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.
