Food: Excuses for Having a Cookout

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Excuses for Having a Cookout
Thursday, April 20, 2006

When the weather begins to turn warmer and the days start getting longer, many things begin to happen. We, especially those of us who live in northern, wintry climates, begin looking for any sign of spring - shoots in the ground, trees budding, and robins coming back to our yards and gardens. But when the sun begins to shine for long hours and especially after daylight savings time kicks in, most of us begin thinking about reasons why we could or should be cooking outdoors. Having a barbecue or an outdoor cook out is not dependent on a party or special occasion, though those are perfect times to cook outdoors. If you plan ahead, you can find you have lots of opportunities to cook out any old time. Following are a few suggestions for excuses (if you need any) to have a cook out.

First, if you have a child's birthday falling anytime during the warmer months, even as early as April and as late as October, depending upon your exact location, consider having the birthday party outdoors and cooking out! There are many excellent reasons to do this. Children love to be outdoors; you can cook burgers and hot dogs for the kids and steak and chicken for the parents, so everyone is happy; clean up is hardly a problem; and it makes everyone feel better to be outside. Remember to use paper or plastic plates and have a lined garbage can readily accessible for everyone.

Second, if you are simply having a family dinner at home. Why wait until company comes over to fire up the barbecue grill? Throw whatever meat you thawed out the night before in the refrigerator right on the grill. Add some barbecue sauce, salt and pepper, or your favorite salad dressing, and voila, you have a tasty meal the family will love. When you begin teaching your children to use the barbecue grill, you can show them how to turn hot dogs with tongs and before you know it, they will be making dinner for you!

Third, as the weather gets warmer, many of us will spend many hours working in our lawns and gardens. We will mow, rake, weed, and gather debris from the windy days and the past winter. While we are out working away in our yards, we will surely see many of our neighbors doing the same thing. What better way to offer a neighborly gesture than to fire up the grill around lunch time and surprise some of your neighbors with fresh grilled cheeseburgers or hot dogs. Invite them to sit a spell on a few lawn chairs, and before you know it, you will all be refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Fourth, what if you live alone or spend much of your time at home alone. There is no need to wait for visitors, for family, or even for one other person. You can grill for one and you should be proud to do so. When you grill for one, it does many things for you. First, it gets you out of the house, when you otherwise might have simply warmed up a frozen dinner or can of soup and planted yourself in front of the television. Second, it can be fun choosing your own meat, your own toppings, and you own way of cooking your burger, steak, chicken, hot dog, or vegetables. In fact, if your family complains about grilled vegetables, when you are stuck home alone, you can enjoy your veggies without complaints! Third, you never know when a lonely neighbor will pop over to see what you're doing, and join you in your cookout.

Lastly, consider cooking out in the rain. Those of us who live in rainy climates often wait for sunny days before we fire up the grill, but consider putting your grill under an awning, an overhang, or in the garage. You can still enjoy freshly grilled meat and eat it inside your house after grilling it on a rainy day. It will remind you of the sunny days to come and give your meat that smoky, outdoor, cook out taste that we all love. Why not fire up the grill tonight and surprise your family and friends!

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