How do you plan to spend Labor Day? Perhaps you envision a relaxing weekend in your backyard with friends and family. If so, follow these tips to get ready for Labor Day.

Clean Your Grill

If you’ve already had your fair share of barbecues this summer, your grill might be a bit worse for wear. Get it ready for your Labor Day cookout with these tips:

• Deep clean your grill once a year. Here, we have some tips for cleaning gas and charcoal grills.
• Keep food from sticking by spraying the grate with cooking spray before firing up the grill.
• Remove cooked-on food from the grate with a wire brush while it’s still slightly warm. Then, come back later to clean up any remaining spills. This way, grease and salt won’t corrode your grill over time.
• Protect your grill from the elements with a water-resistant cover.

Prep Your Meals

Whether you’re just feeding your family or a dozen hungry guests, you want to serve a menu that satisfies everyone. Here are some unique, delicious recipes you might want to try at this year’s Labor Day barbecue:

• Bang Bang Burgers: No matter how you like your burgers, you’ll love topping them with the tangy sauce from this recipe, which consists of olive oil, sweet chili sauce, honey, sriracha, lime juice and mayonnaise. Is your mouth watering yet?
• Grilled Ranch Potatoes: If you’ve never tried grilling potatoes, now’s your chance! It’s hard to beat baby potatoes tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper, and drizzled with ranch dressing. Thread the potatoes onto skewers to make turning them a cinch.
• Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn: Think grilled corn on the cob can’t be beat? Try adding butter seasoned with powdered ranch and black pepper. Then, top each ear with shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped chives and ranch dressing. You’ll never return to the old way.

Build Your Fire

Do you plan to party into the night? Make sure you and your guests aren’t left in the dark – get a fire going to create the perfect ambiance for after-dinner entertainment. Here are some tips to build a fire safely:

• Only build a fire in a designated fire pit.
• Always use dry wood, tinder and kindling – such as leaves, grass, pine needles, and dead twigs – to get the fire started.
• Create a campfire base. Popular options include the teepee, the log cabin and the lean-to.
• Light the fire with matches or a lighter.
• Extinguish the fire completely before heading inside for the night.

Home Fire Stove has the largest selection of hearth products in Oregon. We supply homeowners with high-quality fire pits, grills, outdoor fireplaces and useful accessories from the world’s best brands. If you still need to work on creating a relaxing outdoor oasis for your friends and family to enjoy this Labor Day, give us a call at 503-364-6339 or visit our store in Salem today.