Grillin' & Chillin'

One of the first things I did when I moved into my first place in London was to buy a BBQ grill. It's just an essential household item in my book. So, while watching the hooha of Charles and Camilla getting married on TV, I sat and assembled my BBQ grill in my living room. Then it occurred to me that I didn't measure to see if it would go out the door to the back garden [yard]. It did! Whew!

For three and a half years, it served me well. Cranking up every time I needed a BBQ fix. Despite being religiously covered, it didn't fare too badly in the acid rain of the Heathrow flight path and the damp conditions it was regularly subjected to...but let's just say--it's destined for more casual use than I am prepared to give.

Coincidentally, Blondie had a birthday coming up and requested that instead of the usual bowling or playhouse--she wanted a BBQ party at home with her friends. Your wish is my command! So, after consulting with Blondie's mom, Paulster and I packed up the "old" BBQ and trucked to the West with it. Largely entact, we set it up in Blondie & Drama's back garden and got to cooking!

The kids were delighted with the sausages and burgers that came off the grill--and especially pleased to see that when the 2nd set of burgers got flipped, a tremendous flame shot up from the BBQ. Calm, cool and collected as ever, I closed the lid--which made ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE!
So, instead of calling out the Fire Brigade [Department], I just turned the gas off and let it subside. Disaster averted, thankfully.

As I mentioned, that was a bit of hardcore use, for which, this poor BBQ just ain't fit for anymore. A couple of steaks or burgers here and there is fine...but an hour of straight heat to cook 20 burgers and 24 sausages...not so much...

Nothing like a smoke cloud to aid the Global Warming...


Adding to the excitement with the grill, there was a pinata--that all the kids enjoyed beating the heck out of--and a chocolate fountain. Yum! So, our little Blondie is now a year older and had exactly the party that she wanted.

Here's a pic of Blondie beating the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of the fairy pinata.


Fast forward a couple of weeks and once again, in the living room, I assembled my new Weber BBQ grill. It's a work of art. It took me about 10 episodes of the Sopranos (from my box set of the complete series!) and a little creativity to assemble the huge thing myself (Paulster and the kids were away in Sheffield for the weekend).

After several weeks of looking at it sitting in the dining room (it's not going to succumb to the same evil forces as the "old" grill)--I finally wheeled it out and cranked it up. Here's an action shot!



Two lovely ribeyes later...perfection.