I love the 4th of July. All across this wide and diverse country there will be community commemorations and family gatherings held to celebrate our nation’s birthday. It doesn’t matter if you are a family of 2 or 200, if you live in the city or country or what your politics are – there is some fun to be had. And the best part for me is right smack in the middle of it all will be someone (you?) cooking up chicken, burgers, hot dogs, ribs, fish, steaks, chops, or a couple of dozen other favorites on the grill.

If you join our gathering, be ready to eat! It’s pot luck and everybody gets outside to do the cooking and the eating! Suzanne will bring her deviled eggs to enjoy for lunch, dinner and snacks in between. I’ll gather friends to share the duties as we grill chicken and serve it with lip smacking tangy barbecue sauce accompanied by Cousin Jaime’s recipe for “tater salad,” grilled sweet corn on the cob, slices of cold watermelon and finish it off with blueberry cobbler. Oh and we also fix burgers-to-order (I like mine medium rare with roasted garlic mayonnaise, blue cheese, fresh tomato slices, stone-ground mustard, grilled sweet onions and 3 slices of crispy bacon on a toasted potato flour bun) and there are about 5 different varieties of brats and hot dogs. I can’t forget to mention the couple eight racks of baby back ribs that will be slow cooked the day before so they are ready to snack on all day. I expect one of our fisherman friends to bring at least one side of freshly caught wild salmon that I’ll quick grill on a hot charcoal fire and served along side grilled oysters. And just maybe there will be a grilled flank or hanger steak (or two) sliced thin and served fajitas-style piled high in soft, warm flour tortillas and topped with slices of avocado and dollops of hot-spicy salsa and sour cream. Besides the blueberry cobbler, for dessert there is sure to be strawberry short cake, strawberry & rhubarb pie, raspberry and blueberry scones, cherry pie and home made ice cream with lot’s of chocolate sauce. Yuh-uummm-mee!

Here are a few recipes to get your appetite thinking about your menu:

Cousin Jamie’s Tater Salad CLICK HERE
CB’s EZ Pork Baby Back Ribs CLICK HERE
CB’s EZ BBQ Bison-Burgers CLICK HERE
CB’s EZ Grilled Bratwurst Recipes CLICK HERE
CB’s EZ Grilled Chicken CLICK HERE
Charred Sugar-Crusted Alaska Salmon CLICK HERE
CB’s EZ Fajitas CLICK HERE
Doc’s Dutch Oven Fruit (Blueberry) Cobbler CLICK HERE

After the “feast” we bundle up and head to the nearby beach to watch the celebration in the sky. I’m talking about fireworks. While we wait the little kids get to hold sparklers (under strict adult supervision) and the older boys (any male over the age of 12) sneak off to light contraband firecrackers. (Be careful you chuckle-heads!) About 10pm the official big show begins with a single explosion that immediately quiets the assembled multitudes. The entire beach is silent until the sky lights up with a million sparkles, then the only utterance is a chorus of ooh’s and aah’s as everyone responds to the amazing display. For that short half hour or so the entire beach is transported to a child-like state of wonder.

I know this year especially, as we grown-ups carry little ones home in our arms all sleepy and wrapped in cozy blankets, I’ll be thinking of people who touch the lives of our family and are serving over seas in harms way – Adam, Bill, Tony, Cindy and Louis. And I’m pretty sure the adults will be saying silent prayers that these children don’t see or experience any explosions this 4th. - CB

The Grilling Secrets tour at Lowe’s stores across the country is nearing the end. Check the schedule here CLICK HERE for TOUR DATES

And remember, the Everybody Outside Tour as well as the Giant Grill tour are continuing throughout the summer! – CB

For those of you who live or are visiting in the Northwest I’ll be the guest “griller” this Saturday, June 30 from 11 – 3 at the Bellevue, WA location of Whole Foods. I’ll be grilling a wide variety of food on my TEC Series from Char-Broil. Stop by and say “howdy” and try a sample or two courtesy of Whole Foods and my good friends at public radio station KPLU-FM “All that Jazz.”

For those of you not living or visiting in the Northwest…check out the outstanding jazz tunes online at KPLU.org CLICK HERE

You don’t have to spend a fortune to throw a great backyard party this summer. When the weather is fine, just hanging outdoors with good friends for an evening of lively conversation, a few beers and a simple dinner off the grill is the perfect recipe for a casual weekend get-together. Our friend Chef Marvin Woods will tell you how you can entertain outdoors on a budget.

You’ll need Windows Media Player or Quicktime to listen to the Podcast by clicking on the link below:

Entertaining Outdoors on a Budget

There is something about grilling a steak and serving it with freshly sliced tomatoes and some roasted corn on the cob that is just a great experience. As much as I love grilling meat with the high heat of infrared on my TEC Series grill, I also enjoy taking my time to grill on the CB 940X.

The classic charcoal grilled steak has flavors and textures that before the TEC series infrared burner came along, were just not possible on a regular gas grill. These delicious tastes always conjure up my memories of summer meals shared with friends and family through the years. On a regular weeknight or if I have a party I will use my gas grill, and the TEC series is absolutely great for large parties because I can sear the meat and then cook it to the tastes of my guests using the combination of burners. But every once in a while it’s great to slow down the pace a bit and spend a few minutes just tend to grilling a steak over hard wood charcoal! (more…)

2007 will be the summer to remember for some time. I was talking with the head promotions person at Char-Broil and they added even more to the list!

Check out these great promotions!

Del Monte – Del Monte and Char-Broil have teamed up to present the Fresh Grill Thrill Sweepstakes. Through on-package advertising and online, consumers can enter to win a number of prizes for grilling this summer, including a Char-Broil TEC Series grill or a gift certificate from www.GrillLovers.com. Grill our your favorite fruits and veggies on the Char-Broil TEC Series Grill, featuring infrared technology. CLICK HERE

World Harbors – World Harbors Sauces is featuring the Hot off the Grill Summer Giveaway. Customers can enter online to win a number of prizes, including the grand prize of Char-Broil TEC Series Grill. Use your favorite World Harbors sauces right on the surface of your Char-Broil TEC Series grill to create flavorful meals this summer. CLICK HERE

King’s Hawaiian Bread – King’s Hawaiian Bread is featuring the Island Vacation Sweepstakes. Consumers can visit the King’s Hawaiian Web site to enter for a chance to win the grand prize trip of a 7-day trip to Hawaii. Five first place winners will receive a Char-Broil Commercial Series Grill. CLICK HERE

My good friend Dora is a unique and amazing woman. She runs a specialty sewing business and her skills and good humor have saved my bacon numerous times over the 25 years we’ve known one another. So last winter I chuckled out loud when I read an email she sent to me because the words on the page sounded exactly like her.

She was excited over her purchase of a Char-Broil Outdoor Fireplace and wanted to get it ready for a family event that evening. I don’t know what took her so long but yesterday she finally sent me the pictures from one of her family gatherings, sitting cozy round the fire and enjoying time together. Don’t they look happy!

I encourage you to check out the various outdoor fireplace models online at the Char-Broil web site CLICK HERE. I pretty much guarantee you’ll enjoy roasting marshmallows and making s’mores with one of these in your backyard. Or take it to the beach or camping!

Hosting a barbecue is a great way to gather friends and family with minimal fuss for maximum fun. On warm summer evenings, there’s just nothing better than gathering around the grill.

And it’s one of the best ways to have a party that’s memorable - and stress-free.

You’ll need Windows Media Player or Quicktime to listen to the Podcast by clicking on the link below:

Host & Enjoy the Party

Is there anything more to say?
The Grill Canopy is something I spotted on the new Grill Lover’s web site.
And I WANT ONE!!!!!! – CB