Source:  countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/g1435/outdoor-kitchens/

Outdoor Living Spaces designed by Classy Closets Utah’s experts, gives you beautiful and professionally designed options.  Outdoor Living LIFE. ORGANIZED.®

Outdoor kitchens can be extravagant… or they can be very simple, but either way they are a fantastic addition to your home!  They not only make your home a more enjoyable place to be, they add to the value of your home!

Source:  furnitureproduct.net

You can DIY for under $1,000.00 if you learn to reuse old materials. Finding ways to recycle things is great for the planet and your pocket book. If you don’t have anything on hand that you are able to recycle, cinder block and recycled wood super affordable and look great! Purchase some accessories to style it from discount stores. Many brand name designer items can be found at discount stores like Ross or TJ Max.

Source:  FurnitureProduct.net

If you are on a very tight budget you could put in a fire put. Add some chairs around it and you have an outdoor cooking and entertainment area on the cheap! Fire pits aren’t just great for s’mores! Try preparing foil dinners one night and maybe a dutch oven delight another night! Every vacation I go on with my family we always have a “Hobo” dinner night. Simply wrap your favorite food in foil and toss into the fire until everything is cooked through. I always load mine with potatoes, carrots, and onions. YUM! If you add meat to yours just be sure to cook it thoroughly so you don’t get sick! When dinner is done you can sit around your new fire pit and tell campfire tall tales or scary ghost stories that everyone from old to young will enjoy!

Source: cdn.trendir.com

Grilling is not just for meat products. Have you ever tried grilling fruits and/or veggies on the grill? Why not experiment with something new and healthy to spice up your summer meals? Instead of the usual ground beef patty, try a Portobello mushroom, and avoid some saturated fat and calories. Lightly brush it with olive oil add some seasonings, put it on the grill for about 4 minutes on one side then flip it over and leave it on the grill for another 5-7 minutes.

Some other things to throw on the grill you might not have thought of are fruit skewers. Put some of your favorite fruits on a skewer, throw them on the grill, and try them out. Here are some recommendations I have for you to try out your new, adventurous grilling skills on: pineapple, peaches, eggplant, watermelon, bananas, persimmons, apples, tomatoes, cauliflower, and romaine lettuce.  Just brush them with a little olive oil and season to taste; you can pop them on a skewer and then place them directly on the grill, or you can use a “veggie” BBQ Grill Basket that you can find at almost any grocery or department store.

Last year my family grilled some personal size pizzas. They were delicious! It was so much fun and a great way for everyone to put exactly what they wanted on their very own pizza. Much easier and more cost-effective way to make sure that everyone got exactly what they wanted.

1. http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/grilling-recipes
2. http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/quick-easy-grill-recipes
3. https://draxe.com/healthy-grilling-recipes/

Source: womenlivingwell.org

My parents throw a lot of family dinner parties. They have a big backyard and always have a lot of fun family friendly games. It’s great when you can get everyone at all different ages having fun together. Family fun doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can use 2x4s to make giant Jenga game pieces. Capture the flag, bobbing for apples, eat your doughnut off the string without touching it, freeze tag, frisbee tic-tac-toe or frisbee golf, etc… All of these are great outdoor family games. Every age group can get involved and share in the fun.

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