Mini Portobello Burgers
September might just be the last month to get the grill going, so enjoy this tasty backyard burger! Ingredients 12 Medium Portobello Mushrooms 2 Small Italian Eggplants 2 Yellow Squash 2 Zucchini ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt 12 Mini Brioche Buns or Dinner Rolls 1 ½ Teaspoons Sesame Oil ½ Teaspoon Sesame Seeds 9 Ounces Swiss Cheese Directions Heat grill or grill pan to medium- high heat. Trim stems from the mushrooms. Slice the eggplant, squash, and zucchini into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with canola oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill until softened and grill marks have formed — about 10 minutes each side. Transfer to a baking pan. Heat broiler to low. Split the buns, brush the tops with the sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Layer the squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushroom on the bottom bun halves. Top each with cheese and broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Top with remaining seeded bun tops and serve hot. Recipe courtesy of CountryLiving.com
Hike The Devil’s Head for Fall Foliage
If you are a Denver native, then you already know about the amazing Devil’s Head Fire Tower hike in the Front Range. The trailhead is about an hour from town, and the hike itself — a 2.8-mile round trip — will take a couple hours to complete. But whether you’ve done this hike a dozen times or never before, you need to hike it once before winter. As September turns into October, the Devil’s Head Fire Tower route turns into the best view of fall colors near Denver. Directions To get to the trailhead, take Highway 85 south from Denver to Sedalia. In Sedalia, turn right on Highway 67 and drive 10 miles. Turn left on Rampart Range Road and go another 9 miles. The trailhead will be on the left. You’ll start seeing gorgeous aspen trees on the way up, especially on Rampart Range Road. Devil's Head Fire Lookout The hike starts with beautiful rock formations and a giant stand of aspen trees — fall colors on full display. As you climb, you’ll[...]
Bring The Outdoors In; Sunrooms Evolve & Increase in Popularity
Everyone’s talking about bringing the indoors out with an outdoor living room; however what about bringing the outdoors in?! With the high demand for quality luxurious outdoor living additions and continued interest in solar energy, sunrooms are increasing in popularity once again. When integrated thoughtfully, sunrooms produce the perfect synergistic environment for true year round enjoyment and leisure. In Colorado, we are fortunate to have some of the most desirable weather in the country; people here love spending time outdoors and it’s easy to see why. Nevertheless, weather in Colorado can be difficult to predict throughout all four seasons of the year. If you’re a long time Colorado resident, you know it’s best to always be prepared and keep a jacket or warm clothes on hand. (Have you ever been to a Red Rocks concert?) Heck, it’s not uncommon to see people walking around in shorts and flip-flops in the winter. The weather conditions can vary immensely during winter. Even on cold winter days you can always find solace in a lovely sunroom addition that allows[...]
6 Accessory Ideas to Enhance Your Outdoor Living Experience
In order to transform your ordinary back yard into a personal getaway, you are going to need to add some accessories to compliment your beautiful custom deck or outdoor living space. Back in the day, folding tables with plastic chairs or picnic tables with uncomfortable benches were often the standard for outdoor living. Now people want their outdoor living space to be just as nice as their indoor living spaces. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but in the end, the options go as far as your imagination when it comes to designing your outdoor living room. Listed below are some ideas for ways you can use accessories to enhance your outdoor living experience! 1) Furniture is First Selecting furniture that meets your desires is truly an important step to creating a complete outdoor living space. Finding an appropriately sized dining set with chairs would be a great start! A bar set with stools could be another great addition while entertaining guests. It’s important to choose comfortable seating with plush cushions to provide a relaxing[...]
Campfire Dinner
A-camping we will go! A-camping we will go! This summer, go beyond hot dogs and try out this Scout special. You’ll be more than prepared for your woodland adventures after this hot and simple meal. Ingredients: 1/3–1/2 pound hamburger 2–3 onion slices, to taste 1 cup potato slices 1 whole carrot, sliced 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon butter or margarine Salt and pepper Directions Lay down a sheet of heavy-duty tin foil. Put the onion down first. Cover with hamburger, then layer on the sliced potatoes and carrots. Pour the Worcestershire sauce on top, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Add butter last. Fold the tin foil to make a closed packet, and carefully place the packet in the campfire coals. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, rotating the packet 180 F halfway through. When finished, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes and enjoy.
4 Ways Roof Additions Can Enhance Your Home and Outdoor Living Lifestyle
Porch, deck, and patio roof additions today are nothing like the porch or patio covers you may remember or imagine on your grandparents’ home. In today’s marketplace, deck and patio roof additions are beautifully crafted with design in mind. These sophisticated and luxurious roofs are a beautiful extension of your home, making it look more spacious and upscale. For example, DeckTec’s roofs often feature the rich and substantial look of glulam beams, typically seen in modern churches and office buildings. 1. Control the Elements You built your deck for relaxation and entertainment in mind; however, adding a roof addition will greatly increase the amount of time and enjoyment you will be able to experience. No matter the weather, you will continue to enjoy your space in the heat of the summer or during an afternoon rain shower or thunderstorm. Increasingly popular infrared outdoor heaters can be integrated into the structure to take the chill out of the morning or evening air and extend your outdoor living seasons in both spring and fall. Additionally, your roof will provide protection for your deck, decreasing maintenance and protecting your outdoor furnishings from moisture and sun[...]
The New Generation of Outdoor Furnishings
Not long ago, if you wanted to experience luxurious outdoor furnishings, you would have to stay at an expensive resort. They had everything from outdoor bars to lounges with extravagant sectionals with deep-seated cushions surrounded by beautiful landscaping and pools. They provided the environment for you to be able to relax and enjoy the outdoors on a beautiful day. Today, with rising demand and ever increasing sophistication in outdoor living, it has never been easier to replicate the same level of luxurious comfort in your backyard. An incredibly wide selection of fine outdoor furnishings can be found just about anywhere you look! Specialty patio stores, big-box stores, and even the grocery stores have large display areas dedicated to outdoor living! Gone are the days of using cheap, disposable, lightweight furniture that is uncomfortable, unstable, and simply doesn’t last! When you are creating your ideal outdoor living space, you want to furnish it elegantly, just like any other living space of your home, don’t you? It’s worth paying a bit more to receive quality workmanship that will[...]
Wine Pairings for Whatever BBQ You’re Making
Not sure what wine to pair with your next barbecue? Don't worry, DeckTec has got you covered with wine pairings for whatever barbecue you have planned. Spare Ribs & Mourvedré Spareribs and Mourvedré are practically soul mates. They have so much in common, and the differences they do have only complement each other. Both are meaty yet tender powerhouses that love a good dose of spice. Take into consideration that well-sauced spareribs bring out Mourvedré’s floral and plummy fruit notes and that spareribs’ richness is absorbed by Mourvedré’s heavy tannins and fresh acidity, and you couldn’t find a more perfect union. Try: Dirty & Rowdy “Familiar” Mourvedré, $30 Grilled Salmon & Gamay Nothing proves you can’t have red wine with fish like gamay. With its light body and low tannins, gamay is one of the most food-friendly varietals, but its bright fruit and acidity are a beautiful contrast to the smoky flavor and creamy texture of grilled salmon. A great option is a Cru Beaujolais, which is often aged and softer than the punchy young bucks[...]
Grilled Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers with Brown Sugar Bacon
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 hot or room temperature.
Here Comes Summer
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 ancient Greeks struggled to understand the heat, drought, and sickness that occurred during the summer months. They realized that this time coincided with the arrival of the Canis[...]
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