Are you a heavy-duty tailgater?

Then you probably have this tailgating thing down!

For the rest of us non-professionals, some tailgating hacks might be useful before heading out to cheer on your team – and eat like a champ!

Tip #1 – Prepare as much food as you can beforehand. You don’t want to spend ALL your tailgate time working away over a hot propane stove.

Tip #2 – Keep it simple. Do you really want a four-course meal with dijonnaise sauce and delicate fritters? No! You’re out in a parking lot for goodness’ sake. Try brisket. Ribs. Burgers. Steak. Bite-sized appetizers.

Tip #3 – Never, ever run out of food. We don’t want a brawl on our hands. Those fans get hungry!

Tip #4 – Since you will be following tip #3, make sure to bring a cooler specifically for leftovers. Tailgate food is great even the next day! But you have to store it properly so it will keep.

Tip #5 – Don’t make it so complicated that you won’t have time to have fun yourself. Try sides – and even meals – you can just heat and eat.

Have fun cheering on your team at your next tailgate party. And eat a rib for me!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Oh, those beautiful summer days!

They’re coming to a close. But we still have a few days to savor the tastes of wonderful, glorious summer.

My summertime favorites?

Anything light and easy.

A fresh chicken breast on the grill. A little lemon juice and some greens and I’m a happy gal.

Burgers! Adding avocado at this time of year is so refreshing and delicious.

Grilled tenderloin salad. Try this one with peaches, pecans and limes. It looks, tastes and smells like summer.

And finally … steaks! A ribeye is my fave any time of year. Just sitting outside in the summer sun, smelling the aroma of a steak on the grill puts me in my happy place fast.

How about you? What are your summertime classics? Time is running out!

Photos courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Summer is coming to a close. It’s sad, but it doesn’t mean grilling has to stop!

On the contrary.

Keep those burgers, steaks, hot dogs, kabobs and whatever else you can dream up coming!

But there are a few end of summer grilling tips to prepare for the coming fall grilling season.

1. Clean the grill. You might not grill as often as you did in the summer. So start off the season with a good cleaning. The grill might sit for a longer period of time so let it sit clean.
2. Cover the grill. We’ll get some chilly nights (and days) ahead so cover up that grill so it stays safe – and leaf-free!
3. Make sure all knobs are on the OFF position. Seems simple, but in our haste sometimes we forget one or more of the burners when we’re finished. THAT would be a disaster if left for a while so double and triple check.
4. Shift to fall recipes! Searing a roast on the grill before letting it slow cook is oh so amazing! Check out more recipe ideas here.
5. Don’t forget to continue to invite lots of friends and family over to grill. Body heat will keep you warm when the temperatures start to go down! 🙂

Happy continued grilling!