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Nothing beats a great BBQ unless it is a great BBQ party!
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BBQ master Gef Smith reveals his hints, tips, and tricks for
rolling out a brilliant BBQ, the likes of which you have only ever
dreamed of doing. I don’t know about you but I can’t resist a
good smokie BBQ meal.

In any family when one person gets excited about something new, everybody gets in on the act. And that is certainly true of children. They love to be active in whatever hobbies mom and dad love to be part of. So if you bowl, the kids want to go and play the video games. If you love Shakespeare in the park, the kids will go and play on the ground nearby. So if you can find a way to give the kids a part of what you are doing, that keeps the family together.

That may seem tough with a hobby like home brewing. After all, the process of brewing is pretty involved and there is boiling water and sterile instruments to think of. That kind of thing really isn’t fun for the kids. So if you can find a way to make a “beer” just for them, then they too can enjoy the excitement and feel part of what the adults are doing.

A way to fill this need is to brew up a delicious batch of ginger beer from for the kids. And the nonalcoholic beverage drinkers in the family will love it too! Of course, ginger beer is not real “beer” in the sense of an alcoholic brew although it can be mixed with beer for delightful and very British toddy. But it’s so easy to make that the kids can get involved and they will love the beverage that results almost as much as mom and dad love their home brewed beer.

It’s a good thing to have the procedures, tools and ingredients for your ginger beer all ready to go on brew day because it’s a great surprise to the kids to let them know that they are going to get to make their own beer too! Because the steps for making ginger beer are fast, easy and harmless, the kiddos can have a ball doing it using a very simple recipe and even if they drink it all gone, it’s easy enough to whip up another batch.

The ingredients for ginger beer are not exotic and they can be found at any grocery store. They include…

. Be ready with 8 plastic bottles that will hold a pint and 4 bottles that will hold a quart and some bowls to mix the ginger beer up with.
. Ginger - you can get it fresh at larger grocery stores. Two ouches is enough.
. Cream of tartar - about one teaspoon will do.
. Two lemons sliced.
. A pound of sugar
. An ounce of yeast
. Boil one gallon of water.

Now it’s just a matter of putting it all together. Cut the lemons in big sized rings and combine them in a big bowl with the other ingredients. The only other preparation you need to do besides boiling the water is to crush the ginger so it mixes with the water and other parts of the beer.

Now just chill the mixture to room temperature and add the yeast. Put it in the larger bottles to let it ferment for a couple of days. Once that is done, skim off the residue on top and your ginger tea is ready to enjoy.

Cooking with kids

Cooking is a very important part of family life. Many people choose to cook good, wholesome foods that are both nutritious and healthy for their family. However, what many people fail to realize is that between working all day, and coming home to cook, clean and do laundry, children often get lost in the shuffle. Children often have things they want to share with you and it is important that you make time for them.

Teaching your kids the value of a home cooked meal is a tradition that is past down from generation to generation.

Wouldn?t it be great to teach your kids what your mother taught you and her mother taught her? You can pass down recipes and traditions from your ancestors.

Cooking with is a great way to spend quality time with your kids. You can really bond with them as you cook.

There is however certain guideline that you should follow to ensure their safety in the kitchen.

Set the rules ? it is important that you set rules for your kitchen, and it is equally important that you enforce them. Children will test their limits, and do so has no place in a kitchen.

Knives ? never let your children use a knife unsupervised. It can be dangerous and lead to serious injuries.

Dangers ? there are always dangers in the kitchen, and the stove is one of the biggest. Do not let your children near the stove when it is turn on, even if it is to stir the pot. It is equally important that you turn all of the pot handles in so that little hands cannot grab them and so that they do not get caught on your sleeve.

Measure ingredients ? if you are cooking with little ones, pre-measure the ingredients so they can add it to the bowl. When you do this, they will feel like they have made the dish and their pride will shine through.

Cooking with kids does not only share traditions with them, it also assist them in developing skills that you would not ordinarily think of. Take for instance measuring, it seems pretty straight forward, however, when the recipe needs to be doubled, you are teaching them math. There are so many different benefits to cooking with your kids.

Setting up your video camera while cooking with your kids will create memories that will last a lifetime.

When all is said and done, at the end of a long day, everyone needs some time to relax and to unwind. Your children are the same, only they need your attention. When you bring them into the kitchen, you are not only creating quality time, you are teaching them skills that will last a lifetime, something that they can pass on to their children.