As a child I remember being at my grandma's house for special meals. My grandmother was not a person to take anything very serious. It was easy to do thinsg with her,she never cared about a mess or if things were done right the first time.
Cooking should always be fun. If it starts to feel like work, you should take abreak or find a change of scenery. My friends at Harley's Seasoning believe that a cook off is a perfect place to experiment and bring joy to cooking.
Cooking enthusists that bring a camper trailer and BBQ pit to an open field for a little competition cooking. Everyone does pretty much the same thing, Start with some chickens and some Original Harley's Seasoning. A good rub down and some jokes before throwing them in a cooler for the night. Once they are chilled it is time for everyone to sit around a camp fire with a drink in hand telling stories.
Cooking times are based on outside temperatures (it is hard to keep a pit hot in freezing temperatures) and the size of the birds. Usually three hours on a good hot pit makes for a perfect BBQ chicken. We occasionally brush the birds with a buttery sauce to keep the skin shiney and the meat tender and juicy.
Set us a picnic table and enjoy the flavors of the memories you are making.