You invested a lot of time and money into putting together your outdoor kitchen area, especially the grill. You love to use your grill for big get-togethers and your own specialty entree dishes, but you may not use the grill as much as you want to or thought you would when you bought it.

Knowing the extent of the creativity you can use when selecting food for the grill can help you integrate this piece of equipment more fully into your meal plans. However, it’s also important to know which foods cannot be grilled effectively.

In this blog, we share five foods that are great for grilling and three foods that you should always prepare on your indoor cooktop or in the oven instead.

As summer approaches, you may realize that your son or daughter is about to graduate from high school or college. You may even want to honor his or her achievements by celebrating with family and friends. But you probably don’t want to rent out an expensive venue or spend hours cleaning your house for guests.

Have you considered throwing an outdoor graduation party for your son or daughter? With the weather warming up, the outdoors can be a perfect setting for an upcoming celebration. Follow these steps for a simple yet unforgettable outdoor graduation party.

The best music in the world—according to many who play—is the random music heard around a fire in someone’s backyard. Nothing compares to the real life experience of a crackling outdoor fire and spontaneous live entertainment. The allure of the pairing is so strong, some big music festivals now add “campfire sessions” with the pro musicians to their lineups.

Informal settings encourage the entire group to sing along, keep the beat on a hand drum, or dance to the rhythm of the tunes. Outdoor sing-alongs are both ice-breaking and stress-relieving for all ages.

The most wonderful aspect of tiny-home living is how easy it is to heat up a small space on a freezing winter day. Start up the gas, pellet, or wood stove, and you have a cozy room in minutes.

Choosing which type of stove to use in your tiny home takes a bit longer. There are important safety and design issues to consider before selecting a final model of heater. Make a checklist of the following requirements to help you choose the heating stove that’s right for your tiny space.

If you have a fire pit or a fireplace out back, you may be looking forward to hot dogs and smores this summer. However, meat and sweets aren’t the only options for outdoor cooking—you can use your fire pit or outdoor fireplace to cook fruits and vegetables too.

If you need a break from the marshmallows, look for something new. For nutritious side dishes, or even main dishes if you want to go vegetarian, try these options this summer.

1. Corn on the Cob

If you’re joining the shift toward a green lifestyle, your home is the first place you start. You may start using cloth grocery sacks, install a few solar panels, and start your own garden. Many green-minded homeowners might wonder if it’s energy efficient and environmentally friendly to use a gas, pellet, or wood fireplace.

The truth is that utilizing a fireplace in your home can go either way. Here are some tips to keep your merry, warm hearth without significantly increasing your impact on your local environment.

As winter approaches, you may find yourself longing for the cozy crackling of a fire to light up your living area. However, because most fireplaces are used infrequently during the warmer months, your gas fireplace may not be ready for a blaze right away.

Use the following seven steps to prepare your gas fireplace for colder weather.

In your living room, you have a darling fireplace with a lovely mantel. You may have a few trinkets on it, or it may be completely empty. Either way, perhaps you’ve decided your mantel needs a little extra pizazz. But how do you begin?

Whether you’ve just moved into a new home or have lived in the same cozy house for several years, decorating your mantel gives you a creative outlet and gives your room a unique personality. You can also regularly change up your mantel décor for a fresh look.

But, if you need suggestions for decorating your mantel, take a peek at the following tips to get started.

No matter how long you’ve lived in your home, you will feel like the space is missing something at some point or another. As you think of items you can add to your house, you might decide that a fireplace would be the perfect addition for your needs and preferences.

Instead of opting for the traditional, wood-burning fireplace, you may want to add a gas fireplace to your home. These units are incredibly versatile and they provide you with countless benefits. We’ve listed just a few of them below. Read on to discover why a gas fireplace is the most advantageous option for you.