Everyone loves a cookout, but not everyone knows their way around a grill. For the best results, follow a few simple pro tips. If using charcoal, skip the lighter fluid and instead start your coals using a chimney, Country Living says. Keep the grill lid down whenever possible to seal in heat and moisture, and create zones of high and medium heat on the grill surface. Try a dry rub or marinade on meats, and start with a clean, greased grate. And finally, don’t poke meat constantly to check for doneness; either invest in a digital thermometer or take the meat off the heat early — you can always put it back on if it’s still too rare.
Tag: Memorial Day
Make a Dish to Pass for Memorial Day
Have you been invited to a Memorial Day cookout and need a dish to pass? Food & Wine has 10 suggestions for elevated, crowd-pleasing sides that travel well. Watermelon salad with mint and feta, green bean slaw and Thai cucumber salad offer refreshing light bites for the year’s first hot days, while apple pie bars and walnut brownies will round out the cookout. If you prefer to indulge with traditional comfort classics, make a potato salad or deviled eggs, but be safe — don’t leave those dishes to bake in the sun and risk a case of food poisoning.
Honoring Veterans on Memorial Day
Memorial Day was established to honor the nation’s fallen soldiers, but has expanded over the years to include all veterans of the armed forces. To honor their service, attend a parade, lay some flowers and a miniature flag at a local gravesite, or invite a living veteran to your cookout; you can also probably find a veteran charity picnic in the area and lend your support. And when flying the flag, keep it at half-staff in remembrance until noon, Homes.com says, then raise it to full-staff at noon to symbolize the ongoing fight for freedom.
Keep Your Cookout Simple
There’s no better way to kick off the summer season than hosting a Memorial Day cookout. To make yours stress-free, keep it simple. Pick out easy main courses for the grill such as burgers, brats or chicken, and try healthy, cut-and-serve side dishes such as cucumber salad, grilled vegetables and corn. Invite your friends, offer outdoor games such as cornhole and croquet, and join in the fun. And as you celebrate the official start of summer, don’t forget to honor the nation’s veterans, many of whom gave their lives in service.
Stage a Successful Memorial Day Garage Sale
A few of Café Mom’s top 10 secrets to a successful Memorial Day garage sale are location, good signage, fair prices, clean stuff, advertising and organization. Also, don’t put something out if you don’t really want to sell it, the story says, and don’t be seller who tries to sell the same things every weekend. Be ready to haggle if you want to make some quick cash, and if something doesn’t sell, “either throw it out or (if you think it’s really good), donate it.”