With the 4th of July only a day away, I know some of you folks are chomping at the bit to get out there and BBQ with your friends and family.  With the Fourth of July falling on Friday this year, most folks will be off of work and likely be either BBQing on Friday or getting it all prep’d & ready for a big Saturday BBQ-fest!

Whatever your plans, use the tips below to throw the Perfect 4th of July Barbeque.  If you have some tips of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments area.

Tips For The Perfect 4th of July BBQ

Be sure to plan ahead for your 4th of July BBQ.

It might seem like an easy thing to throw together a backyard BBQ, and in some cases that is true.  However, if you want to throw the “Perfect” 4th of July BBQ - throwing something together last minute is not the “cool” thing to do.  If you are inviting folks over and wanting everything to go smoothly, you should already have decided what foods you are going to cook, what drinks will be served, appetizers… you know - the whole she-bang. 

If you are going to be having a full day of stuff, you will want to have some games lined up, music and anything else to try and entertain people while the food is being Q’d to perfection.

See what I mean about planning?

And you were just going to throw some burgers on the grill and half ass the rest of it?  **shakes head**  Don’t invite me to your little “BBQ”.

Sharpen your skills, not just your knives.

The last thing you want to do is plan everything to the “T” and everyone get there only to serve them mediocre food.  It is a shame when people get excited to share in fellowship and great food and then leave with a feeling of emptiness and disbelief.  They go home and cry themselves to sleep, and spend the next week wondering why… I mean WHY things went down the way they did.

Eventually they will find new friends, friends that actually deliver when it comes to BBQ.  So do you want to be that guy/gal that doesn’t deliver or the one that comes through and has everyone talking about how KICKASS your BBQ was?  That is what I thought. 

Be sure you do your signature foods, don’t try new stuff when you have to be on point, it could end up killing you in the end.  If you do not feel like bringing your “A” game, see the next tip, it is just for you - we will call it a special super intraweb spectacular BBQ tip of the day… just for you.

**Special Super Intraweb Spectacular BBQ Tip of the Day**

Keep everyone as drunk as possible (if possible).

I know not everyone drinks alcohol - and I won’t hold that against you.  But if the truth of the matter is that you are not up on your game when it comes to the actual BBQ of the foods… then you need to be sure you keep your patrons as drunk as possible. haha  This will make everything taste good… great even.  By the time the party is over, you will be the baddest dude on the block and be known for your killer BBQs and how great your food is.

Smart eh?  That is why I’m the expert and you’re reading this blog post wondering how to throw the best BBQ in the world.  Don’t be sad… it is just how it works.

Dust off your old records & 8-tracks for some good tune’age.

Tired of the new songs on the radio these days?  So is everyone else.  If you pull out some old music, everyone will be hi-5′ing you by the third song.  Everyone loves old music… not SUPER old music, but the hits… from any genre.  Seriously.  Throw on some Eagles and see if everyone in the room isn’t mouthing the words by the end of the chorus.  Crank up some Hank Williams Jr. or Journey and watch the party turn up a few notches. 

Music makes anything better - accept taxes.  Taxes would still suck with a live symphony playing in the background.  But when you are throwing a BBQ - a killer BBQ, you have to have some good music to listen to.  Be sure to stock up and burn a few CDs before everyone shows up.  Or if you have satellite radio - then get it ready to go.

If you don’t know what music to grab for your special occasion - go hit up MusicGoat and find something you like.  With new podcasts all the time, you are bound to find something you like.  Tell ‘em Double D sent ya, he will take care of the rest.

Don’t invite that guy that makes an ass of himself anymore.

No one wants to watch someone throw up on themselves while they are eating ribs.  And along the same lines, no one wants to end up fighting someone at the end of the night because he/she “looked at his girl”.  We all know and have a few of those friends that take it to the edge and then some… or maybe could start fights with a few shots of liquor in them.  Why do you want to jeopardize your entire BBQ & rep by invited this d-bag? 

DON’T DO IT.

Save face before you even half to and let them make other plans… be known for your fantastic ribs, not your a-hole of a “friend” that tried to make out with your wife and ended up getting the cops called.

Be safe & have fun for heaven’s sake.

The whole point of a perfect 4th of July BBQ is to celebrate and have an awesome time.  Sometimes you get to caught up with the whole thing and want it to be perfect… and honestly, even though this goes against my title and some of the tips… perfect sometimes is imperfect.  That’s right, let a few things slide.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Having fun is the most important thing - so as long as you are not compromising that rule… you should be ok.  Keep the other tips in mind, but don’t lay it down like the law.  Step outside the box a little and be sure you are safe in doing so.

Drink responsibly and have a killer BBQ this 4th of July.  Oh yeah…

KEEP THE FIREWORKS AWAY FROM YOUR BBQ PIT.  Geeez.  **shakes head**

Tags: Barbeque, Cooking, Perfect BBQ Tips by James
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We haven’t been posting much on BBQ lately, which is totally my fault.  In fact we have went through a bit of a Barbeque drought around our household lately.  We did throw some burgers on a few times in the past month - but taking the time for actual barbeque lately hasn’t been something we have scheduled.

However…

I have plans to BBQ a rack of ribs or two and maybe try some other things on this pre-4th of July weekend.  I have to keep my skills up you know?  Don’t want to lose anything with the 4th of July BBQ just around the corner.

Actually I will use anything as an excuse for BBQ - this just happens to be a nationally accepted one.  I use those as excuses as well.  haha

Anyhow, I am a subscriber to Men’s Health - even though I just look at the pictures and nod most of the time.  But this latest issue had some BBQ stuff in it and so I was checking it out and they had a link (even though you can’t click it in a magazine… funny huh) to Men’s Health/bbq.  It is basiclly a one stop BBQ page with lots of recipes, how-to(s) and other crap related to BBQ.

We try hard to give you guys as much gardening stuff & BBQ material as possible, but sometimes we fall short - so we don’t mind passing you on to other sites that have us trumped.  We are not claiming defeat… however - if you want to skim through and check it out, we won’t cry about it.  Not a lot.  Ok… a lot.  But we will do it alone, in a closet - you will never know about it.  Until we blog it and put it on Twitter and Flickr and anything else that ends with “r” and is cool.

So if you have sometime and want to check out some cool recipes, go for it.  Just hit this link…

Men’s Health BBQ Tips - Barbeque Tips & Techniques Provided by Men’s Health Magazine.

Maybe they will contact us and want to give me a job being the resident BBQ badass… BBQ rib badass, master blogger star barbeque man.  Or something like that.  I’m sure they could make a position for me. 

I did see something I think we might try on July 4th weekend - Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Recipe.

If you aren’t grilling/barbequeing this weekend… why not?  Do work son.  Do work.

Tags: Barbeque, Cooking, Link'age by James
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I don’t normally condone forwards but if it is funny or pertains to my life in general - I let it slide.  So this one hit my inbox yesterday morning and since I haven’t been around to post lately, I had to share with you guys & gals.

So if your a BBQ fan, or a woman… or a man… yup that covers everyone - then you should enjoy this one.

BBQ  RULES
We are entering the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it’s the only type of cooking a ‘real’ man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine…
(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill — beer in hand.

Here comes the important part:
(4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

More routine…
(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.   

Important again:
(7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine…
(8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:
(10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ‘her night off,’ And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there’s just no pleasing some women….

Tags: Barbeque, Cooking, Funny by James
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On Saturday we decided that we did not have enough responsibility when it comes to plants and gardening and we headed out to find some more pepper and tomato plants.  We purchased 3 Jalapeno plants and 2 tomato plants to fill in the gaps here and there.  We eat a TON of jalapenos when we start BBQin’ all the time… so it was something we HAD to do… ya know?

As far as tomatoes… can you ever really have enough?  I don’t think so.  So we added a few varieties to keep it exciting.

So now we have about 6 hot pepper pepper plants getting to that stage where they should be pushin’ peppers out at us at in no time.  MmmmMmMmmm

Check the pic below of what is now called… “Pepper Row”

Tags: Barbeque, Gardening, Pictures by James
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What is a great BBQ if you don’t have good music or games for everyone to enjoy?  Well probably a boring BBQ if you ask me.  Now this isn’t the same type of tips as we have been providing, but when you are throwing a BBQ it is vital to keep people entertained while they are waiting for the good food. 

So the question is…

How To Entertain Your BBQ Guests?

This is easier than you think.  If you are like most folks, when BBQ is on the grill - people are usually drinking (adult beverages) and having a good time.  I mean it is easy to strike up a conversation when the weather is nice and there is the smell of great BBQ in the air… am I right?  I have never been to a barbeque that was all that boring.  However, I am pretty easy to please for the most part… so let us talk about those that are difficult in terms of keeping entertained.

I have found that most people loosen up when there is some form of music being played.  So first off, crank up the tunes!  Music can get people dancing (if people do that anymore) and if nothing else bring the mood up a bit.  You just need to make sure you are picking solid BBQ music.

What is solid BBQ music?

In the South, we like to put on some country music… maybe some David Allen Coe or George Jones.  Even the not so old country like Hank Williams Jr. or George Strait.  Maybe some Alan Jackson… whoever you are into.  Just put them on.

If you like rock, some older rock music like ZZTop or the Eagles is a good start.  Everyone knows those songs and everyone likes them for the most part - so this will help people talk amongst themselves and bring the mood up where it needs to be. 

Music is good for the soul, so if you have to… throw together a BBQ mix “tape”.  I can’t believe I just said that.  I just picture me saying to Shala….

“I made you a mix tape.”

**shakes head**

Who says tape anymore… seriously?  Ok, let’s get back on track.

Throw some hits from the past.  Maybe “Freebird”, “Jessie’s Girl”, “Country Boy Can Survive” or whatever else gets the crowd going.  Everyone will be drunk and singing in no time.  That is how BBQ’s should be.

Of course if you like different music and so does your group of friends… modify this to your liking.  If you like rap, then throw on some old school rap… Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg…  Ice Cube - you know, the grandfathers of rap.  The bottom-line is, put something on to get the people lively.  No one wants to go to some lame BBQ where everyone is sitting around staring at each other.  BOooooooooooo-ring.

What about games for my BBQ?

This is something that can really get things going.  Weather it is yard games, video games, board games or some sort of gambling… you can really get people (especially people that don’t know each other) interacting and such.  So what kind of games do you play?  How do you get people involved?  It really depends on your crowd, but I will give you some examples of what we do/have done.

Recently we had a BBQ with family and after trying to create a “washers” game with two beer cans and some Macgyver like skills… we finally gave up.  Bad planning I guess.  Later on though, one of our cousins came through with a yard game called “Ladder Golf”.  This game is possibly one of the most addicting games (and easily learned) there is… at least in regards to yard games.  I am sure some of you have played horseshoes or washers and found it frustrating as hell because you couldn’t score… while some “ringer” comes in and takes all your money.  Ok… wait, maybe not everyone plays for money, but you know what I mean.  Those games are tough, but ladder golf is fun and easy!

If you want to check out ladder golf, or even build your own ladder golf game… check the links below.

Learn About Ladder Golf/Buy Ladder Golf - cheap and fun.

How To Build Your Own Ladder Golf - easy as pie!

Now, I am not going to tell you not to play other yard games like horseshoes, washers or croquet.  Of course, don’t go and play lawn darts!  The most dangerous game ever invented.  Most lawn/yard games are cool, fun and get people up and involved.  So feel free to choose your favorite.

How about board games at my BBQ?

Of course.  When it gets dark, if people are up to it, bust out some Monopoly or Scrabble or whatever floats your boat.  Board games can be a blast with lots of people.  Try to pick something with as few rules as possible, people DO NOT want to come to your BBQ to relax and find that they have to follow all these rules.  Not fun.  Pick something like Taboo or Cranium, break up into teams and play Pictionary… anything to get people smiling and having a good time.

We like to gamble with our friends, what games are fun gambling games?

I don’t condone gambling… unless there is a chance I might win some money of course. ;)  I remember so many games that could fall into this category.  Of course any card game from poker to screw your neighbor, hell I have turned go fish into gambling before… so use your imagination.

Now beyond that there are tons of dice games you can play for money.  Hold on one sec, I want to clear this “play for money” thing up.  Playing for money doesn’t have to mean what you think.  Really.  You can play for nickels or pennies or anything… something just to pick the game up a notch.  It makes it a bit more fun, it isn’t like it is got to be a dollar a game or something. 

There is a great game that everyone can jump in and play with called “horse racing” or “horse races”.  It is cool, you sit around and bet on horses, they have games you can buy that have the whole setup or you can make it out of poster board and it works just the same.  If you haven’t ever seen one, check out the links below:

Horse Race Game (Premium) - high class gambling.

Horse Race Game (Not So Premium) - low class gambling.

Any of the before mentioned things can liven up your next BBQ.  If you have already mastered the skills needed to BBQ with the best of them, then all you need to do now is learn how to throw a big party.  Hopefully the tips above will help you keep your guests entertained.  The bottom-line is to have fun, be easy and be safe - keep all three things in mind.

Tags: Barbeque, Link'age by James
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