The Outdoor Lifestyle Blog

So you’ve finally invested in a high-quality, backyard pizza oven. You’ve got so many delicious meals to look forward to (not to mention lots of jealous neighbors!).

Here are a few pointers for making the perfect pizza in your outdoor oven:

Master the dough

The last thing you want for your piping hot pizza is for the crust to taste something like cardboard. In most cases, a prepackaged crust just isn’t going to cut it. Learn to make your own dough so that you can really appreciate those delicious woodsmoked flavors, and enjoy the bubbly pockets the high temperatures bring out.  

If you’ve gone through the trouble of installing plumbing for your outdoor kitchen sink, you’ll want to keep everything working as well as possible. Caring for an outdoor sink isn’t quite the same as caring for an indoor one. After all, a sink in your outdoor kitchen will be exposed to the elements, as well as more drastic shifts in temperature.

Here are a few practical tips for keeping your outdoor kitchen sink in top shape:

Are you ready to ring in the New Year? For some people, big flashy parties in the city surrounded by strangers is the only way they’d have it. But for others of us, we’d prefer something a little more personal and low-key.

If you love noisy bars and clubs, by all means, get out there and party. But if huge crowds and blaring music aren’t your style (or if you prefer to blare music of your own choosing!) why not host an intimate party in your outdoor kitchen?

Not only will you avoid battling traffic as your first experience of the new year, but you can make the most of the beautiful custom outdoor living area you’re so proud of.  

Here are 12 steps to hosting New Year’s Eve your way:

If you’ve invested in a beautiful custom outdoor kitchen, you’ll want to enjoy it throughout the year—and the holidays are no exception.

Whether you’re having the whole family over or inviting a select few of your closest friends, why not take the party outside? It can be as small as enjoying coffee and marshmallows around your fire table, or—if it’s a mild San Jose day—hosting the entire celebration outdoors.

Here are a few ideas for hosting your holiday celebration in your backyard living area:

If you’ve purchased a top-of-the-line grill or designed your own custom outdoor kitchen, we know you want to use any excuse to make the most of it—even in the off season!

While we’re pretty certain no one will turn down a thick, juicy burger or perfectly cooked steak any time of the year, you can also cook up some hot, tasty dishes with the help of a cast iron skillet or pot.

The evenings are getting longer, and if you’re enjoying your outdoor living area in the winter (and we hope you are!), chances are you’re running your lights more often than usual. This fact, combined with the fact that many people enjoy decorating their outdoor living spaces for the holidays, means it’s a good time for a reminder about outdoor electrical safety.

Here are some basic safety tips that can save you a lot of headache down the road!

The holidays are here!

That means it's time for get-togethers with loved ones, parties to host, and delicious holiday meals to prepare.

You don’t want to close up your outdoor living area for the winter—after all, we live in sunny California, not frozen Michigan!

We’re all about continuing the fun of your outdoor kitchen through fall and winter. But since the occasional San Jose evening can still get a bit too chilly for comfort, it's time to look at some man-made heating options that help you keep your outdoor kitchen comfortable throughout the winter. 

Cooler temperatures are on their way, and for some of us that means it’s time to close down the outdoor kitchen for the season.

Of course, there’s still plenty of fun you can have in your outdoor kitchen during fall and winter—especially if you have an outdoor fireplace or fire pit to cozy up around. But if you know you’re not likely to spend much time outside until spring, you’ll want to make sure everything is properly prepared for the dormant season.

Here’s a checklist of tasks to winterize your outdoor kitchen:

Not a fan of standing around in the crowded, stuffy kitchen on Thanksgiving Day? Let your outdoor kitchen come to your rescue.

Here are several elements of a traditional turkey dinner that you can prepare in your outdoor kitchen. You’ll get an excuse to be outside and create more flavorful renditions of Thanksgiving fare.

The Turkey

Let’s start with the main course. You can prepare a whole turkey using your grill or smoker, just as long as it fits. (Of course, you’ll want to make sure it’s completely thawed ahead of time.)

When you invest in an outdoor kitchen, you want to keep it clean and beautiful for years to come. We’ve already covered keeping your grill grates clean and cleaning and maintaining your fire pit, so this week we’re going to look at cleaning your countertops.

Here’s a quick guide to special cleaning requirements for the most common types of outdoor kitchen countertops: