After buying our grill I learned that it wasn’t just for my hamburgers and hot dogs. I’ve learned how to cook lots of things, from pizza to desserts! There is no excuse to not get outside and use your grill to the fullest this Summer.
Here are some great tips for summertime grilling.
- Make a Menu– If you already have meals in mind you can do all your grocery shopping at once. You can even start preparing your menu on the weekends. Chop all your vegetables so you don’t have to do it each night. Search Pinterest for new inspiration for recipes. Check out my Summer Grilling board for some great ones.
- Know Your Food – Just because you’re grilling doesn’t mean you have to take shortcuts on the quality. Hot dogs are the biggest on that list. Make sure you are getting hot dogs that are nitrate and antibiotic free. Applegate offers all natural and organic hot dogs. They are now available here in the Atlanta area at Whole Foods and Kroger stores.
- Proper Tools – Don’t be cheap on your tools! You get what you pay for. Invest in great grilling tools to make grilling a breeze. You’ll discover things like grilling stones, vegetable racks and don’t forget the old aluminum foil.
- Charcoal vs Propane – Let’s face it, charcoal takes a long time to heat up. Propane is much easier but some enjoy the flavor of a charcoal grill produces, regardless they are both great options. Use wood bark or chips to get a true charcoal flavor. Soaking your charcoal in lighter fluid will cause your food to have the lighter fluid taste. Instead use a charcoal chimney starter and you’ll notice a huge difference. Preheat propane grills like you would your oven especially if you are cooking more than just meats. It will heat everything more thoroughly instead of burning one side and then flipping.
- Clean your grill – I can’t stress enough how important cleaning your grill is. If you clean your before and after every meal you will make the grill grates last so much longer. Not to mention the flavors of your BBQ chicken won’t be on your grilled pizza the next day. A grill brush is the most common tool but did you know that an onion cut in half is an extremely effective way to clean your grill grates? Just rub the onion along them as you are heating up your grill.
I’m very excited that Applegate Hot Dogs are now available in the Atlanta because I had to stop buying regular hot dogs because of all the fillers and additives that were in them. I didn’t like feeding them to my family knowing they were terrible for us. Most companies use antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes, such as promoting animal growth and compensating for the effects of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. Applegate makes sure their animals are never given antibiotics, hormones or artificial growth promotants. They conduct their farming practices with integrity and treat their animals and land with respect.
Make sure to Like Applegate on Facebook too find a store near you, visit http://www.facebook.com/applegatefarms and click “Product Locator.”
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Applegate blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.
Yum. Now I want a burger for breakfast. Love Applegate.
Great tips!