A look inside...

Hello everyone!

Are you prepared for an issue full of summer fun?

There is no better way to touch base on summer fun than to discuss all things grilling! It is definitely a family favorite.

We also discuss amazing recipes and tips on surviving a deployment.

Enjoy this summer.

Chicken Wings

I know this will sound crazy but I witnessed this at a backyard bbq and was amazed at the simplicity and great taste. Start with a large frozen bag of chicken wings or drummies if that is what you prefer. In the kitchen place them is a pot of boiling water. (I know you are thinking WHAT?.....Trust me). Boil the wings until fully cooked, take out and drain and allow to dry. Then put on the hot grill - direct heat, add sauce of choice (see below for my favorite), let the sauce caramelize and grill the wings until the color you choose (the wings are fully cooked so you are just adding grilling marks, smoke flavor and charred look). Take off and serve and watch the amazed look on your fellow grillers as they try these.

My Favorite BBQ Sauce

I use this on both baby back ribs and chicken wings. Its sweet but you can spice it up with cayenne pepper to taste. I make this in advance of cooking the wings or ribs and allow it to cool before applying it to the meat. There is usually plenty left over allowing for guests to add sauce if wanted.

1 tbl extra virgin olive oil • 1⁄2 tsp granulated garlic • 1⁄2 tsp chile powder • 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin

• 2⁄3 cup ketchup

1⁄3 cup coca cola • 2 tbl soy sauce • 2 tsp cider vinegar • 1⁄4 tsp ground black pepper • 1⁄2 tsp oregano • 2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup(more depending on taste) brown sugar ~ adapted from “Weber’s Real Grilling”

In a medium saucepan and medium heat, warm the oil, add the garlic, chile powder and cumin. Cook for one minute, stir to avoid scorching. Add the remaining ingredients, wisk together and allow to simmer.

Tri-Tip Steak

This cut of meat is harder to find but is excellent to serve to a crowd. I usually find it at a butcher shop. around 3 to 5 pounds . Apply olive oil to the steak, rub in with your hands, dust the steak with garlic powder and black pepper. Sear the steak over direct heat (depending on the size and the temperature of the grill) for 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes per side. Place the seared steak over indirect heat for 10 to 15 minutes per side, if you don’t have a way for indirect heat lower the temperature of the grill by limiting air intake and rotating the meat more often. Check for doneness to preference. Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes after coming off the grill. Slice diagonally across the grain in thin slices and serve.

Grilled BBQ Shrimp

2 pounds jumbo shrimp • 1⁄4 cup olive oil • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper •1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce

To begin, you will want to peel and devein shrimp. Toss your prepared shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper. Preheat your grill and designate a low heat area. Place your seasoned shrimp on grill and brush with barbecue sauce. After one minute, turn and brush with barbecue sauce. Repeat 1-2 times until shrimp is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

5 chicken breasts cubed• peppers • onions • zucchini • cherry tomatoes

1 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 1 tsp garlic powder •1 tsp onion powder

¼ cup olive oil • skewers

Cube your raw chicken and place it in a bowl. Add in your seasonings and olive oil into the bowl. Toss the chicken, seasoning, and oil until coated. Remove chicken from the bowl. Cut up your vegetables and add them to the bowl with the seasoning mixture. After your vegetables are nice and coated, begin skewering them and the chicken. Heat up your grill and oil your grates. Cook the kabobs until the chicken is fully cooked.

With a relaxed hand, take your opposing index finger and touch the pad of the base of your thumb. This is the firmness of a raw steak. With the relaxed hand, touch your thumb to the index finger on the same hand. The firmness of the pad of your thumbs shows what a rare steak will feel like, thumb to middle finger shows medium-rare cooked, thumb to ring finger shows medium cooked and thumb to pinky finger shows well done.

Never Use Plastic Utensils

The food on your grill will be extremely hot. Even if your utensils are over the flames for a few seconds, that is enough to melt the plastic. Always opt for metal utensils to ensure no unneeded chemicals leak into your food.

Cook with Low Heat

Are you planning on making some delicious grilled chicken? To achieve tender and moist chicken, cook on low heat, or on the higher grate, and flip often. Chicken can quickly become overcooked if you’re not careful.

Grill on High

Unlike chicken, pork and beef are best cooked over high heat or a direct flame. Try to only flip them one to four times, and let it rest to ensure it stays juicy.

Get It Greasy

Just like your pans, without proper oiling, your food can get stuck to the surface. Nothing is worse than trying to flip your burger and it is stuck to the grill. All you need to do is grab a paper towel covered in oil and slather up your grates before lighting the grill.

Marinate the Day Away

If you have planned out your bbq in advance, then use this extra time to play with a few different meat marinades. This will help add some extra flavor and tenderness to your meal. Try out lemon juice, wine, or bbq sauce the next time you grill up some chicken.

Wait 5 Minutes Before Grilling

When your stomach is growling, it can be tempting to throw on some food as soon as you light the grill. Try not to do this. Letting your grill heat up for 5 minutes ensure that all the lighter fluid has burnt off and won’t end up in your food.

Room Temperature is the Key

In order for your steak and burgers to quickly cook on high heat, they need to be at room temperature before grilling. Taking your steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling can help you achieve that perfect piece of meat.

Wait to Add the Sauce

Adding the bbq sauce too soon can end up in a nasty burnt mess. The sugars in the sauce are quick to burn. Wait to sauce it up until the food is almost done cooking. This would be about 2 minutes before you pull it off the grill.

Clean the Grill

After you are done cooking, try and clean your grill with a metal brush and half an onion. Wait until the grill has cooled down a little, but still warm. Cleaning the surface when it is still warm helps the stuck on food come up a little easier.

Don't you just love outdoor grilling? It's such a fun way to cook and spend time with friends and family. If you are looking for some fun games to play while you host your bbq, here are a few fun ideas to try out.

Corn Hole

During this game, participants alternate tossing small bean bags made of fabric towards a slanted board that features a hole at one end. The objective is to earn points by either getting the bean bags onto the board or successfully throwing them through the hole.

Ring Toss

To win the game, players need to throw their set of five rings and try to land them on the stick. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Horseshoes

A fun lawn game that two people can play is Horseshoes. To play the game, you need four horseshoes and two throwing targets that are set up in a lawn or sandbox area. The players take turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are usually placed 40 feet apart. It's a great way to spend time outdoors and enjoy a little friendly competition.

Ladder Toss

Ladder toss is a lawn game played by throwing bolas onto a ladder.

Charades

Charades is a timeless game that is enjoyable for people of all ages. Simply jot down prompts on slips of paper and have groups attempt to guess the prompts as they are acted out.

Flip Cup

You might have come across a game called Flip Cup during your college days. The objective of the game is to chug the contents of a cup and then flip it over successfully.