Outdoor Entertaining is Heating Up Winter with Fireside Hangouts

As temperatures drop, there is nothing better than a warm, cozy fire. And as the pandemic drags on, we’re all faced with the reality of finding ways to continue our socially distant get-togethers during the winter.

Extending the Outdoor Season with A Cozy Fire

On a cold winter night, you can still enjoy entertaining guests outside with the help of a firepit, outdoor fireplace, or chiminea. In order to keep everyone comfortable here are a few tips:

Place your firepit or fireplace in a central location with chairs all around it so that everyone gets the benefit of the heat
Serve warm, hearty foods like soups, chilis, and stews
Consider hot drinks like Irish coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, mulled wine, or hot toddies
Use outdoor rugs and cushions to keep everyone comfortable and warm
Purchase disposable hand and foot warmers to give out
Provide plenty of warm blankets or Sherpas for your guests
Consider a fun activity that involves the fire like roasting marshmallows or making food with skewers

Choose Kiln-Dried Firewood

When a tree is cut down, it’s full of moisture which is not optimal for burning. Trying to burn the wood from a newly fallen tree will result in a fire that is both difficult to ignite and to stay lit, and will produce a fire with a lot of smoke. That’s why freshly cut wood is frequently split, stacked, and then left to dry for 6 months to 2 years. It is a long, tedious process and results in dirty, buggy wood.

At Apple Ice, we have a better solution. We use firewood that has been kiln dried. Kiln-dried firewood is dried in a special oven called a kiln which removes the moisture. It results in cleaner, better burning fires.
Here are the advantages of our kiln-dried firewood: