Author Archives: Sam Hickey

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16 Nov

The Guide to Getting Your Home Ready for The Holidays

Author Sam Hickey Categories Design Inspiration, Outdoor Lifestyle

The holidays are right around the corner! Are you ready for guests (sometimes unexpected) and holiday celebrations? Is your house ready for the festivities or are you feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get your home ready in time? If you are feeling anxious about getting your house ready for the holidays, have no fear. These 7 tips will help you get your home holiday ready in no time. Share on X

Getting Your Home Ready for the Holiday Season

Hosting guests or a holiday party at your home can be stressful and time-consuming if you don’t have a plan of action. Here are seven ways to get your home ready for the holiday season:

  1. Deep Clean
  2. Declutter & Organize
  3. Get Festive with Decorations
  4. Guest Rooms Ready
  5. Light Up the Night
  6. Elevate Your Outdoor Space
  7. Add a Spark

1) Deep Clean

Don’t just clean, give your home a deep clean. Clean up areas that are usually neglected, like the top of the refrigerator, the oven, the banister, ceiling fan blades, and anything else that hasn’t been cleaned regularly.

2) Declutter & Organize

If you have stacks of papers sitting around, go through them. Organize drawers and cabinets, and anything else that feels cluttered. This is the perfect time to simplify and get rid of junk that is taking up space and collecting dust.

3) Get Festive with Decorations

Now that you have deep cleaned and organized, spruce up your space with festive decorations. Add lights, fresh flowers, and other decorative holiday treasures around your home to make it feel welcoming and comfortable.

4) Guest Rooms Ready

Spend extra time making your guests feel special by getting the guest room and bathroom perfect for their stay. Make sure there is plenty of toilet paper, extra towels and blankets, and also other things they might need like soap, toothpaste, and tissue paper.

5) Light Up the Night

Invest in some inexpensive night lights and place them in the hallways and guest areas in case your visitors need to get up in the middle of the night.

6) Elevate Your Outdoor Space

What better way to entertain this holiday than by heading outside? Create a comfortable seating area under your covered patio, or spend an evening grilling in your outdoor kitchen. Everyone loves the brisk air while enjoying some hot, deliciously grilled vittles!

7) Add a Spark

Pro Tip: A perfect way to get your home ready for the holidays is to add an outdoor fireplace or a fire pit to your outdoor living space. 

Place oversized and comfy seating around your fire pit or outdoor fireplace for the perfect place for everyone to relax and create memories.

Getting Your Home Ready for the Holidays

Getting your home ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful when you follow the above tips. Once you have your home ready and cleaned up, you can relax and enjoy your guests and holidays without having to worry about a thing.

Contact us to learn more great ways to get your home ready for the holidays.

09 Nov

5 Mouthwatering Grill Recipes To Tempt Your Tastebuds

Author Sam Hickey Categories Outdoor Lifestyle

The sweltering summer heat has finally subsided and these fabulous fall temps are ideal for grilling out and inviting over friends and family. Looking for some new mouthwatering grill recipes? Here are 5 tasty recipes that will have your guests begging for seconds. Share on X

Fire Up the Grill

Are you bored with the same old recipes you’ve been grilling up for years? Don’t be afraid to try out some new recipes! Here are five amazing recipes that are worthy of a five-star rating.

  1. Asian Inspired Chili Rubbed Ribs
  2. Lemony Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
  3. Campfire Cobbler
  4. Grilled Pizza
  5. Cheesy Potatoes in Foil

Asian Inspired Chili Rubbed Ribs

Don’t go basic with store-bought barbecue sauce on your ribs, try this delicious recipe instead! Dry rub six pounds of ribs with:

  • 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt

After you apply the rub, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Wrap in heavy duty foil and grill over indirect heat for 1 ½ hours. In a large saucepan, make your glaze. Cook the following glaze ingredients over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes:

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2-3 cup ketchup
  • 1-3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tsp fresh grated ginger

Remove foil from ribs and place over direct heat. Coat with glaze and cook 25-30 until browned.

Lemony Grilled Shrimp Kabobs

These super simple kabobs are easy and nutritious! Marinate one pound of shrimp, some cherry tomatoes, and onions in the following mix for 30 minutes:

  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp grated lemon peel

Once marinated, thread your shrimp, tomatoes, and onions onto skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 minutes each side, or until cooked. Get creative with your vegetables or use this marinade for some grilled chicken chunks, too!

Pro Tip: Tired of the same grilled chicken? Cube your marinated chicken, add some chopped vegetables  and make kababs!

Campfire Cobbler

Who says you can’t cook dessert on the grill? This campfire cobbler is so easy to make when you use your favorite canned fruit filling. Line a Dutch oven with foil. Add two cans of your favorite pie filling into the dutch oven. In a large bowl, mix together one package of yellow cake mix, 1 ¼ cups of water, and ½ cup canola oil. Spread this mix over the pie filling. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and the cobbler crust is nice and brown. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza is sure to become your family’s new favorite meal! These quick and easy pizzas are so yummy–you’ll never buy a frozen pizza again! Just purchase a package or two of Naan bread or whole pitas. Brush both sides of your flatbread with oil and grill 2 minutes on each side. Top them with your favorite pizza toppings and then return them to the grill until the cheese is melted.

Cheesy Potatoes in Foil

Who doesn’t love cheesy potatoes? Prepare your grill to medium heat. In a large bowl, toss together:

  • 2 ½ pounds of peeled and cut potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Place this mix on a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Cover and fold the foil around the potatoes so they are sealed tightly. Cook 15 minutes each side. Carefully open the foil packet and place six slices of American cheese over the potatoes. Return to grill and cook one to two minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Grill Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

Whether you cook over charcoal in your Big Green Egg, or you opt for a gas grill, the above recipes are perfect for a night entertaining friends, or just a quiet evening at home with the family.

Contact us for some more delicious and mouthwatering grill recipes to tempt your taste buds.

02 Nov

Creekstone Outdoor Living: 2018 Pinnacle Award Winner

Author Sam Hickey Categories Featured Projects, Latest News, Outdoor Lifestyle

Creekstone Outdoor Living is pleased to announce that they have been honored as a 2018 Pinnacle Award Winner by Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living Magazine! Sam Hickey, the owner of Creekstone Outdoor Living, teamed up with Regal Pools to create an outdoor living masterpiece that won top honors for Ultimate Outdoor Entertaining Space. Creekstone Outdoors: 2018 Pinnacle Award Winner, Outdoor Entertaining Design, Outdoor Kitchen

Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living Magazine 

Each year, the magazine Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living hosts the Pinnacle Awards honoring the most prestigious pool builders and outdoor landscape designers. Esteemed judges seek out outdoor projects that represent the year’s best designs. Creekstone Outdoor Living’s outdoor entertainment design wowed the judges and ended up being highlighted on the cover of the Fall/Winter 2018 issue. Copies of this issue are still available through the Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living website.

Ultimate Outdoor Entertaining Space

Creekstone Outdoor Living enjoyed creating the ultimate outdoor entertaining space with the help of Regal Pools. Their three-layered pool design caters to all ages and swimming preferences, and the 1,500 square foot covered outdoor living area is perfect for relaxing after a nice swim or eating a delicious meal cooked in the outdoor kitchen.

Creekstone Outdoor Design

This amazing project was created using all exposed Douglas fir beams, 12×12 solid columns with custom fabricated trusses and automated lighting to light up the night while you entertain friends and family. This same design also won the prestigious GHBA Prism Award (Greater Houston Builders Association) for best Outdoor Living Space.

Contact us to learn how you can get a beautiful, custom-designed outdoor living space for your own Houston-area home.

26 Oct

5 Outdoor Fire Features to Transform Your Outdoor Space

Author Sam Hickey Categories Design Inspiration, Outdoor Lifestyle

People are spending a lot more time in their outdoor spaces and having a bland yard just won’t cut it anymore. These days, people want to transform their yards to make it a place to unwind, relax, and entertain with ponds, flower beds, vegetable gardens, outdoor kitchens, and more increasingly, fire features.  

Transform Your Yard with Outdoor Fire Features

If you are hoping to transform your yard, but you’re unsure which fire feature will be a good fit in your outdoor space, get transfixed by one of these outdoor fire features and you’ll be sitting around the fire telling stories in no time.

  1. Built-In Fireplace
  2. Fire Pit
  3. A Bowl of Fire
  4. Fire Column
  5. Chiminea
Looking to transform your yard with an outdoor fire feature? Here are 5 popular fire features to help you make your decision. Share on X

1) Built-In Fireplace

A built-in fireplace is a perfect way to enjoy an outdoor fire all year. A built-in fireplace fits perfectly when designed to match your covered patio. Choose from a variety of materials, colors, styles, and finishes. Make sure to talk to an outdoor living design expert to help you create your perfect built-in fireplace.

2) Fire Pit

The most popular outside fire feature these days is the fire pit. They literally come in every shape and style and can, like the built-in fireplace, be made from a plethora of materials, and finishes. In addition to providing heat and a comforting place to sit and relax, your pit can also help you cook up some tasty food, too.

3) A Bowl of Fire

While they seem similar, the fire bowl is different than a fire pit, in that a bowl is not usually built into the ground, but is usually portable and much more lightweight. Fire bowls can be useful in areas that have regulations set by landlords or housing authorities.

4) Fire Column

A fire column is a newer fire feature that combines the best of a fire bowl, but into a sleek and stylish column that is typically fueled by gas. They take up less room and are, like bowls, usually portable. Fire columns, however, should only be used for heating, and not for cooking foods.

5) Chiminea

A chiminea is another fire feature that comes from the American Southwest and Mexico areas. The word chiminea is Spanish for chimney and that is exactly what it is–a portable chimney. It provides heat and comes made in terracotta or even metal.  The shape of this fire feature sends the smoke upwards and also allows it to be used while it’s raining outside.

Outdoor Fire Features

ProTip: Fire features can instantly transform your yard, creating a natural gathering place you and your family can sit around relaxing, making smores, and creating memories.

Whether you choose to have a fireplace built into your covered patio or a fire pit with cozy chairs seated around it, an outdoor fire feature is one of the best ways to help boost your home value and also creates a great focal point in your yard.

Contact us to learn more ways to transform your backyard with an outdoor fire feature.

19 Oct

How to Grill in a Big Green Egg

Author Sam Hickey Categories Featured Projects, Outdoor Lifestyle

Did you just purchase a new Big Green Egg grill? Or are you considering purchasing one and wondering what all the fuss is? This grill has created a cult following, and it’s no secret why. The Big Green Egg’s design differences allow for multiple cooking styles, helping you cook up the tastiest vittles around.

How to Grill in a Big Green Egg

So, how do you create perfect meals time and time again in your ceramic, egg-shaped grill? If you’re new to this amazing device, don’t be intimidated. You’ll be grilling up delectable meats in no time. It’s easy to cook up perfect plates of food with the Big Green Egg. Follow these five grilling tips for the perfect meal every time. Share on X

1) Natural Lump Charcoal

Always choose natural lump charcoal when using your Big Green Egg. Because of its unique shape, your grill works as an oversized chimney, meaning no lighter fluid is necessary! Make sure to open all the vents and lid when first lighting your charcoal, then close it after 7-10 minutes until your grill reaches the perfect temperature.

2) Burp Your Big Green Egg

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Yes, it says ‘burp’ your Big Green Egg. Once your egg is hot, do not open the lid immediately. Instead, raise the lid a few inches to release a little heat. Do this a couple times to help prevent a blast of ‘back flash’.

3) The Perfect Temperature

Getting to the perfect temperature on your Egg is imperative to grilling mouthwatering meats and meals. For direct grilling, open top vents wide and heat to 600 to 700 degrees. When your meat juices drip down, they will send fragrant smoke up, giving your food an unforgettable taste and aroma.

4) ConvEGGtor

If indirect cooking is your choice, install the convEGGtor in the top of the bottom section of the firebox. This heavy, 3-legged plate lets you slow cook the perfect meal.

5) Slow Smoking

You can also slow smoke meats and fish in your Big Green Egg, too! Add the normal amount of charcoal and then mix in two handfuls of hardwood chips. Close the lid after starting your coals, and let the grill reach your desired temperature. The fire will spread slowly, allowing as much as 16 to 18 hours of cooking on a single load of charcoal.

ProTip: Whether you enjoy cooking indirectly, directly, or slow smoking your meats, the Big Green Egg lets you do it all, making it the right tool for the perfect meal every time.

Get Cooking on Your Big Green Egg

With fall here, there is no better time for inviting over friends and family and grilling up a delicious meal. Visit your local outdoor appliance shop to talk to a professional about getting your own Big Green Egg. You, too, will be an Egg-head before you know it.

Contact us to learn more valuable tips for grilling on your Big Green Egg.

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