Raise the (Tent) Roof!

DISCLAIMER:

I am by no means and architect or an engineer.  I am speaking from my own experiences only.  Try this out at your own risk!  Be safe and when in doubt, consult someone you trust about these things.

Safety, safety, safety.  =P

As promised, this post is about how to construct a giant tarp covering in your own backyard.  It's an excellent, inexpensive way to have a massive covering for your backyard that's bound to impress.  As warned, I'm about to get technical.  Real technical.

 Me, my fiance, and my mom standing proudly underneath the tarp we just painstakingly set up.

What You Will Need:

The Tarp:

My backyard space was about 18' x 20'.  To accomodate the center pole, we bought a tarp at 20' x 30' for $90, not including tax and shippin, at www.tarpsonline.com/complist.asp .  It ended up being a little too long, but we made it work.  I dare you to find a better deal.  If you can, post it in the comments!

We needed a stronger tarp than your regular average hardware store tarp in order to withstand the tension we are going to put on it to make the tarp smooth.  After a little research, we settled on a white tarp that had UV protectant coating and was 14 x 14 weave count, 6 oz./sq. yd., 1200 denier (not sure what that means), and 11-12 mill thickness.  It was a very high quality tarp with reinforced edges, grommets all around, and super-reinforced (my made up term, not theirs) corners.  All in all, I was a happy customer.

The Center Pole:

Leveler

50 lbs Qwickrete (~25 bucks)

100 lbs regular concrete (~4 bucks each)

10-15 gal container

2 x 6' 6" diameter PVC pipe

1 x 6" PVC pipe coupler

1 x 6" PVC pipe end cap, unthreaded

1 x 3' 4" diameter pipe for reinforcement

Expanding, high density polyurethane foam (the kind used for boats), also known as hull filler
(I used HandiFoam, which is kind of expensive and one-time use, but works FAST.  You can find the kind where you mix yourself instead at your local hardware store, but it doesn't expand as fast)

Assembling the center pole:

1)  Mix the Qwickrete directly inside the plastic container according to the instructions.

2)  Immediately insert one 6 ft 6" diameter PVC pipe section into the Qwickrete.  Use the leveler to make sure the pole is perfectly straight and and eyeball to make sure the pole is in the center.

3)  Hold the pole straight until the Qwickrete sets (about 10 minutes).

4)  Mix the rest of the concrete directly in the plastic container.  Let dry over at least two nights before setting up your tarp.

5)  Hold the 3' 4" diameter PVC pipe inside the set 6" PVC pipe so that half the length of the smaller pipe is stickout out above the top of the larger pipe.

6)  Fill the set pipe and the inner pipe with high density foam.  Use gloves, as this will get messy!  If using the HandiFoam, it expands A LOT (around 30x's the original volume), so use sparingly.  It reaches its full volume in 20 seconds, so add a little bit, wait 20 seconds, then add some more.  The foam completely sets in 1 minute, so don't panic and hold that inner pipe straight!  You will need to add enough foam to fill to the top of the INNER pipe as well.  To give you a better idea of what can happen, examine the YouTube video link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u70Hg0KYvao&p=1906403BEF353135&playnext=1&index=4
(the embed feature was disabled...boo.)

If you're using the type of foam you mix yourself, measure and calculate the volume of the inside of the pipes, calculate the volume of each component needed to fill the pipes, combine and mix the components, then pour the whole amount into the pipes, then wait.  You will have to hold the inner tube in place for a longer amount of time than if you use the HandiFoam, but it might be worth the money you'd be saving.  Read all the manufacturing instructions.  Don't forget to fill to the top of the 4" diameter pole as well!  See the instructional video below:

(this video is nicer to bloggers.  =P)

7)  Add the pipe coupler over the inner pole and snugly around the outer pole.

8)  Put the end cap onto one end of the free 6' 6" diameter PVC pipe section and add the pipe section on top of the set pole, securing it with the connector.  You're done!

Theory:

The concrete holds the center pole upright and prevents the pole from travelling around because it is uber heavy.

The polyurethane foam is to prevent the set PVC pipe section from flexing and therefore reducing the amount of stress on where the pipe comes out from the top of the cement base.  It also holds the inner 3' 4" diameter pole in place and keeps it from flexing.
The inner 3' 4" diameter pole is to reinforce the joint between the two 6' 6" diameter PVC pipe sections.  This pole also allows you to attach the second PVC pipe section without any adhesive and therefore easily remove the top pole and store the whole shuh-bang in your shed or garage or whatnot. 

Do you see the bump halfway up the pole?  That's the PVC connector!

Putting up the tent (you will need 3+ people and a tall ladder):

1)  We started with adding screws to the structures that we would want the tent to connect to.  Screws work better than nails because they won't pull out and are sturdier.  If you want to use your fence, I highly recommend bracing it at each post with a strong wooden stick.  You wouldn't want your whole fence to give out during your party!  Add the screws at about every 2 ft or so.

2)  Using thin nylon rope or parachord, attach one whole length (not width) of the tarp to its supports.

3)  Stretch the tarp out to the opposite side, then drag the center pole underneath to the center of the space to be covered by the tarp. 

4)  Attach the top section of the pole, then slowly tilt the pole upright while the others walk the tarp over the pole.  Once it's upright, attach the other sides of the tarp to its supports.  During this process and the next step, you will need someone on a tall ladder who can reach the top of the pole to push up the tarp from the top of the pole so that it can straighten out.  As you tie the supports, the pole will get pulled in different directions.  Don't worry if you see the pole bending at the joint.  If you constructed it right, it should be ridiculously solid.  Just don't let it stay crooked for a prolonged period of time.

Mr. Tall Guy on Ladder Duty

5)  Once all the sides have been attached, go around the tarp and retighten the lines so that the edges of the tarp are straight within the space, and the whole tarp is stretched so that there are minimal wrinkles.  Work from one end to the other, going back and forth to opposite sides of the tarp.  The more sleek and straight your tarp is, the better and more professional your space will look.  Another thing is: the tighter your set-up, the less chance the winds will destoy your hard work. 

5)  Every morning and evening that the tarp is up, check to make sure the pole is straight.  If it isn't because the winds have shifted the tarp tension, simply get on the ladder, lift up the tarp, and let the pole restraighten. 

6)  Decorate at will.

When the tarp came in, I was so excited, I wanted to set it up right away as a "trial."  In the end, it took so much work, I never took it down for TWO weeks!!!  I'm so happy with my center pole, I didn't even put it away.  It's currently decorated with Xmas lights and allowed me to hang up Xmas lights across my yard.  The pole is a lot of work, but because of that, it's durable, very strong, and is very versatile.  The tarp was folded in a way so that the clean side is on the inside.  That way the next time we use it, we won't have to worry about dirt flying into our food from above.  It had sustained no damages and remained very clean looking.  I will break it out again for my wedding next year, except I will have to rain and cold proof it.  Stay posted!

I've Acquired a Fiance!!! - My Engagement Ceremony

!!!

With a fiance comes a lot of planning. When I set out to plan my traditional Vietnamese engagement ceremony, I got a lot more planning than I bargained for. To start, how was I supposed to fit my HUGE family in my tiny house? I had to fit around 60 guests, so using the backyard was a must. Luckily, I have a decent sized yard with a lot of open space. I measured the space and then played around with it to see what table configuration would be best to fit everyone. I even set up a few tables and chairs to measure how much space is needed between the tables or the table and the wall in order for everyone to feel comfortable.

It looked like I needed an 18' x 20' area to be covered, because my engagement ceremony is in July, and the heat was promising to be tremendous. Renting or buying a tent of that size was not an option due to cost reasons, so we decided to construct our own tent, circus style. We bought a giant tarp with UV protectant to cover the whole 18' x 20' area. How it was constructed is a whole post in itself, so stay posted. I must warn you, I will get pretty technical. =P

It turned out so awesome I wanted it up forever! What helped was that my super awesome bridesmaids showed up to help me decorate it! Fellow blogger: SanJose. Love (check out her blog! It's listed on the left) jokingly suggested we could do a maypole to decorate the center pole. Which I took seriously, to everyone's cautiously intrigued dismay. 1.5 hours later, et voila!! See below:

The twists got a little flat overnight due to the dew... (and not of the Mountain variety, either) Not sure how to fight that though.

Like my lanterns from Vietnam? I KNEW they would be useful one day. Unfortunately, I found out they are kinda one time use...

Another thing I haven't bargained for was testing out my seamstress abilities. We had to set up a fancy altar, which we don't have. So, we made our own out of my fireplace, a makeshift shelf and some satin fabric. My mom and I cut and finished the edges of the fabric. The store where we rented all the altar stuff didn't have the right wording on any sign, so we had to buy the paper words and I had sew them to the fabric so that it would hang above the Moon Goddess.

My mom was in charge of picking out the food, and she chose so many dishes from so many different locations, it was crazy. We had to pick up a lot of it the morning of and be back at my house by 10.

So how were we able to do that? Again, I'm so lucky to have such helpful bridesmaids. I paired them and my brothers up into teams. I then divided 2-3 locations for each team by location. I thought it would be fun to make it sound like a mission, so I wrote out mission letters to each team with the directions, order of the pick ups, and what they are picking up. Also, I included the cash plus $20 needed for each location, in case we got the price wrong, or whatnot. The morning of, as each team arrives, I handed them each an envelope containing the letter an the cash. I must say, it went pretty smoothly and I was able to not worry about the food and focus on beautifying myself.

The most important thing is to give yourself a lot of time and relax. Don't be afraid of taking a day off the day before to do things at your own pace or delegate things that need to be done. Looking back at the pictures, I realized that everyone, including myself had fun, and that's what's important.

Red, White,...y Verde!!!

Well, dear readers, I am horribly backlogged, as you may suspect. Life comes at you quick! It looks like things may be picking up for a certain planning-minded miss. Some of them are my own doing, and some, completely, utterly, delightfully unexpected! I have given up on the post promised in the last one, because it has taken more time and research than expected. I might as well tell you now: the promised post was to be a road trip all along the entire length of the Mississippi River, named The Baker Man Trip!!! It will be posted TBA...

What I have in store for you my backlog includes a sake tasting party, my engagement party, and a Nostalgialicious themed combined bday party. BUT, I will start with my first commission: my company asked me to decorate for our Cinco de Mayo lunch. I decided that the cheapest and most effective to create a fiesta-like atmosphere was to make papel picado banners from company paper. All the white papel picados were recycled from already used printer paper. I had only one night to make them, and the room was HUGE, so to make banners that go from one corner of the room to the other and not lose too much sleep, I spaced them farther apart on a piece of yarn. Here are the results!

In retrospect, I should have taken a before pic, but I think it's kinda obvious...

I...er...used the cutouts to make little centerpieces...Save the trees! In case you'e wondering, it's a sombrero. I also made a bell design (the yellow thing on the table in the background) and that X looking design were 4 maracas.

And a different angle...
I also played salsa music to set the mood. The sweet deal was we got to make frozen margaritas! Everyone loved the banners and we all had a smashing time.

Papel Picado instructions: Papel picado is like making snowlakes, except you're working with square pieces of paper.

1) As my starting piece of paper is plain old printer paper, I folded one corner of the piece of paper to the other side of the paper, making sure that the edges are perfectly aligned. I then had a triangular flap and an edge that's extra. I cut out the extra edge so that I only had a triangle that's actually a square folded up. To save time, I then used that square as a template to cut the rest of the paper into squares.

2) I folded the square in half, then in quarters, then in half again diagonally.

3) I then went to town with a pair of scissors. Be careful not to take out too much of the folded edges as they are structural...

I realized that even with my honey's help and when we're doing random designs, to have the right amount of intricacy, it's taking forever. So, I made the executive decision to have all the white papers intricate and all the colored paper to have a simple bifold or quarter fold design template. That way, it would be plausible to cut several papel picados at once. I then tried my skill at drawing half a sombrero, bell, and maraca. I thought the results were cute, if not accurate.

It was towards midnight when I was struck with another idea! Why not use every scrap of paper and use the simple cutout pieces to make centerpieces? It was modeled after those decorations where it's flat until you open it up and attach the two opposite pieces of cardboard together, and it forms either a ball or a bell or some such. You know what I'm talking about right?

1) To do that, I started with a still folded cutout. I added a square of double stick tape on the bottom and top of the cutout, near the fold.

2) I then layered another still folded cutout on top of the

Pretend that in the last shape, there's two folded pieces on top of each other.

3) Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you've attached ~10 pieces together (it'll work really well if it's a denomination of the number of papel picados you've made of that shape).

4) Allow the folds to decompress, and attach the bottom side of the first piece to the top side of the last piece. Reinforce by taping the the outer edges where two pieces have been taped together. Product should look like the blue sombrero on the table in the second picture of this post (I hope).

Enjoy!

Yum Under the Sun

On Valentine's Day, my honey and I went to Half Moon Bay, CA for some fun under the sun. What we found instead was "yum" under the sun. The gastric highlight of our day was supposed to be our dinner at the Crab Landing, but instead, it was our simple lunch on the beach.

So that got me thinking...What was it about that meal that made it so good? And how will that help me in my event planning?

We stopped by a locally owned grocery store to gather materials for our picnic lunch on the beach. After perusing what the aisles had to offer, we decided on a simple fare of Columbus Peppered Dry Salame, fresh mozzerella, and braided sourdough bread fresh from the bakery next door. To wash it all down, we bought a bottle of 2008 Moselland Mosel Reisling Qualitatswein, which we chose solely for it's cat shaped bottle, and some styrofoam cups (fancy plastic stemware was not available). Et voila!

A feast for our bellies!

What makes this meal great was the quality and freshness of the cheese and the bread. Salami is great because it is salami. =P The wine was a happy surprise. It was light, fruity, and crisp. The only problem was that we didn't buy two bottles. But I digress. I think these simple mini sandwiches are great for any impromptu picnic or meals during roadtrips. If you happen to be on a roadtrip, pick up the ingredients at a locally owned grocery selling local goods to better experience the area you are travelling through. Just don't drink and drive.

PS-I kinda just gave you a teaser for my next post!

Nostalgialicious Potluck PahTAY

This will be a pictureless post, as it was inspired pretty much at this moment when my boyfriend insist I look up Schoolhouse Rock videos on YouTube while we munch on saltine crackers and Easy Cheese. It could be the Conjunction Junction song, but I think it's more my drawing happy faces with the Easy Cheese on the saltine crackers that got me thinking: "Dude, what if we had a potluck where people bring in their favorite snacks when they were kids?" RIGHT???

For some reason, thinking of all my childhood delights thrills me, making my heart beat a little faster in anticipation. It takes me back to a time when nothing mattered, except the next adventure I would partake in. Everything was an adventure back then...except chores. =P I think any party that could capture that particular spirit of childhood would make a good party.

So here it goes:

THEME: Revisiting your childhood, being nostalgic

FOOD: Make your favorite childhood snack and ask your guests to bring theirs as well. Some of my favorite snacks when I was a kid include: (you guessed it) Easy Cheese and saltine crackers, Laughing Cow Cheese with bananas, and toasted sliced bread with condensed milk...yum. The more unique the better.

DRINKS: Keep with the childhood theme. Ovaltine, Hawaiian Punch, Tang. It would be interesting if you challenge your guests to make a good alcoholic beverage out using one of those drinks. If you're really productive, you can even hold a contest with judges and prizes. Or, the prize can be winning itself. You can also prepare Jello shots, which are in keeping with the whole theme.

MUSIC: Play music from when you and your guests were in elementary school. For me, it was Selena and Run DMC. Ahh, those were the days...

All in all, I think this is a fun, easy party idea that can be thrown at the drop of the hat. Impromptu soundtracks can easily be made with Pandora or Grooveshark online. Snacks are snacks because they are easy and fast to make. Also, your guests can bond or break the ice with playground war stories. Thinking about it, this sounds like a party even the Eventless Planner can afford. =P

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Making Party

As this blog is not about food, but more rather about events, I had a little trouble coming up with an event for which my liege waffles would shine. Then, it came to me...It must be wintery and cozy. What can be more cozy than crafts by the fireplace? Buoyed by hot chocolate? Or chocolate milk laced with peppermint schnapps?

Satisfied with this idea, I then started to wonder what crafts? Knitting requires people who knit, and not everyone knits or crochets. Not everyone embroiders. There must be a common goal to make for an adventurous night. And it must get funnier as the booze sets in (not mandatory, of course). Also, as a requirement for me, there must be a tongue-in-cheek twist. SO, why not an ugly Christmas sweater MAKING party?

A little--very little--history lesson about the ugly Christmas sweater:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4679082_wear-ugly-christmas-sweater-style.html

Ugly Christmas sweaters have been around for as long as I remember. Everybody's mother or grandmother owns an ugly Christmas sweater. Some come with gaudy wintery images, some even count out the "12 Days of Christmas" gifts. The one thing that they all share is that they are over the top and ridiculous, but in a very good way.

I'm sure you all have heard of the Ugly Christmas Sweater themed parties. They've been popping up and gaining in popularity for years. I couldn't find who was the original, but the guys at uglychristmassweaterparty.com kind of got the credit for it because they bought this domain name a few years back (they didn't know who was the first, either). Just this past Christmas, their website exploded as they started selling these ugly sweaters for $25 bucks a pop. They were featured in several morning shows.

So...with that history lesson, I'll move onto the equipment for what you and your guests will need for your sweaters.

1. A sweater or sweatshirt. It could be a plain sweatshirt, an old sweater you don't want to wear anymore, or an already ugly Christmas sweater that you want to make uglier. You can provide these sweaters or guests can each bring their own. Either way, I've an amazon link for the cheapest crew neck sweatshirt.
   http://www.amazon.com/Jerzees-Sweatshirt-4662M-Available-Colors/dp/B00084Y4L4/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1265577879&sr=8-14
   
2. Jingle bells. Essential. If it doesn't jingle, it ain't ugly, in my opinion. http://www.amazon.com/JINGLE-BELLS-CLASS-PACK-MULTI-COLOR/dp/B000F8X9T6/ref=pd_sim_dbs_k_1
   
3. Craft felt. Perfect for making Santas and reindeers.
   http://www.amazon.com/ASSORTED-PACK-ACRYLIC-CRAFT-FELT/dp/B0025Z4OVE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265579410&sr=1-2
   
4. Embroidery floss. You can use regular thread you find around the house as well, but I think that these embroidery floss serves two purposes: To attach your oh-so-ugly designs to your sweaters...and to add contrast in the stitching for more...pop.
   http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Embroidery-Floss-Primary-Skeins/dp/B001689HX6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265579582&sr=8-2
   
5. Embroidery needles. These are better than regular needles because the loops are bigger to accomodate bigger threads.
   http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Eye-Embroidery-Needles-Size/dp/B000YQEVYQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265579735&sr=8-13
   
6. Stuffing. For added flare, stuff your felt creations, or better yet, have an arm or an antler actually reach out from the sweater for a more 3D effect. The world is at your fingertips.
   http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Mist-Fiberloft-Premium-Stuffing/dp/B00114ONKM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265580122&sr=1-2
   
7. Pom poms. Classics.
   http://www.amazon.com/Pom-Pon-Variety-Pack-Pkg-Multi/dp/B000Y3F3W8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265584572&sr=1-9
   
8. Any fabric scraps, leftover yarn, ribbons, bows, etc. that you and your guests can pool together. The more colors and textures, the better.

You can also find these items at your local crafts stores. As always, do your research to find the best prices. The best time to buy these items, especially the more seasonal ones, is right after Christmas.

Drinks:

Hot chocolate is always good in the winter. You can also add alcohol to it. I suggest a shot of peppermint schnapps or Kalua.

Milk chocolate is great with a shot (or two) of peppermint schnapps as well

Game:

uglychristmassweaterparty.com mentions a game that would be fun to play as you and your guest make your ugly sweaters. This seems like a good game to play anytime, anywhere. Here's the direct quote from their website:

"Holiday Sausage Game

This game was clearly created by a genius from Wisconsin...Here are the rules.

Divide everyone in the room into two teams. A player from team 1 may ask any question to any player on team 2...However, the player from team 2 must answer that question with "Holiday Sausages"...no matter what the question. If player 2 is able to answer "Holiday Sausages" without laughing, team 2 gets a point (or player from team 1 takes a drink). Simple. Hillarious when you get creative. Good times."

You can also have slideshow of ugly christmas sweaters on your tv or computer for inspiration. uglychristmassweaterparty.com also has a short but sweet slideshow of their parties.
http://www.uglychristmassweaterparty.com/these-are-ugly.html

The waffles

Now, the part that inspired all of this: The Liege Waffles. As I mentioned earlier, this is a semi-modified recipe from another blog:
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/04/brussels-and-liege-waffles.html
I finally got to make them for a good picture, taken by my brother, when my family went on a ski trip. This recipe makes about 10 waffles.

Sponge:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/3 cups warm milk
1-3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (I've doubled the sugar)
1 egg lightly beaten (I usually just crack it straight in)

Batter:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar (I've doubled the sugar)
3/4 cup pearl sugar, or cubed sugar, individually crushed to hail sizes if you can't find pearl sugar.
Directions:
Sponge:

1. Warm the 1 1/3 cup milk in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, until you can feel the heat emanating from the surface, then add the 4 1/2 tsp. yeast, 2 tbsp. flour, and 2 tbsp. sugar. Stir the ingredients to combine then let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. There should be this weird, beige crust at the top of the milk.
   
2. Sift the remaining flour (literally 1 3/4 cup flour - 2 tbsp flour) into another bowl, make a well in the center of the flour, then add the yeast mixture and the egg into the well.
   
3. Stir to make a smooth mixture. Cover with a plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm spot for 2 hours. The mixture should double in size and look literally spongy.

Batter:

1. Mix the butter, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, flour, and vanilla extract to form a paste, then add the pearl or crushed cubed sugar.
   
2. Add the paste mixture to the sponge and combine to make an even mixture.
   
3. Start heating the belgian waffle iron (it has bigger indents) at the medium setting. Don't set the heat too high because the sugar will burn, which will taste bitter. I've never timed to see how long to cook the waffles, but a good indication of when the waffles are done is to watch the steam. A short time after you close the waffle iron, steam will start billowing out. I watch the steam until it starts to subside, then I check it for brownness. I usually take them out when the ridges turn a light golden brown and the bottom of the indents are a deeper brown.

I recommend starting the sponge 2 hours before your party. And start tossing the batter on the waffle iron as your guests start arriving. That way, you don't have to worry about keeping your waffles warm and crispy. Enjoy! If you ever try throwing this party, let me know how it turns out!

Auld Lang...Salad?

It's a tradition for my household to host a family get-together for New Year's Eve. This year, in my quest to become a planner of actual events, I decided to take the reigns. The results? Success! The menu?

Tri Tip Salad
(modeled after Pluto's, a very excellent salad restaurant in Santana Row)

(see recipe below)

Sushi

(homemade with eel, cucumber, masago, and seaweed salad)

Liege Waffles

(the kind they make at Northstar Ski Resort)

Forgot to take a picture, so here's a link:

http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/04/brussels-and-liege-waffles.html

(see recipe in next posting)

There were several things I've learned from this experience: don't think you can clean AND cook on the same day in preparation for a party, RELAX, and don't rely solely on texts as invitations. I found out the day of the event that only two people out of ten received the invite. Shame on my cell phone company for not letting me know something went horribly wrong!

Tri-Tip Salad Recipe-Serves 5

1 tri-tip cut piece of beef approx. 2 lbs.

your favorite cajun seasoning (make sure salt is already included)

1 box of spring mix lettuce

balsamic vinagrette dressing of your choice

(You can add any toppings you like, but I've listed what I used. My advice is make your salad loaded)

1 box grape tomatoes, whole

1/2 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced

2 boxes of sliced button mushrooms

1 small bag of stringless sugar snap peas

1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 small bag of shredded carrots

1 box of croutons

1. Light your gas grill and set the temperature to medium

2. Rinse the beef in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

3. Sprinkle your favorite cajun seasoning liberally on one side of the beef and rub it in. There should be an even, thin, coat. If you can't see the beef through the seasoning, you've gone too far, my friend.

4. Flip the beef over and repeat step 3.

5. Place the beef fat side up in the middle of the grill, if possible not directly over the burners. Starting with the fat side up allows the fat to melt into the meat, making it more tender, juicy, and tastier...a fact I give credit to America's Test Kitchen. I happened to see their recipe on BBQ chicken and wondered if it would work for beef, too. It did!

6. Leave the beef on the grill at medium heat for 30 minutes. You can peek to see how the beef is doing, but do not flip it!

7. After 30 minutes, flip the beef over and continue grilling for another 20-30 minutes depending on how you like your tri-tip cooked.

8. If you would like a crispier crust to the meat, you can turn up the heat to high and place the meat directly over the heat source for a few minutes on each side.

9. Remove the beef from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

10. Cut the meat into thin slices going against the grain using a serrated knife. Serrated knives are better for cutting cooked meat. So how do you know if you're doing it wrong? There's long lines going across the pieces of meat. It's not too important to cut against the grain, but it does help make the meat more tender.

11. Plate the salad and place the slices of meat on top. Enjoy!

Notes

-I prepared the salad while the meat was on the grill.

-I roasted the red bell pepper on medium high in extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pushing them around the pan occasionally until they were limp.

-I also cooked the mushrooms in a pan with extra virgin olive oil on medium high.

-In a large container with a lid, I added the spring mix lettuce and all the toppings minus the salad dressing and croutons. Be sure there's still some space after placing the lid on for tossing. I waited until the guests started arriving before I added the balsamic vinagrette dressing, because the less time the salad is mixed with the dressing the better (no sogginess).

-The croutons were excluded until right before eating because they would get soggy.

-I also served extra lettuce, toppings, and dressing, in case my guests didn't like all the ingredients in the salad, so they have the choice to build their own.

-I'll hit you guys back with the story of the liege waffles soon! Promise!