Keep in mind that your cooker is also an oven. All you have to do is use indirect heat (one side of burners off) and close the lid. So, anything you would have baked in the oven, you can also bake in your cooker.

There are lots of techniques for using your type of cooker. Most of them boil down to the same thing - high heat or low heat. For chicken, steak, chops (lamb, pork, etc.) and burgers you want high heat - cook fast. For large pieces of meat - roast beef, pork roast, turkey, whole large chickens - you want to cook at lower temperatures for a longer time.

Get an instant read thermometer.

Hi Ricky, I have an instant, or near-instant read thermometer.. takes about 4-5 seconds to read temp.

Well, I guess I shouldn't have packed away my dutch oven. I cook roasts in it, pork Boston butt and beef chuck. Darn. Any way to cook those without the D.O.?

My chicken is always tough, cooking at high temps (and sometimes raw inside). I've tried bone-in breasts, the same breasts with marinade, and tried them in a foil pan in marinade. No luck.

I've never attempted to grill veggies other than corn on the cob...

Cook chicken low and slow and also all cuts other than burgers and steaks over an inch thick.
Heat your grill with all burners, then turn off the center ones to finish cooking so you cook the inside while not burning the outside.
if you can cook it in the oven you can grill it....breads, pizza, cassreoles in iron pans, crisp tender veggies in the grill basket....and fried potatoes the same way.
try assorted vegetables on the grill....cut 1/3 inch slabs of onions and tomatoes...lenght wise slabs of zucchini quartered green yellow and red peppers, halved big button mushrooms and slices of portobellos...cut them all up, drizzle well with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, granulated garlic, pepper and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar....toss and lay on the grill with tongs and turn when browned on one side....serve hot or at room temp with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Grill salmon steaks, cod fillets, whole pan fish like croppie and small bass.
Skewer shrimp...wrap diver scallops with a strip of bacon and grill. Grill a fat slice of ham....wrap a baking potato in foil and cook on the grill. Grill a whole eggplant and peel for babagnoush or a side dish. Grill fat asparagus spears.
Anything will go on your grill....even a cake if you are very careful and have a cast iron pan.

lindac92, thank you so much! That is incredibly helpful. I clearly didn't know one could 'bake' inside a grill the same as one does in an oven. I was taught by ann_t that you could grill a pizza on a pizza stone (and have now had success with that) but it just didn't translate to my mind as the same.

The information on veggies is very helpful, as I don't really bake them in an oven.

I think that's what went wrong with the steaks we recently tried - they looked great, but we had our temps all over the place (the grill is new for us, and I'm used to a portable which heated to Blazing Hot or Hell Hath No Fury : ) I didn't use it much, clearly.

I only cooked the ribs yesterday (first time) and it took a bit of time to regulate the temps (and I used an oven thermometer to double check as well), and used the method you described: indirect heat. I'm very new to this, so it amazed me.

I do have a cast iron pan! I am guessing corn bread will also work.

Question to anyone please: I cook a pot roast in the oven inside a dutch oven with the lid on (searing it on the stovetop first)... if I put in in the big cast iron pan (clearly without a lid) will it get dry? I can't get to my dutch oven at this point.

2ManyDiversions, I'm the cook in the house so I've always done the grilling too. Never understood why a man that never cooks anything somehow becomes responsible for the grill. The last person anyone would want grilling their steak would be Moe. And he would be the first to tell you that.

There isn't much that I won't cook on the grill.

Including baking bread.

Here are a few links from my blog that might give you some ideas.

Grilled Prime Rib

Grilled Vegetables

Chicken Souvlaki

And you can grill the pita on the grill.

Greek Chicken Breasts

Everything On the Grill

Yes it will get dry....maybe a good covering of foil would prevent that? But watch your temp and keep it very low....and take several hours to cook it. I think for the cost of the fuel to cook so long, I would save the potroast until you got your oven back.
But my son does a whole brisket with wet hickory chips in a foil packet on his charcoal Weber for hours on end, very low fire, vents almost closed and it's beyond good!!

2many, don't forget that old camper's dinner, the "hobo supper". Meat and vegetables with seasonings in a foil package. It can be pretty much anything you want, from steak tips to burger to chicken or pork chops, and vegetables of your choice. Cook until done and no pans at all to clean up. The chicken doesn't dry out or get stringy either.

Disposable aluminum pans and aluminum foil may be your best friend here, use them on the grill in place of your pans that are packed away.

The Reynolds Wrap site has a lot of grilling tips, not as good as AnnT, but still some good ideas!

Annie

Get yourself a leave in thermometer. Ideally one that is two parts so you can have one inside that alerts you when your food gets to temp. If you're not paying attention, they can save your meat before it's over cooked. It also allows you to open the grill less often to stab your meat to death. The old saying goes, "if you're lookin, you ain't cookin" because as soon as you open the top, your heat escapes. Look for some that are specific to grilling as they'll normally take heat or quick direct flames a little better. Amazon has a few that range from $30-$150 depending on how fancy you want to get. Thermoworks makes great stuff, but some of theirs can get spendy.

Also, your meat will have "carry over cooking" which will continue to cook for a few degrees (sometime as much as 10 degrees) so pull your food off slightly before it's done. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest a minimum of 10 minutes for ALL meat. This allows the juices to re-distribute throughout the meat. otherwise, if you cut into it right away, your juices end up all over your cutting board instead of in your stomach.

Cooking temps for grilling normally range around 350-400 much like your oven. Keep in mind that unlike an oven, the meat is right over the flame so any fat that might render out is burnt up rather than collecting under your meat and adding moisture. Meets that are a little fattier will come out moister (ribeye steaks, chicken thigh's, etc...) And meats that are thicker won't overcook as fast. Once you nail the basics, you can start with low and slow, or high temp searing if you want to experiment.

Chicken: Pull them out of the package, pat dry, season, and put back in your fridge to continue to dry the skin off for up to 8 hrs. The dryer the skin is, the crispier it will be when cooked. I normally cook direct at 325-350 and it takes normally 45-60 minutes.

Steak: Pull it out of your fridge about an hour before you intend to put it on the grill and let it come up to room temp. The closer it is to room temp, the more even it will cook. Otherwise, while you're waiting for the center to get to temp, the edges are over cooked. Season with your rub (montreal seasoning is quite popular and tasty). I normally do a reverse sear on steaks. Indirect at 225 until it gets to 10 degrees shy of your desired temp (for me I pull it at 120-125 for medium rare). Can take up to an hour. Take the steaks off and cover and rest. Jack the grill up to 500+ degrees. When it gets to temp, put steaks on for 1 minute each side to sear. Remove and eat right away as they've already been rested. You can also choose to sear/cook at high heat the whole cook, it just won't be quite as evenly cooked inside.

Fish: I've grilled both Salmon and Halibut. I normally do salmon on cedar planks at about 350. Soak the planks in water for an hour. Put plank on grill until it starts to char on one side. Flip the plank and put your salmon on and cook until done. I normally leave the skin on and use my spatula to remove the meat from the skin when serving. Halibut, I've done direct at I think 325, but forget how long. It stood up well to the heat and the grill and was delicious. Shrimp, you have to pretty much watch them very closely. Use raw shrimp, not the pre-cooked. As soon as it the edges start to show pink flip them. It helps if they're on double skewers to as you can do multiple at once. Or do them in your basket so they can't get away. Cook on 2nd side until it's pink as well and take them off. Normally about 5 minutes max. Easily over cookable!

Pork: For pork chops, let it get to room temp like a steak. I normally cook at 400 direct until it hits 138 degrees and pull it, and it will residually cook up to 145. I typically flip at 115 or so to get a good color on both sides. Pretty close to a tenderloin.

Veg: I do most of them in a basket so they can't get away! Coat with olive oil and season. I normally do S&P and will sometimes add garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and other herbs. For asparagus, I put them directly on the grate cross wise with olive oil, S&P, and lemon pepper. Cook so tender but still has a bit. I never used to like asparagus until I cooked it this way.

Wow, I thought I’d get some help, but I’m happily overwhelmed – thank you all! I looked online on my phone early this morning and was delighted to find so much help!

ann_t, I needed to read your first comments – I’d thought grilling was something DH should learn to do… but why? As you say. I went through your recipes, and you do cook a lot on the grill – yet again, more ‘cooking’ doors have opened for me, and I can’t thank you enough! Those recipes look fantastic and I can't wait to try them! (I had searched 2 links I keep for Thibeault’s Table, but I clearly didn’t search well). I have quite a lot of artisan dough made and frozen, ready to bake on the pizza stone : )

annie1992, I’m so grateful you brought this to my attention! I used to do the hobo supper when I was younger – Reynolds wrap had a magazine ad for how to make that packet, which I cut out and have kept all these years! I didn’t know I could do that on the grill (duh) and it’s so quick to put together! And thanks, I will stock up on disposable pans – DH and I will have a hard time washing dishes in the laundry sink – it’s so far away from my temp kitchen.

Steve J, thank you for the numerous tips and excellent advice – and yes, I need to get a temp probe ASAP – I notice how the temps drop dramatically when I open the grill. Your recommendation for Thermoworks came at the best time – we’ve got an igrill compatible grill but the reviews for the probes are not good – the Thermoworks probes seem to be far better. That’s the route I’ll go!

Islay, thank you for the recommendation of thigh meat – I think that should be my first attempt with chicken now, so I won’t get discouraged.

I’m now very excited to grill and feeling far more confident – great ideas, tips, and recipes. I understand it’s a learning process. Again, I'm just incredibly grateful to everyone for coming to my aide. This is the nicest forum : )

You've gotten plenty of better advice about grilling than I could give you, but I do have a question for you. I noticed that in another thread you mentioned you would be "without a cooktop" for a year, and then in this one your list of equipment includes no substitute. Is there a reason why you don't include a portable induction burner? It would go a long way towards helping to make up for that part, and you can get one for as little as $45 from ikea and not that much more elsewhere.

Speaking as someone who knows a lot of folks in the van-dwelling community, even those people who live in their cars have at least a butane single burner, or induction if they have solar or a prius.

This is the Induction Burner I've had since May 2013. There may be some better models to choose from, but this one has served me well, although I use it mostly with my Fagor pressure cooker. If you have this burner, then you will not feel so much like you are without a cooktop.

When grilling chicken, if you insert herb butter inside the skin between the skin and the breast and thigh meat, then your chicken will be less dry. I generally use Algerian spices, but you can use whatever herbs you like to have with chicken.

We grill frequently, and I have Kevin do the grilling because he likes to control the fire, and he belongs to a facebook Big Green Egg group. We also have a propane grill, but we never use it. We keep it in case we lose power and gas, such as after an earthquake. That hasn't happened since 1994, but it could happen again.

I recently got a leave-in thermometer with a remote monitor, and that has been helpful. It also has an air thermometer for keep track of the temperature of the grill, since wood/charcoal fires have very variable heat. Kevin has gotten good at keeping the heat constant, but I do all of the prep of the food before it goes on the grill.

Lars, I'd read of those individual induction burners... It's not that we don't have the $ to purchase smaller temporary appliances, it's that I'm a self described tight-wadded-penny-pincher who hates wastefulness (ha ha!) and I felt we wouldn't use it after the reno. However, you make a good point... if I find I'm having a hard time dealing with only what we've got, that might be a wise 'investment' for my sanity. I didn't know you could purchase them for that, either : ) We've only got one folding table, no room for more, and it's getting awfully crowded, also. Thanks for the link, it might save me from losing my mind, especially in the colder months.

You mentioned you use it with your Fagor pressure cooker... May I ask which and do you like it? We are getting an induction slide in range (my Cuisinart sauce pans will work, nothing else will so replacements will be later). I've never used a pressure cooker, but very much want one.

BTW, I've not packed my newly purchased Chef's Choice 1520 - couldn't live without it, thank you for recommending that!

I'll try the butter and herbs (again, I feel foolish for not thinking of such things) - thanks for the tip.

After Steve J mentioned Thermoworks, I found one reasonably priced I know we'd use for years, which has exactly what you just described! I am 99% sure it'll be ordered this week : )

Those weber igrill probes appear to melt and I really don't care if it connects to my phone... actually would prefer it not to. Our neighbors have Alexa, and 'she' weirds me out... DH only half-jokes that the Russians are probably listening : )

it's that I'm a self described tight-wadded-penny-pincher who hates wastefulness (ha ha!) and I felt we wouldn't use it after the reno

It wouldn't be worth even, say, $20 to cook inside for a year? I find that hard to understand. If you don't want it afterwards you can always put it on NextDoor or OfferUp and sell it. There are always people starting renovations. I live in sunny FL and I'd hate like the dickens to be planning to grill that much.

Hi writersblock : ) I do not tend toward succinctness at this point in life, and didn't want to go into 'everything' at length, but I understand your confusion. If you read the above original post, I'll have a crock pot, I've ordered a large electric skillet, we've bought a countertop microwave which will be later sold (for heating liquids, soups I've stocked in the freezer this year) and have the old toaster oven. I wanted to be more proficient at grilling anyway (DH and I gave the grill to one another this last December knowing it would come in handy now, though we still don't have a patio for it, it sits on temp pavers DH put in), and felt it would help keep meals diverse. We've only got one folding table to use for prep and fitting all this one...

In addition, our temporary kitchen must remain movable... we are doing half the house and the rest is full of furniture and boxes, aside from our bedroom - where the fridge will end up at some point. That means all cookware, all small appliances, all dry foods and ingredients, all utensils (plates, measuring spoons/cups/etc.) must be in storage containers - that I am also purchasing, for the temp kitchen only. And must be easily movable.

I am a penny-pincher, but we've spent quite a lot already on preparedness in addition to what is mentioned above: furniture wrap, movers - some of the furniture was far too heavy for us, and is stored downstairs in the garage, which we lined with heavy moisture barrier- moving blankets, over 1,000 ft of bubble wrap despite my saving every bit of packing, newspaper, grocery bags, and bubble wrap the last year - even stuffing inside shoes!) I could go on, but it's all an additional expense. I won't hesitate to order what I can use long term: the temp probe, hopefully a rotisserie for the grill, and there are sure to be other things... Aside from a new toaster oven, which I don't want ruined from work-dust (we are also having our ceilings scraped).

I've packed up all saucepans but one, and kept out many casserole dishes and microwavable dishes - imagine having to move the already packed 5 huge plastic storage containers I've got full now (no food packed yet, either!).

So, we do have cooking implements for the winter, but it won't be the cooking we are used to, and I'm just looking for help in grilling, and later, crock pot recipes.

I'm exhausted, so I'm sure I've left something out. However, spending $20 isn't an issue, it's spending $50+ here and there, $500+ here and there, $10-$20+ everywhere... and it has added up. I'm still making purchases for temporary kitchen storage alone...

If this winter I find an induction burner for $50 will save my toes from freezing, I'll buy one (as I mentioned in response to Lar's helpful post). I have a Coleman gas stove, but I've cooked on that during loss of power, and it's not efficient. DH and I wouldn't eat until midnight!

I hope this helps clear things up for you. Penny-pincher does not mean penny-wise, pound-foolish : )

Thanks!

2ManyDiversions, I would be more tempted to order the induction burner than the rotisserie for the grill. As far as I'm concerned, they are unnecessary. A chicken roasted over indirect heat, is no different than one cooked on the rotisserie. Other than the fact the the rotisserie is a PITA.

Unlike Writersblock, I love cooking on the grill. Even when we lived in Northern Ontario, I grilled all winter. I think that you have the right attitude and you are going to enjoy this experience.

When you get tired of grilled meat, you can put a pork roast or a chicken in a cast iron skillet and roast over indirect heat. This way you will have drippings for gravy.. What is better than a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings.

ann_t, thank you. I am exhausted, bruised, and have strained a muscle in my neck, making me feel a bit older than I actually am! "I think that you have the right attitude and you are going to enjoy this experience." Such a wonderfully positive thing to say, and I wholeheartedly agree! I love being outside, and can't tell you how thrilled I was the ribs turned out so beautifully! I felt rather proud, and enjoyed every moment : ) And you're right, grilling is very enjoyable.

That I can better accomplish a roasted chicken on a cast iron skillet in the grill - with drippings (!!!) - is wonderful news - thank you! You've certainly come to my aid more times than I can count... and here I thought I'd have to wait for the new range or CSO for a good roasted chicken... maybe just easier roasted chicken!

The induction burner will wait for a while. Asking DH to lift and go through all those packed and stacked boxes looking for my sauce pans is not something I wish to do during demo, the man is very tired (but happy each weekend - he likes accomplishment, too). I'll ask him to help me this fall ; ) Then I have a reason to go ahead and order induction-ready skillets!

This is the Fagor PC that I have, but when I bought it, it was on a special sale and cost about half what it costs now. I mostly use the 4-qt pan, although if I am making chicken stock or a huge quantity of something, I will use the 8-qt pan. I use the 4-qt pan almost every day, and so it is now my most used pan. I use it in conjunction with the induction burner, as that turns itself off, thus preventing overcooking something. I use the PC to cook beans, potatoes, vegetables, rice, and stews. It really reduces cooking times for all of these things, which is one of the reasons I like it.

My brother and I also grill all year, except when it is raining. It's a bit more convenient when the days are longer, but we have plenty of outdoor lights, and so we grill throughout the winter (except during rain). I don't think I would grill in cold weather, however, but fortunately we do not have that here, and we very seldom have days that are too hot.

You might try shopping around to find PC on sale, or you could just buy the 4-qt pan.

Lars, thank you for responding and the link. I'll read up on this and most likely add it to my Reno Wish/purchase List - it's always good when you can get a recommendation on something, isn't it! I use a non-induction 8 quart stock pot more than my 4 quart pot, so the 8 quart PC would probably be great for me... wait, it's both! I see that now. So glad you mentioned this! Also thank you for the comments on how and why you use the PC.

I think someone here said to look for cyber Monday sales (this November), so I may end up ordering items early... if I had an induction burner, at least then I could test it and make sure it works... Food for thought : )

I have a somewhat rare neurological disorder that causes my feet and legs to be very sensitive to cold, so I won't grill in the cooler months. You and Kevin are fortunate not to have to deal with snow, ice, and hail... but then it's also so pretty (not the hail).

writersblock, I wasn't ignoring your comment about induction - Houzz is updating and working some bugs out and some posts (the first one that you mention induction burner) don't show up for hours, sometimes over a day. Your's just popped up, "4 hours later".

I'm guessing you didn't see Lar's post, or my response to it after I responded to your 2nd post : ) Happens here, of late. Houzz should get this worked out! Anyway, it's been addressed now.

I am going to go in a different direction. You have great advise for grilling but at the end of the day, you may be tired and hungry. Grilling is great but sometimes you want that pot roast. I would highly recommend that you look into something like the Instant Pot, a fancy pressure cooker. The cost is around $80 and you will use it after the reno. Things like the pot roast and a stew are done in under an hour. The chicken stays moist and you can add the sides at the same time. It will hard boil your eggs in 4 minutes, cook diced potatoes in 3 and you are set to make a potato salad. Pasta cooks in about 4 minutes, dump in the sauce and you have a nice dinner on a rainy day.

Remember to cook ahead and cook double too. Freeze the leftover pot roast and nuke some a week later. A pork roast freezes well, just defrost while you hammer, slice and heat in some gravy you froze. A beef roast can be sliced thin and turned into Italian beef or french dip.

I am the griller in the house and you can cook tons of things on there. In summer, nothing (almost) is cooked indoors. My kitchen just gets too hot! Bacon on the grill is great, no grease to clean up! Just line the cookie sheet and toss. Be sure to line any roasting pans too for easy cleanup. And if you use propane, store an extra tank. Nothing worse than running out in the middle of grilling.

pkramer60, “but at the end of the day, you may be tired and hungry.”

I think you hit the nail on the head… I know there will be many evenings I feel this way!

Actually, you reminded me now that I’ve got an Instant Pot on my Wish List… now I need to decide if the Instant Pot or a Pressure Cooker would be the best choice for me… having too many smaller appliances just won’t do. I’d love to get rid of my crock pot.

I truly appreciate your tips and advice, and thinking beyond grilling this summer, thank you!

2ManyDiversions, the Instant Pot is a Pressure Cooker. I think I mentioned to you in another thread that an Instant Pot would come in handy while you are without a kitchen. I bought not the Instant Pot, but the Breville version. And I've used it more than I thought I would. The Breville is more expensive. I went with the Breville because I really like their small appliances. But you should be able to buy an Instant Pot on sale. They are pretty reasonably priced even when not on sale.

I've done pot roasts as well as lamb shanks, and stews. Great for beans, and soups. You can even do risottos. Not quite the same as a traditional version but still really good and quick. You can also do rice pudding.

I'll second(third?) the recommendation for grilling thigh meat, rather than breasts. We always buy boneless, skinless thighs and marinate in herbs and lime juice, S&P before grilling and they always come out fantastic. My preference for herbs is a blend of oregano, chopped fresh rosemary and tarragon - and a lot of it. I don't use onion or garlic, since it tends to char too much and it really doesn't add to the flavor, IMO.

You might try looking up campfire recipes as well. We used to make pancakes in a skillet over the fire when camping. Scouting sites often have easy to do, no stove/no oven recipes.

ann_t, well, maybe that's why I've got it on my wish list! I feel rather silly. I'd toss out my crock pot in a minute for all that! Now. Soups, rice, pasta (!!), I'd be pretty much set!

You just had to say "rice pudding" didn't you! I love rice pudding with golden raisins, I could live on it if I had to : ) DH hates it, but I can eat it all myself! DH would insist on his soup beans and ham, and I'm guessing it wouldn't be a 2-day recipe.

Thanks to you both for mentioning this!

Now I gotta decide if I want to go with a 6 quart or 8 quart, but am thinking 8 as I do like to make large batches and freeze.

Definitely, go with the 8 quart. You can't cook 8 in a 6! Your DH bean and ham soup should be done in about one hour.

I find the 6 more than big enough. Unless you are cooking for a large family or you really love leftovers (which I don't ) 6 is all you will need.

Thank you pkramer60. Since I use an 8 quart stock pot so often, you're right. I should. I also found this on Amazon - by Mealthy because the reviews were glowing, but after running it through a website (Review Meta) that keeps track of repeat phrases, one-post reviewers (which are suspicious to me as well), and deleted posts, I think I'll go with the Instant Pot.

ann_t, I tend to freeze a lot and cook in extra large batches : )

I have a 6 qt. pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 people. About every other time that I pull it out to use (which is often), I wish that I had an 8 qt cooker. Especially when I make stew, pot roast, chicken broth. Remember that when you pressure cook, you can only fill the pot to about 2/3 capacity. Have to have empty space in the cooker for the steam to build up.

Thank you ci_lantro. I didn't know you could only fill the pot to 2/3 capacity for pressure cooking (I don't know about pressure cooking, but will learn) - that does make a difference. While we rarely eat the same meal 2 night's in a row (first time last week, in fact) I do freeze so I won't have to cook so often (some meals take a couple days/evenings to prepare also. I know I won't have much time for long prep and cooking. Or space!

2many, Elery has the 6 quart Instant Pot. He loves it, although I've only used it once, so I can't remark on that.

Anyway, Elery has made several things in the Instant Pot, from beans to General Tso's chicken. He hasn't done pasta or rice, mostly meat and beans, but he likes it and everything came out fine. I think it's a great device for someone with limited space and you could also use it outdoors, so it might be just the thing for your situation. it's the current "fashionable" thing, so there are a ton of recipes out there geared toward the Instant Pot too.

Annie

Well, you all have me convinced! I'm ordering one today or tomorrow, along with a grill temperature probe, which I needed anyway. I watched a few YouTube's last night on the Instant Pot and was pretty surprised at what it can do. I'm going to get the Ultra, as it seems to have a few more features for now and later - it does have a 'faux' sous vide setting, which I'm sure is inaccurate, but will suffice for now should I attempt it. I'll get the Anova after reno if I still want it. Hard boiled and poached eggs, fast and easy rice, pasta, proteins, steamed veggies, stock and bone broth, and I can make soups! Soups!!!! So glad this was brought up and I was encouraged to get one. I'll most likely order a pressure cooker cookbook as well.

Annie, I will look for Instant Pot recipes too!

Snowed yesterday, rain and cold temps for the next week, so clearly grilling is not something I can do always. However, I think I'll start small - I've got chili in the fridge, so next non-rainy day, cornbread in the grill : )

I think, with the grill, the electric skillet (which is quite large), the Instant Pot, microwave, and my sad toaster oven, I should be set. I've so few cooking utensils now, and very little space, it's all I can really use! The induction burner looked great, but I'd have to find and unpack my pans and order skillets - but I'm quickly running out of storage containers and I'm finding they aren't ideal for storage/cooking - nothing is, but I'll manage : )

I know one thing: After we're done with the reno, it'll feel like we're living like Kings! LOL! During the reno, I won't be limited in meals as I thought I might be.

Again, and again, I'm so grateful to everyone here at the GW Cooking community!

Darned Houzz! carolb_w_fl, I wasn't notified and your post didn't show up until 22 hours later! Thank you for the grilling recommendations, and advice on herbs - just what I was looking for!