Summer is almost over (boo!) but what a summer we've had. There have been BBQ's aplenty here and while the weather is still nice we'll hopefully squeeze in a few more.
The kids went back to school on Wednesday and to celebrate their first day back, we decided to have a 'Build a Burger' BBQ night. Build a Burger nights are legendary in this house (you only need to look at my weekly meal plans on
Facebook to realise that) and the kids REALLY enjoy them.
BBQ'S CAN BE MESSY
Although I do love a BBQ, the one issue I have with them is that they can get quite messy! I have a bit of an aversion to messy things, for example, as a child I hated painting because I didn't like getting my hands messy and now when I'm cooking I have to clean up as I go along! It's a good thing that BBQ's are held outside (usually!) but the kid's sticky fingers, ketchup splodges over my nice table and chairs, dripping burger grease....it all makes for a stressed Beth. My absolute saviour for these sorts of situations though are
Regina Blitz kitchen rolls.
ABOUT REGINA BLITZ KITCHEN ROLLS
Regina is one of the leading kitchen roll brands, with an ethos around helping Mum, Dad and the family enjoy moments together, happy and confident, without the worry of mess.
Let's be honest, if you have kids things are going to get messy from time to time, but from cooking to cleaning to crafting, Regina Blitz deals with these everyday messy situations with ease.
I love the tripled layer sheets of Regina Blitz. They are over 70% bigger than standard kitchen roll and specially designed to use inside and outside the home....or on your children's face/fingers. They seem to mop up so much more than ordinary kitchen towels and at £2.50 (RRP) are well worth the money in my opinion.
They are also really strong as demonstrated by my three year old who tried her hardest to try and tear a sheet in half.....and couldn't. More importantly the sheets don't disintegrate when they get a bit soggy leaving those horrible mushy clumps everywhere like some kitchen towels do.
#THESTRESSOFMESS IN NUMBERS
Regina recently commissioned a survey of British families to uncover 'the stress of mess' and the impacts it has on family moments. The results revealed:
- 84% of clean conscious UK parents think that BBQ's are messy.
- Over a third of British parents have put off hosting a BBQ because of the fear of the mess.
- The average UK parent spends 40 minutes clearing up after a BBQ.
TOP FOODS PARENTS AVOID AT BBQ'S
The survey also revealed the following foods as the most likely to be avoided at BBQ's:
- Ribs - I definitely agree with this, sticky fingers are no no in this house!
- Chicken wings - as above!
- Burgers - yes they are messy but you can't have a BBQ without a burger can you? I often get the kids to wrap a piece of kitchen roll around the bottom of them to stop their fingers getting messy.
- Hot Dogs - especially when the mustard or ketchup drips on your clothes 😨
- Ice Cream Cones - I only let my children eat ice cream outside...even in winter!
My comments above clearly demonstrate my dislike of mess and the fact I find it all a bit stressful. In my defence I've become A LOT more relaxed in recent years and I cope quite well with feeding not only my own kids, but in the holidays, half of the village's too (they seem to gravitate towards my house - maybe it's the constant smell of cooking?). Before I let them eat though I give them each a sheet of Regina Blitz for them to clean their hands and wipe their faces with. It makes cleaning up at the end of the meal so much easier!
BUILD A BURGER BBQ NIGHT
Getting back to our end of summer 'build a burger' BBQ night and what essentially happens is that I put out lots of different toppings in dishes, as well as different sauces and let everyone build a burger to suit their own tastes. The kids love it because it gives them choice.
OUR TOP BURGER COMBO'S
My husband likes a classic BLT Burger which has a slice of grilled bacon, lettuce and tomato on top of a big juicy steak burger.
The kids keep things plain and simple with a cheese slice and plenty of the dreaded ketchup.
I really like crumbled feta and Moroccon hummus with lots of salad on mine and quite often I enjoy a veggie burger instead of beef.
It goes without saying I always plonk a roll of Regina Blitz on my outside dining table so it's ready and waiting to mop up the inevitable spillages and splodges!
BBQ SIDE DISHES
We like a variety of side dishes with our BBQ - some messy and some not so much! Two of our favourites are these yummy Barbecued New Potatoes and a light and tasty Fruity Rice Salad, both which we had at our recent build a burger night.
BARBECUED NEW POTATOES
To make this dish just take some baby new potatoes and place them on some kitchen foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season, wrap up tightly in the foil and place on the BBQ for about 40 minutes. You can jazz these up by adding herbs like thyme or rosemary or if you like it hot a chopped red chili. Some feta crumbled over the top once cooked is lovely too.
This is my favourite rice salad recipe of all time and combines apple and dried cranberries with toasted cashew nuts and chopped peppers. The dressing is made with curry powder and mango chutney and is utterly divine. Everyone always asks for the recipe!
MOPPING UP WITH REGINA
At the end of any BBQ I make the kids clear the table so I can give it a quick wipe down with the Regina Blitz kitchen rolls. They really do get things sparkly again with minimal effort. In my opinion it's definitely worth having a roll of this in your cleaning armoury. I guarantee it will save your sanity at some point...especially if you're a clean freak like me!
Disclosure: This post was developed in collaboration with Regina. All thoughts are my own.
