Saturday 20 August 2016

9 Summer Projects to Do Before It’s Too Late

9 Summer Projects to Do Before It’s Too Late is available on http://ift.tt/1Qfw8v0

It’s that time of year again… the end of summer is rolling around, and fall will be here before we know it.

This time of year always makes me a little sad. I love spending time outside, and knowing that the warm days and long nights of summer will soon be a thing of the past is kind of a bummer.

That’s why I always try to make the most of these last couple of weeks… grilling out, taking a camping trip and tackling that outdoor project I’ve been meaning to do all summer. I really like to make those last days of summer count… after all, it will be a whole year before you have the opportunity again.

So I thought I’d compile a list of last-minute summer activities and projects that you might want to try while there’s still time. These are sure to make your summer a memorable one.

Let’s get started with a great DIY project for preppers…

1. Make a DIY Solar Food Dryer

Man using a DIY solar food dehydrator.

You’re growing your own fruit and vegetables, or just trying to eat the things that are produced locally, you come across one obvious problem: when something’s in season, you have more than you can handle, and then there’s nothing for the rest of the year. So the obvious solution is to preserve your food when you have it in abundance. Dehydration is an excellent preservation technique that’s easy to do and that maintains a lot more of the original nutrients than canning or freezing. Check out this and other tutorials here.

2. Smoked Beef Brisket

Smoked beef brisket on a cutting board next to a Mason jar of barbecue sauce.

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Summer is never complete without backyard barbecues. It provides a great opportunity to spend some time with relatives and friends.

This recipe will make the experience a lot more memorable for sure.

These are the ingredients:

  • 4 pound beef brisket flat, fat trimmed
  • 11/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 11/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 quart apple cider
  • 2 handfuls of hickory wood chunks
  • 1 cup Ancho Chile Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

To check out the full recipe, plus recipes for chile barbecue sauce and a whole lot more, click here.

3. Hot Whiskey

A hot whiskey drink with lemon and cloves.

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This cocktail is the recipe for a great time around the campfire on a summer night. It will be a great match with whatever it is you are roasting or barbecuing in your backyard.

This is how to make a cup of hot whiskey:

  • Pour whiskey in a cup
  • Poke cloves around a slice of lemon
  • Place the lemon in the cup
  • Add honey
  • Pour in your desired amount of hot water
  • Enjoy!

If you want to learn more genius campfire recipes, click here.

4. Cooking Campfire Chili Using a BioLite CampStove

A green bowl of chili with meat, beans, corn, tomatoes and onions and tortilla chips next to the bowl.

If making a campfire seems quite an arduous task, a BioLite CampStove is just what you need.

The BioLite is light, compact and runs on twigs, sticks as well as small brushwood that you can easily find in your backyard.

As for the Chili or Taco Soup, the ingredients that you will need are as follows:

  • 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1 onion, chopped (fresh or sautéed, depending on preference)
  • 1 package Ranch Dressing seasoning mix
  • 1 package taco seasoning mix
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can corn, drained

Learn how to make this recipe and more here.

5. Cook Steak Gorgonzola Herbed Butter on a Cast Iron Skillet

A thick cut of steak with butter on top cooked in a skillet.

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Cooking steak on a skillet over a campfire is a summertime activity you just can’t pass up. There’s just nothing like the smell of a perfectly-cooked steak.

Learn more cast iron skillet recipes by clicking here.

6. Practice Safety Grilling

A fire and hot coals under a grill.

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An outdoor cookout during the summer is one of the most pleasant times you can spend with family and friends. Of course, you will have to learn a few safety tips if you don’t want it to turn into a nightmare.

Learn these 5 safety grilling tips:

  • Properly clean and maintain your grill
  • Keep the grill a safe distance from your house and other flammable objects
  • Use only lighter fluid to start a charcoal grill and not as an accelerant
  • Keep kids and pets away from the hot grill
  • Extinguish a charcoal grill by closing the lid

Nothing is more important than keeping your family safe.

Follow these tips to the detail by clicking here.

7. DIY Outdoor Fire Pit

A fire burns inside a square outdoor fire pit made of concrete.

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Building a campfire is a great summer activity, but a classic fire pit can be messy and, if you’re not careful, destructive. Pre-made fire pits or outdoor stoves are great, but they can be expensive.

So what’s the solution? Well, you can build your own awesome outdoor fire pit at a very minimal cost.

These are the materials that you will need:

  • Concrete mix (Quikrete 5000, 20-25 Bags)
  • Fire bricks
  • Rebar
  • Mortar
  • Gravel (Quikrete ¾”)
  • Lava Rock
  • 2x4s + 2x6s
  • L-Brackets

Tools:

  • Drill
  • Circular Saw

Once made you can start inviting family and friends over for an end-of-summer get together.

Learn how to make this cool fire pit step-by-step here.

8. Cooking in a Foil Pack

Foil wrapped meals on a grill.

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It can really be a bummer to spend a beautiful summer night in the kitchen cooking dinner.

So why not try cooking small food packages over a grill or a campfire using foil-pack cooking? It works almost the same as cooking in an oven.

In addition, you get to use that cool outdoor fire pit to cook your foil-pack food.

Get this recipe and more here.

9. Grill Corn-On-The-Cob with Herb Butter

Grilled corn on the cob still in the husk on a white plate on a table.

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Corn on the cob is a classic summer treat, and there’s nothing better than enjoying it fresh off the grill.

The ingredients you will need are:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
  • 8 medium ears fresh sweet corn with husks

Read more on how to make this delicious recipe and a lot more summer camping lunch ideas here.

So what are you waiting for? There are only a couple weeks of summer left — make sure you get the most out of it?

Do you have a favorite summer project? Share it with us in the comments below!

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

This Article Was Found Here: 9 Summer Projects to Do Before It’s Too Late

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