Love Lounge: Grilling lessons

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Theclassic barbecue. 
Nothingscreams summer more than a nice barbecue, and since the temps here in the Midwest have been decidedly the opposite of the warm summer weather I love (think 20s and 30s...), I thought it would be fun to enjoy a little summer in December today.
 
Anyway, you've heard me wax poetic for the last few years about my littleobsession, about that first summer when my mother and I couldn’t even get atiny fire going, about my mother’s ever-present fear that our surrounding lawnwill shoot up into one giant blazing flame and about how we’ve evencontemplated throwing in the towel in favor of a bigger grill.

But,we haven’t thrown in the towel yet, and just the mere thought of grilling season, even in the dead of winter, has me wondering: Don’t the lessons learned while hunched overthat tiny grill stay with you even in non-barbecuing seasons?

Bigger isn’t always better
Soyour neighbor may have a state-of-the-art grill: One of those huge numbers withmultiple racks and the ability to be pushed around by shiny wheels. I’ve seen afew of those in our neighborhood. And I admit that I look at those for amoment, look at our grill and wonder if we should upgrade. My mother has triedto convince me a time or two that “We should get a bigger grill.” I suspect herreasoning has more to do with her fear of fire than with actual grilling gusto,but I’ve told her each time, “Our little grill does just fine for itself.” Thesame goes for life, doesn’t it? Substance and character go a lot further thanflash and pizazz. And I’m not just talking about the searing flash of anorange fire, either.

Be patient
Eachyear, we engage in a tough battle with our little barbecue. Just to get eventhe tiniest flame is a struggle, but we never give up. We throw match aftermatch onto the black charcoal only to see it fizzle out. But we keep our calm(and I usually have to encourage my mother to relax and focus), and it’s allworth it in the end with that first bite of a charbroiled hot dog. After all,good things, whether in barbecuing or in life, come to those who wait.
Help from friendsAfew years ago, in our quest for Barbecuing Domination, we invited our closestfriends, Billy and Cheryl, over for a little tutorial. Now, I’ll admit that Iwas a bit saddened to hear that they have a larger grill, but I still gave thema chance. I was willing to accept their help, and sometimes in life, we have toreach out for that hand that wants to help us, whether we think we need it ornot. Apparently, in our case, we needed it because our meal turned outfantastic. And it was still made on our little grill.

Getting there ishalf the fun
Forall those times we grumbled at the grill for not cooperating with us, we knewone thing for sure: We were having the time of our lives. We were laughing andspending quality time together. It was a special journey that we could sharetogether. And even if my mother wouldn't admit it, I think she’s actually growingquite fond of our little meat machine.

[Photos via We Heart It]