CLR BBQ Grill Cleaner - Good Stuff

CLR Now Has Grill Cleaner

I've been using CLR inside for a long time. It helps a lot on the hard water we have out here in the country. CLR cuts through the lime and leaves the fixtures nice and shiny.

When CLR got in touch about their new grill cleaner, I was excited. It wasn't around here yet, but I thought it would be a good pick, since the inside CLR was so good.

The company sent me a bottle of the new grill cleaner, and my son even agreed to clean the Weber smoker. It had a good amount of gunky barbecue sauce from smoking ribs.

Eli Using CLR to Clean the Smoker

With CLR Grill Cleaner, the grates were clean in no time. Eli also cleaned down the water pan which wasn't too bad, since it had been covered in aluminum foil. The outside got a quick wipe. The smoker looked almost like new.

Easy Grill Cleaning with New CLR for BBQ Grills

You can see here that the grate is cleaning up nicely. Eli has finished most of the main spokes and is getting the crud out from the center part (which is where the build up is usually the worst).

I would certainly recommend CLR. I liked it so much that I'm already out. I'll have to check Lowe's or Food Lion and see if they carry CLR BBQ grill cleaner. It really does make clean up easier.

How to Make White Barbecue Sauce - Alabama Style BBQ

Starting to Lather on the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce 

In Alabama and other places in the South, white barbecue sauce is popular. It’s a mayonnaise based barbecue sauce and very rich. It’s also sinfully tasty.

White barbecue sauce is a great change of pace for a grilled chicken party. It does look and taste different which is part of why it’s fun. If you’re used to tomato based barbecue sauces, then this may catch you by surprise. It did when I first tried it. White BBQ sauce looked odd, but I was sold after just one bite. It’s now one of my all-time favorite barbeque sauces. And, it’s great as a dip as well.

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 TBS pepper (fresh ground is fabulous)
• 1 TBS sugar


*Note - You can add a splash of hot sauce or pepper seeds and other ingredients to give the white barbecue sauce more zip.

Directions:

Simply mix the sauce ingredients together and chill. Very simple!

Tips:

Don’t use white barbecue sauce as a marinade. It’s too rich and thick. If you slather this on before the meat goes on the grill, the sauce will burn. Cook the chicken about ¾ done on the grill and then begin basting with the white barbecue sauce.

White barbecue sauce is also excellent as a dip with the cooked chicken. Do not use the same white barbecue batch that you used for basting. That can be contaminated. If you want baste and dip, make a double batch and reserve half in a separate container for dipping.

Nonni's THINaddictives - Yummy Snacks - Low Calorie with Protein

Nonni's THINaddictives - New Flavor

Readers of my blog may know that I love Nonni's THINaddictives. They are delicious biscotti cookies that are low calorie and include protein. They made a good snack for fall/winter slow barbecue smoking.

The newest flavor is Mango Coconut with almonds. The tropical flavor has a more summer feel but would be good anytime. 

Fresh Single Serve Snack Packs

The single packs are good for travel and camping or just to have on hand if you start craving a whole box of doughnuts. THINaddictives are just sweet enough to take the edge off that sort of day but are under 100 calories for a pack of three. It is, I must confess, hard to stop at three though.

Yum. THINaddictives are Good.

For summer these are great as an appetizer or dessert with grilled pineapple. Just grill up your pineapple and put these coconut/mango treats out which can be eaten or dipped in a beverage (coffee is classic of course) before or after a cook out.

TIP: Check Nonni's on Facebook. They have a contest going June 2015 to win a free box and also store coupons. If you keep an eye out, they have specials like this from time to time. 

THINaddictives did send me a box to check out in exchange for an honest review. I've loved all their flavors, so I was looking forward to trying the summer inspired tropical thins. They did not disappoint. I would recommend all the flavors in the line. None have disappointed.

Macho Mayo - Mayonnaise That Hits It Out of the Park

 Now This is Some Mayonnaise That I Can Embrace

Macho Mayo got in touch to see if I'd like to test out their zippy mayonnaise. I must confess I've never been a big mayonnaise fan, but that's because it really does taste quite bland. I use mayo in sandwich salads like ham salad, but generally I skip over it. Some mayo with a kick sounded more in line with my palate, so I decided to give it a try.

The two flavors arrived. The medium is Roasted Green Chili. The hot is Roasted Jalapeno (red label). You can see the jars above.

I decided to charcoal grill some hamburgers to try out the mayonnaise.

  Grilled Burgers Over Charcoal

Once I finished grilling the hamburgers, I broke out the Macho Mayo Green Chili. Sometimes "hot" is over the top, so I opted for medium to start with.

Normally I dress out my grilled hamburgers, but I decided to go with just the Macho Mayo to get the full effect. This is spread style in a jar. I could have put some in a squirt bottle to make a prettier photo, but I think readers should see what things actually do look like (so I don't photoshop my photos either - other than cropping). I also put the mayo on the meat rather than the bun, so you could actually see it.

All I Can Say is "WOW"

Macho Mayo was so yummy that I added more mayo after I took the photo and started eating my burger. I also warmed up a leftover burger for lunch the next day and had another Macho Mayo burger.

I come across lots of really yummy products, but this is one of my favorite new flavors. It's great on sandwiches. It is wonderful as a dip like Ranch for chips or veggies. And, I'm planning to try this out on White Barbecue Chicken (Alabama style).

This is a total thumbs up. Medium has a mild kick and should work for everyone. Hot Macho Mayo is still good for a lot of people. Just use less if you don't want a whole lot of heat. I say: "Try out Macho Mayo. It really is THAT good" (even for someone who was not big on mayonnaise before).

I hope Food Lion adds this product. Crossing my fingers. 

Here some other information about Macho Mayo

• Gluten Free
• ½ the calories & fat compared to traditional mayo (good news)
• No Sugar (my step dad can have this - yay)
• Perfect as a dip (so true)
• Great for use in tasty recipes- crab cakes, chicken salad, Mexican Street Corn, dips and more (crab cakes my Granny made are on my list to make)
• Comes in 2 flavors- Zesty Roasted Green Chili (medium heat level) & Spicy Roasted Jalapeno (hot heat level).   
• Macho Mayo has a 3^rd flavor hitting the shelves by late 2015. (Now that's good news!)

Tastefully Simple Chipotle Honey Grill Sauce with BBQ Pork Chops

Tastefully Simple Chipotle Honey Grill Sauce

I've been using Tastefully Simple products for quite some time now, so I was looking forward to trying out the new Chipotle Honey barbecue sauce.

The sauce smelled great when I opened the bottle. I picked up the honey smell right off the bat.

I decided to grill pork chops with the Tastefully Simple BBQ sauce. We've been doing pork chops quite a bit lately with some good sales in this area. If you tend to dry your pork chops out, check out my tips for grilling boneless pork chops.

Chipotle Honey Pork Chops Setting up on the Grill

The pork chops grilled quickly. Above you'll see them the last couple of minutes while the barbecue sauce "sets."

I grilled these when my older son was home, since the younger son does not like much heat (but he does love honey). The Chipotle note was there but just a hint. The honey was the stronger flavor. The balance was very nice. This is a barbecue sauce that you could serve to any group. I plan to grill something for my younger son with the Tastefully Simple barbecue sauce, because I'm sure he'll love the honey flavor, and the peppers are not hot enough to put my mild guy off.

* Tastefully Simple did send the product free in exchange for an honest review. Regular readers will know I am one to say what I think.

Smokin-O's BBQ Smoke Rings Add Flavor to Gas Grilling

I joined the Great American Chicken Challenge. My mission was to decide if using Smokin'O's Barbecue Smoke Rings take gas grilled chicken from okay to terrific. 

Here's a close up look at the Smokin'O. It's compressed wood along with flavorings. You just put it on your gas grill on high, and then reduce the heat and grill your chicken as usual. 

I followed the directions. My photos with smoke did not turn out very good with the sun hitting hard from the right. The Smokin'O did put out a good amount of smoke. 

If I'm judging by looks, the Smokin-O sure does smoke up a pretty piece of chicken. These are organic chicken breasts without bones or skin. I added the flavor pack provided by the company and then topped off the chicken with a lime barbecue sauce. That's a mild barbecue sauce, so I could really check the taste of the Smokin'O's.

I loved the idea but was not sure the execution would be there, but it was. We eat a long of boneless, skinless chicken breasts off the grill. I lean to charcoal but sometimes use gas for chicken. The Smokin-O smoke ring did make a big difference. The flavor was like wood smoked chicken, but those extra spices packed more flavor, and it was a natural tasting flavor.

My son happened to be in, and I asked if he noticed a difference. He also thought the chicken was better with the smoke rings. Two for two so thumbs up.

Note: I was invited to be part of this challenge. The company sent the chicken, flavor pack, and Smokin-O's in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid - just provided the testing items.

Follow Your Heart Cheese is Very Good - Healthy and Vegan

Healthy Follow Your Heart Cheese

Follow Your Heart non-dairy, vegan cheese is really good. I'm real picky on cheese, so I wasn't sure what I'd think of this new product line that should be in a grocery store near you soon.

The first low fat and dairy free cheese I had was in high school (yes-that was long ago). I made a grilled cheese sandwich. It would not stick together. The fake cheese was hot, but I could lift it up all in one slice. It did not hold the bread together. The taste was even worse than the freaky factor of getting hot but not melting.

Follow Your Heart asked if I'd like to check out their cheese with a sample. I was hesitant, but it had been ages since I'd had non dairy cheese. I decided I'd give it a try and let readers know if it really is tasty of not.

Grilled Cheeseburgers with Follow Your Heart Cheese

You can see that Follow Your Heart did actually melt around the burgers. The back burger shows this best. The front one did melt down and around the burger.

I did not mention that I used a different cheese and one that was healthy and vegan. I did not want to taint the reactions.

When I took a bite of my burger, I was pleasantly surprised. The non-dairy cheese did melt and have the texture of regular cheese, and it had a good flavor. These are basic American slices, so I'm not talking a gourmet cheese flavor but a basic cook-out cheese. Had I not set up the meal and known the cheese was not regular cheese, I really would not have guessed.

If you can't have dairy or if you eat vegan, I would certainly recommend Follow Your Heart Cheese. It way exceeded my expectations. It was not like that awful non-melting cheese I had years ago, and the flavor was spot on. I think very few people would take a bite and know these was not regular American cheese.

Trying to Find the Correct Cover for YOUR Weber BBQ Grill? - Guest David Can Help

Some people collect celebrity autographs, others collect spoons.  I have no idea why we collect things but the reality is that we do.  I collect Weber grills.

My current Weber grill collection includes the following: Weber Smokey Joe Gold, Weber Jumbo Joe, 18.5 Weber Smokey Mountain, 18.5 Weber One Touch Silver, 22.5 Weber Platinum, Weber Genesis 1000 LX, Weber Genesis Silver A and Weber Genesis Gold B.  

Weber Grill Collection

My collection is actually quite small compared to many serious collectors.  I am neither the best collector nor the best griller.  I am just a guy who loves Weber grills.

I am writing about my grills, because my collection made me aware of a problem.  The problem is that finding the right covers for older Weber grills is extremely confusing. 

Finding the correct cover is confusing, because Weber grills last forever but the designs keep getting tweaked every few years.  It is also confusing because Weber recycles the names for their grills!  

For example, my 22.5 inch Weber charcoal grill is a Weber Platinum.  The Platinum has two side tables which gives it a unique shape compared to all other Weber charcoal grills.  The Platinum is a great grill but did not sell very well.  As a result this version of the Platinum was discontinued by Weber around 2011. 

Retired Weber Platinum with Side Tables

Weber is now using the name Platinum for one of their Performer charcoal grills with a single large side table.  Weber also used the name Platinum for a high end version of their Genesis gas grills that were made between 2000 and 2005.

When I decided I needed a new grill cover for my Weber Platinum none of the big box stores had them in stock.  When I searched online I had to sort through all of the Weber covers offered and then sort through the different covers for the different Platinum grills.  Very frustrating!

To help other people find exactly the right grill cover without the frustration I went through, I built the following site, Weber Grill Cover.  The concept is pretty simple and the site layout will get you to exactly the right cover for your Weber in three clicks regardless of when the barbecue grill was made.

It was a lot of fun building the site as it gave me an excuse to research Weber grill history.  I was amazed at all the different versions of the Genesis grill that have been produced.  In the Genesis line alone, there have been 14 different basic designs!  By the way, if you need a Weber Genesis grill cover there are four different sizes and the site helps you figure out which one you need.

I sincerely hope you find the site useful. 
David (owner of Weber Grill Covers web site).

  

I want to give a great big THANK YOU to Cyndi for letting me share the site with the Barbecue Master community! 

Steak House Elite All Beef Hot Dog Franks - Much Better Than Your Average Weiner

Steak House - Now That's a Great Hot Dog

Steak House Elite sent me some of their gourmet hot dogs to try out. They may or may not be in your area, but they are sold online if you can't find them.

These are all beef franks made with American kobe beef. Kobe is a special type of beef which I believe is out of Japan. Some kobe cows were brought over so that there is a small stock of kobe in the United States too.

Steak House Hot Dogs on the Grill

Of course, my Steak House Elite wieners went right on the grill. They are as traditional with hot dogs pre-cooked, so it was just a matter of heating them up and getting some grill marks.

American Kobe All Beef Frank Before Being Dressed

There was little to no shrinkage on the beef hot dogs. As you can see they are the length of the bun. Why all hot dogs aren't, I do not know. Who wants a big hunk of bread and mustard with no meat at the end? Well, that doesn't happen with Steak House Elite franks.

As for the flavor, it was excellent. The outer casing has a very light pop when you bite. Then, it's blissful beef goodness.

Some people say all hot dogs taste the same. I'm thinking they have not tried many. There's a huge difference in the brands, and this is one of the best I've had.

We dressed our up with chili, mustard, and onions after which is kind of a North Carolina tradition. Then, we chowed down on these delicious hot dogs by Steak House Elite.

RiceSelect Organic Arborio AKA Risotto

RiceSelect Organic Arborio Rice

I decided to try out Organic Arborio rice from RiceSelect™ last night. It's an Italian rice, and you may know it as Risotto especially if you watch Hell's Kitchen.

My idea was to have rice as a side dish. I generally put rice in a pot, set the timer, and run out and grill up boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The timing works out on this.

This was not in the cards, because Risotto needs more attention than regular bagged rice. That's okay though, because I recruited a family griller while I worked the all natural rice.

Starting the RiceSelect

To start off I heated a little olive oil and butter and then cooked down chopped onions and then stirred the rice for a couple of minutes over the heat.

Then I had three cups of chicken broth. The directions called for adding it in thirds and cooking until the broth had soaked in. No time was listed, but this took around 25 minutes with frequent stirring to prevent sticking.

Risotto by RiceSelect Ready to Eat

I finished up the rice but left a tad of extra water to absorb while the chicken finished off.

So . . . what was the verdict?

Yum. The Arborio Italian rice made risotto style was very creamy and full of flavor. The butter, onions, and broth really showcased well in the basic recipe on the container.

If you have more than one person working on your grilled meal, this is an excellent rice product but probably better handled indoors. It's so yummy that it can be a main dish. In fact, I had the leftovers for lunch.

I think Gordon Ramsay would have sent my risotto out to his guests. Then again, this is the first time I've had or made it, so he might have ripped me a new one. It certainly went over well here though. 

If you have wanted to try your hand at risotto, then the directions were easy to understand and follow. It does take more work to make this style rice, but it was worth it. Very tasty.

SAAS hot sauce - Students Score with This Fresh and Zesty Sauce

SAAS - Get Your Heat on with This Zippy Hot Sauce

I love a good hot sauce and also a good story. SAAS has both going for it.

Students got together to come up with ideas to raise money for good causes. One student was a sauce guy, so they decided to run with a hot sauce. I teach college, so you've got me right there.

Of course, there are hot sauces and then there are hot sauces. If the flavor is not there, then it's a thumbs down from me no matter how great the back story.

In this case, the students went with fresh ingredients and spices and really came up with a wonderful flavor.

Grilled Taco or Fajita Filling with SAAS Hot Sauce

Here you can see our dinner last night. I grilled the chicken, green peppers, and onions in a grill wok over medium heat. In 15 to 20 minutes I had a plate full of yuminess flavored with SAAS.

We used large Mexican wraps to make our dinners. So, I guess you could call them grilled fajitas or tacos. Either way, these were really tasty.

One thing I would say is that when SAAS says hot, they do mean hot. The flavor is not over the top but hotter than if you buy grocery brands (where hot is usually a light ding). So, I'd say go light until you find your sweet spot on this hot sauce. 

I've also made SAAS grilled cauliflower which gives you a really healthy option on the grill. Here's how to make grilled cauliflower.

  You'll Never Look at Vegetables the Same Way Again After SAAS

Next up, I'm thinking hot wings, but I still love to do them in oil in cast iron on the stove. Some southern habits are hard to break. If you want the ultimate indoor hot wing recipe, a Navy buddy hooked me up with his hot wings recipe.

*Note: SAAS sent the sauce for free for me to check out with no strings attached. If you read my work on a regular basis, you will know that I will certainly say if I don't like something. This one - yes - I do say thumbs up.

How to Barbecue Grill Cauliflower

Grilled Cauliflower - Yum

If you want a healthy side dish or snack on the grill, try grilled cauliflower. It's quick and easy to make, and even people who think they don't like cauliflower are surprised to find it really tastes great with some smoke and seasonings.

To barbecue grill cauliflower, just break it into pieces. If you use as grill wok as I do above, you can have smaller pieces. If you're turning the pieces on the grill grates, you may want larger pieces.

There are tons of ways to flavor up your cauliflower on the BBQ grill. 

Above, I'm going with a Mexican theme to go with chicken grilled tacos. I went with SAAS seasoning. I used the hot flavor which I can tell you is very hot on cauliflower, because it gets in all the creases.

More often I drizzle a little olive oil on the cauliflower and sprinkle with a favorite seasoning. This can be anything from Lawry's seasoning salt to specialty grill sprinkles. If you like the flavor, you're likely to enjoy it on cauliflower.

As far as grilling, I preheated the grill to medium. The cauliflower grilled between 15 and 20 minutes for al dente. If you like softer vegetables, then just grill longer. You can test with a fork. You can feel how much give you have in the vegetables. When it feels right to you, it's ready.

Repurpose Company Offers Single Use Earth Friendly Compostable Tableware

Repurpose® Eco-Friendly Plates, Bowls, Cups, and Cutlery 

You can imagine how much disposable dinnerware a barbecue blogger goes through, so I was excited when the company Repurpose let me know about their compostable dinnerware. All of the above plates, bowls, cups, and eating utensils are single use and compost in 90 days. 

The company sent out the sample package above in exchange for an honest review. When you're talking both cold and hot cups and heat-resistant utensils, I wondered how sturdy they'd be. The package came. I checked them out. Very study and well made. 

To put these products to a real test, I had my son check them out. He is graduating in May with an Environmental Science and Education degree. He said the quality was much better than other "green" products similar that he'd seen.

The items can handle both hot items (even in the microwave) and cold items like ice cream which is great for a barbecue dessert. 

Most of your disposable tableware is petroleum based. Repurpose uses plant materials. This is why the items are compostable and also non-toxic with no BPA. 

Yes. These are more expensive than your red Solo cups and plates. But, really, we need to invest a little more now so that we don't wreck our planet for future generations. You get your easy clean up here, high quality, and you don't fill the landfill.

Church BBQ Dinners in North Carolina - Millford Hills Methodist in Salisbury, NC

Milford Hills United Methodist Church BBQ Dinner

One really popular fundraiser dinner in North Carolina is a BBQ dinner. North Carolina is pork barbecue country with various versions in the east (coastal) and piedmont or central. Central is called western NC barbecue, but it's not the mountains. No telling what you'll get if you order barbeque in the mountains here.

Today I had a delicious BBQ plate of western barbecue from Millford Hills Methodist Church in Salisbury, NC (which likely is the original home of western style barbecue though Lexington takes the credit).

Mr. Ralph Ketner who founded the Food Lion stores and still works at Catawba College well in his 90s gets the yearly dinners for the faculty and staff in the Ketner building (yes - he did have it built - thanks). He's just a really nice guy like that.

Here you see a very traditional North Carolina barbecue dinner. There's chopped pork, dip (thin vinegar sauce), red slaw (a tad spicy), a bun, and then versions of pound cake. This piece I think is Cheerwine cake which is the local soft drink sold in my county (Rowan County) and slated to be in all 50 states soon (the drink - not the cake).

Other areas may have slight differences. When I lived in Raleigh, the church had small boiled potatoes as the side. Brunswick stew is another common side dish but in the coastal area usually.

I think this was Millford Hills Methodist Churches 51st year of their annual BBQ dinners. They are always on a Friday at the end of January. If you live close by or are passing through Salisbury, NC, I can tell that you get a generous and very tasty traditional North Carolina barbecue meal at the church.

Henry's Humdingers Raw Honey with Heat - A New Spin on Sweet and Hot

Henry's Humdingers Honey - With Some Kickin' Heat

I was rather befuddled when I was asked to try out Henry's Humdingers honey with heat. My Poppaw was a beekeeper, and I'd only had honey as a sweetener like on homemade biscuits (yum).

As a heat lover and honey lover, I thought these products sounded interesting. I was scheduled for the annual gathering of the Winter Grillers, so I packed a couple of jars to see what the crew thought.

In addition to the two flavors you see above, there's also Dibolical Dad Habanero and Lime and also Naughty Nana Spicy Pepper and Ginger.

 Lon Lathering Up the Sausages 

Lon is the spark plug of Winter Grillin', and he was manning the sausages. The annual meeting is at his hotel and campground Roaring River Resort in Missouri and is a terrific place to stay. You'll feel just like family except pampered.

Syndi Gets Things Spiced Up with Henry's Honey

Syndi is Lon's wife, and she's a sweetheart. She went the extra mile with dipped honey along with the grilled on, and you can see she is still smiling. So, this honey has the spice going but doesn't have you running for the water faucet.

I liked the hot and spicy honey on the sausages and also have enjoyed it on ham and even chicken. It's definitely different and memorable.

My big honey eating son Eli . . . now he wasn't so happy. He likes the sweet, dark mountain honey with the comb. And, he's not a heat fan. That's okay. I keep sweet honey on hand for him.

If you're more adventuresome and like heat, then I'd say Henry's Humdingers honey is a good pick. The balance of sweet and heat is solid and quite unique. 

Lime and Lemon Squeezers by Imusa - They were a HIT here!

Lime Squeezer and Lemon Squeezer Made by Imusa

Imusa offered me a free gadget for an honest review, and the lime and lemon squeezers jumped right out me. We have been squeezing by hand for barbecue flavoring and for guacamole for grilled nacho chips. This means quite a bit of waste, picking out seeds, and overall a mess. 

High Five Naturals Silicone Grill Gloves Review

High Five Naturals Silicone Grill Gloves

I'm always on the look out for the perfect grill gloves. I have found several I really love but tend to rotate around depending on what I'm grilling or have on the barbecue.

High Five Naturals contacted me to see if I'd like to try out their new silicone grill gloves in exchange for an honest review. I've been happy with some silicone cake pans I bought a while back, so I thought these looked promising. And, they do have the "cool factor" in looks.

Out of the box, these grilling gloves are flashy and feel study and well made. They are one size fits all. I used my hand above to give readers a feel for the size on the gloves. Do note that while my fingers are slim, my fingers are the length of most guys. I can palm a basketball.

 

Grilling with High Life BBQ Grill Gloves

The High Life Naturals are not as tactile as some grill gloves. The material is stiffer than the leather type. That makes it harder to use a brush to put on barbecue sauce (although you really do not need to wear gloves to do that).

The big plus with the silicone grill gloves is that you can touch the grilling food. This especially comes into play when you're doing large cuts like a pork shoulder or turkey (or even baked potatoes which are hard to catch on the grill). Those big cuts and round foods can be hard to turn with utensils (even the large grilling utensils). 

If you turn with cloth or leather gloves, then you risk contamination and get gloves awfully messy. I've had to toss some just due to dirtiness. I'm a clean freak when it comes to food.

I'm going thumbs up here for grill gloves that can be used on the actual grilled foods for turning and can then be cleaned. That is a huge plus and will save me a lot of money on grilling gloves. I'd also note that the price on these grill gloves is really good right now. It's hard to find good grill gloves at this price.  

Cricket Multi-lite - Greener Option for Starting Charcoal or Wood

Cricket Multi-lite - Refillable 

Cricket has come out with a refillable lighter, and I'm impressed. Not only does it light well (with a safety button to prevent accidental light ups), but it is not a toss away like lighters today.  This is a big deal for someone who lights up grills on a regular basis.

I remember well when my Granddaddy had a silver lighter and filled it with fuel when it ran out. He only had to invest in more fuel and did not have to throw out a lighter every time it stopped firing.

It's been years since I've seen people use anything but toss away lighters, and as an avid outdoor cook, I always feel a twinge of guilt when I toss out a perfectly good plastic casing.

Cricket contacted me with these new lighters and asked if I'd like samples. These long tipped lighters are the style I use, because it's so easy to get a finger burn with the small, standard cigarette lighters. I thought the refill idea was great. I did want to try out the Cricket lighters and pass the word if they worked well.

I mucked up my leg really bad and couldn't grill here for a while, but my son tested out the blue Cricket lighter at college. He said it was great and that I'd love it. I finally got back on the grill and used the black version. Those are the two current colors.

The Cricket lighter has a nice grip and is easy to start though does have two button start up controls for safety. It's similar to the start up on my small chain saw, so that was easy.

Included with the lighter is the refill cartridge below . . .

 Refills for the Cricket Lighter Reduce Waste

The lighter refill just slips right in the handle. It's packaged as above, so it's safe. You don't have to worry about handling possibly toxic chemicals. This is more of a concern with small kids. One of my sons drank some lighter fluid once. That was a trip to the ER.  I don't use lighter fluid at all now. A chimney starter works much better and is safer.

This is not a forever refillable device. I guess plastic wouldn't be safe for years and years like Granddaddy's silver lighter. Still, it means two less lighters for every one used which can be a lot for barbecue people. And, it's handier to have a refill than to carry the large full casings.

I say thumbs up to the Cricket Multi-lite for grilling and general home use. It's a quality lighter with the length to easily start my chimney starter to fire up the grill, and I love that Cricket shifted to refills.

The Clever Hen - Great Gift Baskets for Your Barbecue Friends and Family

The Clever Hen Custom Barbecue Basket

The Clever Hen company got in touch to see if I'd like to try out their service. They'd send out a free basket if I'd write an honest review.

I often give BBQ gifts, since I have lots of friends interested in outdoor cooking. From experience, I know it can be hard to wrap up grilling or smoking presents and have them look pretty and special. I'd not thought of a basket, and I'm not that great on bows and getting such items looking nice like The Clever Hen did.

It was a nice surprise to come in and find this lovely basket waiting on me. It is, by the way, boxed well to mail. I opened the box to find all these nice barbecue products below.

The Jake's sauce and seasoning is their top seller, so they included those items. I mentioned that the cherry barbecue sauce looked interesting, so they included that. A surprise was a chili lime sauce (which sounds really good).

They included a couple of snacks (nice while grilling). The small bag was cherries and nuts. They knew the cherry sauce caught my eye, and the dried cherries and nuts were yummy. The larger bag is a Hunter's Mix which is like a party mix but with some heat. Again, that was really good.

Jake's Barbecue Sauce and Seasoning/Rub

You can get a better look at the Jake's products here. I can see why they are a company favorite. I tried Jake's on several grills. Very nice flavors. I'll post later on what I grilled and more about Jake's.

Who Would Like The Clever Hen?

The Clever Hen is a clever idea and has baskets for anyone. They have various themes. I got the barbecue basket, because that's my area - grilling. But, they have baskets for indoor cooks and ones just for fun snacks for those who can't cook at all.

Another really great feature is that you can customize your gift basket. So, if you have a family member or friends who likes cherries like I do, then you can select from the product line and get favorite flavors.

If you're stuck for a gift idea for a barbecue griller/smoker or just want to get something nice that doesn't take forever to put together (or looks a mess if you do it yourself), then The Clever Hen is perfect.

I loved the pretty basket and all the products so far. I still need to try out the cherry and lime sauces. Looking forward to that and will get back on those flavors.

I don't see how you could go wrong with The Clever Hen. It's a thumbs up from me, and the boys are loving the food I'm making with the sauces/seasonings. They even have a chat, so if you need help on picking items for your basket, you've got help on that too.

How to Have a Super Popular Personal Blog - Thanks to Barbecue Master Fans

I Went Over 2 Million Blog Viewers Last Night

I knew I had close 2 million visitors to Barbecue Master, but I was surprised when I crossed that big mile marker sometime last night.

First I want to thank everyone who has supported my grilling and smoking blog, because I would not have 2 million hits if people weren't coming to visit. I am humbled and thankful to have touched so many people and to have had so many of you reach out to me too.

My Blogging Story

Barbecue Master was first set up at the request of an online magazine owner who sold out. Trust me, I would not have named myself Barbecue Master, Barbecue Mistress would have sounded worse though. I had in mind something more girly like Grill Girl which I've used some, but Barbecue Master just stuck.

I had a blog that had a few posts to defunct online magazine links. I could have abandoned ship at that point, but I thought to myself: "Self. Family and friends ask you grilling questions, and your boys will grow up and want to know how to do some of these grill and smoker things."

It seemed a good idea to post my outdoor recipes, tips, and reviews. It would save having to type up emails every time. I could send over a link about "whatever" dealing with outdoor cooking. If someone asked a question not already answered or asked for a barbecue recipe not up, I could post it and then have it ready when needed.

So, this little (now big) blog had very modest roots.

When Did Barbecue Master Blog Take Off?

I honestly can't say when my blog went from having a few visitors now and then to a whole lot. It wasn't overnight. I just continued to write (and from the heart), and the blog numbers just continued to grow.

At some point years ago, I began to get companies asking if I'd review their products. Interesting. I'd not thought about that. I decided that could help small companies, but I had one rule: "I'm going to be honest." And, I have been.

Bigger companies began to contact me as well, and I'd check them out as well as long as they didn't expect a glowing PR piece. If the stuff is great, I'll say. If it's good, I'll say. If it's awful, I hate to, but I say. I don't want to ruin any readers dinner. So, I have to say what I think (although tastes do differ).

Yes. I Am a Writer.

I've been writing professionally for thirty years but just on the side. My work has been for newspapers, magazines, and businesses. This is good preparation for blogging, but blogging is a totally different world. I "voice" as needed for professional projects, but you hear my real voice - southern drawl and all here on Barbecue Master.

After several years of blogging with Barbecue Master, I began to get emails about professional barbecue writing. I wrote about the field and did top pick grills and smokers a couple of years, and I wrote a barbecue history piece for the North Carolina hotel travel book (one of my all-time favorite pieces). I have also guest blogged for some big names like K-mart, Sears, Arby's, and McCormick's.

Am I Rich from Blogging?

People often think or even ask if I'm rich.

That's a BIG no. I teach which people know is not a top paying job. I write but only a few projects as I won't take more work than I can do well with my teaching job.

I do have a very successful blog, but I'm not backed by any companies and don't sell anything. Blogging is maybe $70 to $80 per month (for those wondering) - and that's with big visit numbers. I'm not complaining. I just hate for anyone to jump into blogging thinking that they will get rich. A few do - but a very few.

Barbecue Master is still where I share with family, friends, and people online who enjoy my blog. I have more traffic, but the heart of Barbecue Master is still where it started. It's my hobby. It's where I let my hair down and relax.

Excuse My Brag Post

I'm really not one to brag, but I was excited and wanted to share my 2 million milestone but mostly to have a chance to thank everyone who made this moment happen.

It never crossed my mind that I'd be able to (hopefully) help so many people and have the chance to try so many new grilling products (thanks also to the companies that trust me to try out their various products and say what I really think).

Tonight I'll go to sleep with a smile. It's been a rough year, but tonight is one I will cherish. I'm so glad I kept my Barbecue Master blog and kept true to my idea to help others with outdoor cooking (even the huge number of people I didn't know would need or want my help).

Thanks again and happy grilling, smoking, or barbecuing. Every single one of you who stopped by built this blog. Bless you.