So, you’re thinking of visiting South Africa…

… in the spirit of fun, laughter, and education, here are some words you’ll need to know: Braai *What is a braai? It is the first thing you will be invited to when you visit South Africa . A braai is a backyard barbecue and it will take place whatever the weather. So you will have to go even if it’s raining like mad. At a braai you will be introduced to a substance known as mieliepap. Ag *This one of the most useful South African words. Pronounced like the “ach” in the German “ach

Annual Musician’s Picnic celebrates sobriety

Over two decades ago, a group of sober musicians started a backyard barbecue jam session in celebration of sobriety. That casual get-together has since evolved into a full-blown annual event, which continues this year on Oct. 11 at Topanga Canyon (1440 N. Topanga Blvd.) near Los Angeles. World class and local musicians will perform on two stages. Past events have drawn upward of 75,000 people to see the likes of Eric Clapton, David Crosby, Slash, Bonnie Raitt and many more. See www.MusiciansPic

Planning our fun from summer into fall

As the weather is turning cooler, we've started planning our fall list and reviewed our summer fun list . We had a lot of fun with this year's summer list, completing all items except the backyard barbecue and redecorating Sweetpea's bedroom. I'm going to bump the bonfire to our fall list (we were rained out each time this summer) and the bedroom redecoration will happen after I finish a bit more decluttering. Here are our items for this year's fall list: go on a hayride pick pump

McGraw, Lambert and Johnson Toughen Up Country

It's not every day you see Tim McGraw , Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson in the same story, but I can see the point The New York Times is trying to make. And that is, country's not all about the blondes. Nor is it all about the happy music you might play at a backyard barbecue. The article says a tough streak has been pulsing through Nashville. And there's evidence to back up that theory, both within the music and in what the artists had to say about it. McGraw told the newspaper , I t

Labor Day with Corduroy, Zombies, and the Flaming Lips

We're here enjoying our orange juice and Labor Day and figured we'd pass along a few tunes for you should you need a little something for your backyard barbecue soundtrack this afternoon. First up is Toronto rock four-piece Corduroy , who I just had to check out since they are named after my favorite Pearl Jam song. Ok, not really, but that'd be cool, right? At first listen we were reminded of another group of fellows that we sure like, Tokyo Police Club. And with influences such as P

Happy Labor Day: CPAs buck employment trends

It's Labor Day , but I'm not going to give you a hard time if you don't feel like celebrating. The Department of Labor released its latest employment figures recently, and they aren't good. As of Sept. 4, 2009, the unemployment rate stood at 9.7 percent , its highest level since June 1983. Kind of puts a damper on the backyard barbecue, doesn't it? The news isn't all bad, though. For starters, the DOL reports that the pace of job cuts has slowed considerably -- which, I'll agree,

HOW TO HOST THE PERFECT SUMMER BACKYARD BARBECUE

If it’s your first time hosting the Labor Day BBQ this weekend, these tips from our archives will come in handy! This season’s warm weather makes it the perfect time to host backyard barbecues. Don’t stress out just yet! With a lot of careful planning and preparation, hosting a backyard barbecue will be as cool as the summer’s night breeze. You’ll want to make sure that your guests will have a good time. So good, that they’ll be eager to come back for your next backyard barbecue! Start

Barbecue Style Brisket

Summer is almost over, but it's not too late to plan one more backyard barbecue. This past weekend I had some friends over for a potluck at my folks place, and the main attraction was the beef. My father recently purchased a smoker in anticipation of trying some Snake River Farms beef I had been given as a sample. I first had Snake Rive Farms beef at The French Laundry and more recently tried their burgers, both were fantastic. Wagyu beef has a higher percentage of unsaturated fat, more than

Real Weddings- Rachael and David

What fun! This backyard barbecue wedding was submitted to us by the bride and groom and I can't get enough of all their creative details, fabulous photos and the family involvement that brought the day to life! Rachael and David were married in May in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the beautiful, historic San Buena Ventura Mission in Ventura, CA, and Heather Jagger of Jagger Photography was there to capture every special moment. After the ceremony the couple threw a super sty

Learn How Do I Pick The Correct Outdoor Grill

by Denise Edwin When it comes to outdoor grill, there are many different sizes and types available to choose from. Small families and singles benefit from the smaller, more inexpensive grills while large families, backyard barbecue lovers, dinner party enthusiasts, and other such people much prefer the range of benefits offered by the larger variations of outdoor grills. Larger grills are also a better option if you like to cook oversized food items like briskets, which likely wouldn’t fit a

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