Ojai’s favorable climate allows residents to enjoy outdoor living in every season, which we have all been taking advantage of even more over the last few years. This has led to a trend towards improving outdoor living areas and maximizing space to get the most out of our backyards. If you have done all you can to expand your patio, repurpose your lawn area, and take advantage of every inch of your backyard but still have more you would like to add or upgrade, it might be time to take a look at those long, narrow side yards on either side of your house. Side yards are often considered too small to use for much more than storing waste bins or yard tools, but, with a little inspiration, you can transform one or both of your side yards into usable space to serve you or your family better. Here are seven ways to make your side yards more functional and maximize your home’s outdoor space. Toy Storage – Pool toys, dog toys, backyard games, and children's toys all need to be stored somewhere when not in use. Adding some outdoor shelving units or deck boxes to your side yard is an easy, affordable way to create out-of-the-way storage for items frequently used in your backyard. This will clean up your pool area, patio, or wherever you are currently storing them and allow that space to be put to better use. Horseshoe Pit – If your side yard is long enough for a horseshoe pit, this is a great spot to tuck one away, since this type of backyard feature is usually used only infrequently during social gatherings. This way, you have a permanent horseshoe pit that is always ready for action but is not taking up valuable space in your main outdoor living areas. Bocce Court – Most side yards are not large enough to accommodate a 90-foot-long and 13-foot-wide regulation bocce court or even the 60 feet by 12 feet recommended for backyard options, but you can go as small as 20 feet by six feet and still have a functional court. Play Area – If your kitchen, office, or another room where you spend lots of time has a window overlooking the side yard, this extra space might make a good play area. Dog Run – If it is not an ideal area for your kids to play, it still might work nicely for your dogs. Side yards are perfect for out-of-the-way dog runs where your dogs can safely be outside when you are at work or entertaining guests in your outdoor living areas. Cutting Garden or Shade Garden – If your side yard gets good sun, you can beautify this space and make it functional by planting a cutting garden to create fresh flower bouquets for your home. If it does not receive good sun, consider planting a shade garden filled with colorful plants that thrive in the narrow space between your house and your fence. Seating Area – Create a cozy seating area in your side yard for reading, enjoying your morning coffee, or providing a spot to find some peace and quiet during social gatherings. If your side yard transformation requires plants, patio furniture, flowerpots, or professional installation, support the local economy by using local contractors and buying from locally owned shops. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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Ojai summers are hot and dry with July and August being the hottest and driest months of the year. This does not keep folks from getting outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, but it does mean that most folks are seeking out opportunities to cool off in the shade whenever possible. While the air temperature is not actually cooler in the shade than it is in the sun, it generally feels 10 to 15 degrees cooler when you are out of the sun because you are not being bombarded with solar radiation. This is why working outside in the sun on hot days is nearly unbearable but relaxing on your covered patio with a glass of iced tea feels perfectly fine. Now in our third year of navigating life during a pandemic, most of us are ready for life to get back to some version of normal. For many, this includes an increasing number of social gatherings and hanging out with friends more often and with fewer protocols in place. One way to reduce risk while sharing time with friends and family is to do it outside. So, let’s look at ways to create shaded oases where you and your guests can escape the sun’s radiation and enjoy time together in your outdoor living areas. Use existing structures. The cheapest, fastest way to create a shaded seating area is to simply move your patio furniture into the shade created by an existing wall or fence. Add umbrellas. Another inexpensive, quick way to add shade to your yard is to place one or more umbrellas around your patio. Add a solid roof or pergola. If your budget allows for a bigger home improvement project, consider adding a solid roof structure to your outdoor living area. If this project seems too big or expensive, a pergola is another attractive option that can have its shade-producing capacity enhanced by adding a fabric cover. Install shade sails. I just added a shade sail from the roof of my covered deck to the fence, and I love how it both blocks the sun and obscures the view from my neighbors’ second-story window. Shade sails are affordable and available in lots of colors and sizes, so this a versatile option that is going to work for most backyards. Hang patio curtains. If you already have some type of roof structure over your outdoor living area, you can increase the shade while also enhancing privacy by hanging patio curtains. Install an awning. Awnings protect from both sun and rain and are available in stationary and retractable styles. Use temporary canopies. Pop-up canopies are easy to store when not in use and usually take just minutes to set up. This makes them perfect for impromptu playdates or creating multiple seating areas to give partygoers room to spread out. If you need to bring in a professional to help create shade in your yard by hanging shade sails or building a pergola or other roof structure, remember to support the local economy by using local contractors. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Back-to-school parties are a great way for kids to get to know other students outside of school and for you to get to know other parents. Aside from everyone making new friends, they are also a fun way to mark the transition between the end of summer and the start of the school year and are just a good excuse to throw a theme party. Since COVID continues to spread at a steady pace around here, it is still a good idea to do social gatherings outdoors. So, let’s go over a few tips and ideas to make sure your backyard back-to-school party is a hit. Let’s start with decorations. You can check out Ben Franklin or Ojai Creates for themed party supplies, order them online from a small business on Etsy, or hit up Party City or one of the dollar stores in Ventura to find inexpensive plates, cups, napkins, and centerpieces. Alternatively, you can use school supplies to create your own decorations, such as making crayon bouquets or filling mason jars with colored pencils or erasers. Consider using mini chalkboards as place cards and swapping out tablecloths for butcher paper. Choosing butcher paper to cover tables and scattering around some crayons or markers makes cleanup easy while offering a quiet activity for kids who might need a break from the excitement. Other activities you might consider include craft projects like decorating water bottles or bookmarks, hosting a school supply swap, renting a photo booth with school-themed props, or organizing simple games with school supplies as prizes. Every party needs party favors, and this is an easy way to make sure kids that don’t win prizes won’t go home empty handed. The perfect party favors for a back-to-school party are inexpensive, age-appropriate school supplies. Kids can always use more notebook paper, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, or other items that are on their classroom’s supply list. You might also consider water bottles, stickers, or small mason jars filled with school supplies and candy. You might want to put together some fun party favors for the parents too, such as a home spa gift basket to help them include a little self-care in the busy days to come. Simple is usually better when it comes to food for an outdoor party for kids. Order pizzas, grill hotdogs and burgers, or set out finger foods they can grab between activities. For something a bit more fun, consider a DIY ice cream sundae bar with lots of options for toppings, cookies for them to decorate before devouring, or having an ice cream truck on site offering sweet treats. If you opted for mini chalkboards to use as place cards, you might also want to use them to label dishes and list ingredients to help out folks with dietary restrictions. It is never too early for kids to begin learning about giving back to the community, so one more thing to consider for your party is including a note in the invitation inviting your guests to bring school supplies or books to donate to organizations that assist students in need. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Winter is a great time to update and upgrade outdoor living areas. With shorter days and colder weather, you likely are not entertaining on your patio quite as much right now, which gives you the opportunity to spruce it up a bit between gatherings. If you have tried to have any type of home improvement completed over the last couple of years, you know how busy contractors are right now and how difficult it is to get on their schedules. If you have something that requires a contractor, call them now to get your job in their queue. Then, while you are waiting your turn, consider some of these upgrades that you can do yourself in the meantime. 1. Spread no-water ground covers. You can quickly increase the visual appeal of your outdoor living areas by covering bare earth with a no-water ground cover like bark, wood chips, or gravel. Spread it around plants, in walkways, and in any spot that needs a little sprucing up. This option is easy to do and easy to maintain, since all you really need to do moving forward is refresh it whenever it starts to look a little sparse. 2. Hang string lights. String lights are inexpensive, easy to hang, and a great way to add soft lighting to outdoor living areas. Add a festive flair to your patio or yard with a few strands of string lights that you can likely hang yourself. 3. Add a fresh coat of paint to patio furniture. If your metal, wicker, synthetic wicker, plastic, or other painted patio furniture is looking a little worse for the wear, head to one of our local hardware stores to pick up some spray paint in fun colors. Watch a couple of videos online to make sure you know what you are doing, and then update the look of your furniture with a fresh coat of paint. 4. Add a fire pit. Fire pits are not necessarily easy to install or inexpensive, but there are certainly options that fit both of these categories. You can pick up a portable fire pit for less than $100, bring it home, and have it set up and ready to go all within a couple of hours. 5. Put together a bar cart. Look around the house for a two-tier table or rolling cart that could be transformed into a portable bar. Stock it with your favorite beverages, outdoor drinkware, and some bar snacks to have a handy bar cart ready to go for impromptu social gatherings. 6. Add a rug. Adding an outdoor rug to your patio décor is a quick and easy way to instantly add color and texture to your outdoor living area. If you are not sure you want to deal with caring for textiles, you can also paint a rug design on your patio. 7. Add a shade sail. Shade sails provide protection from the sun and make your outdoor living areas more comfortable and more functional. As an added benefit, they also happen to be great for blocking the view of your patio if neighboring properties sit higher than yours or if second-story windows overlook your yard. 8. Hang a hammock. Hammocks provide the perfect spot to curl up with a good book or take an afternoon nap. They are easy to hang between two strong trees or sturdy posts, or you can purchase a hammock stand that allows you to place your hammock anywhere you’d like. Things to remember this month:
Our latest heat wave may have you thinking otherwise, but fall has arrived and the weather should soon be cooling off enough for us to finally enjoy our outdoor fire features. Fire pits and fireplaces are some of the most sought-after additions to outdoor living spaces, particularly in areas like Ojai where we can entertain under the stars any month of the year. Aside from providing warmth, fire features create a more intimate atmosphere for social gatherings and provide a visually appealing focal point around which your guests can gather while enjoying a cocktail or telling tall tales. Here are seven safety tips to help you more fully enjoy your fire pit this fall and winter while keeping you and your guests safe: 1. Keep It Clean - Before your first autumn soiree, make sure your fire pit and screen are clean and in good repair. If your fire pit has a drain or vents, make sure they are not clogged with ashes. 2. Clear the Area - Make sure your fire pit and the area around it are free of flammable debris, such as dry leaves. 3. Burn the Right Fuel - Propane and natural gas fire pits are better for the environment, but wood-burning pits are still the most popular. Always use dry, seasoned firewood for a safer fire, or opt for eco-friendlier manufactured logs. Avoid using lighter fluid, which can cause flare-ups, and never use wood that has been stained, painted or chemically treated. 4. Start Your Fire Safely - It is best to start small and build your fire slowly. It may be tempting to add crumbled paper in with your kindling, but burning paper may be blown out of the bowl and could start an unwanted fire elsewhere in your yard. It is best to use safer fire starters you can make beforehand or purchase at the store. Always use wood that fits completely into your fire pit and does not protrude out of or lean against the side of the bowl. 5. Use the Right Accessories - Always use a screen to keep embers and sparks under control. If your party plans include roasting marshmallows, make sure you use outdoor cookware designed for use over an open flame to avoid accidents or burns. If you will be grilling food, use only a properly fitting grill designed for use with your fire pit. 6. Keep Your Distance - Gathering around the fire is part of the fun but, even with a screen and proper fire tending, sparks may fly. Keep your seating at a safe distance to avoid your guests or favorite patio cushions being burned. 7. Properly Extinguish Your Fire - Letting your fire burn out unattended while you bid your guests good night may be tempting, but that is a habit best avoided. Dumping water on the flames and leaving your fire to die alone isn't such a great idea either, since it could result in dangerous flare-ups. Once your fire has mostly burned out, spread the ashes to allow them to cool. Once cooled, slowly add water to dowse hidden embers. Alternate spreading the ashes and adding water until steam stops rising. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
As we balance our desire to return to some sense of normalcy with the ongoing need to follow COVID protocols, we all need to figure out how we are handling Halloween this year. We certainly won’t be bobbing for apples, but there are plenty of other Halloween activities we can enjoy while staying safer. 1. Pick and carve pumpkins. Picking pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch is an outdoor activity that can be enjoyed with proper social distancing and wearing a mask. Once you get your pumpkins home, you can also carve them outside, which means maybe a small group of your kids’ friends can come over for an outdoor pumpkin-carving party. 2. Host a backyard movie night. Set up a backyard movie theater for an outdoor Halloween celebration. Spread out some chairs or blankets, distribute individual servings of popcorn and snacks, and pick your favorite scary (or not-so-scary) movies to watch with your family or friends. If you do not have an outdoor movie screen or projector, there is still time to order one for quick delivery before Halloween. 3. Tell ghost stories around the fire. Gather around your fire pit or patio fireplace to enjoy a socially distanced celebration filled with your favorite ghost stories. 4. Plan outdoor games and crafts. If you are hosting a small Halloween gathering, keep it outside and plan themed games and crafts to keep both kids and adults entertained. When including crafts, make individual craft kits for each guest with everything they need to complete the project. If folks are not sharing supplies, they can more easily maintain social distancing and will not come in contact with the same surfaces as much. 5. Make a plan for safer trick-or-treating. If you plan on taking your kids trick-or-treating this year, make it safer by having a plan and making sure everyone adheres to it. Your plan should include staying outside, social distancing, and wearing masks. You can make or buy masks to match your kids’ costumes to make this part more fun, but kids are so used to wearing masks at this point, that it probably won’t take much convincing. Keep your group small and determine a limited number of houses to go to before you head out so that your kids are not disappointed that they aren’t hitting every house on the street. 6. Give out candy safely. If you are planning on handing out candy, take steps to keep your family and the trick-or-treaters safer. Consider making individual treat bags to set out on a bench or table and replenish throughout the evening. This is better than having little hands grab candy from a communal bowl, but if you would rather set out a bowl filled with treats, be sure to set out some hand sanitizer with a note asking folks to sanitize their hands before taking candy. Either way, you can still enjoy the parade of costumes by greeting trick-or-treaters from your door while they pick up their treat bag at the end of your porch or in your driveway. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Fall brings colder evenings and chilly mornings, so if you plan on continuing to enjoy your outdoor living areas once the days start getting shorter, you may need to make a few adjustments to keep you and your guests comfortable.
Here are five tips to help you prepare for outdoor entertaining this fall. 1. Clear the Summer Clutter Sure, folks lucky enough to live in SoCal can enjoy swimming pools and summer activities any month of the year. However, now that the kids are back in school, you probably won't be hosting quite as many pool parties in your backyard. This means you can go ahead and put away the pool toys and other summer clutter to make way for grown-up gatherings. 2. Prepare for Inclement Weather Fall festivities can quickly become much less festive if rain, wind or chilly weather forces you to take the party inside. It might be time to finally get that canopy you have been considering or invest in covering your patio, particularly since it sounds like we are in for some serious storms this year. If you do not yet have a fire feature, it is definitely time to consider installing a fire pit or patio fireplace, either of which can significantly increase your ability to enjoy your outdoor living areas. If you are not quite ready for a fire feature, you might want to at least look into inexpensive patio heaters to keep your guests warm. If you already have a heater, fireplace or fire pit, now is a good time to give it a good cleaning, check for safety concerns and stock up on fuel. 3. Check Your Landscape Lighting As the days grow shorter, gatherings are more likely to take place after the sun goes down. So it is definitely time to check your landscape lighting for bulbs that need replacing or fixtures that need repair. A little maintenance now will pay off later when you are not rushing around trying to fix your lighting before your next party. If your lighting is a bit lackluster, this is also a good time to finally install those pathway lights or hang some festive string lights. 4. Refresh Your Patio Make your outdoor living areas more inviting with new textiles to bring color, texture and warmth to the space. Cozy cushions and comfy throw blankets will make your patio a particularly welcoming spot for hanging out on chilly nights. Look for end-of-summer sales on deck boxes and outdoor cabinets to ensure you have a storage option to keep your cushions, pillows and blankets clean and dry when not in use. 5. Stock Up on Seasonal Party Supplies Make party planning more convenient and less time consuming by stocking up on the supplies you are sure to need throughout the season. Depending on the type of soiree you like to throw, this might include apple cider and cinnamon sticks, kids' craft projects and natural charcoal, festive harvest decor, or your favorite wine or beer. As the weather warms and we move towards spring, it is clear that most of our entertaining still needs to occur outdoors. And, even for those of us who may be holding off on hosting dinner parties, being at home this much over the past year has certainly resulted in wanting to spend more time outside. So, as we prepare for spring, here are seven things you can do to make sure your outdoor living areas are ready to be enjoyed by you, your family, your pets, and your guests. 1. Remove the clutter. Removing clutter is always the first step. Before you can prepare any space for entertaining or comfortable, everyday living, you must first remove unnecessary items and put away any clutter that has collected over the last few months. Now is a good time to clean out and organize your garden shed as well, since that can free up space for some of the clutter currently hanging out on your patio. 2. Check your irrigation system. Doing an overall check of your irrigation system allows you to prepare for spring planting and to make sure that there are no leaks or wayward sprinkler heads affecting your outdoor living areas. Prune bushes blocking sprinkler heads, walk your system while it is running to look for leaks, adjust sprinkler heads to ensure the most efficient spray patterns, and check your rain sensor to make sure it is working properly. 3. Clean your home’s exterior and gutters. When the rainy season comes to an end, it is a good time to clean the gutters again, remove cobwebs from your fascia and eaves, and spray down the exterior of your home. The rain may have taken care of any accumulated dust, but it also may have splashed mud on the exterior walls, so a quick spray with a garden hose is probably in order. 4. Clean your outdoor kitchen. If you are like most folks in Ojai, you have probably been using your outdoor kitchen almost as much in winter as you do in summer. As the weather improves, you will likely start using it even more, so take this opportunity to give your grill a good cleaning, clean out the fridge, and get your servingware organized before your next al fresco dinner party. 5. Clean your fire pit, patio fireplace, or other fire feature. Since you have likely been using your fire features throughout winter, now is a good time to clean them, make sure they are functioning properly, and check for safety issues before the spring entertaining season begins. 6. Refresh your patio furniture. Clean metal or plastic patio furniture by wiping it down with a simple vinegar-water mix and a damp rag. If that doesn’t quite do the trick, make a paste by mixing baking soda with water to create a mildly abrasive cleaner for tougher spots. For wood furniture, use a wood cleaner followed by furniture wax to add a layer of protection. If a good cleaning is not quite enough to bring your patio furniture back to its previous luster, it might be time to give it a new coat of stain or paint to refresh its finish. 7. Clean or replace patio cushions and dog beds. Between the wind and the rain, patio cushions can get a bit worse for wear over the winter. Take the opportunity to launder or spot clean them as we move into the spring entertaining season. If they are beyond repair, or you simply want to freshen the look of your patio, you might consider replacing them instead. We mustn’t forget our furry friends when sprucing up our outdoor living areas. If you left your dogs’ beds out in the rain one too many times over the winter, it might be time to upgrade their outdoor living with new beds that match your patio cushions. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
You have been spending more time at home for months now, which probably means you have already replaced your patio rug, updated your cushions, and hung some festive string lights to enhance your outdoor living areas. You may have even painted your patio furniture or installed shade sails to make all the time you are spending in your backyard even more enjoyable. If you are starting to run out of project ideas and plan on spending the fall months dining, working, and playing outdoors as much as possible, here are five more projects you might want to consider. Plus, if you plan on entertaining folks you are not isolating with, it is safer to do it outdoors, so let’s get those patios ready to go. 1. Declutter. This is probably the first thing you did when you started upgrading your outdoor spaces earlier this year, but it’s probably time to do it again. If there are a few too many pool toys, art supplies, or yard tools cluttering your patio, now is a good time to find them a home. Since you might be doing more activities outdoor these days, consider purchasing or building a storage cabinet where you can stash boardgames, craft projects, or homeschooling supplies when not in use. 2. Update your patio ceiling fan. The weather may be cooling off a bit, but if you are spending time outdoors during the day, I’m sure you are still using your ceiling fan. As fan styles change, an older fan can pretty quickly make your patio look dated. This makes this small project an easy way to update your outdoor living area, particularly if you plan on entertaining this fall. Handy homeowners will likely be able to replace an existing fan on their own by following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. If you are not comfortable working with electrical wires or are installing a ceiling fan for the first time, call a local professional to complete this project for you. 3. Paint your patio planters. This easy project gets bonus points for being both a way to beautify your patio and a craft project you can do with your partner or kids. Grab some paint and paintbrushes, lay out some of the cardboard from all of those online orders you are doing these days, and enjoy an afternoon painting planters to add cheery pops of color to your patio. 4. Work on your vegetable garden. Lots of folks who are spending more time at home have either started a vegetable garden or expanded their existing garden. If you planted tomatoes, carrots, and other typical garden fare early on, you are probably harvesting your bounty right about now, and it is time for the next round of planting. For your fall planting, consider radishes, kale, spinach, celery, chard, asparagus, onions, beets, and, of course, another round of carrots. 5. Make sure your fire features are ready for fall. You will likely start using your fire pit or outdoor fireplace more this month, so now is good time to clean it and make sure it is working properly. Make sure you have plenty of fuel and that it is stored safely away from your fire feature. Check your fire screen, and replace it if necessary. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher or bucket of sand on hand to quickly put out the fire if things go awry. You might also want to invest in some skewers or roasting sticks so that you will have them on hand for roasting hotdogs or making s’mores. Side note: Don’t forget to clean your rain gutters, change your HVAC filters, and adjust your automatic irrigation system once the weather starts cooling off a bit more. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Barbecue grills can stay in use throughout the year in the Ojai area, but summer is the official grilling season, which makes this the perfect time to talk about making our backyard barbecues healthier for us and the planet.
Cookouts provide the perfect platform from bringing together friends and family to catch up, lounge by the pool, indulge in a meal cooked over an open fire and more fully enjoy our home's outdoor living areas. Previous generations gathered around the grill without giving much thought to the potential health or environmental risks associated with dousing charcoal with lighter fluid and dining on charred steaks. However, we have more recently learned that those blackened bits of meat, abundant smoke and chemical-laden products are not so great for us or the environment. Outdoor parties, in general, can wreak havoc on the planet with disposable party supplies, toxic pesticides to keep the bugs away, petrochemicals released from lighter fluid, charcoal and wood smoke polluting the air, and fat dripping onto the grill causing more smoke and pollution. And, of course, there are also the carcinogens and harmful compounds from eating foods cooked at high heat over an open flame that accumulate in the body and increase health risks. Rather than give up grilling and resign ourselves to cooking indoors, all we really need to do is adopt greener grilling practices that are better for our guests and the environment. Here are five tips to get you started: 1. Choose a Greener Grill The grills that are currently considered greenest are solar-powered, corn-burning and hydrogen-powered grills. Of course, these are also the most expensive and hardest to find. It is much easier to find propane grills, which are eco-friendlier than charcoal grills, but if you can spring for a natural gas grill or an electric grill, that is even better. If you have a charcoal grill with which you are not quite ready to part, you can go greener by switching from conventional charcoal to natural or lump charcoal, or you can use plant-based ethanol disks, which are a greener option. 2. Skip the Lighter Fluid The use of lighter fluid is responsible for the release of tons of volatile organic compounds into the air every year in the U.S., and self-lighting charcoal is not any better. While these two options might be the most convenient, it is actually quite easy to light your charcoal using a charcoal chimney or electric charcoal lighter. Using an inexpensive charcoal chimney is your greenest bet. 3. Maximize Your Grill Usage Firing up your grill just to cook a steak or two is a waste of whichever type of fuel your grill requires, but you can easily adopt a greener grilling practice by always making it a point to make the most of the heat you create with your barbecue. When barbecuing, cook your entire meal on the grill and make enough to have leftovers for at least a couple of days to reduce future fuel needs. 4. Go Organic (and Local) Purchase local, organic meats and produce whenever possible to reduce transportation-related pollution and energy and to lower the amount of harmful substances you feed your family (and put into the air, soil and water supply). Grilling more vegetables and less meat is another way to easily make your next cookout healthier and more environmentally friendly. 5. Keep Your Grill Clean Regular care and cleaning will extend the life of your grill and, in the case of charcoal or wood grills, it also shortens the time it takes to preheat your grill and reduces the amount of smoke your grill emits. With any type of grill, fat and food that falls below the grate can cause excess smoke as well, but you can avoid this by regularly removing any buildup. Cutting extra fat off meats before grilling them can also reduce smoke production and makes for a healthier meal for your family and friends. |
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