Summertime and grilling go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Despite Atlanta’s recent streak of cool and rainy weather, I’ve still been craving grilled food. Until recently this was an issue as we did not own a grill. I would have to rely on going to a friend’s house or my parent’s to enjoy grilled delicacies. But not anymore. We recently just procured our first grill.

Ain’t it cute? When we lived in DC, we shared a small one-bedroom apartment with zero outdoor space for any type of grill. Now in Atlanta, we have a little bit of a “patio” as I call is, so we took the plunge and got this little guy at Walmart. It isn’t the biggest of grills, but the price was right and it is just the perfect size for the two of us.

This is where I talk about how I used to be scared to grill. I just never felt comfortable manning the grill. Maybe it was the propane gas or the flames, but I just never could get the hang of it. One place where I lived in DC had community grills for residents to use, and my roommate would go and grill out all the time. I would just watch her in amazement as she knew just where to put the meats and veggies to get the right cook. She never had to cut open a chicken breast to see if it was done — she just knew. She tried to teach me her ways, but nothing really stuck.

The turning point this year was Father’s Day. I was over at my mom and dad’s house making brats and I had to ask my mom a million questions about if they were done, how hot should I make the grill, etc. So when Eric saw this grill at Walmart and said we should get it, I enthusiastically said YES.  Now I am on my way to becoming a grill master. So far we’ve tried grilling steak, chicken, fish, hot dogs and sausage. Most things have been successful, others have not, but I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it eventually.

Last night my parents and brother came over for a cookout to celebrate my dad’s birthday. We made burgers, something simple enough for a newbie. My mom (who is the one taking this picture) was a great teacher. She taught me to turn the grill up high and let it flame up so the burgers char a bit on each side. She showed me how to move the burgers around to take advantage of hot spots on the grill. She also gave me a tip for cleaning the grill (Next time you turn it on, set it to high and close the lid. This way all the stuff just burns off the grate). Overall, it was a great learning experience with delicious results.

I’m not going to be participating in any grilling competitions anytime soon, but I am looking forward to continuing my grilling journey.

What are your favorite things to grill?