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Summer in Pennsylvania is taking a little while to get here, but that's ok with me. Spring is my favorite season, and in my opinion makes perfect outdoor grilling weather. There are fewer bugs around (I'm a bit of a baby about bugs!) and the colors of the trees and blossoms around me are spectacular and lovely to look at. Here's my view from where I do all my spring and summer cooking. You see, I could stand there for hours quite happily... 

Just as I love getting back into the kitchen in the fall, it's so liberating to get out of the kitchen in the spring and summer. This summer, I plan on doing a lot of cooking outside. With a grill that you like and the tools to make grilling easy, there's really nothing more fun than cooking outdoors. My gas grill is not huge, but it's solid and kicks off a good amount of heat. It was actually a gift from my lovely neighbors, which warms my heart every time I use it. 

I've used several different types of BBQ baskets and pans in my time. Some of them are simply to help prevent foods from falling through the cracks. Others are to help prevent flare-ups on the grill. Others still are just cookware pieces that are grill safe. Today's Special Value BBQ pan has three great benefits from its design. First of all, it does help prevent a flare up on the grill, which is fantastic. It keeps your food from getting charred on the outside before being cooked on the inside. Though many people think flame and fire is good for food, honestly soot on your food doesn't taste good! Even if there is a flare-up in your grill, the BBQ pan protects the food from it. The pan is also non-stick, which makes moving your food around the grill stress free! And, yes, the BBQ pan means that you can put small foods in the pan and they won't fall through the cracks. 

All that is great, but there's one more thing that I really love about this pan that isn't really advertised. I think this pan makes THE most moist burgers and chicken breasts! A grill can really dry out foods with its intense heat, but this pan helps protect a little from that heat, while still imparting the BBQ flavor. Try it! You will agree, I know you will! I also love that I can remove all the food from the grill with one movement, but that's second to the food results you can get with this pan.

It's also fun to grill things you might not have grilled before... like my grill tribute to David Venable - Brussels Sprouts and even Brussels Sprouts pizza!

There's no doubt you can have fun outside on your grill. But there's more to cooking outside than just cooking. I love the feeling of freedom you get when you're outside doing something that you usually do inside. It's exciting and peaceful at the same time. Plus, I get to just hanging outside with Sadie who also loves the freedom.  I think she appreciates nature's colors too!

Comment below with your favorite foods to cook on the grill and let's get this grilling season started!

ML