videogurl's Blog

  by: Dorothy Duncan

  BBQing as it is commonly known or grilling is one of America's favorite summer past times. Why grill? Grilling provides an opportunity to entertain family and friends. It is a stress-free and relaxing way to prepare delicious nutritious meals on weekdays or weekends. Preparing meals during the summer months on the stove or in the oven increase the heat in our home causing our cooling bill to increase. To save energy and money why not "fire up the grill."

According to the National Fire Protection Agency approximately 1,000 structure fires and 3,400 outdoor fires are caused by barbecue grills annually. Safe grilling begins before the cooking starts.

Check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line on gas grills, to be sure there are no leaks and that it is working properly.

Never use a match to check for a gas leak. If you suspect a leak, put soapy water on the area and watch for bubbles to form. This will identify the area of the leakage. Never light a grill that has a leak repair it before using it again.

Place grill on a level surface, approximately three feet away from other objects e.g. the house, shrubs or bushes.

Keep children and pets away from the grill and cooking area.

Consider wearing a heavy apron and oven mitts that fit well over your forearm for protection while grilling.  Do not wear loose clothing.

Turn off the valves and store the grill away from the house. If you are going to store your grill indoors, wait until the coals are completely extinguished. Burning charcoals produces carbon monoxide.

Many people enjoy the "charcoaled favor deride from charcoal grills. They are very simple to use however, precaution must be taken. When you grilling with a charcoal grill only starter fluids that are specifically designed for charcoal grills. Never use gasoline or kerosene.

If the fire is slow, add dry kindling or try placing 2 or 3 charcoals in a metal can, add a little lighter fluid.  Use  long-handled tongs to place charcoals on top of coals in the BBQ grill and light with a match to restart.

Don't add more starter fluid directly to the charcoals because this could cause a flash fire.

Dispose of charcoals when they are cold to the touch or thoroughly soak them  with water.

Never use a barbecue grill indoors or in an unventilated space. It's a fire hazard and could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Happy Grilling!  Ladies if you are not a griller, give it a try. It is simple and relaxing.  By grilling instead of cooking on the stove or in the oven, you can prepare delicious nutritious foods and save on your cooling bill during the summer.

About The Author

by: Jennifer Jordan

The saying, “it’s lonely at the top," is true for cigars. A type of smoke that makes the Marlboro man look weak rather than rugged, cigars have a way of excluding themselves from the group. Yet, you can’t fault the cigars. They might not want us to elevate their reputation and status by deeming them synonymous with luxury and sophistication; for all we know, cigars are standing in the background - looking lovingly at pipes and cigarettes - yelling, “Can’t we all just get along?" Luckily, cigars might have found something to relieve their loneliness: they just may have a lifelong companion in barley wine.

Upon performing research, I was surprised to find how many websites laud the combination of cigars and barley wine. And, naturally, I was even more surprised to find these websites weren’t just the ones that sell barley wine.

For those not familiar with barley wine, the simplest way to remember it is by the term “barely wine." Truth be told, barley wine isn’t really wine at all; because of its high alcohol content, it only thinks its wine (ironically, after a few too many bottles, I sometimes think this same thing about myself). With wine like characteristics, the big difference is in the ingredients: barley wine is made with grain instead of fruit. If it were cereal, barley wine would be Wheaties while wine would be Fruity Pebbles.

Still, barley wine is not without some fruit flavor. It displays both sweetness and bitterness at the same time, giving it a unique taste among beers.

While it originated in England, barley wine is available worldwide. However, when sold in the US, barley wines are required to be sold with the label, "barley wine-style ales," thus avoiding confusion for the wine-seeking consumer.

Barley wine is sometimes aged, much like wine, and used for celebratory occasions. It is this last sentence that undoubtedly makes the ears of cigars - with their penchant for celebration - prick up.

Cigars and barley wine compliment each other nicely. With a slightly peaty taste, barley wine does maintain some whiskey-like characteristics and, as most of us know, cigars have never found a whiskey they do not like.

Unlike wine, barley wine doesn’t always go well with food, but, luckily you don’t eat a Churchill. Many cigars, depending on your individual palate, do well with barley wines, in particular Old Nick Barley wine, which, according to many consumers, is one of the best barley wines on the market.

Overall, the key to pairing a good barley wine with a good cigar is to keep the tastes in cahoots, you don’t want the flavor of the beer and the flavor of the cigar fighting each other for your attention. It’s also a good rule to pair up beers of lighter color to cigars with lighter wrappers. This may help keep one from overpowering the other.

When it comes down to it, barley wine and cigars are good friends, and you just might find yourself - as you beg to be included - asking the duo to become a trio.

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 by: Hillary Marshak

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 by: Suzanne Macguire

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