Be sure to use Finger Lakes Distilling Brandy and Wonderbird Spirits Gin No. 61 for this drink
This is something that we all enjoy, we love to get together with friends and families to partake in the celebration of cooking food over fire. Everybody brings their favorite side dishes and drinks. Kids are running around getting their hands into everything.
Besides sitting around and getting ketchup and BBQ sauce on our favorite T-shirts we also partake in the outdoor activities. No, there won’t be any lawn darts in this list, but these classic games will always be a favorite for your next cookout. Please check out the headers for the featured t-shirt and click the links for products that you can get for your next gathering.
Dominoes have been around for a long time, this tile game can be traced back to 1120 CE in China according to pagat.com. The article also states that when introduced into Europe they gave it the name of “Domino” which is a Latin derivative of “dominus” (i.e. Master of the House).
This will always be a great game to have at any gathering.
Now just having a deck could lead to any card game like Gin-Rummy, Go-fish, War, and many others. Spades have been an all time favorite of mine, the strategy, counting, and watching your opponents moves makes this game much more entertaining.
According to Wikipedia, spades birth place was Cincinnati, Ohio and gained it is popularity during the second world war. Soldiers would be playing this card game during that time, after the war and with the GI Bill the game became a favorite in universities among students who were looking for a fast-paced card game.
Always a fan favorite in American cookout games. What we see as a backyard game while making hot dogs and burgers is in fact an Olympic game since 1992 and World Games event in 1981.
The history of this game comes from British India when it was called “battledore and shuttlecock”. This racquet based game has seen it fair share of travels in Europe and finally landing in Asia where the game has been it most popular.
Who can’t resist getting out and playing a round of this high-flying, trash-talking game filled with moments of spikes and setups. I still remember the time when I was tall enough to spike the ball and my uncle Mike taking one to the face from my misdirected shot.
This game was an alternative to basketball. Volleyball was called “Mintonette” and created in 1895 (4 years after basketball) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Basketball was considered to aggressive due to contact between players, it was well liked by the younger crowd but not so much the older business men. Thus why volleyball was created, you have the intense workout like basketball just not the contact with players.
We can all say that this has been a wonderful back yard game at any cookout.
Ah yes, the mighty pigskin. AKA: the pineapple, moleskin, peanut, and many other names that define this staple of Americana in all our backyard and cookout events.
This game could be played as tackle, touch, or flag. even just throwing the football around has been a great past time by itself.
This sport has its roots traced back to mid-19th century when it was develop from the sport of rugby. The professional games started as early as 1892 with match of Allegheny Athletic Association against Pittsburgh Athletic Club.
Well all know someone at the cook out is going to wind up throwing the ball and it hits the potato salad.
How could I not mention this great game in a BBQ/cookout blog. The inventor owned a pie company. You can see how this guy’s imagination worked.
In 1957, the toy company Wham-O created the first plastic Frisbee. The rest is history. This circular flying disc has been filling our time with memories of watching the older kids doing different tricks and throws, or playing a football like game called “Ultimate Frisbee” for many years.
This derivative of the 1st century Roman game of Quoits has been the iconic backyard game for everyone. I still remember getting a ringer and being so excited. I also remember almost hitting someone with the heavy steel horseshoe too…sorry uncle Mike…again.
This game is so well liked here in America that chances are you will find a horseshoe pit in parks across the land. Most BBQ establishments might have some kind of version of the game.
For me, I think that this game has been the one that people tend to have the most fun doing. Watching families create tournaments and creating a sense of cohesion. Cheering each other on while we wait for when the cook says “TIME TO EAT!!”.
What ever game you choose to bring to your next cookout should always bring that sense of nostalgia when you were a kid. Smelling the lighter fluid and charcoal, the salty taste of potato chips, the ice cold orange soda that left a orange colored mustache on your upper lip.
I still remember the cheers and congratulations for playing well, winning my first family horseshoe tournament (I practiced a lot). Nowadays I enjoy watching the kids play the games while I man the grill and food display. I am proud to feed my family and others and I am honored to be the one that yells out “TIME TO EAT!!”
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Hello folks, your favorite t-shirt and kitchen geek is bringing you another top 7 list.
This going to be filled to the top with ideas that you can cook with your kids at home during these tough times. We all know that being stuck at home can lead to being bored, so I found some ways to pass the time while also help teach your children how to create beautiful meals for the family.
I won’t be going into recipes so much as I will be suggesting certain things to cook. This isn’t going to be baking cookies but you can create some of your favorite meals with my picks.
Yes, making dough.
Now this is a real fun project to do with the kids. If they love pizza, burgers, pasta, breads, even cookies you must know how to make dough. Not only will they get a great workout but they might wind up making their favorite dinner. Check out some of the items below to help get your kids into making dough.
Pancakes, waffles, crepes Oh My!
Making pancakes is the most iconic staple to batter recipes, but you can use it for so much more. You can use it to batter fish, pork, chicken, even veggies. Your children will love cooking up some of their favorite snacks and meals from practicing with making different batters. Check out the list of items below to help with showing how to make some delicious batter-based meals.
Eggs can be consumed in so many ways, they can be boiled, fried, scrambled, etc.
Poached eggs are amazing in my opinion, it give you a sense of accomplishment when you have a perfectly cooked poached eggs. Plus, there are so many hacks on cooking an egg. Check out the links below to help you and your kids with cooking eggs.
This isn’t a can soup article, I am talking about making a hearty soup that will warm you up and make you smile.
Making soups can take a few minutes to hours, but all the time you spend on making making this bowl full of joy is definitely worth it. My son loves to make chili, it is something that I love doing with him. Take a look at the links below to get started making soups with your kids.
I know that kids love their cheese-burgers, but have they ever wanted to make their own meatballs for subs with marina. Maybe make the meat for their favorite taco inspired dish. They can create meatloaves, Swedish meatballs, and sliders.
Ground meats are so versatile when it come to meals, there plenty of recipes to find that will keep kids engaged with cooking. Take a look at the links below.
So many kids love pasta and rice dishes, from mac and cheese to fried rice. The sky is the limit to these carbs.
You can cook them in different liquids and achieve such delicious meals, but this is why I save the best for last. So check out the links below to get your kids some inspiration to cooking with pasta and rice.
Here is why I say this is the number one pick.
Sauces ties everything together, you will always need to make a sauce for any dinner. Spaghetti, pizza, Alfredo, and sauces for hamburgers. Teaching your children how to make sauces will keep them coming back to create more dishes.
I would recommend getting them started on making the 5 mother sauces. From there they will be able to expand to making their dishes. Look at the links below for more ideas.
It doesn’t matter what you want to teach them with food, even if you never tried the recipe yourself it is always fun to learn together. So have fun creating together, you will always have that lovely memory of cooking.
So you might wonder why a food blogger is posting about skills to learn. The simple answer is that we all have to worry about markets. Back in 2007 America (and many other countries) was hit in the Great Recession. That market crashed badly and many people lost their retirement, homes, jobs, etc.
I remember this time because I was greatly affected by it. I just graduated my apprenticeship to become a Sheetmetal Worker/Journeyman, I had steady work and was finally getting ahead in life. As fate would have it I shortly went on unemployment and was put on the books in the union for being available to hire but I stayed on the books over 2 years.
I was very lucky to have a marketable trade that I was able to put to work and eventually found employment quickly, but I also learned that I was still vulnerable. All I could think was “What if…?”.
So I got in school and learned a new trade, but I did my research first. I discovered that there was a specific industries that were still hiring and expanding while others were laying off. I saw that jobs in Information Technology were still in-demand. I got into school and learned anything I could about computers.
So here is my top 7 skills I think others should give a try to learn.
This is a very good thing to get into and practice on a daily basis. Our world is filled with many different cultures and languages. Many of these countries have wide array of industries that you could be a part of. Crossing that language barrier is more essential today with the growing popularity of remote work and freelancing. According to Degree Council some of the most marketable languages to learn are:
Be sure to check out these courses online:
Marketing is something that can be very useful for anybody. Right now we are going through a time where we make a lot sales online. Places like eBay, RedBubble, YouTube, and many more all have a platform for someone to advertise. Companies and hobbyists all need a way to stay competitive online with marketing. Even understanding the principles can be useful when posting an item you are selling on eBay.
If you are running a blog for yourself or others its a necessity to know how to bring in followers and to create content that is marketable. Check out the classes on this skill below.
LEAN Manufacturing or Management is a methodology that’s soul focus is to reduce waste. Things that would consume time or resources is part of running a business, but companies spend a lot of money to have their business function well. LEAN helps with identifying value streams and what could be potential waste, ways to understand what the problems are, and create a way to implement changes to the current state of operations.
Even knowing some of the fundamentals of this system helps more than you know. Check out these classes to learn about this skill and get certified.
I have a couple of these certifications and the knowledge you gain about computers from CompTIA will last for a very long time. These certifications are entry-level and can be put on a resume for future employment. Having a couple of certifications helps employers see you as having that extra little something that you can bring to the table for their company.
I am now going into a world where not everybody wants to learn. Hyper Text Markup Language or HTML, is a very well know code. We use it everyday for checking scores of our favorite teams to searching for jobs. This programming language is always changing and is being pushed to many of its limits.
Just knowing how to read it will help you with security of your own computer and devices that connect to the internet. You would be able to find things in search engines better knowing what part of the website you are looking for.
This is one skill I think everyone should have. When I changed from being a mechanic to an analyst I learned quickly the wonderful world of spreadsheets. I think this skill can be applicable to any job, from being a cook to a CEO you will someway, somehow use excel spreadsheets for data collection.
Just having a basic knowledge of the program will make you that much more valuable to any team. I can’t stress this enough that in your job you have been collecting data and entering it into a data sheet for someone to interrupt, so why not learn how they do it.
Finally, my favorite, learn a programming language.
I am not saying you are going to automatically change your career and make big money, I’m just saying that this is a very valuable skill to acquire. If you know how a programming language works you can translate it into almost anything. When I was working on creating prototypes as a sheetmetal mechanic I would use the methodologies of object-oriented programming (OOP) for building mock-ups and creating functionality, it helped me explain better how the prototypes work and my customers would be able to follow with better clarity.
I highly recommend learning python as your first programming language.
If you are looking to always improve your position at work or just want to try something new then this post is for you. Please look through the links to the courses that I have provided, maybe you can find the one that suits you best. If you have the time to learn a new skill you should capitalize on that. We can always earn more money but we can never earn back time.
I was on a trip to go do my favorite hobby…grocery shopping and I realized that didn’t eat anything. Yes, I know, a foodie that didn’t eat something before grocery shopping. Going out hungry to buy food is something that I don’t recommend, you will wind up buying things that you don’t want to get.
I have been following some of the local business here in Kitsap county on Instagram and decided to try out Liv-A-Latte. This little well know woman owned and operated business has been striving to build and create a positive influence in our community one cup at a time. The atmosphere when you pull up is an adventure for the eyes.
When you pull up to this tiny purple house of coffee on the Southwest corner of Silverdale Way and NW Bucklin Hill Rd you are greeted with Pacific Northwest creativity.
From the colors and unique stylized fonts on the signs to the many story-like objects decorating the outside of this establishment. You will see an abundance of flowers and painted rocks. Its like a little scavenger-hunt while you wait to receive your caffeinated (or decaf) beverage. They have a second location in Bremerton on 303 at the Chevron gas station and is decorated just the same.
This panini grilled burrito was definitely a great to-go meal for anybody who is needing a delicious treat while traveling. I shared half of it with my son. This was filled with sauteed green peppers and onions with their house seasoning, chopped bacon, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese. I got mine with their jalapeño-cream cheese.
It came with salsa which had a mild spicy taste to it. I will be recommending this to my friends and I can’t wait to try the other styles of burrito.
This was a very tasty beverage, I’m not much for sweetened drinks but I will say the chocolate flavors made me think twice on that position. With a mixture of white and dark chocolate syrups with their signature roasted coffee this drink alone is worth the time to get on a warm spring day.
There you have it folks, my trip to Liv-A-Latte. I really enjoyed this local business and was inspired the next day to make my own breakfast burrito. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram, another location is in the works for this entrepreneur.
You can put this in tacos, burritos, barbecue sandwiches, nachos. I even made cubanos with it and they were amazing.
If you are a foodie like myself and you enjoy spicy meats with cold beer this is the slow cooker recipe you have been waiting for.
Be sure to check out my RedBubble page and all the awesome items I have available for you to buy for your next taco night. #tshirtchef77
Here is my Top 7 movie and t.v. picks why Ryan Reynolds is a horrible actor. Now I want to be clear that this is a friendly roast of our Canadian stepchild. That we wind up giving all our attention to because he always reminds us that we will never be his father.
Yes I do like the Deadpool movies and his wonderful feud with Hugh Jackman. I haven’t tried his Aviation Gin but I do enjoy the commercials. But sticking to the theme of this post, this is going to be a roast with recipes and t-shirts. I think you will like this one.
As always click the link in the header above each picture for the t-shirt and enjoy the commentary.
Let us start it off right with a movie that had more CGI than Avatar. Nothing stopped this sour apple sweet tart of a movie from the horrible acting and comic book story line killer Ryan Reynolds. In a skin tight onesie dipped in the juice of a light stick he discovered how to really put a bad taste in our metaphorical mouths for an iconic comic book character. Luckily our good friends at Dinner then Dessert has provided a delicious slow cooker recipe to help us cleanse our palette of this nightmare of a movie.
Oh Canada… don’t do teenage drama. Please leave that to us, you get a free pass with “You Can’t Do That On Television” which starred a young Alanis Morissette (she let Reynolds hold her hand in public). This copycat of Saved By The Bell called for anybody who had blonde hair and pretend to be American. Enter the Reynolds. If you want to enjoy this TV show I suggest a sandwich made from the roast beef recipe created by Amazing Ribs. The horseradish sauce is the best so far. I will say you will need to eat at least 4 of these in slider style sandwiches.
I love how Seth McFarland doesn’t give Reynolds any lines in his movies. In one movie he just stands there and gets shot. This isn’t a Ryan movie, he was just a small appearance as a better actor’s boyfriend. Which reminds me I need to do a list for that guy. Umami gives us a delightful smoker recipe full of flavor and mouth watering enjoyment, this should make everything better.
What is with remaking this movie? This was not scary nor was it entertaining. I wish he had made a movie about how to take a horror film classic from a true story and turn it into a bugle boy jeans commercial. Yes I know they don’t make them anymore, but here we are remaking this movie so why not remake those too. Since we are looking into the depths of hell we might as well have a good rotisserie beef roast from Dad Cooks Dinner. This roast is one the best I have ever tried. You absolutely have to get the rotisserie attachment for your grill.
Now I do admit I like watching this one, but this is filled to the rim of the sippy cup called the acting prowess of Ryan Reynolds. This is what happens when you mix your ADHD medication with your caffine pills you got from Jessie Spano and diet pills from Kelly Taylor and wash it down with a Four Loko. Just look at Tara Reed, she can only get Sharknado movies. She is safe now. With the wonder of the Instapot meal maker you can give your college son or daughter something to make meals with, have them try this recipe from The Recipe Rebel so they will eat good for the next 4 years or more.
Welcome to having Betty White and Sandra Bullock in a movie and screwing it up with the fart that is Ryan Reynolds acting. It was so bad that they had to put Bullock naked in there. Can’t save the movie? Well lets just throw in The Golden Girl with some cultural appropriation for good measure. Since we are here we might as well enjoy the smells of this dutch-oven recipe Sunday Supper Movement.
Yes folks this is the title of the X-files episode that starred our kooky Canadian bowl of poutine. The character’s name was “Jay De Boom”, he was a high school jock, and he died. The writers couldn’t do much for Reynolds, his audition must have been so bad that his character was still a virgin when he died. Then they came up with a crazy title and they hired two girls from Hot Topic to kill him. I think Tyler Labine (a much better Canadian) did better than Ryan, he lived for 3 episodes. So let us drown ourselves in a deep fried prime rib roast from Kent Rollins. This is the best, do not change anything on this recipe.
That’s all folks! I have given you 7 picks for why Ryan Reynolds is a bad actor in this friendly roast. He has a very impressive resume of movies and television parts. Salute to you good sir, as always please follow, share, check out the t shirts, comment, and enjoy the recipes that go with the picks. #tshirtchef77 Your Kitchen and T-shirt Geek.
Thank you to everyone that has been with me on this journey. I now present to you with my first t-shirt design. Stickers are available. Just click the header to view the store. More items will be available soon.
If you purchase any of my items from my store I will send you a link that will give you $5 back and another for a free stock. Not only will you get an awesome sticker but you get your money back. Just post your sticker or swag on Instagram and tag me (@tshirtchef77) and I will send you the links in your DM. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more photos.
I hope you all get to enjoy this first design. Check it out
