John Beckett's Real Estate Blog

When I tell people that one of the best things you can put on your grill is a pizza I get a lot of blank stares. It seems a lot harder than it really is and the results will leave you turning you noses up at fast food pizzas forever. Pizza really is one of those things that benefits from a real fire and chances are that grill in your backyard is the perfect tool for making the perfect pizza. All pizzas start with the dough. When grilling a pizza you want good dough that will hold up to being transported and turned on the grill. Roll out your dough about 1/4 inch thick and try to keep it pretty even. Pizza is a very forgiving dish so you don’t need to break out the calipers for this one. Just keep the dough uniform and well floured. When it comes to the grill, keep it clean and well oiled. You need the pizza dough to slide on the cooking grate. If it sticks you’ll be out some dough. What you want to do is take the rolled dough rounds and lightly grill them. You can grill them on one side or both. If you just grill one side put your toppings on this side before you return it to the grill. Either way, with the bare dough rounds lightly browned, put your toppings on and turn down the heat on your grill. If you are using charcoal you will what one side hotter than the other so you can put the topped pizzas on the cooler side. The goal here is to get the toppings heated and any cheese melted before the crust burns. As with all grills, keep a close eye on the pizzas. With the lid down you can bake the toppings to get your pizza just right. If you are using heavy toppings, like meats or thick cut vegetables you might want to grill them up a little first before you cut them up and put them on the pizza. While the grill is a great place to cook pizzas the intense heat can burn through crusts pretty quickly. You don’t want cold toppings on a burnt crust. Now that you have the basics down you can enjoy the best part of pizza, the versatility. When it comes to pizza, there’s no such thing as a bad topping. Another tip is to make small pizzas for gatherings and let your guest choose what they want on their pizza. The grill is a fast way to prepare pizzas so you can cook a lot of them in a short time.

You’ve probably seen good gardens and great gardens, and maybe you are a little mystified by the difference. Gardeners often are surprised to find that, after they’ve installed a stunning — and expensive — collection of plants, their garden is just blah. That’s because, oddly, a garden with only plants is boring. Too many plants, when they aren’t separated and organized by hardscaping, can be just too much for the eye to take in. When you add a big rock, a bench or a curving path to a profusion of plants, suddenly the garden has a story to tell; it draws people in. The most memorable gardens are those with internal structure .Hardscape elements include paths, lighting, fences, stone walls, gates, benches, pergolas, arbors, trellises, rockeries, terraces, patios, decks, fountains and other water features, large landscaping rocks and boulders, sculpture and ornaments, containers, raised beds, planters and even edging around flower beds. Thoughtfully installed, garden bones enhance your property’s value by giving it an attractive, finished look. Hardscaping can let you enlarge your home by extending the livable space into the outdoors. It also can be used it to play down your property’s flaws and highlight its strengths. If you’ve got things growing over a trellis or a fence, you aren’t going to notice the thing you don’t like — you’re going to notice the plants and the structure.

A few examples:

• Frame your view of a neighbor’s lovely pear tree with strategically placed trellises and vines or by building a path pointing to the view.
• Install a lattice fence to block your view of the neighbor’s house.
• Install a sculpture or an ornament that leads the eye away from the busy street or a neighbor’s garbage cans.

Read entire story at: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=24197306

Want to make the planet a little greener? Look no farther than your own backyard—or, for that matter, your own front yard. The U.S. is home to 32 million acres of lawn, or enough to cover the 100 largest U.S. cities almost twice. Lawns suck up 270 billion gallons of water a week and burn 800 million gallons of (mower) gas a year. And then there are the pesticides and the chemical-based fertilizers. How do you break free of the high-maintenance lawn care cycle?

1. Don’t overwater. Most people grossly overwater their lawns. Consider getting a free ‘water audit’ if your water company offers one, or just turn the sprinkler off and observe the results. If your grass doesn’t spring back when you step on it in the heat of the afternoon, it’s time to water. Watering four times a week is too much in most parts of the country.

2. Water deeply. It’s better to water deeply than frequently. Many lawns do well with 15 to 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a week. For maximum efficiency, give the water a chance to seep in: Water for 10 minutes, wait 20 minutes and then finish watering.

3. Get adequate coverage. If your sprinkler doesn’t cover a spot, you end up with a dry area or an overwatered lawn.

4. Give the soil breathing room. Aerate your lawn once or twice a year in the spring or fall with a gas- or foot-powered aerator. This loosens the roots and lets water and fertilizers penetrate.

5. Try a lush look. If you keep your grass 3 inches high, it will ‘shade out’ weeds, denying them the sun they need to grow and take over your lawn.

6. Reduce your lawn size. Less lawn means less watering. Consider a border planted with low-maintenance ground cover instead of grass.

7. Kick the chemical fertilizer habit. Don’t pump too many nutrients into your lawn. One fertilization with an organic fertilizer in early fall is plenty.

8. Go natural. Insecticides with ingredients such as vinegar and orange oil are sold at many nurseries and boiling water kills weeds.

9. Keep grass clippings. Rather than removing them, rake them gently over your lawn. They’re free and rich in the plant nutrient nitrogen.

10. Consider low-maintenance grass. Ask your local university extension program or agriculture department to recommend a low-maintenance grass (options include fine fescues and buffalograss) that grows well in your region. These easy-going grasses are designed for your region and will thrive with minimal water and mowing.

Read at: http://rismedia.com/2010-05-08/around-the-home-10-steps-to-an-earth-friendly-yard/

Cap off the evening with this restaurant-style dessert that’s sure to impress. With only seven ingredients and just a few simple steps, these soufflés really deliver on taste and presentation. And the best part? They can be made in advance, allowing you to spend more time with guests.

Make-Ahead Chocolate Soufflés
(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:
-Nonstick cooking spray
-2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
-1/4 cup Nestle Toll House Baking Cocoa
-4 large eggs, separated
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1 container (14 ounces) Vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream (optional)

Directions:
-SPRAY eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups with nonstick cooking spray; coat lightly with granulated sugar.
-MICROWAVE morsels, butter and baking cocoa in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in egg yolks and vanilla extract.
-BEAT egg whites in large mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg white mixture gently but thoroughly. Spoon into prepared ramekins, filling about 3/4 full. Cover soufflés individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
-PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Remove plastic wrap from soufflés. Place soufflés on baking sheet. Bake on center oven rack for 18 to 20 minutes or until puffed and center still moves slightly. Top with scoop of ice cream. Serve immediately.
Cook’s Tip: If you wish to prepare batter and bake immediately, reduce bake time by a couple of minutes.

For more great recipes: www.VeryBestBaking.com or www.Meals.com