Great Grill Gifts Personalized from Red Envelope

Cutting Board with Moat From Red Envelope

Here is my beautiful cutting board from Red Envelope. They have a variety of great gifts for all occasions, but I go to the the grill section and drool. The best part is that these gifts which look great in the photos look even nicer when they arrive.

I'd never heard of Red Envelope, but Jake got in touch and offered to send me something from the line for an honest review. Well, we all know I'm darn honest to a fault, so that is a gamble. I warn folks on that. If the product is not as advertised or a piece of junk, I'm going to tell it. That's only fair to readers who deserve to get what they pay for.

In this case, I thought the cutting board would be terrific for my larger grilled cuts especially with that trench or moat to catch any juices which can be right messy as most folks will know. It's just about to turn barbecue season for those larger cuts. I do some in the summer, but it's flat been too hard for long smokes here in North Carolina. So, I'm going to oil up the wooden cutting board and crank up the smoker real soon. In the meantime, I'm just admiring this well made board that smells real nice too.



If you've not used a wooden cutting board, then know that you do need to season them with oil before using. This one is not seasoned for the photos, because I wanted to get some before I do that. That is repeated every few months depending on the amount of use.

I'll work on a how to article at Yes You Can Grill about seasoning and taking care of wood cooking items.

Also, you want to make sure you do not cross contaminate. Some people use two boards to help on that - one for meats and one for other foods. You can use Clorox for cleaning, but many people worry about that. So, household vinegar full strength is a good option and my favorite.



I'm excited about this really great looking cutting board and know that it will turn heads at parties. Not only is the cutting board really great looking and sturdy, it also has my intitials.

What sets the products at Red Envelope further ahead of many products I check out is that they have personalization. They engrave or burn in your name or initials.

Above you will see that my initials are on this cutting board. Yes. They are CYA. I do not think CYA meant what it means now when my Mom named me, or she had not heard of it. In any case, gotta laugh when your initials spell something funny - even an acronym.

If you are looking for really nice gifts and especially for your favorite griller, be sure to check out Red Envelope. And, no, I don't work for them or get any kick back. I just think have a rocking grill section and grill/barbecue gifts.

Grill Charms by Leslie Haywood - Barbecue Master Getting Organized

I've known Leslie Haywood for a while now and have an interview with this neat inventor on my Yes You Can Grill site. She came up with the idea of grill charms which are similar to wine charms but go into your foods on the grill to keep track of special grill orders.

It's one thing to have an idea and get something made, and it's another story to be successful getting the word out, and Leslie has done a fabulous job in taking her invention from the drawing board to the porches of home grillers across the nation. So, I have to give a shout out and say, "You go grill charm girl!"



The grill charms come in various sets depending on what you track on your grill (or what you need to). You could, for example, get the steak set and mark the different levels of doneness.

When I won a set of Grill Charms at Oshawa Ogre's Views, News & BBQ's, I was stoked and surprised. Fred and I chat on Twitter. I saw his barbecue grill charms contest and I do some giveaways too, so I usually support other bloggers by entering. I think, probably like many others, that I'll never win. But, there have been several online contests where I have won a prize. So, I'd say, "Be sure to enter!" You never know, and it's fun to get something cool in the mail even if it is all natural toothpaste for children which I am still puzzling over. That showed up in the mail, and I have teens, but we tried it out anyway. Pretty good stuff but kind of random looking in my bathroom with no kids in the house.

The set of grill charms I selected were the spicy or not set. It includes 6 grill charms. There are two hot peppers, two peppers with flames, and two peppers with x over them (mild of course). Here I am the hot Momma, my older son likes his food spiced up but not over the top, and the younger one is mild all the way. So, this means I can mark the meats and not have to keep track of which heat level is where on the grill and then on the serving platter.



Tonight I grilled chicken, and I had a spiced up piece with Stubb's hot barbecue, one with medium, and then two for Eli with KC Masterpiece Bourbon barbecue sauce (mild but bold).

I just pressed the grill charms in. They are about the size of a dime and the back has a little squiggle bar that keeps them secure in the meat or whatever you're grilling.

Then, I put the chicken in the Traeger and worked on some syllabi for classes which start next week. I'd go check and turn the meat now and then but not often (Traeger pellet grills are low maintenance). And, I did not have to think about which one was which on the pellet grill, since they were labeled with the grill charms.



Our chicken turned out great, and there were no questions or mix ups about which ones were which heat level. I gloried in my spicy grilled chicken while Eli chowed down on his mild chicken breasts.

The grill charms cleaned up easy and look brand new even after time in a smoker. I just hand washed them in a little soapy water.

Grill charms would be great gifts for your friends who grill but also a nice treat to pick up for home. It really did make it super easy to keep track of the different sauces and heat levels. And, it's always nice to simplify when possible.

As an added bonus, these also look real neat and impress folks. My son thought they grill charms were great and sends a hug to Leslie (-: for making sure he does not accidentally end up with my spicy hot grilled chicken. We won't tell him that he sent hugs. You know how teen boys are - kind of shy (-:

Great Grill Gear Set to Gift or for a Splurge for the Barbecue Chef

Jake got in touch about RedEnvelope Grilling Gifts. I had visited the site and remembered that they had some really cool looking barbecue items.

Jake offered to send out something from the grilling collection. I asked if he'd read my blog (he had) and noted that I'll check out products and sites, but I call it the way I see it. That does not always go over well, but grilling is my hobby, and my blog is designed to help other home grillers get the best gear and products, find other good online sites and to share recipes for the grill. Jake was confident in his company and was willing to roll the dice.



The personalized grilling tool set came in on a day when I was on the couch watching junk TV, because I've had an awful sinus infection.

I opened up the box and was like "wow." I'd never had a grill tool set on my wish list, because I have various barbecue tools in a box on the enclosed porch. My grill tools are fine but certainly not fancy. Jeans are great so why worry about a party dress - right?

I wasn't up for grilling, but I sat and watched TV with the grill set. OK. You can laugh. It is really so pretty that it made me smile when I looked at the set. It looks nice on RedEnvelope, but photos do not do this grill set justice.

The grill tool set comes in the sturdy slimline toolbox you see at the top of the post and has my initials on the front - CYA. You can laugh again. I don't think those letters meant anything when I was born, but folks get a kick out of them now.

Inside are all the key tools that you need to grill. That includes a generous spatula (wide enough for even fish), tongs (that are easy to use), barbecue fork, brush, and four skewers. They are personalized in various ways with my name and initials plus "master of the grill."

Here is a close up of one of the pieces engraved. The work is excellent and looks great.



"Pretty is as pretty does," as they say in the South. This grill set is wonderful eye candy, but do the pieces work and handle well?

I must confess that I was tempted to keep this pretty barbecue set put away for special times. This is genetic or maybe just a trait handed down. The women in the family will keep back pretty towels or nightgowns and so on. I've tried not to do that, because it is sad when a family member passes and there are pretty things tucked away that were never used and enjoyed.

I took a deep breath and put these grill tools to the test, and they passed with flying colors. They are well designed and balanced and all work well. The only thing I might change would be that I'd probably go with silicone on the basting brush versus bristles, but the bristles on the basting brush do seem "right" for a classic looking set like this one.

If you are looking for a special gift for someone who loves to grill, then you can't go wrong with this grill tool set. It really is stunning to look at but also is made well so that it can actually be used and turn heads including your own. So, sometimes a party dress is in order even if you did not think about it until you saw it in the showcase window.

Barbecue Twelve Days of Christmas

Brrrr! Yes. It is cold outside, but that's half the fun (sort of).


You may not think of Christmas as barbecue season, but grills sell well around Christmas time. Why? Grills make great gifts as do the various accessories needed for super outdoor parties.

In the spirit of the season and for all those grilling fanatics out there, I've written a song highlighting those grilling gift wish lists. This song must, of course, be sung very loud and off key.

It is also most fun sung when cooking up some Beer Butt Chicken, but any grilled food will do. Just slap something on the grill, and belt out this new holiday classic.

Barbecue Twelve Days of Christmas
by Cyndi Allison

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A smokerwith cherry wood chunks


On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor glovess,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven grain fed beef steaks,
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips


On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve ice cold Bush beers,
Eleven grain fed beef steaks,
Ten Char-Broil caddies,
Nine Weber gas grills,
Eight outdoor cookbooks,
Seven bags of charcoal,
Six chimney starters,
Five Big Green Eggs,
Four kabob sets,
Three rib racks,
Two outdoor gloves,
And a smoker with cherry wood chips!


Now, somebody's dad definately needs some more grill gear. I'm thinking perhaps a big drop cloth or perhaps one of those side fence things like they put around trampliines these days.