The Outdoor Lifestyle Blog

Unless you're a bachelor, chances are, you're not planning to (or — ahem — not allowed to) design your outdoor kitchen as a man cave. However, you still want to be able to turn the heads of your guy friends and impress them with your outdoor paradise.

Let's look at the things your outdoor kitchen will need in order to do just that — and the best part is, the ladies (or maybe just the one lady that matters) will like it, too!

When it comes to hosting, planning, cooking, and cleaning is just the beginning. A good host knows that the most important part of a gathering is how your guests feel when they leave. Were they able to let their guard down and relax? Did they get enough to eat? Would they come back? These are all feelings that a host has the power to influence.

Let's look at 8 ways you can be the perfect host for the guests you invite to your outdoor living space!

Finally, fall is here and campfire weather is on the horizon — even if it's not quite here yet.

When you decide to have your next campfire in your outdoor living space, we want you to knock it out of the park. Hot dogs and s'mores are fun, but there are so many more creative foods to cook over the fire.

From appetizers to desserts, the complete outdoor feast described in this article will leave your friends and family both speechless and stuffed. Try these recipes and see for yourself!

Ah, Labor Day,.. The official end of summer and wearing of white (supposedly). Labor Day is a holiday honoring those who work, and we celebrate it by not working at all.

If you're spending the first Monday of September away from work this year, you probably want to relax and enjoy the day. But you also want to celebrate with a party in your outdoor living space. 

Then again, you don't want to waste the holiday by working too hard pulling a party together.

You can have it both ways. Here are some tips for planning and hosting a great Labor Day party with minimal labor.

If you're any type of football fan, you've probably already started thinking about the upcoming season and how you can entertain guests in your outdoor kitchen area on game days. 

You should absolutely plan some football-centered get-togethers this fall, and we want to help make your backyard tailgates successful with these great ideas.

People are much quicker to talk about food and wine pairings than beer and food pairings, but with the plethora of beer options available and the countless breweries popping up around the country, it's just as important to know which beers go with the food you're grilling in your outdoor kitchen.

While flavor is a fairly subjective topic, the reasoning behind food and beverage pairings is surprisingly straightforward and scientific. The basic rules of beer pairing are this:

• Carbonated beers go with rich food because they offset it
• Crisp IPAs do well to cut through spice
• Light beers pair best with light food
• Heavy beers go with heavy food

Now, with a foundational understanding of the principles of beer pairing, let's look at the different meats you'll be grilling and decide which beers to recommend.

Last week we proved that food can still taste good on the keto diet, and this week, we're going to prove the same point about the Whole30 diet.

You'll definitely want to work these grilled recipes into your Whole30 meal planning. Each recipe is free of processed ingredients and full of good clean flavor!

Enjoy!

Too many diets take the fun and flavor out of food. If not done right, the ketogenic diet is one of them. If you're not familiar with the ketogenic diet (or keto), the basic concept is to eat foods that are... 

• high in fat
• low in carbohydrates and
• moderate in protein

With more fat in your system and fewer carbs, your body doesn't burn carbs for energy like it typically would. Instead, it takes the fat, turns it into ketones and then burns the ketones (fat) for energy. 

Now that we're clear on the science behind keto, let's get clear on some tasty ways to enjoy it in your outdoor kitchen! 

Everyone wants to appear impressive to their friends. Having a backyard barbecue and grilling out is one way to do that -- as long as you know what you're doing, that is.

If you don't know your way around a gas or charcoal grill, the last thing you'll be doing is impressing your guests. That's why we've collected 7 telltale signs of a grill master.

Even if you don't do everything right when you're grilling out, at least focus on these seven things, and everyone will consider you a grilling pro!

If you're anything like most American families, you probably spend more money dining out than you'd like to admit or even acknowledge. According to studies done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people are dining out more and grocery shopping less every year.

With so much money being spent at restaurants, there's usually not much left over for other recreational activities or home design projects — say, an outdoor kitchen, for example.

What if we told you that an outdoor kitchen could actually save you money while at the same time giving you opportunities to enjoy the food you love with the people you care about in a place you truly enjoy! Would you believe us? You should. Find out why.