OK - no on is suggesting you try and cook whilst lay in a hammock but a barbeque is a time to relax and unwind so perhaps after you've eaten your burgers and steak you might want to relax into your very own hammock! There's an enormous range of hammocks and they make fantastic gifts! If you've got two trees at a sensible distance apart then you don't even need a stand! You can get free standing hammocks that are really easy to move around your garden!
A hammock can be a fab gift for anyone who wants to relax and unwind after a hard day in the office!

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When the weather is fine and you want to sit out you'll need something to help you keep warm. Better than a gas patio heater are these lovely log burners.
They're more eco friendly and look really nice too - with the added advantage of being able to toast marshmellows on them too!
Logs are available in bags at most garages and garden centres so you'll be able to get the fuel easily!
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During the summer did you run out of chairs at any point? When you have a party do you have to ask neighbours to lend you some of their garden furniture? If you do, then why not pick up a couple of chairs aty bargain prices and ensure you've got enough seats for everyone. The foldup chairs will fit into the garage or shed easily and the stunning hardwood ones look amazing. Read the rest of this entry »

A gas barbeque is a great way of cooking food outside. With a simple ignition system - most are just pushing a button to get it lit, and it'll be ready in about 10 minutes. There are flavouriser bars above the burners which heat up and act just like charcoal does. With the controllability of gas though it makes it an amazingly easy task to cook food! The temperature regulation is much better than with a charcoal grill where you normally have to either damp down coals with a spray or raise the grill level to avoid food burning without being raw inside. With a gas barbeque there's a lot less stress and it's much more like using a cooker.

There's no taste difference and less mess. The flavouriser bars do not need cleaning. You're also less likely to burn food using a gas grill which makes it much more appealing - and there's of course less waste.

With multiple burners you can also cook different foods as you can use a different size flame to achieve a different temperature. Perfect if you want burgers and chicken!

The side burners on some models are excellent if you want to do fried onions, beans or warm up sauces to pour over food. They save you having to rush into the kitchen to do the other cooking tasks you might need. Warming racks can be used for a variety of things - from keeping foods warm, to warming breads and keeping garlic bread warm!

The gas used is called propane. It's sometimes known as patio gas and comes in a red bottle. Normally a deposit is payable on the bottle and then it can be exchanged for a full one when it's empty - and that time onwards you only pay for the gas. If you are planning a lot of barbeques or have a large grill with many burners you should opt for a bigger bottle.
You should find the gas at your local garage - have a look next time you go for petrol. it's normally stored in a steel cage so look out for it. Alternatively you can ring Calor Gas (0800 626626) to find out local stockists.

All gas barbecues should be equipped with a regulator, which attaches from the hose to the gas bottle and regulates the gas pressure.

John Lewis Summer Entertaining - they've really got everything you need to make your garden the perfect entertainment space.
Outdoor party hints
Make sure you have enough seating for your guests. If you don't have a lot of chairs ask friends if you can borrow some chairs!
Make sure you've got plenty of cups! Why not treat yourself to some unbreakable ones to make the party less stressful! That way you don't have to worry about anyone breaking glasses outside and having to rush to clear up broken glass. They'll come in handy each time you have a party or a picnic too!
Get sunscreen and offer it to your guests if the weather is hot and sunny (Like you want it to be) - nothing kills the fun like sunburn!
Get picnic blankets and rugs for people to lounge on too. Some people love to chill out and lay down outside and relax, so make sure there's room for them! The kids can play on blankets too!
Keep drinks cold in a bucket filled with cold water. You don't need tons of ice - save that for inside the glasses! Keep canned drinks cold too!
Ensure you've got plenty of food. If you're unsure of numbers then get some items that can be cooked from frozen and that way you've got plenty of food in reserve. People are always more hungry outside!
Buy bags of ice cubes if you've got room in the freezer! They're cheap and solves the problem of running out of ice.
Make sure you have plenty of bread - either lovely fresh rolls or french stick perhaps for people to nibble on!
Make dessert simple with either grilled fruit or a ready made cake!

Quick Marinades can be made by putting the food items inside a plastic bag and adding ingredients. Squeeze the air out of the bag and tie the top. Then massage in the spice mix into the meat.

To cook tear open the bag and put the meat onto the barbeque.

Suggestions include:

• Minced garlic and a drop or two of oil
• Ready bought spice mixtures
• Curry spice mixtures mixed from your own spice cupboard. Use the spices in your favourite recipes!
• Crushed peppercorns - good for steak
• Garlic and ginger minced with garam massala spice
• Ready made barbeque marinade

But let your imagination go wild - any spice mixes you use in ordinary cooking will be amazing on a barbeque!

Disposable barbeques have many advantages. They're small and light and can be stored inside the house in any cupboard! You can keep them on hand in case you ever get the urge to have some yummy barbequed food for your tea! They can be carried to the park or the beach or taken on your holidays. They are very portable!

They're cheap too - there's no big outlay and you can now buy two sizes - the normal size and now Morrisons do a huge tray offering you twice as much cooking space! Or you could just use two trays if there's a lot of people! You can feed 4 comfortably using one, probably more if you're not greedy piglets! Our record is 2 hours cooking out of one - although surface area diminishes after the first hour - you just shake the charcoal down to one end and keep on cooking!

They are incredibly easy to light. Just light a match and get the sheet under the grill lit and it takes care of itself.

Many are FSC approved - which means the charcoal has been made from wood from FSC-certified, responsibly managed forests. There are also Fair Trade versions available.

Probably their biggest bonus is in terms of when you've finished. There's no horrible grill to scrub clean and put away, there's no barbeque to wipe down - you just put it in the bin when it's cooled down!

This also leads to probably their biggest downside - it can't be environmentally friendly to throw away a metal tray - and you can't refill them as the structure is designed to rely on the seal between the grill and the body of the tray. It needs to be raised up - which shouldn't mean on more than a two stack of bricks. This does mean you've got to kneel or sit on the floor to cook on it. For some people this might be a problem. If you have a solid raised surface in your garden you could use this.

The relatively small surface area can also be a problem - although the cooking time allows for plenty of food to be cooked you will have people waiting if you only have one on the go.

Overall they're great though - small, cheap and easy to use.

What tools do you need for a barbeque?

Tongs are very useful for picking up and moving items around the barbeque grill. You can use a fork but there are impressive looking barbeque forks available which allow you to stand back slightly further avoiding the worst of the heat and smoke.

Oven gloves are useful if you need to touch anything that's gotten really hot. Useful for lifting anything heavy too when you need to get a good grip without burning your hands.

Sprinkler spray bottle. Ideal for spraying the flaming coals if the fat sends up flames.

Work surface for plates and uncooked food. Ideally you need to have enough room to keep the uncooked food well away from the cooked items. For serving up it's easier if you're putting food on a plate on a table rather than people holding plates at you - it can get crowded round the barbeque very quickly.

Cooking foil us useful for wrapping delicate foods for barbequing as well as wrapping up what people aren't ready to eat yet.

Hinged wire grills are perfect for cooking delicate items like fish that would otherwise be a nusiance to turn over. Make sure you know how it clips and unclips.

Wooden boards are available that can be used as a platter for cooking and serving food. They add a flavour to the food and last up to about 10 times depending on your barbeque skill.

Kitchen roll - ideally fixed so it can be torn off with one hand. Ideal for mopping up grease!

Some people prefer to use paper plates and cups outside - it saves on breakages and washing up.

If you're cooking large pieces of meat you will need a meat thermometer.

Basting brushes are useful for topping up marinade coatings.

Long skewers - wooden or metal - although soak wooden ones first and ensure you don't touch metal ones with your fingers as they will get really hot off the grill.

Hibachi - although originally from China it is considered to be a traditional Japanese heating device. It's often seen as a rectangular style small low barbeque but can be round and made from porcelain or lined wood. Made from cast iron they will last a long time. They have adjustable height for the grill making them flexible to cook on. They are usually quite small though. They can have legs which make them able to stand on table tops so that you can use the grill at a sensible height. Make sure that it's on a stable surface though.

Picnic barbeques are small and portable. They often fold up so they can be transported easily to your destination. Bigger versions of this suitable for home use are often known as brazier types. They are usually circular and are practical as they can be stored folded.

Hooded barbeques allow you to smoke food and the good can act as a windbreak behind to prevent breezes from disturbing the cooking process. Some include support for a spit when in the upright position.

Big barbeques with multiple gas burners are sometimes known as wagons. They are often on wheels with built in shelves and storage underneath. The poshest models have warming plants, spits and many other accessories that make barbequing a dream!

There are kits to build your own barbeque so if you're handy at laying bricks - or want to try being a builder - they are quite fun to do! You should site them carefully as obviously they can not be moved once constructed. Models with an oven for keeping food warm are also available.

It is of course possible to build an impromptu barbeque out of very little. When outside your own garden you need to take into account any rules - many beaches have no fires rule but not all! Don't put wet rocks around your barbeque fire - they might explode! Dig a pit in the sand or use a metal bucket as a base for the barbeque. Use driftwood if you can find any, but take some charcoal just in case. For many occaisons a portable barbeque tray that is disposable will do just the trick. It is less messing and quicker and safer! The fire is all contained too which is always a good idea! Clearning up a disposable tray is easy. Wait for it to cool and put it in the bin or take it home for your own bin.

Lighting a barbeque.

Out of all the barbeques there are two that are simple and easy to light. The gas burners have built in ignition so it's just switch on and press a button. The disposable trays ones are also easy to light - just use a match to set fire to a corner as instructed and they light easily.

Using proper charcoal can be a bit more tricky. You can do it using a little kindling from your garden if you want to do a full on Ray Mears type barbeque (Striking flint on steel for sparks is optional!) but it's tricky and takes a lot of effort. You can use firelighters - crumble one up inside a small tower of charcoal and light it. The charcoal should light and this should get things going.

For charcoal barbeques you're best putting extra charcoal around the outside so it starts to warm and then you can move it closer in to the centre of the fire as you want to keep it going longer. This process makes it easier to keep your barbeque going longer rather than having to add fresh coals from the bag which can create dust and take longer for them to start going. This prewarming hint is worth remembering!

Obviously you can also use self-lighting charcoal - this has a chemical on it similar to fire lighters to make it easier to light. It is more expenive than normal charcoal though.

Liquid fire starters may be available but only use those recommended for barbeques. Use only as instructed. Using petrol or lighter fluid is irresponsible and dangerous as well as tainting the food there's a risk of an accident.

Some shops sell jellied alcohol which is used for camping trips. Use a small amount of this and ensure the container is sealed and put away again. Do not leave flammable materials near the barbeque.

It is also possible to light the barbeque using a gas torch - such as those used to making the burnt sugar topping on creme brulee!