# Why is grilling so much more fun?



## pacanis (Sep 1, 2008)

Well, maybe not "fun", but cooking outside over an open flame (of sorts) just seems to make everything taste that much better. 

I cut some potato wedges, seasoned them with some Grill Mates, nuked 'em for a couple minutes, put them in a foil pan with EVOO, butter and a little canola oil, and put them on the grill where the corn already was.

Then I took some of the country ribs I had made last night, put them in a foil pouch, thought maybe they needed some liquid.... beer was handy, and put them on the grill over unlit burners to warm up.

BTW, the roasted garlic in my little garlic machine was already smellin' up da house. mmmm

Then I took a couple small sub rolls, buttered them up, stuck them in the toaster oven on broil to melt the butter down into them, then set them on the grill to crisp up.

I pulled the ribs off the grill to "pull" them with a couple forks.

Then I got everything together, spreading the roasted garlic onto the buttered and toasted sub rolls, and ate 

I put some coleslaw on one sandwich for a changeup. It was good. No sauce on the ribs, they were flavorful enough. I "pre-tested" (pre-tasted?) them as I was putting them in the foil 

So why is this so much easier to make on a grill than the oven, where I'm sure it all could have been made just as easily? Who cares. Lets grill.


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## Llamaso (Sep 1, 2008)

It's the beer.


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## quicksilver (Sep 1, 2008)

I won't be piggish. Just give me the meat sub. No, the corn. No, the meat............. NICE! 

Mussels for lunch, now this. How lucky am I? 

Thanks, guys!


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## Andy M. (Sep 1, 2008)

I fired up the Weber to grill a marinated flank steak this evenong and when I lifted the lid to put the steak on, the bottom fell off the grill!  

The steak was good.


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## gadzooks (Sep 1, 2008)

Grilling is more fun, primarily for men, because we get to drink beer (as previously noted) and play with fire at the same time, and the result is FOOD! rather than arson charges.


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## sattie (Sep 1, 2008)

*sigh*


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## Constance (Sep 1, 2008)

Because it usually involves beer.


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## expatgirl (Sep 1, 2008)

let's see if I got this right........you put the beer ON the grilled meat or IN the griller?????  Why are you torturing us?  Those look so yummy!!!


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

Andy, the bottom really fell off your grill?!
Sounds like a well used grill. And time to go grill shopping 

I don't know if it's the beer or not, but if I didn't have a grill, I wouldn't cook nearly as much. And I would still have beer  
Everything I made last night easily could have been cooked or reheated in the kitchen. Maybe it has something to do with cooking everything on one surface? It's more "rustic" grilling your food? You're outside? Oh, and of course, less cleanup! 
I don't think I would use the kitchen more even if I had a big kitchen with a $3000 stove.
I've gotta find a grill friendly vegetable like corn for when winter gets here...


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## Andy M. (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Andy, the bottom really fell off your grill?!
> Sounds like a well used grill. And time to go grill shopping ...


 

Sure did!

The aluminum slide out bottom that holds the drip pan fell right off.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

Yeah, I see the part you mean.

For some reason I thought you were a charcoal griller. That would present a bigger problem if the bottom fell out. Especially with a bunch of ignited charcoal hitting the turf   At least you could still use yours.
Another plus for propane grills


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## GotGarlic (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Andy, the bottom really fell off your grill?!
> Sounds like a well used grill. And time to go grill shopping
> 
> I don't know if it's the beer or not, but if I didn't have a grill, I wouldn't cook nearly as much. And I would still have beer
> ...



That good ol' Maillard reaction has something to do with it, combined with some smokiness from the fat dripping off, burning up, and good flavor floating back up onto the food.

We grill all kinds of veggies, especially bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and romaine hearts. They make a great salad, topped with grilled tuna and either bleu cheese dressing (DH likes it that way) or Italian (my favorite).


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## suziquzie (Sep 2, 2008)

Because who wants to cook INSIDE when its summer outside!!! Well at least here where we have summer for a limited time....

Pacanis , I'm not really sure WHY you are still in need of a woman in that kitchen!!!! 
You cook! Well!

I was all set to re-learn the way of the charcoal this summer. I did ok, but I'm sorry, I like the control of the gas much better. Call me a weenie if you will, or quite possibly a control freak..... but I like my propane with the thermometer in the hood.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> Because who wants to cook INSIDE when its summer outside!!! Well at least here where we have summer for a limited time....
> 
> *Pacanis , I'm not really sure WHY you are still in need of a woman in that kitchen!!!!*
> You cook! Well!
> ...


 
Well to stack the dishwasher of course! 


And I'm thinking of going charcoal.... mainly smoking though. I need to get a smoker, but I too love the instant on, instant off (indirect) control of propane. Why, it's almost like comparing gas stoves to electric ones... 

Those veggies are too "funky" for me, GG. 
I've never been a big fan of kabobs, mainly because I prefer other ways to cook onions, mushrooms, peppers... other than laying them on the grate and grilling. And I only eat zuchini if it's been breaded and fried. It's the only squash I will even consider eating. Weird, I know.
Corn is such a basic veggie, easy to cook, relatively cheap, you can alter it by what you sprinkle on it, I can pick up fresh corn at the fruit stand down the road... We've got about 2 weeks left here on fresh corn. I need to find a substitute or aquire a taste for the ones you mentioned.
Or learn to grill them better


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## GotGarlic (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Those veggies are too "funky" for me, GG.
> I've never been a big fan of kabobs, mainly because I prefer other ways to cook onions, mushrooms, peppers... other than laying them on the grate and grilling. And I only eat zuchini if it's been breaded and fried. It's the only squash I will even consider eating. Weird, I know.
> Corn is such a basic veggie, easy to cook, relatively cheap, you can alter it by what you sprinkle on it, I can pick up fresh corn at the fruit stand down the road... We've got about 2 weeks left here on fresh corn. I need to find a substitute or aquire a taste for the ones you mentioned.
> Or learn to grill them better



Who said anything about kebabs? We stem and seed the peppers, cut them into quarters, toss with EVOO, garlic, sometimes fresh herbs, S&P and lay them on the grill. We cut onions into 1/2-inch thick slices and put a couple of toothpicks through them, to keep them together as they soften on the grill. 

You've got to try zucchini this way: cut in half lengthwise, whisk together EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and S&P and marinate zucchini, cut side down, for 1 hour. Grill cut side down about 10-12 minutes. 

I forgot about asparagus - basically the same way as the peppers. Make "rafts" of them, using two toothpicks across four spears to hold them together as they cook and make them easier to turn.

We also have a stir-fry-type grill basket we use for veggies sometimes. 

I think any veggie you like roasted you would also like grilled. HTH.

And I love to make a couscous salad with grilled veggies and champagne vinaigrette - oh so good


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

The kebob reference was just my way of saying I've never been a fan of any veggie I've grilled except for corn (ok, and obviously potatoes), but I've really only cooked several of the veggies you mentioned as kebobs, not by themselves.
And I do eat roasted asparagus, but I prefer it steamed, so I only grill that a couple times a year. Too pricey nowadays anyway. To eat it like corn anyway. A couple ears bought two at a time cost me a buck. Asparagus is up around $4/bunch.... and I always eat the whole bunch.

I'm going to give that marinated zuchini a try though. This week.  I'll let you know. How thick do I cut it?


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## suziquzie (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Well to stack the dishwasher of course!


 
I *meant *why are you still single!!!
Now I know!!!! 

kidding of course....


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

if you're looking for a great veggie to grill besides onions, cherry tomatos, zucchini, corn, etc., don't forget to grill eggplant.......I peel them and sweat them  (salt and cover with paper towels to get the bitter juices out)and then grill them......rather than trying to kebab them I spread an aluminum grilling sheet over the top of the grill with the rest of the veggies.......you can't leave them, though........you have to be on top of them for best results.....I like to use EVOO and salt and pepper on them........they really don't take long at all........

So you stack dishwashers, Pacanis?  Let me give you my coordinates .......once upon a time my engineer hubby used to stack the dishwasher because he felt he could do it better and more efficiently than I........the forks were tangential to the knives and the plates hovered at a 30 degree angle, etc., ad nauseum,  we had the most efficiently stacked dishwasher in all of Houston UNTIL he got busy at work........suddenly and forever it was MY inefficient job to stack the dishwasher.....


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## Jeekinz (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> And I'm thinking of going charcoal.... mainly smoking though. I need to get a smoker, but I too love the instant on, instant off (indirect) control of propane.


 
When I used my Chargriller as a charchoal grill it was a little bit of a pain because the thing is so big.   Since I bought that little $20 charchoal job, I haven't even used any of my gas grills.  You can't beat the flavor.  I use lump so the grill doesn't get loaded with ash.  It becomes a routine now:  While I'm having my after work cocktail I get the charchoal stareted.  No muss, no fuss.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

Eggplant?! I better get used to zucchini first 
That's the beauty of corn. You buy it. You set it right on the grill. No prepping required. Hmmm, I wonder if you can grill carrots....

And; an inefficiently stacked dishwasher is nothing running it twice won't cure


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## Jeekinz (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> That's the beauty of corn. You buy it. You set it right on the grill. No prepping required.


 
You should carefully peel back the husks, dont remove them, and remove the silk.  Then you can push the husks back into place.  Soak them in some water before grilling to prevent burning.  I add butter, salt, pepper and sometimes grated parm to my grilled corn.


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Eggplant?! I better get used to zucchini first
> That's the beauty of corn. You buy it. You set it right on the grill. No prepping required. Hmmm, I wonder if you can grill carrots....
> 
> And; an inefficiently stacked dishwasher is nothing running it twice won't cure



I like your reasoning......pssssst....don't tell engineer hubby......but I do the same thing......and do try the eggplant......it's delish........


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

As far as carrots go I would consider the baby, baby ones---they are very tender and sweet to begin with and shouldn't take any more time than your corn....a little bit of brown sugar, butter, and seasonings, and seal them in foil packets  over the grill ought to be yummo--try adding a bit of orange juice, too!!!  My kids loved the baby carrots in their lunches for school....now again for those coordinates to Astana, KZ..........


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

To Jeeks

I should? 
OK, that's one method. I might give it a try to see what it's all about. I've seen that method mentioned a few times. It might be worth the extra effort.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> The kebob reference was just my way of saying I've never been a fan of any veggie I've grilled except for corn (ok, and obviously potatoes), but I've really only cooked several of the veggies you mentioned as kebobs, not by themselves.
> And I do eat roasted asparagus, but I prefer it steamed, so I only grill that a couple times a year. Too pricey nowadays anyway. To eat it like corn anyway. A couple ears bought two at a time cost me a buck. Asparagus is up around $4/bunch.... and I always eat the whole bunch.
> 
> I'm going to give that marinated zuchini a try though. This week.  I'll let you know. How thick do I cut it?



In half, lengthwise, so you have two long pieces. Then marinate cut side down. I'm not a big fan of zucchini by itself, but I love it like this.


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## Jeekinz (Sep 2, 2008)

pacanis said:


> To Jeeks
> 
> I should?
> OK, that's one method. I might give it a try to see what it's all about. I've seen that method mentioned a few times. It might be worth the extra effort.


 
How do you deal with the silks?  You clean the corn after it's cooked?

Here's a shortcut - First boil the corn then quickly sear the cobs on the grill for color and flavor.  Twice cooked corn.  lol  There's a few other thing's I'm going to try two different cooking methods on.  Got the idea from a Mark Bittman episode.  The chef made braised pork which was fall apart done, then flattened the pieces out and pan roasted them.  How cool is that?!


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> In half, lengthwise, so you have two long pieces. Then marinate cut side down. I'm not a big fan of zucchini by itself, but I love it like this.



That's exactly the way i do mine, too!  maybe we'll make a veggie eater out of Woof Woof yet..........ok, jest kidding!!!!


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## roadfix (Sep 2, 2008)

My grilled foods, in general, don't taste so good but what makes it fun for me is the ritual of firing up the grill and mingling over the flame with a bottle of beer.  It doesn't matter what I'm cooking.
I have a perfectly good gas grill but am also looking for a new toy........ large charcoal grill to play with.


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## BigDog (Sep 2, 2008)

gadzooks said:


> Grilling is more fun, primarily for men, because we get to drink beer (as previously noted) and play with fire at the same time, and the result is FOOD! rather than arson charges.



ROTFL!

It's a beautiful thing, ain't it? *sigh*


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## kitchenelf (Sep 2, 2008)

GotGarlic said:
			
		

> You've got to try zucchini this way: cut in half lengthwise, whisk together EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and S&P and marinate zucchini, cut side down, for 1 hour. Grill cut side down about 10-12 minutes.


 
Switch out the lime for lemon, cilantro for oregano, add some cumin - that's just another way.

One of my favorites to grill is romaine!!!


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

My, oh, my.................


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> Switch out the lime for lemon, cilantro for oregano, add some cumin - that's just another way.
> 
> One of my favorites to grill is romaine!!!


!  That sounds Yum!! I bet no more than a few seconds??  And we actually get that here from time to time........not now, though


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## kitchenelf (Sep 2, 2008)

expat - it actually picks up some grill marks - maybe a minute or two on the cut side and briefly on the uncut side.  I drizzle olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper to the cut side before grilling.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

You guys are making that grilled zucchini sound mighty good....

Jeeks, like GB said in Suzi's corn thread, the silk pretty much comes all off when you husk it. You peel the husk down after it's cooked and there might only be a strand or two to clean up. Much easier (I think) than getting the silk off before it's cooked. Beforehand the silk always seem to want to stick to the kernels. And I also rip that little ball of silk off before I throw it on the grill. 
And I love twice baked potatoes.... but there is *no way* I am going to take the time to cook my corn twice   I'm all about little to no prep time. That's why I love this 2 hour creamy slaw recipe I found. Sure, it tastes better the next day, but it's good to go after 2 hours. My kind of coleslaw


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## GotGarlic (Sep 2, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> Switch out the lime for lemon, cilantro for oregano, add some cumin - that's just another way.
> 
> One of my favorites to grill is romaine!!!



Sounds good, KE - that would go great with the Thai chicken wings Breezy posted earlier.


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

Gadz.......you guys are killing me..........everything sounds delish and Pacanis, well, nevermind...........


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## sattie (Sep 2, 2008)

Ok, now that I am over the envy of all the food pacanis posts on here... kinda like Old Blue... you start to wonder exactly how much yummy food can one turn out?

I dare someone to start a thread that depicts your worst cooking disasters!

Anyhow, I don't know that grilling is more fun, at least in Texas... it so hot that I have been avoiding it til this last weekend.  I prefer to grill in the winter!  But like you said pacanis... I think food just tastes so much better being cooked on a grill (wood briquettes, not gas, no lighter fluid) than being whipped up on my electric cheap-o stove!


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

I didn't know they grilled in TX, sattie. I thought they "barbequed"...... you know, with half a steer rotating on a spit.... 

So OK. I just picked up a couple zucchinis.
How long should they be on for? What kind of color am I looking for?


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## suziquzie (Sep 2, 2008)

don't let them go too long, they get mushy fast....
see now_ I _can't tell _you_ a time..... I go by feel on that! 

BTW, the corn was a little overdone the other day..... fire too hot and cook too drunk...
oops.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

oops, I just saw 10-12 minutes when I was writing down GG's marinade. What am I looking for in color? Just grill marks, starting to turn goldish brown.....?

Thanks


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## suziquzie (Sep 2, 2008)

just grill marks. it wont get golden or anything. I'd say 3-4 min on the first side then mark the 2nd and they're done.


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> don't let them go too long, they get mushy fast....
> see now_ I _can't tell _you_ a time..... I go by feel on that!
> 
> *BTW, the corn was a little overdone the other day..... fire too hot and cook too drunk...*
> oops.


 
I noticed everyone else's time is much less than mine, then last night I noticed that I pull the corn off or shut off their burners until the other stuff catches up. So don't listen to me if I give you a time. That would be like me saying that it takes an hour to make hard boiled eggs, but they are only on the heat for 25% of that


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> just grill marks. it wont get golden or anything. I'd say 3-4 min on the first side then mark the 2nd and they're done.


 
Cool thanks! Just grill marks, not mushy. Got it.


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

It depends on how you cut them.........if I buy big squash I usually peel them (not necessary but I do it for looks........  then I slice them lengthwise without including the seed column...sorry, I don't happen to care for zucchini seeds....too dry........spray some EVOO on them and sprinkle with salt and pepper......rosemary goes great with them so sprinkle some of that on, too.......if you're using a hot grill.....I'd say no more than 5-7 minutes should be enough but do watch them......I do mine over some grilling foil that has holes in it so they don't fall thru or if you have some type of grilling pan...zucchini pairs up nicely with onions and cherry tomats, too, AND eggplant--buena suerte!!!


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## expatgirl (Sep 2, 2008)

I forgot to add that some fresh basil would also go great on your grilled vegs, too.......dried will work, too, just rub it thru your fingers to release the oils over the babies........


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## pacanis (Sep 2, 2008)

Well, there they are.... I knew I should have cleaned the grill today. Flareups  But they were alright. The texture was good. Surprisingly I ate them right up, even though they weren't breaded and fried  
The marinade was very lemony and seemed to have a bite to it when I tasted it, probably from what I thought (at the time) was too much Italian seasoning (no plain oregano) and too much salt, but grilled.... the zucchini was OK. Not much flavor other than a hint of marinade.... does zucchini have much of a flavor anyway? This needs worked on and I'll try it a few more times to see, but it aint no sweet corn


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## expatgirl (Sep 3, 2008)

ok, Pacanis, you are my grilling hero.....those look lovely!!!  Didn't we tell you they were good for you???     Now for that eggplant.........jest kidding.......


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## expatgirl (Sep 3, 2008)

next time grill it with some onions, tomats, and garlic, and you'll get some flavor.......you eat zukes for the vitamins........corn tastes good no matter how you cook it....yours still looked nicely done........


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## GotGarlic (Sep 3, 2008)

Good job, Pacanis, they look great  No, they're not the best-tasting thing out there, but they provide some variety and some vitamins, as expatgirl said. Another way I fix them when grilling is to use the side burner to saute sliced zucchini with diced roasted red peppers, garlic, herbs (anything I'm using on the meat I'm grilling), EVOO, S&P, maybe a splash of wine from my glass


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## pacanis (Sep 3, 2008)

Thanks.
Tonight I'm going to try something a little different. I'm going to make up some of that teriyaki, honey and brown sugar wing glaze/marinade, score the zucchini (after cutting it lengthwise) and set it on the grill skin side down, so I can brush the glaze on while they cook. Then I'll flip them over towards the end to give the flesh some color. Most things I eat I would eat plain. These are a bit different. They need some pizzaz.....  ;^)


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## expatgirl (Sep 3, 2008)

now you're cooking.............


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## roadfix (Sep 12, 2008)

Here's another reason:

This Saturday.....
We get to watch USC demolish Ohio St., 5pm PST.  There will be plenty of grilled hot wings, bratwursts, and and other grilled items.  Beer and wine too.


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## pacanis (Sep 12, 2008)

Tailgate party on the patio.


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## roadfix (Sep 14, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Tailgate party on the patio.



Well......more like kitchen counter top....


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