The New Orleans weather is cooling down outside, which is welcome to many who are tired of the sweltering summer heat! While grilling outside can still be fun and enjoyable in the brisk weather, some Louisiana grilling purists see an outdoor barbecue minus the summer heat as pure blasphemy. For those who still want to have a great barbecue at home, but don’t want to have to do it indoors (or for apartment dwellers who don’t have easy access to a grill), there are still ways to get great barbecue flavor indoors!
Beyond it being a massive fire hazard and a health risk, its not necessary to have an outdoor taste to your indoor meal. While most people would scoff at even the notion of using an outdoor grill indoors, every year, roughly a dozen people die from attempting just that. Indoor grilling should be done using indoor tools.
There are two types of indoor grills you can use: the open grill and the folding contact grill.
The open grill is similar in look to an outdoor grill. These appliances are electric and have a heating element with a grill-like cooking surface. While you have to flip foods to cook them evenly, the experience of grilling is much more authentic and the flavor is closer to an outdoor grill than you may get with a folding contact grill.
A folding contact grill is a grill with a hinged top that can be closed over your food, almost like a panini press or waffle maker. This grill may be better for the more inexperienced cook, as this style of grill can cook on both sides simultaneously and requires less attention from the cook.
Simply marinate and spice them the way you would choose to on an outdoor grill, and lay them on either your open or folding contact grill. Certain spices will make your indoor meal taste a little more outdoorsy. Chipotle peppers and liquid smoke, for example, can add a little of the flavor you might find on an outdoor grill.
Especially risky items such as pork or chicken should be carefully monitored to ensure they are fully cooked before eating.
While using an indoor grill is infinitely less hazardous than trying to use an outdoor grill, it can still be dangerous. Cooking food and burning fat will create smoke, so make sure that your kitchen is well-ventilated and you have air flow.
To reduce the smoke generated by your indoor grill (and eat healthier in the process), trim excess fat from your meats. Less fat means less burning, smoke, and a healthier meal in the end.
An apartment BBQ has an advantage over a backyard BBQ in that flatware needn’t be relegated to the realm of paper and plastic. Pour wine for guests in stemmed glasses or, if you have enough time, wash and repurpose glass jam and jelly jars for use as glasses.
For the table, a freshly cut flower centerpiece will capture the air of summer in an indoor space. A centerpiece of fresh fruits, such as lemons, oranges, or mangoes, is a lovely alternative as well.
Single-use plates and utensils are fine, of course, but don’t be frugal. Purchase heavy-duty plates so there’s no chance of weighty or greasy foods falling through and onto your carpet. You’ll also want plenty of plastic wrap, or re-usable containers, for leftovers.
A main component of any barbecue party is food – namely, meat; but, as an apartment dweller, using a smoke-emitting apparatus for cooking isn’t really an option. There are countertop grills on the market made just for this type of occasion, but there are also ways to cook in a barbecue style without the use of any fancy equipment.
Certain classic BBQ dishes, such as pulled pork, can be made in advance and warmed for guests before they arrive. Other dishes, such as barbecued chicken, can be basted and marinated in advance and set in the oven during the party.
You’ll definitely want a few dishes that won’t require any preparation before serving. Pasta salads keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, as do lettuce-based salads as long as there is no dressing to wilt the leaves.
If you are so inclined, you can also cut corners with a few pre-made items. Here in southern Louisiana, there are a bevy of markets offering tasty, ready-made items such as roasts and rib racks. Your guests will be astounded and your kitchen will stay clean. (That’s truly ultimate barbeque!)
If you take the time to season your food as you would during your outdoor barbecue, you may be surprised at the similarity of cooking it inside! While nothing truly compares to an outdoor grilling experience, you shouldn’t have to miss out on it due to the weather!
Have fun with your recipes, try out a few things, and be creative! Who says grilling has to go out the window along with the summer heat?
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With electricity you can never be too safe, and even if you believe you’re following all the necessary steps and precautions in your apartment home, there’s always room for improvement! One big thing that goes unchecked, in New Orleans and elsewhere, for many people are electrical outlets. They’re everywhere in our homes and offer convenience and flexibility in how and where we can use our appliances. However, take the time to make sure you’re being safe with your electrical outlets. Practicing electrical outlet safety in your apartment will keep you and any children or pets you may have safe from electrocution. It can also keep your apartment safe from electrical fire and damage! Remember the dos and don’ts when it comes to using the outlets in your apartment.
First of all, use safety covers on outlets when they are not in use. Outfitting individual outlets with safety covers is especially important in apartments with children and pets, as the outlets are at a level where pets and curious children could potentially be injured should they decide to play with them. However, even if you don’t have children and pets in your household, you should use electrical outlet safety covers when the outlets are not in use. Be conscious of what you are and aren’t using, and unplug your electronics when they’re not in use. These items use energy even when not in use, and a short in a wire could cause a big problem! Cover your outlets after you unplug items to make sure you keep out dirt, grime, and debris!
Make sure all the outlets in your apartment have their cover plates in place! Even if you don’t think certain outlets in the apartment work, you should never leave outlets exposed without the cover plates in place. Cover plates are simple to replace, as most fit a standard size and require only two screws to keep in place. You can safely replace them yourself or ask your community manager to replace them. Leaving outlets without cover plates is not only dangerous, but unsightly! It only takes a minute or two to cover your outlet to ensure safety and a neat appearance.
If you’re using extension cords in your apartment, try to make them a temporary fixture. You shouldn’t leave your electronics plugged into an extension cord when the item is not in use, nor should you use more than one extension cord for the same item. Extension cords force the electrical current through greater distances and leave your apartment more vulnerable to electrical damage. If the cord frays or is pierced, you may get shocked! Electrical shocks are dangerous, and can result in a trip to the hospital or worse.
It should go without saying, but never use an electrical appliance near water. You should be especially careful in the bathroom not to use electrical appliances near water sources, as water coming into contact with electricity can cause electric shock. If you must use the appliance near a sink, make sure the sink is off and all surfaces are dry before proceeding.
Most of us aren’t electricians and don’t know much about the wiring of our apartments. So, don’t try to re-wire your apartment yourself! Living in an apartment, you can and should always turn to your property manager when it comes to more intricate electrical outlet tasks, such as rewiring. If you experience problems with outlets, such as outlets that don’t work or outlets that give off excessive sparks when plugging in or removing a cord, talk to someone in your rental office. A Maintenance Service Technician should be sent over to deal with any problems you may have. Some instances may even call for an electrician, let your Property Manager be the judge. Even if you think you may know how to solve a wiring problem, don’t risk it! Not only do you risk injuring yourself, but you may be held responsible for any damage you do to the apartment in the process.
It doesn’t take much time or effort to be aware and safe when it comes to electrical outlets. Just remember to take an inventory of how you’re using your outlets and adjust accordingly. Hopefully by doing this, you’ll keep your pets, children, and yourself safe. You may even save a few bucks on your electricity bill in the process!
Few of us look forward to the stress of having to make a move, whether it’s close to home or somewhere far away. While it can be an exciting and hopeful time, the process leading up to your new beginning can be a nightmare if not planned properly. Luckily, there is a wealth of resources available to you which can make the move much easier. All it takes is a little prep work on your part to ensure your move goes off without a hitch!
Choosing the Right Ride
First, determine whether or not you’ll be taking your vehicle with you if it’s a longer move. If you’re going to rent a trailer and/or moving truck, do your research beforehand. Find out how much it will cost to rent the size you need, and determine, before ordering, the size truck required to move what you need most. You will also need to take into account how many days and how many miles the rate of the moving truck will cover. If you’re also moving your vehicle, price a tow dolly as well. Depending on what kind of vehicle you have and how much you will need to move, it may be cheaper to drive your vehicle and tow a trailer with your possessions instead. When weighing your options, take into account what your gas consumption will be when driving your vehicle with a trailer in tow versus driving a moving truck. It’s also important to take into account the reliability of your vehicle. If you will be moving cross-country and don’t have the most trustworthy vehicle, pulling a trailer may be out of the equation. In this case, it would be better to drive a moving truck with your vehicle in tow. Also, if you have a smaller vehicle, towing a moving trailer will probably not be feasible.
Well Hello Dolly
If you have larger items to move, consider renting a moving dolly or hand truck. Even if you have friends who can help, these devices are quite useful when having to move up stairs or forced to haul heavy items that cannot slide on the ground. While a hand truck can be used by someone strong enough to handle the load of the object, it’s much better to have someone else with you to help stabilize the object you’re trying to move.
Bringing in the Pros
You may also want to investigate how much it would cost to hire a full-service moving company. This may come in handy if either your stature or health problems will not allow you to move by yourself. While friends can come in handy when moving around town, it can be much trickier getting friends to help you move far away from home. There are also “self move” services that will drop off a container that you can load, which they will then pick up and transport to you. While these options are generally pricier, you may find the extra expense worth it if it saves you time, strain, and hassle. Professional movers are usually well-versed in the techniques involved in moving your belongings safely and quickly. Not only will this keep your back and muscles from having to endure the pain of moving, but your furniture and other belongings will probably arrive in better shape!
Take a few precautions, do a little research, and you’ll find that the move can be much less painful than you might have imagined!
Apartment living affords a special closeness with neighbors and fellow residents in your building. While this is great for fostering a sense of community and closeness, it’s also important to be responsible and respectful toward your neighbors when having a get-together.
As long as you’re conscientious while having friends over, any conflicts or issues with neighbors can be easily avoided and handled! After all, your apartment is your home, and you shouldn’t have to spend much time worrying about neighbors while you are entertaining. Remember, they probably like to have guests over from time to time, too!
It takes minimal effort to be considerate while throwing a party, and it’s a great way to maintain a respectful relationship with those who live around you.
First of all, if you’re going to have an especially large group of people over, it’s always a nice gesture to let your neighbors know you’ll be having guests. Even if you don’t expect to be noisy or for your company to be over late, it’s a considerate way of letting your neighbor know that you have them in mind and to make sure it won’t cause any conflict.
Once your guests have arrived, keep your party inside your apartment. You’ve probably been to a party or two that has gotten so crowded that guests started spilling out into the hallway or on to balconies. When this happens, it can bother neighbors who need to come and go. No one wants to deal with an obstacle course of strangers when trying to get to their apartment door, especially if they have groceries or other items in tow.
Beyond simply being an obstacle, it can also be a nuisance for the neighbor if they have to put up with the extra noise your guests might create for them. Remember, your apartment is exclusively your space, but hallways and shared balconies are part of the common area that you share with your neighbors. So, if you’re having many guests over and the gathering starts to spill out into shared areas, try to entice your guests to move back inside.
Be aware of what the noise level of your get-together is, and always keep your neighbors in mind while playing music. Take into account how thin or how well insulated your walls, ceilings, and floors are, and factor that into how loud you play any music. Even if your party is a little noisy, your neighbors are more likely to put up with it if it’s not a common occurrence or if it’s not keeping them up late into the night before a work day.
If a neighbor knocks and asks you to keep the noise down, keep in mind that they’re not looking for a confrontation, but a resolution. Understand their point of view and take their circumstances into consideration. There’s no reason a reasonable request can’t be dealt with courteously while still allowing your gathering to continue.
Another nice gesture is to consider inviting your neighbors to your get-together. If you’re having a strictly family gathering, obviously this isn’t a sensible option. But if you’re throwing a general party, consider inviting some neighbors, especially if you could use more guests. Perhaps they’ll stop by briefly, stay the entire evening, or not come at all. But your neighbors will most likely appreciate the gesture, and even if they don’t come, they’ll be less likely to feel contempt or resentment toward your party and be more understanding of your situation.
In the end, it’s all about having fun and taking very simple measures to make sure that you can maximize that fun while still being conscientious toward your neighbors.
Even if you take all the steps necessary to ensure a problem-free party, try not to make it a common event. Pushing the limits of your neighbors’ patience with too many parties can bring about unwanted strain on your friendly relationship and can even result in them complaining or taking action with management. All things in moderation!
For many living in apartment homes, especially first-time renters, living with a roommate is an inevitability. While the situation can be fun at times, getting together to pay bills can be tricky.
While you may save quite a bit of money by living with a roommate and splitting costs, doing so in a timely and organized manner is key. All it takes is one roommate being a little off-schedule to de-rail the entire process. With multiple roommates, it can be even more difficult making sure that each person contributes their proper portion of the expenses in a timely manner.
It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands the schedules and deadlines of bill payments. With roommates potentially getting wrapped up in their own day-to-day responsibilities, if your bill payment schedule is too flexible, they may forget due dates at the end of the month!
Organization
First of all, create a system that sorts paid and unpaid bills. Make this system available and understandable to everyone you live with to ensure that it’s clear what is paid and what needs to be paid. Simple organization from the very beginning can go a long way in making sure that everyone is on the same page. You might find it useful to post a chart on a communal area such as the refrigerator that explains which bills are due on what dates. Having a visual reminder that is available on a consistent basis will keep roommates accountable and allow no excuses as to not knowing what needs to be paid.
Make sure you know which bills are in whose name. This information should be known and available to everyone in the apartment so they know who to write their portions of the bills to. Any confusion as to where checks should be directed can result in missed or late payments, and those will reflect on the account of the person whose name is on the bill. If at all possible, set up accounts with more than one person on the account. If you live in an apartment with multiple roommates, designate two responsible roommates whose names will appear on the account. This keeps more people culpable, and tends to keep up awareness of unpaid bills.
Execution
Before paying your bills, check your account to make sure you have sufficient funds to cover them before cutting a check. It only takes one person bouncing a check to throw a wrench in the payment system. An overdraft can cause other roommates to have to pay more to ensure that bills are paid on time, and this can lead to tension in the home. Make sure that all charges on the bill are correct before making payment. You may find it useful to cross-reference paid bills with unpaid bills to ensure there isn’t a mistake made by the company. This exercise also allows everyone involved to stay informed as to what’s going on with bills, and why the charges are what they are. It’s also very important to make sure communication is open. If there is a change in payment amount, make sure your roommates know what it is and why. They may be in the habit of writing checks for recurring payments, and end up writing a check for an incorrect amount. You don’t want to have people re-writing checks or not trusting the reasons why amounts have changed. Communication is key in making sure that the process goes smoothly.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
