Steve Sparhawk, Author at DeckTec Outdoor Designs

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers with Brown Sugar Bacon

June 14th, 2016|Life On Deck, Outdoor Recipes|

Ingredients: 8 jalapeños 3/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 2/3 cup feta cheese 1 teaspoon steak seasoning, (I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak) 3 tablespoon brown sugar 6 slices bacon Directions: Heat grill to 375 degrees. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To cook bacon, line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a cooking rack inside the baking sheet. Lay the bacon slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle the brown sugar over bacon on the rack. Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, for about 20 minutes. Remove and chop into small pieces. To prepare jalapeños, cut in half and scoop out the seeds To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, feta cheese, and steak seasoning in a bowl. Fill the jalapeño halves with the cream cheese mixture, top with bacon. Place on grill and cook until cheese melts and jalapeños are charred, for about 5 minutes. Remove and serve [...]

Here Comes Summer

June 7th, 2016|Life On Deck|

For the Northern Hemisphere, June through August means longer days and warmer temperatures. That’s because the Earth tilts on its axis and the Northern Hemisphere points toward the sun during this part of Earth’s rotation. Here are some fun facts and trivia from our favorite time of year — summer! In Paris, France, summer heat causes the iron of the Eiffel Tower to expand, making the tower grow by more than six inches! This is an especially dramatic example, but this seasonal growth actually happens to all different kinds of building materials. Bridges, buildings, and highways expand and grow every year as they are heated and cooled by the seasons. Luckily, engineers are aware of this change and are very careful to compensate for it when designing and building large structures. Breathtaking field of sunflowers in the middle of summer. Long before the Eiffel Tower was built, the [...]

Don’t Let the Weather Dictate Your Outdoor Experience

June 1st, 2016|Deck Design Tips & Trends, Decks & Backyard Features|

On Balance, Colorado’s climate is as wonderful as it is unpredictable. Warm days with scorching sun can give way to either light afternoon showers or heavy thunderstorms. It seems to me that the older homes of my parents’ and grandparents’ day had covered porches and patio covers as a standard. In my youth, I remember a lot of summer afternoons and evenings spent gathered relaxing, dining, and listening to ballgames in the comfort of these covered, protected outdoor spaces. Over the years, builders stopped building covered porches and deck and patio covers on homes to save on costs, which left homeowners limited in their outdoor living enjoyment. Today consumers are looking to expand their outdoor living experience by adding decks and patio roof additions. A great custom deck for your backyard space is a great start to creating your ideal outdoor living room. However, the roof addition is what will [...]

Korean Beef Kebabs

May 21st, 2016|Life On Deck, Outdoor Recipes|

Ingredients 1/3 Cup White Wine 1/3 Cup Sugar 3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed 1 Asian Pear, Grated 2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced Short Ribs, Thinly Sliced Directions Mix everything but the short ribs and scallions in a sealable bowl. Place the short ribs and scallions inside, and marinate overnight or for a few hours before cooking. Preheat the grill on high. Skewer the meat and scallions so the meat lies flat. (If you’re using wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes prior to grilling.) Grill the kebabs, turning until the meat is charred on the outside but pink on the inside, 3–10 minutes.

Client of The Month: Bob Meddles

May 14th, 2016|Deck Project Highlights, DeckTec News & Updates|

Have you had enough? Enough of idiots circling the parking lot for 20 minutes to get that space right up front before heading to their aerobics class? Enough of morons pulling crazy stunts and then acting surprised when they end up in the emergency room? Local comedian Bob Meddles sure has! After over 12 years working as a newspaper editor and freelance writer, Bob started SlapTheStupidPeople.org based on a comedy campaign with the slogan, “We may not be able to eliminate stupid people, but at least we can identify them by the red welts on their cheeks.” Bob now travels the country performing standup comedy bringing his hilarious take on modern culture, relationships, and life in general to the stage. “It’s something I love doing. I also travel around and work clubs and corporate events — wherever the mic takes me.” Bob became a DeckTec client in 2011, when we [...]

steve.sparhawk

About Steve Sparhawk

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers with Brown Sugar Bacon

Here Comes Summer

Don’t Let the Weather Dictate Your Outdoor Experience

Korean Beef Kebabs

Client of The Month: Bob Meddles