Summer is the time of the grill. Whether at a barbeque or cookout, most families will find some reason to fire up the grill several time throughout the season. But all activities require certain equipment and tools before they can be fully enjoyed. If you want to grill like a pro, you’ll need to invest some money in the right tools.
The Grill
You can’t grill without a … grill. It is easily the most essential piece of grilling equipment. Generally, you’ll have to choose between a charcoal grill and one fueled with propane. Both have their pros and cons, and their fans. Whichever you choose, there are certain features you should look for in a grill.
Make sure your grill has a functioning lid. This may sound silly to mention, but it really is important. There are grills on the market that are cheaper simply because they do not have a lid, but these do not have the quality that you’ll want in a grill. A lid is essential for many reasons. It allows for indirect cooking, smoking, and even the use of woodchips. In addition, a closed lid allows the air to circulate better, allowing for faster and more even cooking.
You’ll probably want a grill with wheels for mobility. If your grill is charcoal, make sure it has a removable ash catcher that can be easily cleaned. Propane grills should have an ignition switch. If you’re going to be grilling frequently, look for a grill with a second tier for vegetables or simply to keep food warm. A side burner may also be handy.
Wire Brush
Once you have your grill, you’ll have to keep it clean. This is where the wire brush comes in handy. It will prolong the life of your grill and increase the taste and quality of the food you grill. Purchase a brush with brass bristles instead of steel. They are softer and won’t scratch the grates, saving you money in the long run.
Make sure you clean the grill before and after each use. Before grilling, heat the grill to burn off any leftover food then use the brush to loosen any remaining residue. While some people believe that cleaning the grill diminishes the flavor of the food, this is just a myth. Cleaning the grill ensures that your food is fresh, without any ‘leftovers’ attached.
Tongs
Almost all grilling is done with tongs. For this reason you’ll want to ensure that you have a really great set. Look for tongs that are at least 12 inches in length and constructed of stainless steel. Longer is better, as it will protect your hands from the intense heat of the grill. You might also look for tongs with wooden, nylon, or rubber handle grips for easier usage and oval or scalloped tips to allow a better grip on foods.
If you know you’ll be grilling many different foods at once, such as beef and vegetables, for example, you might want to invest in two or three pairs of tongs. It is advisable to have one for meat, one for poultry, one for fish, and one for vegetables to avoid any cross-contamination. You can easily label these tongs with colored tape so you don’t get them mixed up.
Spatula
Tongs can’t be used for everything. Some delicate foods such as fish or vegetables must be flipped gently. This is where a good spatula comes in handy. Spatulas for grilling are generally available in either stainless steel or silicone and have a long, angled handle designed to keep your hands away from the flames. Make sure you purchase a spatula large enough to fit entirely under the food. Fish and other delicate foods might fall apart otherwise.
Basting Brush
A good basting brush is almost as important as a decent pair of tongs. Basting your food locks in moisture, adds and preserves flavor, and improves the appearance of your meat. You shouldn’t use a regular kitchen basting brush, however, and pastry brushes are useless. You’ll want to purchase a grill basting brush, one with a long, angled handle that will help keep your hands away from the heat.
There are three basic types of brushes: synthetic, silicone, and mop. In general, silicone brushes are the best choice for most grillers. They are heat resistant, easy to clean (even in the dishwasher), and don’t shed their little fibers the way synthetic brushes do. However, for grillers who cook large quantities at once, a mop brush might be the better choice. These brushes are better at spreading barbeque and other sauces over large quantities of food.
Wooden Grill Planks
The use of wood planks for grilling is increasing in popularity to the point where any decent grill chef will have several of these on hand at any given time. Though typically used to cook fish, most foods will benefit from the use of a wood plank. The benefit of these planks is that they can infuse the food with flavors that are usually only found in smoked food. When purchasing planks, consider the flavor you’d like your foods to have. Planks are available in ash, cedar, maple, hickory, birch, pecan, mesquite, apple, peach, grape, and many other woods.
Meat Thermometer
Too many people poke or cut into the meat to determine when it’s cooked. This lets out the juices, resulting in lower quality meat. Instead of constantly poking the meat, purchase a good quality meat thermometer. You’ll want a thermometer that is instant-read and has a large face that is easy to read. Also, analog thermometers are more accurate than their digital counterparts, and they tend to last longer.
Skewers
If you and your family like to cook kebabs, you’ll want to invest in a set of metal skewers. These can be used to grill anything from pork, chicken, and beef to vegetables and fruit. When purchasing your skewers, look for the flat ones as opposed to the round. Food tends to spin and cook unevenly on round skewers, but stays in position on the flat ones.
Grill Basket
Is skewering foods too much work, try a grill basket. You can throw all manner of smaller foods into this basket that would otherwise fall through the grills and into the fire. These baskets should be sturdy enough to support a great deal of weight. They are perfect for stir-fries or simply a plate full of grilled vegetables.
If you wish to grill frequently, the above tools are the bare necessities. Other popular items include pizza pans, egg poachers, frying pans, and dozens of other accessories. Decide on how much you’d like to use your grill, and what foods you’re likely to cook, then purchase the items you’ll need. Before long, you’ll be grilling your way to perfection and hosting cookouts and barbeques that will be long remembered.
Parenting a teenager is like walking a tightrope. If you’re too overprotective, your child rebels and gets into trouble. If you’re not involved, they get into trouble through lack of guidance. In order to effectively parent your teen, you’ll have to walk this tightrope, balancing your level of involvement. You’ll have to discover how to stay involved without being overprotective. You can do this by following a few simple tips.
Be a Role Model
If you’ve been a kind and responsible parent, you’re probably raising kind and responsible teenagers. It might not always seem like it, but you’ve given them the basics from the time they were young. They have seen your example, and continue to see it. Trust in that and instead of being controlling and overprotective, simply be available for those times when they’ll need you to demonstrate how to be a functioning and responsible adult.
Don’t Overreact
Teenagers will often just seem to push all your buttons. They’ll drive you crazy with the smallest things until you’re ready to ground them for life simply for missing curfew by 3 minutes, which is probably an overreaction. Before you can parent your teen, you’ll have to control yourself. Temper your reactions and try to behave in proportion to the action.
Understand that your teenager is growing up and is trying to exert a little independence. This isn’t a bad thing. Treat them as you would an adult, at least for the most part. If there’s a problem, sit down and discuss it. Don’t tolerate lying or disrespect, but approach the situation with a reasonable attitude.
Don’t Stop Talking
It’s not being overprotective to ask a few very important questions. It’s okay to ask them where they’re going, who they’re with, and when they’ll be back. It’s also okay to ask why they’re late. It’s not okay to order them to detail every second of their evening. That’s too involved and an invasion of your child’s privacy. Let your child know that you want this information because it will help to keep you from worrying, and your teen will be more likely to oblige.
Show a Little Respect
Respect works both ways, so if you want a child who will respect you and relieve your mind, start by showing them a little respect. Respect the fact that they’re growing up and exerting their own independence. Respect their opinions. Respect their need to have a real discussion with you about real issues. They do still need you, but that need is changing, so try to understand that.
Show a Little Trust
At some point, you’re going to have to trust. Trust the world to look after your child. Trust your child to make the right decisions. Trust that you won’t lose your mind waiting for them to come home. Start early by trusting them just a little at a time. As they build up this trust, give them a little more freedom. It’s better to slowly teach them to be responsible by offering a little freedom than never giving them any and watching them self-destruct as adults.
Stay involved in your child’s life and you’ll guide them through adolescence and into adulthood. Be a parent, not an inquisitor. Your teenagers will thank you and respect you for that.
Teenagers are difficult to parent simply because they are approaching adulthood. They are exerting their own independence, and as a parent, you want to encourage this. However, there is a distinct difference between encouraging independence and resorting to bargaining just to make life easier. You are the parent, and with that title comes the responsibility of teaching your teenager and keeping them safe. These are not things that should be bargained away.
Avoiding bargaining with a teenager is not always that easy, however. It can be difficult for a parent to determine what rules should be negotiated and which ones should be set in stone. As the parent, you have to pick your battles and know that you’ve done so. You have to know which rules are not up for negotiation, and you have to convey this information to your children. Once you’ve clarified in your own mind what rules cannot and should not be negotiated, stick to it.
Teenagers will always try to bargain. It’s their way of starting to acquire their own power. But in the relationship between parent and child, you have the power and the benefit of wisdom and experience. Use this power to enforce your decisions. Your teenagers should have enough respect for you to understand that when you say “That’s the rule,” you mean it. Explain that certain rules are simply not on the bargaining table. Don’t argue about it. Arguing can lead to bargaining, which can lead to you changing your mind simply because you’re tired of arguing. Set the rules and walk away.
This doesn’t mean you should refuse to listen to your teenager. You should always have an open line of communication. If a certain rule really bothers your teen, set aside a certain time to discuss it. Listen to their opinion and express your own. Have a discussion, not an argument. Everyone feels better when listened to. While you might not change your mind, you’ll at least understand how your teenager feels, and your teen will know that you know. That alone might make your relationship a little easier.
Never bargain when it comes to the important things. There will be a time when your teenager must make his or her own decisions, when they are truly independent and ready to face the world. Until that time, it is your job as a parent to keep your child safe. This is best done by establishing the rules and enforcing them, but also by listening to your teenager.
My children love animals, so we have a lot of pets, including seven guinea pigs. Many unsuspecting and responsible people have brought home two guinea pigs and housed them together with the intention that they’d keep each other company. Before long, baby guinea pigs arrive, usually not long after you’ve been told that you purchased two animals of the same sex. It happens, mostly because the people at the pet store didn’t sex the animals properly, or didn’t sex them at all and are simply guessing.
To prevent this from happening, you should learn how to sex guinea pigs yourself. This is also an important skill to acquire if you wish to breed your guinea pigs to avoid getting home with two females or two males. But it's equally important just because your kids are going to want an answer when they ask, "Is it a boy or a girl?". If you can sex guinea pigs yourself, you can be assured of getting exactly what you ask for. You can also answer your children truthfully.
It is not easy to sex young guinea pigs. Their genitalia is not yet fully formed and so is difficult to locate. Mistakes are always possible, though regrettable. Most pet stores will tell you of the “y” and “i” method of sexing, but since guinea pigs should be sexed at 2 weeks old, this method isn’t infallible. There are other ways to tell, and once you know what you’re looking for, sexing a young guinea pig becomes quite easy.
Sexing Female Guinea Pigs
Many times, pet stores will assume that a guinea pig is male because it has bumpy genitalia. This is not the case. Female guinea pigs have bumpy genitalia, so roll your guinea pig on its back to look closely at the genitalia. Run your fingers over the area and look for a “y” formation. This usually indicates a female. To be sure, press on the “y” gently. It should open up just a little. If it doesn’t, you might be holding on to a male guinea pig.
Sexing Male Guinea Pigs
Male guinea pigs have genitalia that is almost shaped like an “i”. There will be a vertical line with a dot. That dot is the penis. There may also be a small bulge, though this often isn’t visible in a guinea pig as young as 2 weeks old. If you don’t notice the “i”, then turn the guinea pig over on its back. Press gently on the stomach just above the genitalia. This should cause the penis to protrude, if the guinea pig is indeed a male. No penis should indicate a female guinea pig.
It is important to know what gender your guinea pigs are. If you’re breeding them, you’ll want to sex the newborns quickly, as young males should be removed from their mother and sisters before 4 weeks of age to prevent inbreeding. If you don’t want to breed, but you do want to house two guinea pigs together, your ability to sex your own guinea pigs is even more important. If you’re ever in doubt, you should take your guinea pigs to a qualified small animal veterinarian. He or she should be able to determine the sex for you with very little effort.
