Ahhh grilling season. Cooking over an open fire is the best way to prepare food鈥攗nless you鈥檙e the hurried host, running back and forth between the grilling station and the kitchen for the kebabs and burgers, the cutlery, the drinks, and the condiments. Enter an outdoor kitchen set-up.

While that may sound overwhelming, to shine at cooking outdoors, all you need are a few simple pieces of equipment and some organizational know-how. Your outdoor cook space need not be fancy, and keeping it simple and clean will allow you to focus on the essential elements of taste and heat.

鈥淭aking the time to create an organized station near your grill will minimize the need to keep running iCndoors and help you stay focused on the most important task鈥攃ooking a delicious meal,鈥� says Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor of Cookbooks at America鈥檚 Test Kitchen. The magazine and publishing house just released The Outdoor Cook ($29.99) this summer and, in addition to more than 150 sure-fire recipes, it diagrams the ultimate grilling setup.

Since grilling begins with the grill, make sure to place it in a safe spot away from the house, overhangs, and enclosed spaces. Take heat and smoke into consideration and remove anything that鈥檚 flammable (also keep a fire extinguisher within reach). Keep in mind that you don鈥檛 want it too far away in case you do need to dash back into the house for extra ketchup, skewers, ice, or buns.

Favorite skewers: , $49.95

Absolutely essential is a table that provides extra room to prep your food, store grill accessories, and present serving items like trays, dishes, condiments, drinks, and more. 鈥淎 sturdy, portable table gives you a dedicated place to prepare food that鈥檚 separate from where you鈥檒l be eating. Make sure it鈥檚 big enough to allow you prep space as well as storage space,鈥� Zuccarello says. 鈥淢y setup changes based on what I am grilling but I always include a small cutting board for any last-minute ingredient prep, a container to hold my cooking utensils, and a sheet pan to hold the recipe components.鈥�

Favorite cutting board:

After setting up the table, make life easy on yourself and carry dishes, grilling tools, drinks, etc. on sheet pans or in baskets. That tactic has dual functions, as it keeps you from running back and forth for supplies while also keeping things organized in the moment. In addition, to avoid cross contamination, make sure you have a clean pan, platter, or cutting board for items coming off the grill. If you live in an area with a lot of bugs, don’t forget to cover sheet pans and platters with .

Keep raw meat and other foods cool with a conveniently stashed cooler. If it鈥檚 big enough, it can also hold cold drinks for the cooking crew. Place the cooler to the side of the table or underneath if there鈥檚 enough room to open the lid.

Favorite cooler: , $450

Likewise, a trash can (and a portable compost bin, if that鈥檚 your jam) tucked under the table will go a long way in making cleanup easy. Zuccarello recommends 鈥渁 wide-mouthed trash barrel makes an easy target for discards; a tight-fitting lid discourages flying pests and other critters.鈥�

If you鈥檙e really agro, you can get a jump on cleanup by placing a small dish tub filled with soapy water at the end of the station (or on a separate side table). 鈥淸This] is a great place to stash grilling utensils when you鈥檙e done with them. Soaking the used tools gives you a head start on cleanup,鈥� Zuccarello says.

Now, all your summer barbecue needs is a solid collection of and a hungry crowd.

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National park rangers and wildlife biologists agree that when it comes to bears, if you’ve never lost food by suspending it in a bag high on a tree branch, it’s only because you’ve been lucky.

No matter how diligent a camper you think you are, you can’t always count on food being safe, even suspended high in the air. While proper food suspension can be efficient, it’s not always executed well. It takes a lot of work and know-how to nail down the right hanging configuration, and it鈥檚 easy to get wrong. The search for such a tree usually takes place late in the evening, or even in the dark. And let鈥檚 face it, after a long day of backpacking, it鈥檚 not unreasonable to assume that many (most?) people take shortcuts. Of course, in some areas (e.g. above treeline), proper hanging is impossible.

Ultimately, there鈥檚 no bag that a bear can鈥檛 reach if it鈥檚 determined enough. And hungry bears are smart bears, deploying all sorts of cunning tactics to get to food, even recruiting their cubs to scoot out on limbs that they can鈥檛 reach themselves.

So what鈥檚 a camper to do? Get yourself bear-resistant canisters (BRCs). These portable, hard-plastic food lockers have several advantages over traditional hanging methods.

Get the Can

BRCs, which can be purchased from stores like REI for $75 to $100 (depending on size), are a simple, effective way to keep human food safe from animals. Their hard plastic shells are slippery, making it nearly impossible for bears to get any grip on the can. Thus, they aren鈥檛 able to pick it up or crack open the container.

BRCs come in a variety of sizes and have become common among campers in bear habitat, and mandatory in many national parks. Anecdotal data from national parks and other public lands suggest canisters are more effective in protecting wildlife from getting into food than hanging. There鈥檚 even a testing process that helps consumers know how effective each container is: the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee utilizes a rigorous process involving live bears to test cans and issue its IGBC certification.

Canisters are good for bears, since obtaining human food changes their behavior in detrimental ways. A good BRC, especially when lined with a garbage bag or other clean liner, helps reduce odors from wafting through the forest. (The liner also helps keep food dry.) A bear鈥檚 sense of smell is estimated to be 40 times stronger than humans; they are powerfully attracted to food and other scented items like toothpaste and deodorants, all of which should be safely stored in the BRC at night.

BRCs are obviously good for campers, too, since the chances of a bear being able to penetrate the durable shell are low, so the chances of you having food in the morning are high. Not only do bears have great difficulty penetrating the plastic, other critters like squirrels and mice cannot get inside. As a bonus, the BRC can double as a camp stool in a pinch.

One of our favorite BRCs is the . It’s stainless steel with three locks – impossible for bears to open. It’s easy enough to pack, but large enough to fit 2 1/2 days worth of food for two people. Plus, consumers say this BRC lasts years and years!

Carrying Your BRCs

The downsides of most BRCs are their weight鈥攁round two to three pounds when empty鈥攁nd the somewhat cumbersome shape and size. To address this, more than 20 years ago began making a bear 鈥渃anister鈥� from advanced fabrics, containing kevlar and other hard-to-destroy materials called UHMWP (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fabric).

Ursack鈥檚 design is considerably lighter and more malleable, and it shrinks in size as food supplies dwindle. The downside is that these bags, which must be tied with the provided length of high-tensile cord to a strong tree or branch (one more than five inches in diameter) so they can鈥檛 be stolen, are not approved for use in all national parks. (Check regulations at the park you intend to visit before you invest.)

Campsite 鈥淗ygiene鈥�

Just having a BRC at camp isn鈥檛 a foolproof solution. The canister does you little good if you don鈥檛 also take care in how you 鈥渄esign鈥� your camping area. The National Park Service recommends using a triangular configuration that鈥檚 relatively easy to employ.

First, select where you鈥檇 like to pitch your tent. Always scan your surroundings for bears or signs of their movement in the area. Then, designate a cooking and eating area about 100 yards away and downwind from your tent (to prevent smells from wafting toward your thin-walled home).

Finally, equidistant to these two areas (to complete the triangle), store your food in the BRC. Make sure to flip the canister upside-down when stashing it for the night. This will prevent rain from seeping in.

Other tips for bear can usage include:

– Consider adding a touch of fluorescent paint or apply reflective stickers to the can so it鈥檚 easier to see at night

– Don鈥檛 stash a canister near a ledge or lakeshore, otherwise a curious bear may swat it into the abyss

– Don鈥檛 nestle a canister against rocks, roots, or other hard objects that a bear could use to damage the canister

– Sealed, freeze-dried food packages tend to balloon, which takes up precious space. Poke a tiny hole in the top of a few of the packages (ones you know you鈥檒l use early in the trip) and purge the excess air to reduce volume.

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If there鈥檚 a golden rule for family hikes and adventures, it鈥檚 this: bring food, lots of it, and make it nutritious. Establishing this simple habit increases the chances that your children (and you) will enjoy yourself. Snacks provide energy and rewards for a job well done. And, just as importantly, they help avoid the 鈥渉angries鈥濃�攖hat unruly backcountry breakdown that can turn a glorious family outing into a trailside brawl.

Having the right ingredients on hand, and knowing what and how much to pack means you can easily say yes to that sunny hiking day or biking day, without the fear of calorie crashes and grumpy kiddos. Being prepared is the key to successful outings.

Kids Have Different Needs

Remember that kids tend to burn an inordinate amount of energy while out exploring鈥攁ll without understanding the art of pacing or fueling. So, good planning starts before you head out the door. Fill them up with a breakfast that鈥檚 not just sugary cereal. Choose foods that will digest slowly and provide sustained energy鈥攖hink protein, complex carbohydrates, and fats. This could be eggs on seeded toast, a variety of fruits, or oatmeal with nuts or nut butter鈥攐r all three depending on their age and appetite.

Even after a satisfying breakfast, I鈥檒l often hear cries of, 鈥淢ommy, I鈥檓 hungry,鈥� or 鈥淲hen do we get a snack?鈥� just as we begin our hike. Sound familiar? Kids鈥� tummies are smaller, so hunger pangs come quickly. Give them a small energy bite (see recipe below) once you begin your adventure. Always remember, wherever you go with kids, eating is always part of the plan.

Not to be forgotten is proper hydration. Instead of fumbling with an assortment of bottles, have your child wear a small hydration pack. This helps kids learn to drink on their own, and it helps you avoid having to constantly cater to their needs. Throw some snacks in the pack, too, and the art of fueling will begin to take shape.

How Much Is Enough?

Always pack more than you need! Bring a variety of choices and allow kids to self select.

Avoid the high sugar content of store-bought items and make these at home: trail mix, energy balls/bars, and granola. Sliced apples, the classic peanut butter sandwich, or cheese sticks and crackers can also serve you well.听You鈥檙e looking for foods with a combination of good carbs, fats, protein, and potassium 鈥嬧�媡hat can help achy little muscles.

For a shorter hike or bike ride lasting an hour or so, pack two to three snacks per child to keep them fueled (they鈥檒l self-select and likely won鈥檛 eat them all). For day trips, bring at least five snacks per child鈥攖he more you bring, the happier they鈥檒l be. By default, this means you鈥檒l be happier too and have more time and energy to teach them about the birds, plants, and critters around them.

Remember that kids don鈥檛 think like adults when it comes to fueling or hydrating. Don鈥檛 wait until hunger hits; give your kid snacks at regular intervals so their blood-sugar levels don鈥檛 dip or spike. And remind them to take sips of water.

Finally, to get kids to finish a hike, it鈥檚 okay to employ some gentle incentivizing. If those little legs crave ice cream and that鈥檚 what helps them keep going, make sure to leave time to get that scoop of rocky road.

Here are a few kid-friendly recipes you can try:

No-Bake Cranberry Oat Energy Bites

Banana Carrot Mini Muffins

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Mini muffins are perfect for popping into a backpack before an outdoor adventure with kids. Made with flax seeds, carrots, bananas, and topped with pecans, these muffins are tasty and nutritious. Plus, what child would say no to mini muffins?!

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This easy, no-bake snack is made with natural sweeteners, healthy fats, and whole proteins. We recommend using nut butters with little to no additives, like , , and .

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A clean, tidy, and well organized pantry can not only save you substantial amounts of time, it can make you a better cook and baker. It鈥檚 not unlike the expression: 鈥渃lean desk, clear mind.鈥� You wouldn鈥檛 head out on the trail with a cluttered backpack, would you? The same attention paid to your camping pack should be applied to your kitchen pantry.听

Remove the clutter, stock up on the essentials, create a system to organize your ingredients and equipment, and you鈥檒l be whipping up dishes like a chef in no time.听

As a recipe creator and professional baker, I鈥檝e refined my pantry know-how over the years. I鈥檝e learned from mistakes big and small, often with a helpful nudge from a roster of skillful chefs and bakers. The key takeaways are this: observation and repetition.

How to stock your pantry听

I know what I love to eat, therefore, I know what I need to stock. This鈥攌nowing your staple dishes and identifying your must-have ingredients鈥攊s at the very center of this project.

However, if you鈥檙e new to cooking and baking, or simply have never taken steps to be more efficient and organized, it鈥檚 never too late to start. Start simple. Begin with what you can use confidently.听

Choose 10 of your favorite recipes and familiarize yourself with the ingredients. Stock up on these often-used items鈥攎aybe that鈥檚 only spices, olive oil, and nut butters, and that鈥檚 fine鈥攖hen branch out based on what you want to master.听

The more you become familiar with the recipes you plan to make, the faster your reflex for what you鈥檒l need will develop. Eventually it will become more natural and that, my friend, is called efficiency.听

There are no dumb questions

My culinary education started when I was a child cooking with my mother and grandmother (a published chef). Both excelled in the kitchen, and I asked them a million and one questions. I also observed and noted every tool and ingredient.

In addition, I asked about the science of cooking: why baking soda and not baking powder? If you don鈥檛 have that, what can you substitute? My mother and grandmother had the most organized pantries, and a good flow to the kitchen space鈥攁ll things in their place, and a place for everything.

With that said, I encourage you to observe experienced chefs鈥攚hether they are family members, friends, or true professionals (if possible)鈥攁nd ask questions. Then take that knowledge and apply it to your practice.

How to organize your pantry听

Being neat isn鈥檛 accidental; it comes from having a system. Start with the following tips, and then apply the same formula far and wide:

1. If you use a variety of flours, invest in big glass jars with wide mouths that make it easy to scoop. Label everything so you know what type of flour it is: almond, whole wheat, bread, oat, etc. Ditto for grains like rice, quinoa, bulgur, etc.听Do the same thing with spices. Ditch the small containers they come in. Organize them on an easy-to-see shelf or lazy Susan. Label everything, add a personal touch if you care to, and then alphabetize the whole lot.听

2. If you are a soup lover like me, stock up on as much broth (vegetable, chicken, and beef) as you can fit in your space, especially for the long winter months.听The same can be done with beans since they last so long. If you prefer dry beans, the same rules apply: airtight glass jars with wide mouths, and label everything.听

3. If you have kids at home, you likely have a stock of pasta. Use a basket to corral the various shapes. My 7-year-old daughter loves noodles and she knows which basket it鈥檚 in and she鈥檚 able to pick out whatever shape she鈥檚 craving.听Do the same with a snack basket filled with healthy snacks that the kids can easily access without bothering you about it.听

4. Keep things fresh by rotating the pantry鈥攑ut the older items in the front so they don鈥檛 go to waste.

In terms of how much to stock, here鈥檚 where your high school math skills come in handy. Calculate how much you’ll need based on what you expect to make in a two-week period. For example, my daughter loves banana-oat pancakes. I know how much oat flour I need for those two weeks by how many days a week I’m making the pancakes. Easy equation. Apply that across your many ingredients to shop wiser and reduce waste and unnecessary trips to the market.

How much is too much? You鈥檒l know your pantry is well stocked for your purposes when, most of the time, you need only shop for one or two fresh ingredients to cook a fabulous meal.

Finally, use a whiteboard or a scrap of paper to create a shopping list of the things that you鈥檙e running low on. (Keep it inside the pantry to both keep track of what you have and what you need.) Don鈥檛 wait until you run out of something; buy it as soon as you go to the grocery store and purchase in bulk if you can.

Create a system for your pantry听

Now, how to organize all these ingredients? Create a system and stick to it.听

I like to keep canned goods such as beans, pumpkin puree, and coconut milk on the top shelf鈥攖hese are ingredients I don’t use that often but they last the longest.听My flours and other oft-used ingredients are at eye level, which makes it easy to access and quickly grab. Next to the flour, I place all my cooking oils; group by association when applicable.

Alongside those are ingredients for dressings and sauces, which I use for almost every meal. Next come the nuts. I have an assortment of nuts in small jars, but I keep the bulk of them in the freezer to retain freshness. Buying in bulk saves money, time, and resources.

On the bottom shelves are baskets for kid-friendly access: One is filled with healthy snacks and the other with pasta.听

Interestingly, I don鈥檛 store my spices in the pantry鈥攁 function of how often I use them. They are in the middle of the kitchen, right next to the stove. However, if you have the space or desire to keep your spices out of sight in the pantry, I suggest buying or building a tiered shelf so you can easily find what you’re looking for. And don鈥檛 forget to alphabetize.

Finally, over time, your pantry will become disorganized and cluttered, especially if the kids raid it on a daily basis. To avoid this, schedule a quick cleaning a few times a month; check in to see if everything is up-to-date and in place. Coach your family to keep food accessible and visible. Your pro pantry will be happy and well organized, and so will you.

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