Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe Barbecue - Ya'll Gonna Love This Food with Attitude

Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe Barbecue Stand at the Rowan County NC County Fair


Ya Think This Feller Eating Ribs Might be Willie Nelson?

I was down at the Rowan County Fair last night and met another barbecue master by the name of Jerry. Jerry is a traveling BBQ man. He hooks up his cooker and spreads the barbeque love across the state and beyond.

Jerry's traveling BBQ show is called Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe. In addition to his big que cooker, Jerry also had his pull behind stand and even his tent out back. That's what I call eatin' and sleepin' barbecue.

Jerry was smoking up some brisket and ribs. He also does big burgers, hot dogs, chicken, turkey legs . . . well . . . most anything you'd want smoked. He can hook you up with fries, cheese sticks and even "nanner puddin'" and strawberry shortcake. I don't hardly think this is a health food menu, but we're talking some darn good downhome Southern food.

While I was chatting with Jerry I thought I'd get me a picture of some guy standing there eating ribs. He was eating faster than I could get my camera out, so you don't see much more than bones. Gives you an idea about how good these ribs taste though.

When I asked the guy if I could snap a photo, he said "sure" and that he knew why I wanted his picture. I said, "Cause you're eating ribs?" He said, "Naw. I figured you wanted my picture, cause I look like Willie Nelson." I allowed as how he did look like old Willie (one of my favorite outlaw country singers of all time) and that I'd have an even better photo than I'd thought seeing as how I could claim I'd snapped Willie (or close).

Jerry and I exchanged business cards as he was up to his elbows in sauce and stuff. I told him that I don't grill for business but do for fun and write about outdoor cooking. He said he'd check out my Grill Girl web page. I said I'd give his a look too. He said he'd had some tech problems. Tell me about that. Whew. Web pages can be a bear, and he doesn't have access to his. Has to pay a tech for every little change. Bummer.

If you get a hankering for a big barbecue blow out and are in North Carolina or close, shoot Jerry a message on his Jerrys Hillbilly Deluxe web page or call him at 336-413-8681. Tell him Grill Girl sent ya and maybe you'll get some extra "nanners" in that pudding.

Throw Your Own Barbecue Party 51baoma - Why is a BMW Focused Web Site Stealing Foodie Content?

Well, shut my mouth . . . as they say in the South when something doesn't look right.

I was surfing online and came across some interesting barbecue stuff. The articles were especially interesting, because they were mine. My name wasn't mentioned. My blog wasn't mentioned. The articles were just plunked up in full with the photos on 51baoma which is a web site about cars (BMWs specifically). What's an annual party here in my hometown with photos of the locals have to do with BMW cars, I have no idea.

To start with, I just found one of my barbecue articles stolen. After some research, I found that I could put in my URL at CopyScape and see the top ten hits with matching words. The service has an upgrade to find more stolen content.

In addition I spot checked some of my barbecue articles. I simply copied unique sentences (that's where Southern talk comes in handy) and put those in Google.

I don't know that I found everything 51baoma stole, but I did find three articles and two of them with home/family photos.

The first suggested step is to get in touch with the web site owners about such matters. They list no contact information. I looked them up and discovered they are based out of China. Hum. Perhaps I could fly over and give them a piece of my mind.

Here is the 51baoma company information online. All it takes to get that information is to put the company URL in Domain Tools Look Up. In this case, it didn't help much, since they are in China.

They did have comment sections, so I did note that the content was stolen. At least the readers of those articles will know. I've not heard from the site, so I would guess they just add comments to appear to update content and keep high Google ranks.

The next step was to fill out a Google report under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). That includes a number of items and must be mailed or faxed in rather than emailed. If the claims are not true, then you can be held responsible for legal fees. That's fine. I know it's my work. The photos are clearly mine. No one in China was snapping photos here in a town of 800 people at a community picnic.

It took me a while to wade through all this, so I will provide my research and DMCA report here for others who are dealing with stolen online content:

1. The copyrighted work at issue is the text that appears on the following blog – Barbeque Master by Cyndi Allison:

My blog:

http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/

The following posts were copied and posted without permission:

Play with Your Food and Friends at Food Buzz
http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/search?q=food+buzz

Southwest Virginia – Jewel Ridge 4th of July Celebration (including the photos)
http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/search?q=southwest+virginia

(Note: I did link this one, so readers can see that pieces are clearly copied along with the photos. See the actual post of the Jewel Ridge Virginia Fireworks for comparison. It's the same - photos and all. Please don't give them a lot of visits. That's what they want when they steal content.)

Fun for the Whole Family at Mr. Shaver’s Yearly Barbecue Picnic (stole photos too)
http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/2008/09/fun-for-whole-family-at-mr-shavers.html

2.

Search – I’m not sure how I stumbled on these, but I also went back to www.copyscape.com to double check. Then I ran lines of content and easily pulled up these articles, since they were not changed at all. They just cut and pasted the articles and put them on the BMW site (which has nothing at all to do with barbecue cooking).

The site stealing content is:

http://www.51baoma.com/

These posts are copied from my blog in full including the photos as noted.

Play with Your Food and Friends at Food Buzz
http://www.51baoma.com/index.php/article/shows/2008-09-15/85.html

Southwest Virginia – Jewel Ridge 4th of July Celebration (stole photos too)
http://www.51baoma.com/index.php/article/shows/2008-09-15/84.html

Fun for the Whole Family at Mr. Shaver’s Yearly Barbecue Picnic (stole photos too)
http://www.51baoma.com/index.php/article/shows/2008-09-15/86.html

3. My contact information:

Cyndi Allison (removed this part for obvious reasons)

4. The site is based out of China. I could not find any way to get in contact on the site or by searching for company information.

I did leave messages in the comment sections letting them know that the material is copyrighted and not available for use.

5. "I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."

6. Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."

7. Sign the paper.

Cyndi Allison

Here's where you send such reports to Google:

Google, Inc.
Attn: Google Legal Support, DMCA Counter Notification
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

OR fax to:

(650) 963-3255, Attn: Google Legal Support, DMCA Counter Notification


In addition, the offending site does use Google AdSense. Nate and Annie were kind enough to give me the Google AdSense Report Form URL.

That's very easy to fill out - much easier that the DMCA report. It's also online, so you don't have to fax or mail.

Basically you just put in the page URLS where sites are violating the terms of AdSense. Stealing the work of others clearly is a violation.

Update: I did get an auto email back from Google Adsense quick report form (don't ya just hate those). That directs me to do the DMCA which is the longer and more detailed report that must be mailed and/or faxed. So, the Adsense report may work for some issues, but if it's copyright, then you're right back at that long form that I put up as an example.

Mine is in the mail by the way.

Tailgating Decline for 2008 Season - Weber Barbecue Poll

Hey man! Where's the Tailgate Food?

I'd love to "say it ain't so," but the Weber Grill Company Tailgating Study 2008 found that only 29% nationally "hope to do some tailgating" this year compared to 37% last year.

Some people just don't go for outdoor eating. My Granny always said, "Why would anyone want to eat outside with the ants and mosquitoes when they could have a normal meal inside where it's clean and bugfree." You didn't argue with Granny. You just slipped off and ate outside anyway.

Weber ruled out the non-tailgaters (perhaps bug haters) and asked those who do tailgate (at least twice last year) what's going on. It may come as no suprise that fuel costs factored in. There's the gas to get to the game as well as the cooking fuel (if you go gas). Game and ticket prices also factored in. That was followed by rising food costs. OUCH! We're all feeling the economy and in many places but all in the wallet it seems.

On the plus side, those that do tailgate are grilling more (and more often on charcoal these days - 62%). That's up to 68% this year compared to a little over half for 2005. The increase in grilling rather than buying concessions or buying take out was contributed to better tasting food made fresh and lower costs for home cooked grill food over other options.

If you're wondering what others are tossing on the grill at tailgate parties, these are the top four according to the Weber poll:

1. hamburgers
2. brats/sausages
3. chicken
4. steak

Boy howdy, that's some heavy eating - but good stuff. Although the meats do rule, more tailgaters are putting vegetables on the grill this season. Close half of all tailgaters are juggling the foods and doing the sides on the grill instead of just buying them and bringing them along.

To wash down that great tailgate food, the favorite beverages for 2008 are:

1. beer (is that a surprise?)
2. soda (pop for other parts of the country)
3. water
4. tea
5. wine

Expect to see some bargain beer though, since the average spent on tailgating dropped from $165 last year to $109 this year. Then again, maybe folks are clipping coupons or something. A tailgate party really doesn't have to bust the budget. Nothing wrong with getting some hot dogs on two packs for one sale and cooking up some frozen hash browns. After a few beers (and Bush is quite reasonable), no one's going to complain anyway. If so, point them toward the concession stand.

Happy tailgating. If you can't afford the gas to go and the price of the tickets, then make your own party right at home. Let's just call the home gating and keep those grills fired up.

Go Panthers. OK. I had to add that. I'm from North Carolina.

New York Strip Steaks on the Barbecue Grill

Yes! The NY Strip Steaks Did Taste as Good As They Looked

My brother was coming in to fix the busted taillight on my Mom's car. Long story. I won't get into that. Since my brother doesn't get in very often, my Mom wanted to have a nice lunch. She had in mind to have grilled steaks. Since she is not a griller (gasp), I offered to man the grill. She'd cover the side dishes, and that's terrific if you're doing the outdoor cooking.

Food Lion was out of tenderloin which is what my Mom planned to get. That's a wonderful cut of steak but quite expensive. My Dad got a full loin once for my birthday and had it cut thick. The checker called for a price check when it ran around $100 for one grocery bag of high quality meat.

The other cut of steaks that my Mom was familiar with was Rib Eye steaks. She knows I generally get those. Rib eyes are large, tender with lots of flavor. Some folks call them guy steaks. Lots of meat. No bone (though are sometimes sold bone in). I have boys, so I usually go with rib eyes. It takes a lot to fill boys up, and they like lots of flavor. Well, Food Lion didn't have any nice looking rib eyes either. This rather stressed my Mom. I must introduce her to the Food Lion meat man. I ring his bell pretty often, and he enjoys helping me pick out good stuff in my budget. One tip he gave me was that I could buy Chuck Eye cheaper. That's just the ends where they cut Rib Eye. Cost per pound is lower. Pieces are smaller. I just get two per boy if I go that route.

That kind of left Mom in a bind, the steaks she knows sold out, so she bought New York Strip. Another good pick for grilling. I think maybe the package said "good for grilling" or something. New York Strips are sold under various names and are called different depending on the area. Some names that come to mind are Texas Strip and Restaurant Cut Steak. The meat is from the back area where the cow does not use the muscles much, so the meat is tender. There's usually a little sliver of bone up one side - not a t shape bone. If it's in a t-shape, that's t-bone steak. T-bones are good for grilling as well but a little less expensive (in this area anyway) and a little harder to eat with the shape of the bone.

Another solid cut is Porterhouse. It includes some loin on one side. It's kind of a cross cut steak. You get two cuts in one with a bone dividing the meat.

Some people like the extra flavor with a bone in steak. I tend to go with boneless. That's the tenderlion and rib eye usually. Both are well marbled and have plenty of flavor especially if you can find grass fed beef.

If price is an issue (and steak is costly), some of the lower priced cuts can be grilled. They are a little trickier. Sirloin is an example. It's OK on the grill, but if you overcook it with the lower fat content, it's tough. You generally need to cook it fast and hot and no more then medium.

Round steak or a London Broil (which is not an actual cut and may be various parts of the cow), look pretty in the packs. They are red and show very little fat, since they do not have much marbling. Those really need to be grilled rare and cut against the grain in thin strips. They work if you want a taco grill party but are not super served up as steak on the plate with baked potatoes and salad.

That's a quick overview of some different steak cuts on the grill. I do love tenderlion but most often go with Rib Eye at a lower price but still premium. I do NY Strip and Porterhouse from time to time. When we bust the budget I'll go with some of the cheaper cuts but usually served sliced thin and cooked less. I also marinate longer to tenderize if I do round steak or London Broil.

As far as our dinner, the New York Strips turned out great. I could have cooked them just a little less. I was on my Dad's old cast iron grill which cooks hotter and faster than my Weber. The steaks leaned to medium well. No complaints though. It is possible to ruin a steak on a grill (and I've done that a very few times), but usually you have a great meal when you go with steaks grilled over charcoal.

I hope this provides a basic overview of steaks to cook on the grill. I am working on a more comprehensive and detailed article for my web site - Yes You Can Grill. Any suggestions, comments or ideas are appreciated.

Cooking on the Old Family Cast Aluminum Grill

Dad's Old Charcoal Grill Brings Back Fond Memories

Mom wanted to grill out some steaks last weekend. I don't guess the grill had been fired up at her house in over two years. My Dad died in a wreck on I77 two summers ago, and he was the grill king. I'm not sure how far that grill goes back, but I think it must be 30 to 40 years old. Mom said he got a gas grill at some point (must have been when I was in college or something) but that he went right back to his old charcoal grill.

I can honestly say they don't make them this way any more (or I didn't think so until I did some research). There are some box style grills on the market, but this is an old and heavy grill. I worked in sheet metal during high school and college and cook in cast iron, and I was a little confused about this one. After checking around I found out that it's a cast aluminum grill for Portable Kitchen (PK Grills).

Typically I cook on a kettle shaped steel grill. I like the heat regulation on the kettle shape. With the box shape, the key is to stack the charcoal more to one side - leaving a cooler area as needed. There's some regulation with vents, but the meat is simply closer to the coals in a box shape grill. I use coals across about 2/3 or the grill with 1/3 open to rest items if the grill gets really hot or if I have flares.

Heat conduction on this grill is fabulous. Once the grill heats up, it's hot. Really hot. This means that cool spots are still cooking but just at a little slower pace. I told my Mom that the grill was really heated up and that she could cook up supper too. I was really joking, but she did. She got out some hamburger meat and grilled some burgers to eat during the week. This was a couple of hours after I'd been cooking on the grill. That gives you some idea about the cast iron and how it will absorb the heat and hold it. Not so great for tailgating. Nice at home and especially if you're grilling for a lot of people over a long period of time.

If you ever come across an old cast iron grill in a yard sale or at Good Will, it's a good investment. Dad's old grill still works great, and I'm sure it will last for many more years - maybe forever. One hinge on the lid is broken. I have to watch the lid and genrally use outdoor cooking gloves to be on the safe side. This grill is out now again by Portable Kitchen, so you can just get a new one and have a grill that will last and last.

It was kind of strange cooking on the grill that I learned to cook on when I was a kid and also to be cooking in place of my father. Mom never learned to grill. She covered the inside foods. Dad (or one of us kids) did the grilling. It's hard to be two places at once. I juggle that as a single mom so often do my sides outside too. It was nice to concentrate on the meat and walk in to the table and side dishes ready.

Thumbs up meal. Good memories - past and present.

Fun for the Whole Family at Mr. Shaver's Yearly Barbecue Picnic

Mr. Shaver's annual barbecue is a family affair. Everyone turns out from seniors to infants.


Entertainment included a bluegrass band and also this year a Mexican-American band. Our community is getting more multicultural.


Mr. Shaver's fly boy buddies always come up with something cool. This year they had guests parachute down to the party.


There were lots of neat activities at the barbecue party for the kids and even wax hands - fun for all ages.


Mr. Shaver sure knows how to throw a party. In addition to all the great barbecue, he also had live music and activities for the kids and adults too.

Since Mr. Shaver lives on a farm, he had tractors pulling hay wagons. Those were running all day and toured around his entire farm. We arrived later in the day, since I had to work, and it was raining a little. We didn't take a hay ride, but those are fun. We've done that in years past.

After we chatted with some friends and neighbors, we got some barbecue and settled down to enjoy some bluegrass. That's always a hit in this area as well as gospel music. The local diner has a gospel music night and packs the place every week. My mom enjoys that. I lean more to flat out bluegrass myself.

This is the first year I remember a mariachi band at the party. They did a great job. This is a farming area. We've always had some migrant farmers in during the growing season. Many families are now staying and calling this area home. My next door neighbors are Mexican American. They throw some pretty lively parties I must say including some strob lights. They may think our barbecues are dull over here. Perhaps I need some cool lights too.

Although Mr. Shaver does not have any little kids, he does remember them at his yearly barbecue. He rents those big blow up slides and jumping toys. He had rock climbing this year. Some kid got up there and started yelling, "Momma." That always gets my attention even now that mine are teens. The rock climbing man crawled up ther and got the kid, because I don't think his momma was too keen on scaling the wall to get the kid down. All is well that ends well.

Another new activity this year was wax hands. You put your hand in ice water, dip your hand in wax, back in the water and so on. You come out with a hollow wax hand formed from your hand.

I had to get a wax hand. One of the men at the table said, "What good're them?" I said, "Well, I think they're just for fun." And, off I went to wax my hand to save for all eternity or until we manage to knock it off the piano I guess.

The wax hand man said I could make any shape, so I thought I would do the "hang loose" hand sign. I learned that when we went to Hawaii. Well, I guess I did not learn it too well. Mom asked me what I made. I said, "Hang loose." She said, "Well, that's acutally 'I love you.'" Oops. She took sign language. I decided I better not flash my way cool purple wax hand around after she told me it was "I love you." Oh well. Next time, I'll get "hang loose" right (-:

All during the party, some of Mr. Shaver's friends who fly small airplanes went over and even dropped folks out by parachute. That is not a sight you see often in a town of 800. They were good landers and hit the strip. I kept wondering if anyone would land on one of the tents or something. Their aim was good. Thumbs up to the fly boys and the ones who literally dropped in on the party. My 15-year-old sure would have loved to do that. Maybe someday he can take lessons and parachute. He is the daredeveil.

There were a lot of pretty young girls at the barbecue party and one special one. My son caught a ride home with a friend who was staying later. Hum. I think the kid is growing up. I must say he has very good taste. The young lady who caught his eye was definately cute and seemed very nice to boot.

All in all, it was a super barbecue. Mr. Shaver had everyone covered from the youngest to the oldest. He even gave out gifts. I got a tote bag, since I get really bad hat hair. My son loved the white Shaver Products ball cap. It was white. My mom thought maybe he should get beige. A nice lady told us the trick to washing ball caps - put them in the dishwasher. So, he got the white one. One problem though. We don't own a dishwasher. Teehee. Oh well. I'll figure something out.

Shaver Wood Products Annual Barbecue

Mr. Shaver has his annual barbecue at his farm behind his sawmill business.


This year the barbecue was pork and chicken plus the fixings and even corn dogs.


Here is one of several huge tents where everyone could get together and talk and pig out on que.



Mom and some of her buddies have finished eating and are thinking about the homemade ice cream - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and banana.


Mr. Shaver sure knows how to throw a barbecue party. I guess he's had some practice, since he does this every year. It's kind of a company party, but he invites the whole community. I barely remember when some of the big companies around here would do nice things like that for the community. That was a long time back. Mr. Shaver is a small business owner. He has a saw mill operation, but he remembers everyone at this time of the year.

After I got off work, I picked up my son at the high school and then dropped by my mom's house to get her. Then we drove a couple of miles down the road to Shaver's for the annual barbecue.

Mr. Shaver always has pork barbecue which is a local favorite. Here in North Carolina, that's chopped pork. It's slow pit cooked to get that smoke flavor. The sacue is a thin vinegar based mixture with some hot pepper to give it a kick. Most folks eat the Carolina barbecue on a bun, but some just go at it with a fork.

There was also barbecue chicken and fried chicken - both favorites in this area. This isn't a huge chicken farm area, but some local farmers do keep chickens. From what I hear, that's a lot of work.

The sides were barbecue baked beans, red cole slaw (generally put on the bun with the chopped pork barbecue), French fries, and hush puppies. There were corn dogs as well though I don't guess you'd call those sides. The kids really liked those.

Sweet tea was the beverage, and that's just as Southern as it gets. They did have some unsweetened tea which is what I actually prefer. Shhh. Don't tell. That's very un-Southern of me. I got used to tea without sugar when I lived overseas and just never really went back to the sweet stuff. I have loads of vices, so that was a good thing.

For dessert, there was home churned ice cream. I got my favorite which is strawberry. Boxed strawberry ice cream - no thanks. That stuff is not very good. Homemade strawberry is fabulous. Everyone at the table was talking about how good the banana ice cream was, so I hate to confess, but I had to go back and get a serving of that too. Shame on me! Oh well, I didn't drink the sweet tea, so maybe it balanced out. The banana ice cream was fabulous, and I enjoyed every bite. I do, however, feel like I ate a bowling ball. Two servings of ice cream isn't a great idea - but it was at the time.

If you're looking for a great home churned ice cream recipe, I have our old family recipe up at Yes You Can Grill. It won't feed the multitudes like at Shaver's party, but it does make a big container. We've used that recipe for about 40 yrs. It's hard to beat.

I don't think I'll need to eat for a week after that party, but I'll probably be up and thinking about something good to throw on the grill tomorrow. Then again, the weather man is saying Hurricane Hannah may be giving us some rain love tomorrow. In fact, we got some rain at the party, but no one minded. It was a good time as always! Thanks Mr. Shaver!

Vote John McCain or Barack Obama for Your Barbecue Tailgate Chef

Who would fit in better at our tailgate party - McCain or Obama?

Weber, the grill folks, sent me an email about their latest survey. They do some pretty fun ones. This time Weber asked tailgaters to vote between McCain and Obama as Tailgate Chef for the updating tailgating season. Yes! It is that time again. Labor Day marks the offical start of tailgate season.

While many of those polled were undecided (or perhaps simply confused), it does appear that McCain has the edge on Obama at 32% to 28% as top pick for barbecue chef. That leaves 21% undecided and 14% picking another candidate. Let's all hope the other candidate is Grill Girl.

In looking at the demographics, Obama takes the lead with younger barbecue contest voters. I guess they'd rather hang out with someone who could still throw a football, although perhaps McCain can as well. I have not had the opportunity to play with either - sadly.

Men think McCain would be the better pick while women are undecided (splitting about even). Women are probably trying to decide which one would pack and then clean up afterwards. I kind of bet on Obama, since he came from a single parent household.

Democrats were more likely to cross party lines, but that's true at parties as well I think. Also, Democrats tend to be pretty down to earth and may figure it would be a good strategy to keep McCain busy while everyone else enjoys the game.

The sample survey was 1002 American citizens over age 18 and conducted by Weber-Stephen Products Co. Serisouly. You can't make this stuff up (-:

If you're wondering who I'd pick to grill up the grub at the tailgate party, hum . . . tough call. I think I'd invite them both and do the grilling myself. So, if you see either of them, tell them they're invited.

Feel free to leave your vote! Barack or John? Who do think would rock your tailgate party.

Back to School Cook Out

Back to School Barbecue Blow Out at the Pool (if you want to call it a pool - teehee)

Summers always go by so fast. The kids are always bummed that break is over but also excited about getting back to school and seeing old friends again.

When the boys were really little, I got a wild hair one day and thought I'd host a back to school cook out. This was the weekend before classes started back.

I told the boys to invite the other kids around the neighborhood to come over, and I ran to the store and picked up hot dogs, chips and drinks. Since this was an impromptu event, I figured I'd better keep it simple. That actually worked out better, since it was kind of a drop in thing all afternoon and evening. Some of the grown ups even joined in - parents checking up on kids and folks out walking around.

It doesn't take a lot for kids to have a grand time. We do have a basketball goal, so that's always fun for them. Some years I pick up water guns, a blow up pool, and one year I got a horseshoe set. The kids keep themselves entertained while I grill.

I've continued to keep it simple. The kids really don't care about having a fancy meal. They just like to run around and play before they have to hit the books. They do, of course, get hungry and hot dogs go a long way. I've found that it works out best to get canned sodas and put those on ice. I use paper products and plastic silverware. It's also a good idea to have trash bags handy. The kids really are good about helping clean up if you ask.

My oldest goes to college next week. The younger one only has three more years in high school. I guess we'll be hosting back to college parties - or not. We'll see. I hope they always enjoy hanging out here and grubbing on a few grilled hot dogs.

Grill Girl Falls in Love with Wowzio Widgets

Barbeque Master is Really Down to Earth . . . But Will Try New Things

If you blog (or even if you don't), you probably notice that some comments or messages are just pure junk. You can tell that the person (or maybe some kind of auto poster) left a totally unrelated note on your space.

This week Alisha left a note to check out some Wowzio widgets. She said that her message was not spam. Yeah. Right. That is a good way to get around it.

I'm Southern (as good an excuse as any), so I check out notes folks leave even if they don't sound on the level. This was a longish note though, and I thought maybe . . .

Normally I don't even like widgets or any movement on a web page. That running monkey. Oh man. That drove me nuts. When about com had the bobble line, I could not bear it. So, I was thinking that even if these were good widgets, they probably were not the kind of thing or things I'd be interested in.

I did click over to see the widgets for Barbecue Master, and WOW. I guess that's why they call the company wow-zio. I read all the pages on the site and looked at those widgets, and I decided, "Yes. I think those would be helpful to visitors."

If you're checking out my Barbecue Master blog, you can look over to the right and see some rotating photos. Those are the photos with my most current posts along with titles, so you have some idea as to what the blog post is about. If you click on a photo when it's up, then you go right to that post. Maybe you come here to read about corn, but see some burgers that catch your eye. You can easily click and find the burger post and not spend loads of time searching.

The second widget I added (they have a few) was the one that lists the locations of visitors. It's not your home address or anything - just the country and/or state. I don't suppose that's critical, but I enjoy seeing the areas of the world and country where others are visiting from. I hope other people reading Barbecue Master also find that interesting.

I hope all ya'll visiting enjoy the widgets. You have Wowzio to thank, because I'm sure it would take me a lifetime to build those. Also, if you blog, check out Wowzio. They don't charge bloggers. You just visit and see what they have to offer and then can add the widgets or not.

I think the widgets are especially nice for food bloggers, because it's nice to have some way to showcase the various foods and recipes. I might not think to go back through your blog posts, but if I saw something yummy, I'd be likely to click and see how to make a good looking dish.

Hunting for Clams in the Sound to Steam on the Grill

The Boys Dig Up Fresh Clams to Go on the Barbecue Grill for Dinner

The boys went clamming at the beach. Generally you'd use a rake and rake them up. We didn't have a clam rake. That was OK. In the shallow water, you can feel around with your feet or your hands and find the shallowly buried clams. This is rather like an Easter egg hunt. I suppose it would get old if you lived at the beach, but it's fun on vacation.

"Hey. Look. I found a big one!"

Actually the small clams are better for grilling, but it is fun to find the monster of clams. The big clams work out great for clam chowder. I made up a Southern inspired clam chowder, since the boys really are not all that keen on the flavor of clams.

If you are going to use clams in a recipe rather than steaming them open on the grill, then a good tip is to freeze them. A guy at the shrimp shop told us that and also some professional clammers who happened to stop and clam in front of the vacation rental house. Once the clams are frozen, they pop right open. Otherwise, it's hard to open clams.

As far as clams on the grill - really easy. I wrote up the directions for Grilled Clams at Yes You Can Grill. I like to do my recipes right after I've made something, so I will be sure to include the little details that might slip my mind with time. I really hate to get a recipe and have a flop, because a little step is not included.

If you do get out to the beach or in a saltwater area with shallow water, ask about clams. It really is fun to go clamming. Check on the laws for the state. In North Carolina, for example, there's a limit of 100 clams per day. Whew. That's a lot. We never came close to the limit, but it's still good to know what's OK and what's not.

Grilled Hamburger Problems and Solutions

Hanging Out in the Yard Waiting for the Perfect Hamburgers to Cook

I've had a number of friends, neighbors and online readers get in touch with problems with their grilled hamburgers.

One of the most common problems noted was that the hamburgers fall apart on the grill. Other things mentioned were barbecue burgers sticking to the grill grates, burgers puckering up like meatballs, burned burgers, undercooked burgers, and burgers lacking flavor.

Hamburgers rank right at the top of the list of things folks like to cook outside on the grill, so it's really a shame when things don't go right. No one likes to work hard on a barbecue meal and be sitting there anticipating a delicious grilled burger meal and then have a flop.

One tip I'd give is to buy a good grill. If you're using a low end grill, it's going to be hard to cook anything - including burgers. It can be done. Burgers can be done right, but it really takes some skill to work with bad grill equipment.

As far as those other little (or big) hamburger grill problems, I wrote up a trouble shooting guide for grilled burgers. I covered all the issues folks had mentioned plus some others that I thought might come up. I'll add to the guide as needed, so if you have a flop with your grilled burgers and don't find the answer in my barbecue burger guide, just let me know. I'll go in and add your problem and offer a solution.

Rib Eye Steak and Tin Foil Potatoes for Dinner

Rib Eye Steak on the Weber Smokey Joe Grill

Rib eye steaks were on sale, and my son was getting back from college orientation, so I thought we should have a cook out.

I've heard rib eyes called "man steaks." I suppose that's because they are big and meaty. I do know that my boys seem to like rib eye the best.

Rib eye steak is the loin part there at the ribs but cut clean without the bones (usually - they can also be cut with the rib bones attached). You may see a little fat (with the eye) but not much though the steak is marbled and perfect for grilling.

I used my easy grilled steak recipe. It's very simple, and I've not found any better way to make delicious steak every time.

There was a bag of potatoes on the counter, so I thought I'd make some tin foil potatoes to go with the steak. I grilled those first and then did the steaks. I had some fresh garlic and put some in the packs. They really smelled great grilling and tasted great too.

We rounded out the meal with some fresh green beans and rolls. The neighbors gave us fresh green beans from their garden. I just cooked them on top of the stove with a little fat back.

Day Trip to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

Ocracoke from the Ferry Coming in From Cedar Island


Smallest Lighthouse at Around 75 Feet on Ocracoke Island


You Feel Like You Have Your Own Private Beach on Ocracoke


Waves Crashing on the Beach at Ocracoke Island, NC

Ocracoke Island is the bottom island on the string of outer bank islands in North Carolina. The only way to visit is by ferry - either from Hatteras or from Cedar Island.

Ocracoke is one of the prettiest places I've ever been. Most of the island is protected land and very natural. The little village coming in from Cedar Island is beautiful. The whole island looks like something you'd see in a book, but it's real.

We thought about staying on Ocracoke Island, but it's pretty expensive. We saved a lot by getting a cottage on Cedar Island and taking the ferry over. That ferry ride is 2.5 hours. The view is great. We did take Scrabble, because the boys get bored with a ride that long. Scrabble passed the time. They have air conditioned rooms with tables and with windows, so you can still see the view while playing board games.

Ocracoke beach is remote, so we packed a picnic to take with us. We use a Coleman thermoelectric cooler/heater on the road and a Coleman Extreme for beach trips. There are a lot of nice restaurants on the island as well. We especially like the Jolly Roger on the water.

After walking around the village and getting smoothies and playing all afternoon on the beach, we headed back to Cedar Island, grilled dinner and went to bed.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp on the Barbecue Grill

Fresh Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon on the Grill

One of the best parts about our vacation to Cedar Island, NC (behind the outer banks - North Carolina) was the fresh seafood. We were less than a mile from Quality Seafood and could see the shrimp boats come in. Then, we'd go down and buy shrimp right as it came in. This was just a mile or less down the road. Doesn't get any fresher. Plus the guys at Quality Seafood were super helpful. They gave up tips like how to get our clams to open up easier (freeze them for a day or more).

Getting the shrimp direct was only $3 per pound. Boy, I thought I was in heaven. At that price we bought all we could eat plus some to bring home, and I tried out all kinds of shrimp recipes on the grill. Our favorite was Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. We tried several ways, but the best by family vote is the way I made it with cooking the bacon partially.

A lot of people stay away from seafood on the grill. They think it's hard to cook grilled seafood. Actually, seafood is one of the easiest things to grill. The key is not to overcook. You're talking just minutes with seafood. The main mistake folks make in grilling shrimp or other seafoods is leaving it on too long. Then, the seafood tastes rubbery. Yuck. Just remember that it's quick. That's they key.

Fresh Corn on the Grill in the Husks

The Trick to Grilling Corn in the Husks is to Soak the Corn First


Cook Over Medium Heat on Gas or Over Charcoal


Don't Worry When the Husks Turn Black - That's Normal


My Boys Love Fresh Corn Grilled in the Husks

We spent last week at Cedar Island in a cottage with a grill. This was our second visit to Cedar Sunrise. It's a great place for the outdoorsy types and those who love to grill.

My boys love grilled corn on the cob. We grill corn in husks and also in tin foil. The flavor is a little different - but both ways are good.

Corn takes up less space on the grill when made in tin foil, so that's usually my deciding factor when I shuck, husk, and foil the corn.

It's less work to grill corn in the husks. Just put the corn in a cooler of water for 20 minutes or more. It does not have to be exact, but I'd try to get them on the heat in an hour at the most.

Grill the corn for around 30 minutes. Test with a fork. When the fork slides right in, you know the corn is tender. After a couple of times, you'll have this step down.

The silks just fall right off after the corn is grilled, so that's nice. When I have room, I usually grill it in the husks. Then, I don't have to shuck the corn and desilk it. Those jobs aren't that much fun.

Produce is plentiful on the coast of North Carolina, so we bought corn at roadside stands and had corn with several meals. The boys love corn, so that's always a hit.

It's really easy to grill corn if you know the basics, and it's hard to beat grilled corn.

A Week at Cedar Island Beach in North Carolina with a Grill

Cedar Island, North Carolina is a beautiful area - quiet and relaxing.


Clams are plentiful out in the sound at Cedar Island.


Put out a crab trap and have fresh crabs the next day.


Full moon over the sound at Cedar Sunrise vacation cottage.

We spent last week unplugged at a remote island in North Carolina. Cedar Island sits right behind Ocracoke Island and is about 5 miles long by 1 mile wide. Most of the land area is a federal preserve, but there's a small community including a few rental cottages and a hotel at the ferry dock.

We found this little gem of a vacation spot at Vacation Rental by Owner. The house we rent is called Cedar Sunrise. It's right on the water with a small dock. We drop crab traps and walk out in the sand and feel around for fresh clams.

In the evenings we grill up delicous local seafood including shrimp right off the boat at Quality Seafood - less than a mile up the road.

There's no phone, and the cell phone doesn't pick up. The TV has three local channels. No internet hook up. If you really want to get away from it all, this is the place to do it. You can, of course, take the ferry over to Ocracoke or drive about an hour to Morehead City and Emerald Isle. Then again, you can just put your feet up and take a real vacation from the world. Either way, it's great fun.

Off to the Beach - Fun in the Sun - Grilling on the Deck

Bridge Over to Cedar Island, NC

We're headed to Cedar Island, North Carolina on Saturday. My son just graduated from high school, and I had him pick our destination. He wanted to go back to Cedar Island. We went a couple of years ago and had a great time.

Cedar Island is an inner barrier island - tucked behind Ocracoke Island (the bottom of the chain of outer bank islands). It's a small town - peaceful and beautiful. The cost to stay on the water is about half what it would be on Ocracoke, and the ferry is right up the road. We just hopped that and hit Ocracoke for a day last time.

There's a hotel on Cedar Island, but we work out better getting a house. I figured that out when the boys were little and bouncing off the walls in motels. I found Vacation Rental By Owner and discovered that we could get a house - and often for less than the price of a hotel. They have houses for rent all over the world. We've had great luck with VRBO.

The house we rent at Cedar Island is right on the sound. The water is shallow and great for swimming and for boating. The owners have a kayak and canoe which guests can use.

There are clam beds out in the sound. The boys discovered those. We enjoyed grilling fresh clams the last time we went. Since we know about the clams ahead of time, I've been thinking about different clam dishes we can enjoy.

The owners of Cedar Sunrise have a nice gas grill on the porch, and we grilled almost all our meals on the last visit. We found out where the shrimp boats come in, so I know we'll grill some shrimp. It would be really nice if I could locate my grill wok, but my son reorganized the basement. I can now find nothing, but it looks better down there.

Cooking seafood is really easy. The key is not to overcook. We've gone out to eat seafood - of course. But the boys like my cooking better. I've converted several folks to eating scallops. Scallops usually are not very good at restaurants, but I can fry them up and never have enough.

Renting the house at Cedar Island worked out great last time, and I'm looking forward to visiting again. I can putter on the porch and play around with the grill and still see the boys out swimming and boating. The boys are teens now, so I guess that wouldn't be essential, but I like to know where they are and what they're doing.

I'll be offline next week. No net service. Even the cell phone wouldn't pick up last time. That's OK. Being unplugged for a week is refreshing.

Play With Your Food and Friends at Food Buzz

I found a fun new online food site called Food Buzz.

I stumbled on Food Buzz when I Googled my name. Lord yes, I must be vain. They had found my Barbecue Master blog and had it on a news feed. That was a nice surprise. I never know where I might show up online.

The site must be really new as it still has "beta" up at the top.

The idea, from the best I can gather, is that this is a place for foodies of all types to hang out. There are barbecue and grill types but also every other type of food you can imagine. In addition, they have restaurant reviews by state with members giving ratings and overviews.

When you sign up, you can fill out a profile page. That includes a photo and quote and some details depending on what you feel comfortable sharing.

Then you can share reviews, recipes, photos and news.

Food Buzz is a community site, so you can add friends and rate and add feeds from other members. All your activities are listed like on some of the networking spaces like My Space.

I must confess that I don't have it all figured out just yet. There are a lot of options, and I've never played at a social networking site. I am enjoying adding some information and ideas and seeing what everyone is buzzing about as far as food and cooking.

If you're a foodie, check out Food Buzz. You'll find lots of people with common interests and get loads of new information and ideas. You can just look around or join up and join in the fun.

Lester Family Reunion at the Bandy Community Center

Lester Family Reunion Dinner


Checking Out the Dessert Table


Need to Get the Recipe for This Yummy Cake


Me and Cousin Doug

We were up early and getting ready for the Lester family reunion. We're not really Lesters, but my aunt is married to a Wingo who is kin to the Lesters. We're probably cousins somewhere back down the line too. You can pretty well go to any family reunion in the Appalachian mountains and be related in some way. Just name your Grandpa and everyone will get it figured out.

Since we were in from out of town, we just dropped by Colonel Sanders and got some Kentucky Fried Chicken. I made the chicken run while Mom got a shower. She is an early bird and had been up pulling weeds since daybreak I'd wager.

Someone had put together a nice book with family pictures and stories. Everyone was checking that out as well as a huge family tree taped up in the hall that included photos of the relatives.

The dinner was terrific. Mountain women can cook. I got a little of everything - well not literally everything - but a nice selection. Someone had made soupy potatoes like my Grandma used to make. I hadn't had those in years, and they were just as yummy as I remembered.

Desserts are my downfall. Sigh. And, they sure had some tasty ones. I wouldn't even begin to name a favorite. That's one sure way to get in trouble with the cooks. I will say the homemade banana pudding was fabulous, but we ended up eating that the night before. So, we didn't get there with banana pudding that my aunt made off my Grandma's special recipe.

Southwest Virginia - Jewel Ridge 4th of July Celebration

Up in the graveyard - overlooking the 4th of July party.


Down in the crowd with the local band in the background.


Fireworks were awesome up on top of the mountain.

The Jewel Ridge 4th of July party was one I will never forget. I thought we'd just be sitting on the side of the road watching the fireworks. I didn't realize this was a full blown party.

Since we had little kids along as well as a couple of Grandmas, we blanketed down in the graveyard up above the celebration area. One of the uncles went down and brought up popcorn, sodas, and an icee.

The kids danced to the music from a local band. I never did catch the name of the band, but they were certainly energetic. They did a range of songs including old rock and roll and some patriotic selections. The lead guy had the crowd roaring when he yelled, "We don't burn no flags around here." He brought one of the girls just back from Iraq up on the stage where everyone cheered like crazy. She got a free t-shirt and CD for her service.

It was around 9:30 or 10 before the fireworks cranked up. They were very impressive up high on the mountain.

It rained a little bit as folks were riding out. Most of the people from the neighborhood had decorated their houses and were out on their porches waving at everyone driving out. Since we were in the back of a pick up, it was like being in a parade. The kids had a blast looking for American flags and yelling "hi" to everyone down the road.

By the time we got back, the little ones were fast asleep. We carried them in and tucked them in bed. Then we called it a night, since we had the family reunion the next morning.

Headed Up to Jewel Ridge for the 4th of July Fireworks

We loaded up the truck to head around the mountain to Jewel Ridge. When I say loaded, I do mean we had a full truck. This was just the first round.



Then we climbed up the mountain through the graveyard to find a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.



Here's part of the family getting settled in for the fireworks. Where the rest of them got to . . . anybody's guess.

Normally I'd be dragging the old Weber grill out in the back yard on the 4th of July, but this year Mom asked me if I'd like to ride up to the mountains for the Lester family reunion. I'm always game for a road trip, so I left frozen pizzas in the freezor for the boys who are pretty lazy on cooking when I'm off and gone.

The reunion was actually on the 5th, but we went in on the 4th. Either everyone was where they were going already or travel was way down. It was easy driving. Very little traffic.

My aunt (who is more like a sister) and my uncle figured we'd all go up on Jewel Ridge to see the fireworks. This is apparently a yearly tradition, but as I mentioned, I'm usually not out visiting on the 4th.

We loaded up in the truck and headed up and around the mountain over to Jewel Ridge. We found a spot to park alongside the road and then walked down the road and then up the hill through the graveyard. That's where we settled down.

The party which I didn't know about was down the hill and not quite at full tilt when we arrived. It got louder and rowdier as the night went on. This is what I'd call a "throw down." When they do the 4th of July up on Jewel Ridge, they really do the 4th of July.

It was a tad calmer up in the graveyard, but there was still some dancing and fireworks going on.

Win a New Grill or a $10,000 Backyard Make Over

Grilling Boneless Chicken Breasts

I've been using cooking sprays on my grill grates for years. It prevents the foods from sticking and also makes clean up easier. I just spray as a matter of course, but it's especially helpful to spray the grates when cooking foods low in fat (and healthier).

Crisco has some very flavorful sprays out now. The regular is kind of neutral and works with any grilled foods. The butter flavor is good for richer grilled recipes. I'd say the olive oil is my favorite.

If you pick up any cooking spray for your grill, be sure to visit the Crisco web site. You can enter to win a free grill or even a $10,000 backyard makeover. There are 100 daily winners on the Coleman RoadTrip grill and then the big winner at the end.

The Coleman grills are really cute. They double as a camp stove and grill with different cooking tops.

I don't even know what to say about $10,000 on a backyard makeover. Wow! I guess that's all I can say. I just drag my grill out in the yard and go at it. I don't even know if I could spend $10,000. But, I'd sure like to try (-:

The contest is very easy. You sign up with your information. Otherwise they won't be able to tell you when/if you win. You need the barcode from your Crisco product. Once you sign in, then you can enter again and again with new product codes.

The Crisco backyard makeover promotion runs through September 2008.

Good luck if you enter. Even if you don't do contests, check out the spray. It does make a world of difference when you're grilling.

Family Night Pot Luck Dinner at Boy Scout Camp

It's Amazing How a Few Days at Camp Make the Boys Love You Ever So Much


Theme at Camp was Cowboys - Our Crowd Had Real Ten Gallon Hats


Our Scoutmaster is the Max - He Comes Up with All the Cool Ideas


Time to Eat - Nobody is Shy About That at Boy Scout Camp

We got to Boy Scout Camp without turning over any of the food which is always a good thing. It can be quite a production to get all the pot luck food made, packed and secured for the hour drive to Camp John J. Barnhardt.

One year we arrived a tad late, so we allowed some extra time. Got there before the boys came to the shelter and got to see them all come in. Most of the boys ran up full speed. Some played it cool - to some extent. It's hard to be too cool when you see your people and especially when they come bearing food.

All the boys had huge ten gallon cowboy hats, since the theme this year was cowboys. The Scoutmaster always comes up with great ideas, and the hats were his inspiration. I heard he made a stagecoach, but I didn't get to see that.

As always, we had loads of great food. That's one thing our troop in known for - great pot lucks. Our boys serving as counselors at camp, of course, opted to eat with us. They know which groups go all out, and our group certainly does.

My kid has been going to camp with the troop. This year he is in the counselor training program. He was issued one counselor shirt which got soaked the first day. No one told him to buy more. So, he got chewed out for wearing his offical Scout shirt, since his counselor shirt was wet. He rounded up some money and bought more shirts. I think it's been a long week, and I'll be glad to get him home on Saturday.

Cooking for BSA Camp Family Night

Mini Ham Biscuits - Homemade Biscuits and Country Ham


Chilled Black Eyed Pea Salad


Quick and Easy Appetizer Tray

I was cooking up a storm this afternoon, since this is Family Night at Camp John J. Barnhardt. Every Wednesday during summer camp, the families visit the campers and bring home cooked food. After a couple of days eating camp food, the guys are always really happy to see Mom and the familes.

It's always hot in July when our boys go to Boy Scout camp. That makes it a bit of a challenge to come up with dishes that will travel and be OK in the heat. I have several coolers of various sizes and even a thermoelectric heater/cooler that plugs in the lighter in the truck.

It had been a while since I'd made country ham biscuits, and IGA had some center cut country ham from Frank Corriher. Since there's always so much food at camp on family night, I thought I'd just make mini biscuits. Instead of using the biscuit cutter, I used a juice glass. That worked out well. The empty bowl proved that.

A cold salad seemed like a good plan. I made some black eyed peas and then mixed up a salad and chilled it for a couple of hours - then put it in a cooler with ice. It's a really tasty salad. I added that to my side dishes recipe list at Yes You Can Grill.

By the time I made scratch biscuits and cooked up black eyed peas for the salad, I was pushing it close on the time. I have the acrylic Tupperware serving platter above that is always a quick way to put together something for a pot luck dinner. I just add whatever I have on hand. I always keep some dried beef in the cabinet. I made cream cheese beef roll ups for the center. My son loves black olives, so I opened a can of those. I rounded that out with hot sausages which I adore and some white cheddar cheese.

Then I ran by to get my Mom, and off to camp we went loaded down with lots of good food and ready to see our favorite camper.