We would like to say Thank You to all of you who booked their events with us in 2009. The busy time of year is now past and what a busy time it was. As we now enter the  slower  time of year for us our thoughts turn to many different things. We start looking forward to 2010 with new ideas and new ways to offer our customers more. Looks like it will be another busy one for us. As our thoughts move forward we will be adding new things to our menu and to our web page. Plan to return to see our new things.

If your planning an event in 2010 give us a call and get on our books. During 2009 we saw an increase in fundraisers and weddings if either one of those things are in your plans. Always remember we’re here 12 months out of the year to serve your catering needs.

Over the years I have been in the catering business I have seen extremely successful fundraisers and some that could have been more successful had the planners followed a few simple tips.

The following steps produce a successful BBQ fundraiser:

1. Form a committe to help with this event

2. Find the correct location to host your event at

3. Date and time

4. Set goals for your event

5. Advertise your event

6. Pre sell tickets prior to your event

Setting up your Committee   

Once you have decided to hold a fundraiser for a family or your favorite charity, the next step is to form a committee. This is a fairly big job and you should have help with this project.  Ask people to be on the committee who have expressed the desire to help. Or those who have been on a committee similar to your event.  Establish meeting dates,times and location to hold your meetings. Friends,family and co-workers are usually ready to lend a helping hand.

First thing to decide is where to hold this event:

 Questions for the committee to discuss before picking a location to hold this event:

1. Is there seating for dine in customers

2. Will the carry out line allow people to stay in their cars and have their dinners brought  to them.

3. If the food is to be cooked onsite does the site have the things needed to accomplish the onsite cooking

Answering these questions will tell you what your site must have in order to full fill your goals. May be a local church,school or one of the civic groups will be the answer.

Date and Time to hold your Event

1. Location you pick to hold your event may dictate your date and time.

2. Check around the area to find out if there are other  fundraisers being held on the same date your thinking about having yours. If you find other fundraisers are being held in your area on the same date find out what type of fundraiser they are. If theres a car wash or bake sale on the same date these type events probably will not affect your event. If theres food served you’ll have to decide if it will affect your fundraiser. If the answer iis yes it’s probably best to pick another date.

3. Best days to hold this type of fundraiser is by far Sunday right after church. Holding in a churches parking lot is a win-win for your event and for those inside the church who haven’t started anything for lunch.  

Set Goals for Your Event:

1. Decide how much you would like to try to make for your charity

2. Do some math to see how many dinners you will need to sell to make that goal. If your having dine in you can always sell 50/50 tickets to help raise more funds.

Advertise your Event

1. Some local papers have a section where they place “Up coming events”. Some papers charge for this and others do it as a service to the community.

2. Flyers put in local store windows or bulletin boards at grocery stores. Web pages for local companies,local community TV channel or local church Sunday bulletins.

3. Advertising and the way it’s written up is important. At the top of your advertising the name of the charity or family this event is being held for. Why the event is being held. The date,time and location. Price of the meal and what the meal consists of. Most caterers have a following so make sure you include who is preparing the meal.

Pre Sell Tickets

During your goal setting you decided how many dinners you want to sell. Once that amount has been determined the committee decided how many tickets to have made up. Once the tickets have been printed 1 committee member needs to be responsible for those tickets. Best advice I can give is number every ticket. Log them in some way(spread sheet,notebook etc)Who you gave what ticket numbers to. This will be really important closer to the event. Give each committee member tickets to sell.

Last Meeting Prior to Event:

Hold this meeting 2 days before the date you need to give your caterer your final numbers. Why because there will always be someone who has tickets that doesn’t call you to tell you how many they have sold. This will give you time to call them so you’ll be prepared to give your numbers to the comapny preparing your food. At this last meeting it’s time to decide how many dinners you want available to sell at the door. I have seen fundraisers moving along smoothly only to have tickets pre sold but no one knew. So at the event everyone is trying to figure out if they over sold and do not have enough food if people come in with tickets they don’t know about. Best advice I can give is keep a good handle on those tickets.

What Does a Caterer Do?

They prepare food for your event. When considering how to select a caterer, look at many factors. You should consider the nature of the event, how formal it is, what sorts of foods you wish to serve, and how much you can afford to spend.

Finding a Caterer

• Personal Recommendation

The ideal way to find a caterer is via personal recommendation. Ask friends, family and colleagues if they have catered an event, and who they used. Personal recommendations can help you select the right caterer

• Internet
  

  Searching for a cater for her wedding reception

• Telephone book
• Event planners
• Reception Hall
• Favorite Restaurant

Questions to ask Prospective Caterer

• Do they serve the type of food you want to serve your guests
• Are they available for the date of your event
• When and where will the food be cooked
• Do they serve it or is it buffet style
• Is there an event they are doing that you might attend
• Can you taste their food prior to your event
• Is there a deposit required
• What form of payment do they accept
• Is there a contract to sign

If you are satisfied that this is your caterer hire them and get all the necessary paperwork done. Then you can kick back and relax. The only thing left to do is give them your final count and enjoy your party! Have a great day!

Different Kinds of Steak

There are many fine cuts that are available for grilling. We prefer three specific cuts when we grill at home.

• Rib steaks
  • The rib steak is cut from the rib region of the beef. While it will still retain tenderness this cut is in the moderate price range.
• T-bones and porterhouse steaks
  • Are cut from the tenderloin region and will produce a very tender steak. However, with tenderness comes price increase.
• No matter which cut you may choose we have found that you can retain that tenderness no matter what marinade you use.
• The key to retaining the tenderness is the length of the marinating. A good overnight soak will allow the steak to fully absorb the liquid and aid in tenderness no matter what doneness. Make sure to reserve some of the marinade to use during grilling. However discard any unused marinade after grilling; do not use for consumption. Any sauces you may wish to use can be applied when you first put the meat on the grill.

Other types of Beef

• Roasts done over the grill
  • Our method of grilling a roast does not involve a spit or hours of grilling
  • We usually take a roast and cut it up into chunks.
  • Then we soak the roast in a marinade for at least 24 hours.
  • By soaking for an extended period of time we are able to avoid restricting  ourselves to a leaner cut of meat. An economic way to do this would be to purchase a few chuck roasts when they are one sale and freeze them.
  • After soaking we then make a foil bowl to put the meat in and grill. You can use a grill basket if you want a little more of a flame grilled taste.

Less Common Types of Beef

• Liver
  • Now we have only done liver once but according to Grandma, whose taste runs to liver it was very good. The only real suggestion we have is to cook it thorough on a lower heat.
• Beef Ribs
  • Beef ribs are very different from pork ribs. Short ribs are the common term for beef ribs. Simply grill with barbeque sauce as you would pork ribs.

Well that about wraps up our tips for beef. Don’t worry we didn’t forget hamburgers. They will be included in our picnic tips article. Subscribe to be notified when we have posted new tips. Happy grilling!

The Grilling Season Is Upon Us!

With the warmer temperatures come the memories of  the smell of charcoal and grilling meat. Spring,summer, and even fall are great times for grilling.  Here are some guidelines for a solid start to a successful grilling season.

How do we prepare for the grilling season?

The first thing you want to do is make sure your patio or deck is still in good condition for holding those barbecues. Make sure any repairs are done and the area is clean. Not only will you appeal to your guests and family,but you will create a clean and safe workspace for your grilling.

Inspect the Grill

There are certain things we should check before firing up that grill. The next thing will be inspecting your grill. Now we are hard core charcoal grillers. We use it for the business as well as personal. If you didn’t before the winter,empty any ashes that may be left over from the fall. Next, make sure that you have no rust in the bottom of your grill. How devastating would that be to fire up the grill only to have the bottom rust out while grilling?! Check all grates and pans that you use. Make sure they have no rust or residue on them. Replace any parts of your grill that do show signs of rust and excessive wear and tear.

Cleaning the Grill

Once you have checked the grill thoroughly and replaced any broken parts your are ready to….clean!! Over the winter dust and grime can accumulate fast! Even if you have your grill and equipment covered all winter still clean everything off. Now do you need to spend money on expensive cleaners? Not really. Dish soap and warm water will do just fine. Use a scratch pad for excessive buildup. For those who want a green solution for those really stuck on parts try lemon juice and salt. Pat a little bit of  salt on the stuck particle and spritz with a little lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes and then wipe off.

Making sure your grill racks are clean and in good condition is key to a successful barbecue. Using a cooking spray or lard helps keep them in good shape. Lard is especially important if you have cast iron grates. After each grill session make sure you use a grill brush to clean off any leftover particles. Doing this regularly can help you shorten the cleaning process next year!

So the grill is clean and ready to go,now what?

Checking the charcoal,lighter fluid,smoke chips, and any grill planks you may have left over. Make sure no critters have gotten into your fluid or charcoal. When in doubt toss it out. If you are like we are you’ll need to head to the store to stock up since you used it all last year!

Now with all that done you are ready to start grilling!! Roll that shiny clean grill into your refreshingly clean patio or deck and get cooking. Our next edition will feature tips on getting that cut of beef done to perfection. We’ll include types of cuts that are ideal for cooking along with suggestions for marinating and cooking times.

Welcome to our new and improved website.

The season has started with a bang. We have been busy since the snow melted. Even though we are having trying economic times fundraisers are still going strong. Over the 13 years I have been BBQ’ing I have never seen so many people wanting BBQ for their wedding reception as I have seen this year.We are going into graduation time and invite you to give your graduate the best. They worked hard for 12 years so give them the Best BBQ in Port Clinton.

Read about how we came to be under “About Grandma“. Check out the articles we have written to help you have a better BBQ in your own backyard. The BBQ Tips may be of interest in that it will help you pick out what meat is best for your event.  We’ve included a few tips we use in our everyday BBQ’s that may assist you in your own backyard.  The neighbors will be jealous when they smell that good aroma coming from your yard.

Lots more photos have been added for you to view.  Please find my granddaughters in the photos-they will be the cute ones.   I am so very proud of them, I have to share them with you.

Our newest addition that truly brings us into the internet age is our “blog”. Everyone is doing it these days and we are no exception. As summer is a very busy time for us I will try my best to blog at least once a week. We want you to keep track of us so follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

New articles will be added as they are developed. Not all will be about BBQ we’re planning some on other subjects that apply to us in one way or another.

So sit down, click, read and enjoy your visit.  Good BBQ’ing-  Keep the smoke rolling!!

• Tip 1 Selecting Your Meats

Only buy the freshest and best quality of meats for your BBQ. If possible buy your meat at a meat market so you can select the exact piece of meat that will work for your BBQ. Choose meats that are  naturally tender.

Red Meat

Buy your red meat several days prior to your cook out. This gives the meat time to age and also softens the muscle.

Most tender cuts would be sirloin and porterhouse. T-bone and rump are tougher meats that require marinating. 

Poultry

Poultry is a healthy food but can be a little bland if not flavored in some way. Pick your favorite seasoning.

Pork

Pork is the easiest to cook

• Tip 2 Preparing Your Meat/Poultry

If you’re cooking chicken, wash the bird or parts prior to cooking. Since poultry is naturally bland use a flavoring especially made for poultry. There are many to choose from. We use a custom seasoning made just for us.

If  ribs are chosen we have found no difference in removing the membrane or leaving it on.

What ever type of meat your cooking use your favorite dry rub or marinate prior to cooking.

• Tip 3 Preparing the Grill

Always clean your grill from the prior use. A clean grill produces a better flavor and quality.  Remove the old ash from your prior cook to guarantee good air circulation.

• Tip 4 Preparing Your Charcoal

Although all charcoal will light and burn -to get the job done the best,  Kingsford by far out weighs all others.

It burns longer and does the best job of any we have tried using. When starting your charcoal place the briquets in a pyramid in the bottom of your grill.

Use liquid lighter fluid(we suggest Kingsford). Never use gasoline. Wet the coals from bottom to top without soaking them completely. Light and let fluid burn off.

You’ll know when the coals are ready when they are grey or white ash in color. This process should take about 25 to 30 minutes. Do not use charcoal in confined spaces.

• Tip 5 Getting the Best from your Charcoal

When coals are hot, take a small fire place shovel and spread them around the bottom of your grill to fill the grill completely. Good coverage means evenly cooked meat. Keep air circulating in your grill.

This helps keep all coals white hot which means they are at their optimum for cooking.

• Tip 6 Grilling your favorite cut of meat

Poultry

Legs and thighs take longer to cook that breast and wings. If cooking pieces, start legs and thighs first. Place those pieces on the grill and baste with your favorite marinate. Baste regularly to retain moisture and give maximum flavor.

Cook for 12-15 minutes on one side then turn for another 12-15 minutes.  To prevent charring or burning do not baste in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Breast and wings place skin side down on the grill first,cook 10 minutes then turn and cook until done (about 8 minutes)

Red Meat

This is the only meat that can be safely cooked in different lengths of time based on a personal preference.  Steaks take different lengths of time to cook based on their thickness and type.  Sirlions and porterhouses usually take the least amount of time to cook. Again cooking time will be based on rare,medium rare or well done. The same thickness of a T-Bone for example will take a few minutes longer than the same thickness of sirlion. Normal cooking time shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes.

Pork

The definition of catering is-”Supplying of Food for a Social Event”

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you haven’t quite decided if you want to prepare your own food or if you want to hire a caterer. Only you can make that decision. The article is written in an effort to help you make the appropriate decision for your particular situation and what you then need to do next.

Making the Decision

• How many people will be attending?

• Can you cook the food required to feed the amount of people who are invited?

• Do you have grill, oven or stove-top space to do all of the cooking?

• Do you have enough serving dishes for all of your food?

• Do you have enough dishes to serve the food on for all of your guests?

• Do you have enough silverware for all of your guests?

• Do you have the tables needed for placing the food on for serving? (We are assuming potluck style here as if you decide to do a sit-down event with servers that is another whole area that would need to be addressed.)

Let’s say you have given this some thought and you still want to do it yourself.  Next thing to think about is the food. 

Type of Food

• What type of food do you want to serve? Here you need to think about your guests.
  • Consider whether the majority of people can eat chicken if that’s what you choose.
  • Do you need to add another main entree?
  • Will you have vegetarians attending?
  • Will there be children?
  • What kind of sides will you have?
  • Will you serve desserts?
  • What will you have to drink? Alcohol?  Soda?  Water?

You  have now decided that you still want to do it yourself.  Good for you.  But we aren’t done yet.

The Budget

The are many things to consider when working up a budget for your event.  You certainly don’t want to be caught off guard without enough money.  Price this stuff in advance so you can prepare a complete budget.

• How much meat or poultry will be needed? PRICE?
  • Don’t’ forget that if you need a lot you will need to have a place to store it.
  • If you are buying at the last minute be sure that your source has enough for your needs.
  • How much for your sides?  PRICE?
  • Make a list of all ingredients needed for each side.  PRICE?
  • Again, make sure you have a place to store everything until needed. You have to consider the health risks of leaving food out too long.

• Desserts
  • If you have determined the type of dessert and you are going to make it yourself,   be sure to develop of list of all ingredients needed.  PRICE?

• Drinks (Check your local laws regarding liquor licenses)
  • Liquor   PRICE?
  • Beer?    PRICE?
  • Soda Pop   PRICE?
  • Water?   PRICE?
  • Ice?    PRICE?

• Other Costs Not to Be Forgotten
  • If you are doing a barbeque, how much charcoal will be needed?  PRICE?
  • Do you also need to rent a barbeque?  PRICE
  • If using paper products to save money, how much is needed?  Don’t forget paper plates, glasses, plasticware, napkins, etc.  PRICE?
  • If you are using paper products, do you have enough of your own dishes for all guests? If not then you need to consider rental.
  • Do you need to rent tables?  For serving food or guests?  PRICE?
  • Do you have enough chairs or will you need to rent them also?  PRICE?
  • Do you need table cloths.  Paper or rent are options.  PRICE?
  • Do you have enough servingcontainrs or do you need to rent them also?  PRICE?
  • If you are using people to serve the food…PRICE?
  • Do you need to hire a bartender?  PRICE?
  • Do you need to rent coolers?  PRICE?
  • Trash bags for all litter  PRICE?

If the above does not break the budget and you still want to cater it yourself, be aware that there is another hidden cost.  One that may make you think twice. Ask yourself these questions.

• How much time will it take away from my time with my guests? Are you willing to give up that time?
• If you are using friends to server and help you, can you count on them during the party to be there for you?
• Is it fair to ask friends to take time away from a party they were invited to work?

If you can answer positively on all fronts then you are ready to move forward.

If you think it might be better to consider an outside caterer, then now is the time to start looking.  You’ve done much of the work already regarding the menu so it won’t be as hard.

Regardless of your decision, please enjoy your event and good eating!!