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Well I had one heck of a week! It was so much fun as I crossed Canada with Char-Broil and did media for them and the Char-Broil TRU Infrared Grills.

We started out in the beautiful city of Vancouver British Columbia!

Then right to the airport as I headed to Calgary ALberta

Check out the link for our segment on grilling up some delicious chicken and a grilled caesar salad HERE 

Then right to the Country 105 Radio station for The RHODES Show!

Then once again right to the airport for a flight from Calgary to Chicago then on to Memphis. Ugh. Thats where a whole bunch of lightning unfortunately delayed my  plane and sadly I ended up arriving a day late into Memphis. (This seriously impeded my visiting with friends plans and cocktail aspirations) Got stuck in Chicago for the night. ]

Now why was I headed to Memphis ?? Well Memphis in May of course one of the BIG contests.

The Char-Broil TRU Tour goes each year!

It is a lof of fun to visit with the Crew plus then we get to BBQ with The Weather Channel throughout the morning and have a lot of grilling fun with host Paul Goodloe

You can follow Paul on his Facebook page 

It was a blast of course – who doesn’t love grilling & BBQ.? All of the recipes for the segments can be found here!

After the segments I got  some time to visit with friends from all over !

Congratulations to Sweet Swine o MINE!! Memphis in May World Champions for 2013

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Its a epic holiday where an overabundance of flowers buffets and cards abound.

Here are some suggestions on what to give your MOM this weekend:

Start with a cocktail…. 

Seriously this amazing cocktail comes from a kickass MOM – Dee from Cocktail Deeva She rocks the cocktail world, wears fab shoes and knows her stuff inside and out!  Make sure you visit her website often. She is guaranteed to make you laugh and love her cocktail concoctions.

“Love your Mamma”..Martini…with a little slice of peace and quiet…

2 oz Watermelon Vodka

2 oz lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar/warm water)

3 slices cucumber

2 mint leaves

Shake vodka, juice, syrup and mint leaves with ice. Serve in a martini glass with ice. Garnish with cucumber floating on the top of cocktail. This cocktail is best made up ahead of time so mint and cucumber flavours can infuse infuse into the cocktail. So make up a pitcher the day before and invite the other Momʼs over to enjoy some if that TIME you asked for…

Make her dinner & clean up the kitchen. 

Grilled up some Veggies (I ♥ Asparagus) with Roasted Garlic Chipotle Dipping Sauce:

Roasted Garlic & Chipotle Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup                     Good quality Mayonnaise
• 1                              Bulb of roasted Garlic (approx. 10 cloves)
• 3                              Chipotles in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons    freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons    freshly chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon      freshly chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon        kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon        freshly cracked black pepper

Place ingredients into a food processor. Pulse till incorporated well.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled meats, vegetables or fish.

Serve her some beautiful seafood – planked roasted garlic & tomato scallops

or some great herb crusted prime rib:

Finish the meal with a sinfully good dessert.

Nutella Dessert Pizza

(2 pizzas)

For the Crust:

• 750-g     fresh pizza dough
• ¼ cup    Cornmeal for dusting

For the Toppings:

•  
• 1 cup     Nutella

Bring pizza dough to room temperature as per package instructions. Remove from bag; divide into 2 balls.

On lightly floured surface, pull and shape into 2 pizzas, about 9 inches (23 cm) wide. Crimp edges as you would with pie. Prick dough all over with fork tines. Let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

Spread Nutella onto each pizza, and then layer each with mini marshmallows, pecans, skor toffee bits, chocolate chunks.

Place pizzas onto cornmeal or flour-dusted pizza paddle. Place on a heated cornmeal dusted pizza stone or oiled grill preheated to medium-high (about 550F/280C); close lid. Grill about 5-10 minutes until chocolate is melted. Remove from grill and cool for 1-2 minutes. Top with strawberries, whipped cream & icing sugar.

After dinner give her a gift certificate for something she LOVES. For me thats the SPA or my favorite BBQ store.  Or heck you could even clean the house without being asked. You can’t give your Mom everything but something as simple as a cup of tea, a favorite book and quality quiet time to read it – may be exactly what she is looking for.

So there are so many games on each and every day! For the record…. I am an eternal optimist. I am a Toronto Maple Leafs Fan. For good or for bad its been a long 9 years…..

Lots of parties and that means super snacking and of course great munchies!!

Here are some great links to delicious munchies you can serve at your playoff parties…

Diva Q MOINK balls inspired by Larry Gaian from the BBQ Grail

MMM Shrimp & Sausage Bites - pork & seafood come together for a power packed bite of goodness!

4 Cheese ABT’s – stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon and smoked to yumminess!

Diva Q Jalapeno Dip & Grilled breads – so easy to make it should be illegal.

Chevaps – Because meat on sticks makes people happy!

Pizza Pizza Pizza – Everyone loves a good pizza.

May is National BBQ Month!!

Get out & grill everyone!

I BBQ all year round. I understand there are people that put away their BBQ’s at the end of summer –  (We need to talk people – you can BBQ in winter and fall!) You need to perform ongoing maintenance and grill inspection -remember a clean grill is a happy grill.

Spring is just about sprung and its always a good time to take stock of your grills, sauces and rubs as the warmer months approach..

REMINDER: You should always check with your Manufacturers Owners Manual prior to cleaning, replacing or refinishing anything on your grill. Not all grills are created equal and what works for one many seriously damage another.

BBQ Tip:

Clean all of your BBQ’s exteriors with hot soapy water. You can also use a store brand degreaser.  Wipe down with cotton towels (Not the good ones from the bathroom – consult your spouse on this)

BBQ Tips:

Inspect all hoses and lines for cracking and fraying. Replace if necessary and consult your manufacturer’s operation manual and warranty on instructions.  Tighten all nuts and bolts to make sure your grill is solid.

There are types of tube cleaning brushes that are designed to help remove debris, spiderwebs and clogged lines. Check if your type of BBQ needs this type of cleaning brush.

Flaking paint is not tasty. If your grill hood is flaking you may need to sand it down and use some high heat touch up paint. Consult your owners manual.

Replace any knobs, dials and thermometers on your grill. Most manufacturer’s have many of these instock and available for order. This will help refresh your grill.

BBQ Tip: Spring Buy a new good quality cleaning brush preferably with a replaceable head.

BBQ Tip: Inspect your propane tanks. They have a shelf life make sure yours is current and where necessary replace.

BBQ Tip: Spring Check out your wood chip, chunk & charcoal levels. Stock up so you are always ready to get your grill on !!

BBQ Tip: Some types of grates need to be seasoned often and ongoing (ie Cast iron) Check with your manufacturer owners manual for recommended instructions for seasoning.

BBQ Tip: Spring Check your rubs and sauces out make sure to replenish and replace any that are out of date or stale. Try some new ones!

BBQ Tip: Spring Along with maintaining a safe grilling/bbq area inspect your fire extinguisher gauge to make sure you are in the green area. Recharge if necessary.

BBQ TIP: Level your BBQ. This only takes a minute but is really important to make sure your heat is evenly distributed.

BBQ Tip: SPring is the ideal time to remember to check your thermometers for accuracy and calibrate if necessary.  Boil a small pot of water and insert the thermometer. The temperature should be 212F or 100C

BBQ Tip: Spring Buy a few large boxes of baking soda and have them handy- great to use for cleaning and snuffing out grease fires.

BBQ Tip: Spring Invest in a small notebook or online recipe database – keep a cooking log of food you make. That way if something is a success you can repeat the results!

BBQ Tip: Spring is a great time to try some new recipes check out Youtube, BBQ forums, and of course recipe sites for new inspiration!

BBQ Tip: Find a good butcher & get to know your meat. They can provide you with tons of tips, advise on deals & share knowledge

BBQ Tip: Spring is an excellent time to invest in a new grill or BBQ. Get out & buy something new- Pellets, Charcoal & Gas all have different unique features.

BBQ Tip: Spring is a fantastic time to kick it old school with a stick burner. Imagine cool nights, thin wisps of smoke & the smell of wood & meat… awesome !

BBQ Tip: Check out a BBQ Class – you just never know what you can learn! I am biased but ill recommend this .

Above all keep your grill clean, well oiled and full of tasty food!! Enjoy !!

It was a lot of fun to be once again be invited to the Char-Broil all star event. (Seriously does anyone ever turn down an opportunity to be in the sun for a few days>?) This year’s event was held in Atlantic Beach Florida at the beautiful One Ocean Resort. Glorious beach views and top notch amenities was the theme for the weekend. Really – this was pretty lovely to work and learn in this environment.

My fellow all star Char-Broil Bloggers were once again a blast to be around. You really need to check these folks out:

Meet the All-Stars

 Simple Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
2. Simmer until smooth and thickened to desired consistency—approximately 15 minutes.

Here is a different recipe as well:

Diva Q Texas Beef Ribs
Ingredients:
• 1 large rack meaty Texas beef Ribs (4-5lbs)
• ½ – ¾ cup Montreal Steak Spice
4 cups hickory or mesquite wood chips/chunks (for charcoal or gas grills)
Preheat your grill to 225/250F creating an indirect heat zone.
Pull the membrane from the bone side of the ribs.
Season both sides of the ribs generously with Montreal Steak Spice
Place ribs on grill indirect.
Add 1 handful of hickory/mesquite woodchips to the charcoal grill. Use hickory/oak pellets for a pellet grill. Or use a smoker box of hickory/mesquite wood chips if using a gas grill. Repeat adding wood chips or chunks to the grill every hour.
Grill indirect for 5-6 hours until the meat has pulled back from the bones and is tender.
Montreal Steak Spice
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 3 tablespoons Butcher Grind Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 2 tablespoon Granulated Onion
• 1 tablespoon Dill
• 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
• 1 tablespoon Thai Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tablespoon Dried Mustard
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl then transfer to a grinder.
Grind for 10-15 seconds until fully mixed and finely ground.
Store in an airtight container.
Use on pork, and beef.

BBQ Crawl commercial

coming to Travel & Escape

April 9 at 10:30pm EST