Rich's for the Home

Games for Outdoor Entertaining 3: Water Balloon Toss

WATER BALLOON TOSS

The Water Balloon Toss is a great way to both cool off and add some laughs to your outdoor gathering. Aww come on-a little water never hurt anyone, right?

PRE-PLAN

1. Buy a bag or two of water balloons.
2. Fill them up.
3. Place them in large buckets or containers.

STEPS

1. Partner participants up with someone of similar height, if possible.
2. Line people up so there is an even distance between two lines, with partners across from each other.
3. Give water balloon to one partner, who must toss it to their partner. The partner should catch it.
4. After each toss, the person who tossed it must step back one step.
5. Teams are out when their balloon breaks.

MIX IT UP

• If you don't want winners and losers, just keep passing out balloons to people who break theirs until all the balloons are gone.
• Add an action before tossing. For instance, tosser must do a jumping jack before tossing balloon.
• Rotate one line after each toss so that people can experience different partners.

Treasure Hunt
Freeze Tag

Customer Experience: Big Green Egg

We recently met with Archie Lopez, a Big Green Egg customer from Texas. He runs an electric utility district and truly enjoys his Big Green Egg.

J- How does the Big Green Egg help you?

A- Too many ways to count. This grill makes slow cooking meats so easy it's pretty hard to mess things up unless you throw some meat on the grill and totally forget about it and burn it. It is also a very efficient smoker/grill....a little charcoal goes a LONG way. 

I have cooked when it was in the 20-30's in the dead of winter with no problems. I can still get the BGE to 600-700 degrees to cook steaks in that kind of weather!

Also, if we ever have an extended power outage I know I can get it fired up and ready to go in 15 minutes or less. I can cook just about ANYTHING on that thing.

J- I’m not that good at grilling. Does the Big Green Egg make it easier?

A- I have slow cooked ribs for 8 hours before and all I had to do was check the temperature gauge on the outside to make sure the temperature was constant. It really seals in the juices and makes the food taste great. With my gas grills it was a LOT more work. Now some grillers may like all the work, but I like to sit and enjoy good conversation rather than stand all day in front of a grill in the Texas heat.

J- How durable is it?

A- One will last you a lifetime unless you drop it and crack it. The quality of the construction is excellent.

J- What have you cooked on your Big Green Egg?

A- Let's see.....I've cooked steaks, ribs, chicken, turkeys, cornish game hens, porkloin, hamburgers, hot dogs,  veggies, pizzas, bratwurst, hot links, and baked potatoes.  It's pretty versatile!

J- I would say so! Would you recommend a Big Green Egg to others looking for a grill?

A- Absolutely! Slow cooked meats are about half of what they would cost at a BBQ joints but they have all the same seared-in flavoring. Plus it's a great excuse to gather the extended family and see what we can come up with.

BUY YOUR BIG GREEN EGG at Rich's for the Home.

Planting in your outdoor room-it's not too late

It's not too late to make a great impression in your outdoor room with plants. If you are planning a 4th of July party, family reunion or any other kind of gathering this summer, it's time to plant. Plants, whether veggies or flowers, can make a great impression in your decor and even offer opportunity for conversations starters and a bit of horticulture education.

If you want to plant veggies, stir it up by:

1. Plant unusual veggies that the common person may not recognize.
2. Use the veggies in the food you offer your guests.
3. Plant veggies that offer a beautiful blossom.
4. Think outside the box. Nothing wrong with planting (for instance) a few cucumbers in a hanging basket.

If you want to use flowers in your outside room decor, consider:

1. Overfilling the planters. It will be more beautiful for one-season flowers.
2. Mix it up with both tall and shorter flowers in your flowerbeds.
3. Consider edible flowers.
4. Work with colors that match your house and any features of your outdoor room.
5. Be sensitive to placing flowers that draw bees too close to your guests.

Plants will help every outdoor room look fresh and feel relaxing. They also work wonders to add a bit of color and cheer. Don't forget to water them when they are dry and give them sun. Happy plants=happy guest and happy plant-owners.

Games for Outdoor Entertaining 2: Freeze Tag

FREEZE TAG

Freeze Tag is an oldie but goodie and is fun even for adults. The person who is "it" runs around and tags people. Once tagged, the person is frozen and can't move around again until someone who is free crawls between their legs.


PRE-PLAN

1. Find a space. The backyard will work.
2. Decide who is "it".

MIX IT UP

• Divide the group into two teams. Use a ribbon or bandanna around the wrists to differentiate teams. Have two people be "it", one from each team. Free people can only unfreeze people on their own team. When you want to end the game, the team with the most unfrozen people wins.
• Start with a wide playing area and narrow it throughout the game.
• Make a safe zone where people can run to but they can only be in there twice during the game and for 15 seconds at a time.

STEPS

1. Go!

Treasure Hunt

Grilled Potatoes

Of course, we grill meat. And we also grill some veggies. Have you ever thought about grilling potatoes?

I will admit--except for burying potatoes in the coals of a hot fire, I have not. So it was with interest that I read this article from VV Daily with some ideas on how to grill potatoes. They even suggest pairing them with meat on a skewer. That's interesting. I guess you would have to make sure that the potato didn't get too soft and split up. I bet it tastes totally yummy.

Here are some other potato grilling ideas:

1. Foiled Treasure Packets- A fine and delicious mixture of corn and potatoes.
2. Potato Rounds- Slice potatoes into rounds, with or with skin. Brush with salt and olive oil and grill directly on grill.
3. Potato Halves- Slice potatoes in half and grill face down. Good with garlic powder. Scoop and eat.
4. Chunked Potatoes- Chop into chunks, toss with basil and a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Grill wrapped in foil until soft.

Do you have a clever way to grill potatoes? If so, please let us know in the comments.

Games for Outdoor Entertaining 1: Treasure Hunt

It's party time! Are you ready for outdoor entertaining this year? I sure am. I am going to start a series on outside games that you can use to spice up your outdoor party. And most of them are for the adults as well as the kids! So get your planning notebook or print this page and add it to your ideas. It's FUN.

TREASURE HUNT

The best treasure hunts are when the prize is valuable to that particular crowd. For kids, of course, it can be as simple as a box of candy. For adults, you might have to get more clever (although candy is sometimes appreciated in that age group too). Try movie passes, bowling passes, game or play tickets or food and drink.

PRE-PLAN

1. Cut slips of paper or use index cards for each clue.
2. Each clue needs to lead to a location with the next clue.
3. Make the clue rhyme, if you can.
4. When done with a clue, fold it over and write on the outside of the clue where you will be placing it.
5. Make the last stop the TREASURE.
6. Don't hide the FIRST clue. But do hide the rest.

MIX IT UP

• Divide into teams and see who can find the treasure the most quickly. If you have teams, you will have to make more than one copy of each clue and explain that each team should only take one.
• Ask your neighbors if they can house a "stop" in their yards. Or, use other stops such as the stop-sign down the street.
• The more clues, the longer it will take.

STEPS

1. Either divide people into teams or make it a group effort.
2. Pass out the first clue.
3. GO!

Tax Stove Credit Information

The Stove Tax Credit put into place by the Obama administration has been finalized and although there are some stipulations, it means that you can get up to 30% of your qualifying stove/fireplace purchase as a tax credit, up to $1,500.00.

What are you waiting for? It's an ideal time.

All the products from Lopi meet the qualifications. Here is a handy-dandy list of models just for you:

Lopi Wood Stoves:

Leyden

Answer

Republic 1250

Republic 1750

Endeavor

Liberty

Lopi Wood Stove Inserts:

Answer

Declaration

Revere

Freedom

Freedom Bay

Walden

Lopi Pellet Stoves:

Leyden

Pioneer

Yankee

Lopi Pellet Stove Inserts:

Pioneer Bay

Yankee Bay

What's Cooking: Grilled Italian Turkey Sausage

Now I have to admit to something strange: I have never liked sausage. I've tried several kinds to no avail. However, other people in my family enjoy sausage very much. We were able to come to a small compromise recently when I discovered that a yummy sausage can be made from ground turkey. As this recipe stands, it is a mild sausage. But delicious just the same.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

STEPS:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Shape into patties or strips.
3. Grill evenly on both sides.