Every summer we hold a Family Fun Day at our home. Since we have a hobby farm, we've got lots of room for games, scavenger hunts and outdoor cooking.
Making an Outdoor Corn Cooker
One of the traditional foods we cook is corn on the cob. Our twist is that we cook this outside over an open fire. Hubs and I took an old child's swing set and removed the swings leaving only the frame. Then we took an old water pressure tank, cut a chunk off to make a pot about 2 feet in diameter and 2 1/2 feet high.
Next hubs drilled 3 holes at the top of the tank and inserted chains which meet to merge into one chain. The tank hangs on the swing set frame from that one chain. We now have a very nice corn roasting pot! Just fill the pot with water, build the fire under it and start it up.
It takes about an hour from start to finish depending on how big a fire you build and how close the pot is to the fire. If you hang the pot too close to the flames you get ashes falling into the cooking water.
Last year hubs bought a tool called Garden Grabber. It's for picking up leaves - it looks a rake on a long pole but the hand grabs the leaves. Hubs uses it to grab the corn out of the boiling water.
The first year we cooked corn outside over an open fire, he taped a wire basket to an old broom handle to get the corn out of the boiling water. Not the best method so that's why he bought the Grabber last year. It works perfectly!
Barbeque Chicken
The other traditional food I make for the reunion is barbeque chicken. It's easy. I just buy chicken thighs (sometimes I add a few drumsticks for variety) and pre-cook them for about 20 minutes in my oven.
Then I baste them with barbeque sauce and grill them outside on the barbeque for about 10 minutes each side. I like chipotle style barbeque sauce but you can use any kind you prefer.
Sausages or Hot Dogs
The third food item I like to make for a Family Fun Day is something I know the children will like - either hot dogs or sausages on the barbeque. Of course we have the standard buns plus all the fixings - relishes, mustards, ketchup, pickles, chopped onion, cheese and horseradish. Yep that's right - horseradish. It's yummy on a sausage in a bun!
I like to put a small container of saurkraut on the picnic table too, and a variety of mustards such as French, Dijon and whatever other kind appeals.
Family and friends who come to the Reunion bring desserts and salads so our summer feast is complete!
Making an Outdoor Corn Cooker
Next hubs drilled 3 holes at the top of the tank and inserted chains which meet to merge into one chain. The tank hangs on the swing set frame from that one chain. We now have a very nice corn roasting pot! Just fill the pot with water, build the fire under it and start it up.
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| Water Pressure Tank |
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| Finished Corn Cooker |
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| Garden Grabber aka Corn Picker Upper |
The first year we cooked corn outside over an open fire, he taped a wire basket to an old broom handle to get the corn out of the boiling water. Not the best method so that's why he bought the Grabber last year. It works perfectly!
Barbeque Chicken
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| Barbeque Chicken |
Then I baste them with barbeque sauce and grill them outside on the barbeque for about 10 minutes each side. I like chipotle style barbeque sauce but you can use any kind you prefer.
Sausages or Hot Dogs
I like to put a small container of saurkraut on the picnic table too, and a variety of mustards such as French, Dijon and whatever other kind appeals.
Family and friends who come to the Reunion bring desserts and salads so our summer feast is complete!
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