Stylin’ at the barbecue means more than a great apron and a set of tongs. With people building full outdoor kitchens to take advantage of outdoor living, why wouldn’t they come up wtih a beverage station to boot?
Vintage appliances has a full line of stainless steel appliances and accessories to take the grilling and chilling experience to its highest level. Take this bartending center — how cool! It can be purchased and configured in a number of ways, including as a rolling beverage station or built-in with a beer tap, sink, and refrigerator.
They offer quick-pour shelves, bins for lemons and limes, storage for glasses, icemakers, whatever you need to be the best drink tender on the …
Originally from On The Level by
Filed under Patio Ideas by on Jul 6th, 2006. Comment. 
Getting ready for your first outdoor get-together but your patio furniture and deck took a beating this winter? 3 On Your Side’s Jim Donovan says before the guests come over, a quick and easy clean-up is necessary. Have the elements made your backyard deck, furniture and grill lose their luster?
Have the elements made your backyard deck, furniture and grill lose their luster? If so, good housekeeping has some suggestions, starting with the deck.
“The deck really takes a beating in the winter snow, rain, sleet. It’s important to make it look new again,” said Nate Benforado, a tester at Good Housekeeping Institute. First, brush off all the debris. Then toss on the cleaner.
Good Housekeeping tested three brands that work with water.
Oxiclean Miracle Foam ($ 4.99) performed the best. And it also does a great job on concrete as well.
Now, how about your outdoor furniture? Good Housekeeping tested three specialty cleaners and found that CLR Outdoor Furniture Cleaner ($3.99) cleaned up the best.
Nate Benforado, Good Housekeeping Institute: "Just with a couple of passes, it’s already gone."
For the metal and glass items, Good Housekeeping recommends a liquid car wax (Super Hardshell Liquid Wax, Turtle Wax, $3 – $4).
Nate Benforado, Good Housekeeping Institute: "Automotive wax is great on cars, helps protect the finish. But it also works on any smooth non-porous surface. So for metal or resin, or even glass in your backyard, it will leave a nice waxy coating to protect from the elements, and actually give it a nice shine-a nice sheen."
Finally, don’t forget the grill. You’ll probably find a little mess left over from last season, and Good Housekeeping likes how Dawn Power Dissolver ($2.49) did the job of cleaning up.
To prevent build-up, spray the grates with some non-stick spray before you fire it up.
If you have extra-tough grease stains on your wood deck, spray the mess with oven cleaner. Then wait a few minutes and rinse.
For grease stains on concrete, soak up any liquid immediately, because the longer you wait, the deeper the stain will set.
Filed under Patio Ideas by on Jul 6th, 2006. 1 Comment.
Ingredients
6 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Ketchup
2 Stalks celery
1 Cup ;Water
1/2 Cup Onion; chopped
1/2 Cup Brown sugar; firmly packed
1/2 Cup Butter or margarine
1/2 Cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Cup Cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons Chili powder
2 Teaspoons Instant coffee granules
2 Teaspoons Dried crushed red pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground cloves
Directions
Bake garlic in a small baking pan at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and peel. Combine garlic and remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Cool. Pour mixture into container of a blender; process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Recommended with chicken.
Check out these spicy BBQ sauces
Mad Dog Ultra Hot BBQ Sauce
Mad Anthony’s Extra Hot BBQ Sauce
Cowtown Night of the Living Barbeque Sauce
Filed under Patio Ideas by on Jul 6th, 2006. Comment.
We started a new project this weekend (like we didn’t have any others already on the go). Alas, we didn’t get too far though before the weather, social commitments and general weekend laziness forced it to the bottom of the feeding chain. We’re about to start building the first of two garden water features.
This one is very formal and will take up the complete side of the fence that is showing in the photograph. It starts from the where the crab-apple tree garden ends and will run the length of one section of fence (approx 2.4m – 7.87ft). It will have two levels, the upper one almost reaches the top of the fence and will contain the pipes for the water to flow through while the second one will contain the pond and an assortment of water plants and various fish.
The first stage of this project is to pour the concrete slab for the water feature to be founded on. In order to do that I need to connect the reticulation pipe that will run from my shadehouse (another future project) to the main irrigation pipework. The electrical cable, though not connected yet, was already dug in prior to the turf being laid and will be hidden from most views. This cable will power the water flow and may also be the source for some low voltage lighting.
The preparation for concreting is being done now because I need to mix some cement for the paving in Deb’s garden room. The paving has all been laid now and will need to be lifted and cemented into place.
Filed under Garden Ideas by on Jul 6th, 2006. Comment.
There’s a movement afoot in home building that I find very interesting-the move to create survivable housing. Up to now, that term has been used to talk about homes that can stand up to wildfires and high-wind events.
Now the notion of survivability is starting to focus on the ability of a home or shelter to remain livable after a major event such as a natural or manmade disaster. What does one do when a major Nor’easter closes roads and knocks out services? What if an earthquake buckles local roads, knocks out power, and boxes you in? A survivable home will plan for disaster by maintaining its temperature, air supply, fresh water, and power. It will be built of materials that are …
Originally from On The Level by
Filed under Home Ideas by on Jul 7th, 2006. 1 Comment.
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