I posted back in June about the Sears “Grilling Is Happiness” live event and how I was so excited because Ty Pennington was going to be there. I wanted to follow up and update you all about my experience and share lots of pictures, too!
Friday night I went to a media/blogger event at a beautiful hotel. There were about 10 bloggers, people from Sears, and then the cooking and lifestyle experts. The experts that attended the event were Ty Pennington {best known for Extreme Makeover Home Edition}, Robyn Lindars of Grill Grrrl, Perry Perkins of Burnin’ Love BBQ, and George Hirsch {a cooking and lifestyle expert}. We ate delicious food while chatting about grilling and blogging. It was also a great chance to get some pictures taken:
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Saturday I attended the Ribfest in Naperville, IL. This is an annual event with many barbeque restaurants participating. This year Sears participated and hosted a “Grilling Is Happiness” event with live grilling demonstrations, pictures opportunities, and a chance to enter their sweepstakes to win some great prizes. Here are some pictures I took at the Ribfest:
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I learned a lot watching the experts grill and think it’s great that Sears included a woman in their panel of experts. I don’t know a lot about grilling but seeing that a girl could grill just as well as the men could made me want to go outside and figure out how to use the grill I just bought last month. I also loved how she made a variety of things on the grill that I’d never think to make. She even makes dessert on the grill! {Check out her grilled pound cake recipe}
I had so much fun at the event and took over 60 pictures! You can view the rest of my pictures in my Google+ photo album. I also took two videos at the Ribfest. The first is of Robyn giving a couple of her grilling tips and the second is of Ty sharing a grilling story with the crowd.
If you are in the Chicago area I encourage you to attend the Naperville Ribfest next year! You will not be disappointed. The food is amazing, they have live bands playing throughout the fest, and they even have a fun family area with lots of things to keep the kids busy.
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Connect with Sears:
Sears on Facebook, Sears on Twitter, Shop Your Way on Twitter, Sears Local Ad
Connect with Ribfest:
Ribfest on Facebook, Ribfest on Twitter
(Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears. #CBias #SocialFabric #GrillingIsHappiness All thoughts are my own.)
I wish I could eat shrimp because it looks so tasty (and Ty helped George Hirsch make it!!) Looks like you had a great day!
Looks like y’all had a great time Alicia. I love that you are on a first name basis with Ty. I’m jealous but you already know that. :)
I love grilling, charcoal or gas & have little secrets that make for my grilled delights the anvy of all. I suggest that everyone try to incorporate wood smoke, be it from wet wood chips or a “smoke box” as it helps make things taste great. If making pork ribs, use apple juice to marinate or put some in a can to add flavor with it’s steam. You can dress up ANY BBQ sauce with the addition of brown sugar, molasses, honey &/or corn syrup. Who doesn’t love a good sauce that literally sticks to the meat & needs “handy-wipes” or a wet napkin to clean off? I’ve seen the most fastidiously clean freaks chuck the fork & knife to chow down on my sticky, bubbly, yummy BBQ chicken & spare ribs because they REALLY are that good. I also suggest using a rub to cook, THEN a sauce to season at the end of cooking. Many of us in the North Eastern USA, think BBQ = sauce, while you awesome Southern folks (giving a big shout out to my Texan buddies) know that the sauce is an afterthought; it’s all in the RUB & seasoning, right? I wonder what they’ll have poor ol’ Ty Pennington push next? He’s had a very interesting career life, huh? (But he is oh so great to look at & have heard he is just an all around good guy. Lucky you!)
Looks like you had a fantastic time..those shrimps looked yummy.. Great post
That was one fun day! I cannot believe that Ty didn’t wear shorts. It was HOT! And I totally missed that dessert. Looks like it would have been tasty.