Dancing on the Beach

By Josh Dusick

If you are like me, you love outdoor cooking on a charcoal grill or barbecue. There is nothing better than sitting outside on a nice summer afternoon or evening, enjoying the warmth of your grill or fire pit, enjoying a drink and grilling up some delicious food. The flavors and aromas imparted by real wood charcoal are irreplaceable. A charcoal grill or a wood fire pit and my favorites because of the real wood fire, smoke and aromas they give off.

However, charcoal can be hard to work with, especially if you don’t have much experience with it. So should you just give up the charcoal cooking and buy a gas barbecue? Not just yet! There are some tips for getting your charcoal going quickly which can help make the prep work on your outdoor grill easier.

I am going to cover three types of charcoal starter that can be used to fire up your coal and get cooking. Read carefully, because I have tips on how to use each one better and my recommendations on the best of the bunch, their advantages and disadvantages.

Ok, so here we go!

• Lighter Fluid – Lighter fluid is the traditional way to start your charcoal. It works, but can be difficult and messy.How to use it – Start by building a pyramid-shaped pile of charcoal in your grill or barbecue. It helps to have a small indentation at the top rather than a point. Turn your bottle of lighter fluid upside down and firmly squeeze for about 3 to 5 seconds, aiming the fluid into the indentation at the top of the pile of charcoal. Close and store your lighter fluid and then light the charcoal with a match. I recommend using long fireplace matches to avoid burning your hands! The coal will immediately ignite in flames. However, flames are not the goal, you want the charcoal to get hot enough to start burning themselves, developing hot, glowing embers. This takes some time.

  Some tips are to give the charcoal some time and avoid wind. Wind will blow out your fire. However, you don’t want to cover your grill just yet because it needs oxygen to get ignited. Your charcoal is ready when most of the briquets have a layer of grey ash developed over most of their surface. If your charcoal stops burning before it is lit and does not seem to be progressing, you occasionally need to add more lighter fluid. Try to avoid using too much and be careful, it will flare up as soon as you spray more lighter fluid on those hot coals!

  Pros – Lighter fluid is available everywhere, cheap and it does work, eventually.

  Cons – Lighter fluid is much less reliable in getting your charcoal lit, often taking several tries before your coals are ready. It can take longer than the other methods. Also, you are using chemicals, like kerosene, to ignite your charcoal. While this does burn off before you add your food theoretically, I definitely don’t want chemical aromas or fumes in or near my food.

• Electric Charcoal Starter – These are basically a metal loop attached to a handle which plugs into a standard power outlet. The electrical supply creates a current in the metal loop which heats it to very high heat, similar to an electric stove burner. This heat is used to ignite your charcoal. These electric charcoal starters are generally available in home supply stores and anywhere grills and barbecue supplies are sold.How to use it – Spread a layer of charcoal briquets on your charcoal grate in your barbecue. Next, lay the metal loop of your electric charcoal starter on top of this layer of charcoal. Then cover the starter with more charcoal. Plug in the electric starter and wait. After about 8 to 12 minutes the coals around the starter have ignited sufficiently, getting a grey ash covering their surface, to get the rest of the coals around them started. Unplug your charcoal starter and remove it. You may need to wait a while longer before the rest of your charcoal has ignited and the majority of briquets have a layer of grey ash on their surface.

  Pros – The electric charcoal starter is an easy way to start your grill. You don’t need to deal with flames, flammable materials or matches. There are no chemicals involved and it is reusable.

  Cons – Obviously, you need an electrical outlet nearby your grill for this to work. If you are grilling at a park, beach or campground, this may not be practical. Occasionally these can take a bit longer to start your charcoal but are generally faster than using lighter fluid.

• Charcoal Chimney Starter – This is my personal favorite way to start my charcoal! Chimney starters can also be found in most home supply stores and anywhere grills and barbecue supplies are sold. I recommend finding the largest chimney you can find so that all your charcoal can be started in one step. I personally use the large Weber brand chimney starter which is widely available. Otherwise, after the charcoal in the chimney is dumped out, you have to add more briquets that take time to ignite off of the initial charcoal. If you have a very large grill, another option is to use two or more chimneys at the same time to get your charcoal ready.How to use it – The chimney is basically a large cylindrical metal tube with a large handle and a metal grate in the middle to hold your charcoal. The bottom edge has holes in the metal sides to light your fire. The first step is to fill the top portion of your chimney with charcoal. Fill to just below the top rim, but avoid over-filling it. Next, crumple up two or three pieces of newspaper and place them in the bottom part of the chimney from below (below the grate holding your charcoal). You don’t want so much that it is packed tightly as it needs some oxygen circulation to light easily and burn hot. Set the chimney down inside your grill on the charcoal grate. Now light the newspaper. This is best accomplished using long fireplace matches which you introduce through the holes in the bottom of the chimney. Light in multiple places to ensure all your newspaper gets ignited. If you don’t have long matches, you can lift up the chimney and use a lighter or small match to light the newspaper.

  Now just sit back and wait! The burning newspaper inside the chimney will ignite the lower charcoal. As this burns the flames will ignite charcoal higher and higher in the chimney. Keep an eye on it, but wait until there are small flames starting to be visible near the top of your chimney and you can see the lower levels of charcoal glowing. At this point simply tip the chimney over and pour out your burning charcoal on the the charcoal grate in your grill. They are ready to use when there is a layer of grey ash covering most of the briquets.

  Pros – The chimney starter is easy to use. It ignites all your charcoal quickly and does not require any chemical starters. It is reusable and lasts a long time.

  Cons – Very rarely, your charcoal will not ignite with the first try and will require the addition of one or two more pieces of wadded up newspaper. Otherwise, the only downside to the chimney fire starter is that you need a few pieces of newspaper handy to get it lit!

Well there you have it! Three options for starting your charcoal for easier, quicker outdoor grilling. These are not the only ways to start charcoal, but they are the most common and in my opinion the more reliable and easy.

For other tips on outdoor cooking on a fire pit, grill or barbecue or even cooking in your fireplace, see The Fire Pit and Grilling Guru Guide.

Have fun and enjoy your charcoal grilling!

Josh Dusick is the editor of the Fire Pit and Grilling Guru website at http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com where you can get information about grills, barbecues, fire pits, indoor grills, firewood, charcoal, grill and fire pit cooking, cooking in your fireplace, grill food and wine pairing and even how to build an outdoor fire pit. Take your cooking with fire to the next level!

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If you are looking for a holiday with lots of sun, sea and sand, Florida is the perfect destination. With more than 1,100 miles of beaches along its sultry coasts, Florida has something for everyone. But which are the best Florida beaches and what can you expect to find there? Here are ten best beach picks:

1. Panama City Beach, also known as PCB, is consistently listed among the best Florida beaches, featuring shimmering white quartz sand, which is beautiful to look at and soft enough for children to play in. More than 25 miles in length, it borders on the Gulf of Mexico, ensuring warm, clear water for swimming.

2. Daytona Beach, as seen on MTV, has hard packed sand, which is great for sports and dancing. A former racing venue, much of it is still accessible to cars. Daytona Beach is a popular location for bodysurfing and is an excellent place to swim. Its gently sloping shoreline means you are less likely to unexpectedly find yourself out of your depth.

3. St Joseph Peninsula offers a beautiful, sugary white beach with all the benefits of a National Park. Its tall dunes offer beautiful views out across St Joseph Bay. This is a popular location for fans of canoeing and kayaking, and fishing is available just offshore. St Joseph is often rated among the top 10 Florida beaches for those who enjoy activity vacations.

4. Cocoa Beach is positioned just minutes away from the Kennedy Space Center, so if you time your trip right, you can lie back on the soft sand and watch a shuttle take off. Cocoa Beach is a great place for surfing and there is always a party atmosphere around the pier.

5. South Beach is popular with international celebrities and those looking forward to luxury holidays where they can be seen by the right people. South Beach bars and restaurants are priced accordingly, but his is a great place to hang out if you enjoy looking chic.

6. Clearwater Beach is always bustling with activity. With artistic and cultural activities to enjoy, it also features free concerts at night down by Pier 60. And children will enjoy visiting the nearby aquarium. Kids often declare this to be one of the best Florida beaches.

7. Fort Walton Beach is a great place to go to relax, especially for families, with plenty of space for kids to play and lifeguards to watch out for them. Dolphins play in the bay just offshore and you can take a boat ride if you want to go and meet them.

8. Captiva Beach, out on Captiva Island, is a popular destination for young couples as well as for older holidaymakers. Its miles of glittering sand are laced with exotic shells. Captiva Beach is situated near the Bahia Honda Channel, with its stunning reefs, which makes it a great place to go snorkeling.

9. Fort Lauderdale offers 23 miles of stunning beaches between its wayward waterways and the open sea. Here you can watch manatees at play or simply walk out into the water to explore the reef. Often listed among the top 10 Florida beaches, its enduring popularity is a testament to its ability to charm visitors from all different backgrounds.

10. Sanibel Island Beach is undoubtedly one of the best Florida beaches, and also one of best kept secrets in the state. Though it is a popular location for marriages, it is still largely undiscovered, and its quiet atmosphere attracts wildlife such as sea turtles. Sanibel Island Beach is a great place to find shells and is popular with windsurfers.
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By Julie Languille

What could be better than a picnic at the beach for a family dinner outing? Sand in your toes, the roar of the ocean a walk on the beach, and a roaring fire to gather around. If you aren’t lucky enough to live near the ocean, a lake, pond, creek or fountain will do. Or simply put blankets down in the back yard. A few easy dinner recipes for a picnic at the beach then later when it gets dark you can do some star gazing.

What you need:

1) A place to go. Choose a local beach, preferably with fire pits or BBQs. One with a bit of shelter from the wind is ideal. It will keep the sand out of your food later.

2) Fire – a fire ring, BBQ, or create your own. You can bring a small portable BBQ or dig a pit and line it with stones. If you are making your own fire pit it is great to involve the whole faily in the digging, the hunt for stones and the search for firewood. It is a good idea to bring a grill to set on top of stones on your firepit. And i always bring some backup firewood in case the search for wood turns up less than an adequate supply.

3) Seating – a picnic bench, folding chairs or a huge old quilt or blanket are wonderful to sit on fireside. Bring several so as the day gets cooler you can all be near the fire and you can switch side s as the wind direction changes to avoid getting smoke on your eyes.

4) Games – It is a great idea to bring some games or toys to occupy the troops until dinner time. A bucket and shovel are classic beach toys and the basis of any good sand castle. It’s really amazing how the sand itself is entertaining for kids to play with. It’s like at Christmas when all the little kids love to play in the boxes and wrapping; take them to the beach and they love the sand. Of course later they’ll have it in every crevice, but that’s a price well worth paying for a good afternoon at the beach. Beach balls are another good choice as are Frisbees. Bring another bucket if you’ve got a shell collector. They’ll spend hours combing the beach for treasures. You can make a game of collecting sea shells and sea glass and have a craft day later where you turn your treasures into a craft such as decorated picture frames.

5) Camera – Since we may be making some decorated picture frames later with our collected shells, we may as well bring the camera and capture some sun and sand logged goofiness on film. I love a shot from the end of the day when everyone ir pink and sandy, tired and happy.

6) Safety – Be sure to have the safety discussion with kids early on. Depending on how many you have with you and what their ages are, there rules may vary, but each child should clearly know whether they are allowed in the water, and if so how deep. (To the knees? To the Belly button?) And if we are wandering the beach looking for shells, lets choose marker to show how far it is safe to go and whether you need to have someone come with you.

7) Drying off – Bring loads of towels, preferably big beach towels. Bring more than you think you’ll need because someone always gets cold and wet when it is later in the day and beginning to get chilly.

8) Warm clothes – be sure to bring jackets for every one. Once the day turns cooler it is easy to get chilled. Bring something soft in case we’re gotten any sunburn.

9) Sunscreen – I hate to have to cut a great outing short becasue we didn’t plan well enough for sun exposure. Be sure it is water proof, plentiful and it is reapplied as needed.

10) Drinks! Be sure to have plenty of bottles of water on hand and well as fruit drinks for the kids and whatever the adults would like. Why not go with a beach theme and have some mai tais on the beach. They needn’t even be alcoholic to taste good, although a little rum add good flaover. Buy mai tai mix, orange juice, mango juice, pineapple juice and rum if desired and go to town. It’s extra point if you bring cute glasses (non breakable of course) and super extra credit for those little umbrellas.

11) Food! I bet you thought we never get there, but you know the food is the highlight of the day. Today we’re doing shrimp boil in foil; succulent tender shrimp, sweet summer corn and spicy sausage all grilled together in a foil packet. The are make ahead and kept in the cooler to pop on the fire when we’re ready. Also bring a loaf or garlic bread, all buttered and sliced and wrapped in foil to warm on the grill. For appetizers I like to do little smokey sausage links. Give everyone a weiner roasting stick or fashion them yourselves from coat hangers, spear a little smoky sausage and heat over the fire until sizzling. Careful though, they’re hot! Bring more than you think you’ll need because appetites get big with all that sun and activity. I’m convinced it makes the food taste better too! For dessert, it’s got to be s’mores. Bring marshmallows, roasting sticks, chocolate bars and graham crackers. Again bring more than you think you need to account marshmallows dropped in the sand, burnt like torches and hearty appetites!

Grilled Shrimp “Boil” in Foil

A shrimp boil is a traditional southern dish where shrimp, shellfish, sausage and corn are boiled together with Old Bay seasoning. This has all the good flavor, but is faster and easier to prepare in foil packets.

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb Shrimp – medium – peeled and deveined

1 lb Mussels

1 lb Clams

1/2 lb Kielbasa, sliced

2 Cobs of of corn, shucked

2 Tb Butter

1/4 C Water

1/4 C White wine

1 Tsp Old Bay seasoning

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Cut the corn into 1 inch rounds. Tear off 4 large sheets of foil and fold in half to double. Divide seafood, corn and sausage evenly among the packets, dot with butter, sprinkle on Old Bay, and 1 TB of both wine and water. Fold up with double folds to secure well. Grill packets about 10 minutes turning once until puffed. Empty each packet carefully into a bowl to serve.

Julie Languille

Mom, step-mom, foster mom and adoptive mom and owner of Dinners In A Flash
http://www.dinnersinaflash.com
Easy Dinner Recipes, Menus and Meal Planning for Busy Families

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By Gail Leino

When having a beach party, games are an absolute must. Between the sun, sand and surf, there are plenty of ways to have a great time at the beach and satisfy your competitive instincts at the same time.

“Water-Balloon Challenge” Beach Party Game

Water-balloons and beach party games go hand in hand, especially in this instance. Players pair off, and are given one full water balloon each. Partners must face each other, starting out by standing 2 feet apart. Players must throw and attempt to catch the water balloon, taking one step backwards each time they catch it. Once a pair’s water-balloon is dropped or bursts, they must exit the game. The last pair standing are the winners of this beach party game.

“Fruit-Legged Beach Relay” Beach Party Game

At a beach party, games like this one can give everyone plenty of laughs. Players split into two equal teams, with a piece of fruit being given to each player. A bucket for each team is placed down the beach. The object of this beach party game is for team members to take turns shuffling down the beach one at a time with their piece of fruit wedged between their thighs, run back up the beach and tag the next person in line. The first team to place all their fruit in their bucket and return to the starting line is the winner of this beach party game.

Beach party games are a fantastic way to enjoy a day by the sea. And the best part is, getting sandy and sweaty doesn’t matter because you can cool off afterwards.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for beach party supplies and fun free educational party games She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Shop has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or “just because” parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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