Don’t look now but more than two-thirds of the summer has already slipped by. Hopefully you are making the most of the beautiful weather and enjoying time with your friends and family, getting together to share meals from time to time while grilling on the deck.

The beginning of August is about the time when your excitement about summer starts to dwindle, and you have cooked so many hamburgers, hotdogs, brats and steaks that you think you are sick and tired of BBQs. You start to look forward to cool fall weather, sweaters and apple cider. The truth is, there is still plenty of fun to be had this summer, and all you have to do is try out a new twist on the standard grilling staples.

The next time you invite people over, try a recipe you’ve never tried before, for example these recipes for incredible bacon wrapped shrimp skewers, featured in the Columbia Daily Tribune. You can certainly follow the exact recipe, but it is so simple it leaves room for improvisation. So get your creative boots out and get started!

You simply rinse peeled and deveined shrimp, place them on skewers. (Remember if you are using wooden skewers to soak them in water first so they don’t catch fire.) Lay a basil leaf on the shrimp and then wrap it with bacon. (You can use prosciutto instead if you like, or try out your own combinations.)

Then you simply cook the shrimp on the grill, turning them occasionally to make sure they cook evenly. Watch the bacon to know when they are done, when it is crisp and delicious looking, you’re all set. On high heat expect this to take 3-4 minutes. Consider using olive oil on your grill or cooking the shrimp skewers on aluminum foil to keep them from sticking to the grill.

Sometimes a new recipe is all it takes to have you excited about having a few friends over for a BBQ again. Please contact us for all your deck care needs.