

We now use this grill for just the 3 of us. I have no problem firing her up for 3-4 pieces of chicken. It gives us an excuse to eat outside as a family. It also looks a lot better then food cooked in the oven and we have had more luck getting our little girl to eat different foods. We found that it also saves us time. Whip up a big batch of pasta or potato salad, and thats your sides for the entire weekend. On a side note alcohol consumption has risen quite sharply , you just cant work a grill without a beer in one hand. Well thats enough waffling, lets get down to business. Leave your kitchen gadgets inside and lets cook caveman style. Which is better Propane or Charcoal?

I think we need to consider factors: Cost, Taste & Authenticity, maintenance and finally cost of use.

Cost

Looking at mid range grills, around the $300 mark. You really feel you are getting a  lot more for your money with a charcoal grill. Where as with the gas grill you get the feeling your just getting an entry level grill.

Winner: Charcoal

Taste & Authenticity

To test this we made 10 burgers on a charcoal grill and 10 on the gas grill. Our guests were kept into the dark as to which burger was which. Surprisingly the gas burgers won a closely contested battle 6 to 4 . We replicated the results with some strip steak and chicken legs. This time the results were not so suprising with charcoal winning at almost a landslide 8-2. Although nobody complained about the taste of the gas cooked steak, they all complimented the smoky taste of the charcoal steak.

Winner: Tie ( it really depends on what you will cook the most.)

Maintenance

Actual maintenance of the gas grill is quick and simple, much like maintaining a stove. On the other hand maintaining the charcoal grill feels like a part time job, and we found it often got left until the the next time we wanted to use the grill.  This led to use using the charcoal grill a lot less. 

Winner: Propane

Cost Of Use

No real contest here , every time you fire up the charcoal grill it takes around $5-6. While firing up the propane grill while more expensive initially will save you money over the long run. Cooking a few chicken breast will cost under $0.25.

Winner: Propane

Well there you have it. Propane takes this one down 2-1. I think the main reason it wins is purely the fact that it's easier to maintain. The ease of maintenance gives you the opportunity to use it more, and that is what grilling is all about. Getting out side with your friends and family, and spending quality time. We wont be throwing out our Charcoal grill any day soon , we will just keep it for steaks and small get together's.

Other grilling essentials. 

 You have purchased a grill now what ? 

Don't forget the grill cover, to protect your investment. They are cheap enough to pick up and come in all sizes so no grill should be left without a cover. Just be sure to make sure the grill has cooled down before covering.

Other cool BBQ items can be found by clicking here. such as the Grill Sergeant apron pictured above.

Great Pool Side drinks

So no kids around? Time to bust out your best Tom Cruise impression pool side and bust out some cocktails. Seriously who doesn't love that movie?I think every bartender in the world wishes that a shit was like that.
  OK don't go throwing around bottles or glasses. Or singing "addicted to LURV". I can not be held responsible for what happens. Be it divorce or a trip to the emergency room with a 6 inch slice in your head. Anyway you can make some seriously refreshing cocktails with out all the circus stuff.

Before you start slinging the bottles, you should pick up some tools of the trade.

Cocktail Basic Kit

 BUY NOW $39.99

Measure/Jigger - the most important bit of kit. It might look great to eyeball it , but to much or two little alcohol can ruin a drink.
Cocktail shaker  - used for mixing the drink as well as cooling.
Muddler - for breaking up ingredients such as mint.
Juicer -  not essential but recommended. You can grab a power juicer or an old fashioned hand one. 
Mixing spoon  - you guessed it for mixing
Strainer - yup for straining. Another glass can be used , unless you know what your doing it could be a disaster.

Other essentials you should have around the house.
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Bottle opener

You can pick these up separately or in a kit. My favorite places to shop for these unique kitchen gadgets is www.feedingbubba.com and www.amazon.com.

Bottle pourers will make your life a lot easier and eliminate a lot of waste. And make you look cool. Grab some here.

Ok so you set up ? Lets make some cocktails.

1.) Margarita

 

The classic margarita, so often made terribly. It's such a simple drink to make. Make up a pitcher and invite over some friends.

Ingredients:

1/2 triple sec ( Cointreau if your aiming to impress.)

1 1/2 oz gold tequila

1 oz fresh lime juice

salt to rim the glass ( you can use sugar or sherbet if you have a sweet tooth)

Prep:

Fill your shaker half full with fresh ice
Add the triple sec , tequila and lime juice
Shake well 
Pour all the the contents into the pre salt rimmed  glass
garnish with the lime wedge 
Voila a perfect margarita

If your being a little lazy , substitute the lime juice for 2 oz of margarita mix. To make a frozen version simply add to a bar blender (below) and wiz a couple times.

Be sure not to use a standard food predecessor, crushing ice repeatedly will burn the motor and dull the blades very quickly.  This Jimmy Buffet one is really well build. Get one here. Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors, try using fresh strawberry, mango, banana etc..

2. Sex on the Beach

Not enough sexual innuendos at your pool party ? This ludicrously named cocktail tastes a lot better then it sounds. There are literally millions of variations out there , featuring all kids of ingredients. The original has just four ingredients, easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Cranberry Juice

Prep:

Fill a 12 tall class with ice
Pour in vodka and peach schnapps
Top up with 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 cranberry juice

Garnish with some kind of fruit and a frilly umbrella if you want. Drink and enjoy.

3.) Mudslide

The ultimate pool side cocktail. You will need the blender pictured above to make them. Be warned , drink nice and slowly other wise before you know it you have drank 6 and you gonna regret it in the morning. As its deceptively more potent then the taste will have you believe.  Also not a favorite for those watching the pounds, each one has approx 1,000,000 calories ( of course I'm joking, but its a lot.).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz of your favorite vodka
1 oz Kahlua
2 1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
Chocolate syrup
Spray whipped cream
Maraschino cherry's
1 cup of Ice cubes

Prep:

Super easy to prepare. First throw the liquor and ice into the blender and set on a high tempo. If you want a extra chocolatey treat add 1tbsp of the chocolate syrup. Now take your class and swirl some chocolate syrup around the glass. Now pour your blended mixture into the glass, it should now be a thick put pourable consistency. Too thick? blend some more! To thin ? add a little more ice and blend again. Top with whipped cream, cherry and a little more syrup. If you havce a steady hand take some more Kahlua and pour down the straw for an extra kick.

Now the most important steps 1.) teach someone else to make it and 2.) make sure your hammock by the pool is ready.

4.) Long Island Ice tea

Another favorite that is defiantly packed with alcohol, defiantly not for the kids or the more lightweight amongst us. So refreshing on a really hot summers day. I would advise making a pitcher in advance as these go very quickly, and are a pain to make. My top tip would be to be mix all the liquor into an empty bottle, so you can just pour the requisite amount when needed.

Ingredients:

3/4 oz vodka
3/4 oz tequila
3/4 oz rum
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz triple sec 
Sweet and sour mix
Cola

Prep:

Combine all the ingredients over a ice filled glass, barring the cola. Transfer into a shaker and give a couple good shakes before pouring back into a glass. Top up with a splash of the cola and garnish with your preference of lime or lemon. 

5.) Not your Mamma's Lemonade

I discovered this one while on vacation in the Cayman islands. It really does just taste like a regular glass of pink lemonade. After 2 or 3 it become very evident that it is not regular lemonade. 

Ingredients:

1 oz.vodka
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. peach schnapps
Cranberry juice
Club soda or seltzer

Prep:

Combine everything except for the club soda in to a cocktail shaker full of ice. Give it a good old shake and pour over ice. Top with a splash of club soda and a squeeze of lime. Sit back and enjoy.

I will be sure to update this whenever i try out some more. Let me know your favorite summer cocktails.

Pool Toys what to look for.

So you have a pool! your gonna need to fill it with pools toys. There are literally millions of options to choose from. Ranging from $5 to $500. The five dollar one's can be just as much fun as the $500 ones. There are some essentials that every pool house should have. Some are aimed at kids but there are some most defiantly aimed adults,

The Essentials.

1. Pool Noodle
   
   The good old pool noodle, use it as a floaty, a sword or whatever your heart desires. Grab five pack for just $15 here.
2. Lilo (Floaty)
   
   Lounge around and soak up the rays. Make sure you get one with a drink holder. pictured one available here
   
3. Football
   
   Show of your guns while tossing the ole pigskin about. Pictured one available here.

So grab those essentials and your good to go. There is so much more on offer though, and grabbing a few more items will make the pool that much more fun.

Regardless of the age of your pool goers , a squirt gun is so much fun. I would recommend getting at least two.

I recommend the water pop power launchers, they come in a pack of 2 and they are available for around $25. They shoot water about 30ft. You can quickly refill them direct from the pool. Best part is they actually float, so you wont lose them at the bottom of the pool, during an attack. They are a very simple design and i imagine extremely durable.  Get a set here.

The most used piece of pool equipment in our pool is a combo basket ball and volley ball set.

 The stands are sturdy and you weigh them down with water or sand. Kids and grown ups will have an absolute blast, and stay outta your hair while you can get to grilling.  Well worth picking one up from here.

If you like your big boy toys, there are some very James bond options available. Like this sea scooter from Sea Doo.

It's light and silent , and can get up to 2 mph going to depths of 15ft. OK so its not quite like the one James Bond uses but still seriously cool and your pool isn't 15ft deep is it?

For some more adult fun, you could pick up an inflatable beer pong set like this one.

Defiantly will get any pool party started.

But for the ultimate pool gadget the prize goes to this beatuy right here. Keeps your beer cold and eliminates the need to walk. Would make a pretty neat gift aswell.

If anybody out there feels the need to reward me for my blogging efforts, i would love one of these ;)
You can pick one up here . Thanking you in advance.

Thats it for now, however if i come across any more cool pool toys / gadgets i will ad them. If you see any you think i would like please let me know.

Throwing a Pool Party

Summer Is Finally Here!!!!

Lets have some fun! Time to fill this pool up with people.

What do you need to throw an awesome pool party? Well what kind of pool party is it going to be? A wild belly shot bikini party?, Are the in-laws coming? Will kids be there? or Cooking out with a friends and a competitive game of Marco Polo?

Getting the wrong mixture of party can be a disaster, and if you get your belly shots mixed up with your belly pork the in laws may now come back. Wait a minute whats the problem here?

It's all about keeping it relevant to your guests, wrong drinks or food will make for a bad vibe.

Regardless of the kind of pool party your throwing there are a few essentials.

• Ice - Buy a lot more then you think you will actually need and then buy some more. Nothing will kill a great pool party then warm drinks on a hot day. Don't Skimp on the Ice.
• Sunscreen -

  

  Try to find a water proof one

  Want repeat guests ? Have a handy supply of sunscreen , guests will almost always forget it and will think twice about future invites if they remember the sunburn they got last time more then the party itself. Getting a water proof Sunscreen is a great idea. Something like Coppertone with a high SPF. Grab some here.
• Plastic plates and Silverware - Something for you as well as your guests. You don't have to do a whole bunch of dishes when the party is done, and your guests wont run the risk of having a broken plate slice open a foot etc.
• Soft drinks - Lots and lots of water and other soft drinks. More then you think as well. Running out of mixers will ruin a party quickly. If your party has kids present don't under estimate the amount of soda they can put away. Water is important to keep everyone hydrated, even if its adult orientated. 
• Clean towels -
  
  Nothing fancy just clean and dry. Some great deals here. People will forget ! This i guarantee.

These are the basics, that every pool party needs. Always get more then you think you need, and then pick up a couple more just to sure.

What you will need for a Wild Body Shot Frat Pool Party?

 

Booze booze and more booze. Don't go crazy but remember to buy a decent variety, your throwing a party not opening a bar. Include wine if your inviting a lot of girls.  The essentials should include:

• Vodka - Don't skimp on the vodka but no need to break the bank either. Smirnoff or something similar should suffice.
• Rum - You can go a little cheaper here as rum drinkers will not turn there nose up at anything. Try a Bacardi gold or a spiced rum.
• Tequila - Nothing says pool party like margarita's. Buy a half decent brand such a Jose Cuervo , as some will inevitably be used as shooters.
• Something as a shooter - My personnel favorite is Jagermeister, but Firefly or similar would work great.

Alot of beer drinkers will bring there own beer. I advise against purchasing a keg, it always seems like it either runs out or doesn't get drunk. Stick with canned beer instead. I normally grab some Bud Light and 1 other kind such as Corona or Stella.

When it comes to food keep it simple, but don't forget the starch. i avoid salad as it goes bad quickly , for something you can prepare the night before try a pasta or potato salad. You wont go wrong with burgers , hot dogs, bbq chicken or bbq ribs.

Grabbing some drinking or adult games is also a great idea. Check out the Beer & Party section at www.feedingbubba.com  

Music, I'm not a fan. I you do however give it a theme and resist the urge to keep the volume to background noise. 

What if I'm being forced into a adult pool party complete with the Inlaws ?

 
First off don't panic. Breathe dammit, breath. It's really not that much more complicated. Make sure you have Moms favorite tipple, as well as Dads. Fire up the grill nice and early so you avoid any lectures on how your doing it wrong. The key is preparation, have as much as you can before they come knocking at the door.

You may want to try a more varied menu, burgers and hot dogs may not cut it. Fish , steak or pork are all good choices. Grab a meat thermometer to avoid eye rolling when you nuke the requested medium well rib-eye ( see above).  They clearly indicate when the meat is done! You can get them here.

Kid Friendly Pool Party?

I know a nightmare right!!! hahaha no kids can be fun. Just make sure you have a lot of pool toys ( ive picked out some good ones here), blow them all up before the little ones arrive and don't drink to much. Explaining to the law why little jimmy nearly drowned while you were upchucking in the bushes is not a good situation to be in.  When your planning food think frat party food. Hot dogs, burgers, mac n cheese etc.

Top tip: Instead of soda's try some different flavor ice - t , fruit punch or at the very least caffeine free soda.

All My Friends are coming over, what do i do ?

The easiest pool party of them all to throw. Grab the essentials outlined above and some simple food then a mass  text message one hour before. BYOB.

All of her friends are coming over , what do i do ?

PANIC, FAKE MAN FLU ? Your on ya own buddy.


It's that easy. Have fun in the pool his summer