I recently ran across this adorable vintage table top hibachi at the local thrift store and fell in love with it! I have been waiting for an occasion to try it out and tonight we decided to roast marshmallows with some friends in the back yard.
Apparently this little fella was introduced by the Green Giant vegetable company as a promotional item in the 1960’s (I would assume a mail order type thing?). It’s made in Japan and has “pacific” stamped on the front. It’s missing it’s wooden handle but that’s ok because I know a woodcrafter who can make me a new one. The grill on top is about the same size around as a hamburger patty. So it’s very small. Apparently they were made to be used with a sterno can but since the one I have has a little door and a grate in the bottom… we decided a real wood chip fire is the way to go. It worked fabulous! I could easily see myself making something small on this grill (appetizers) or perhaps placing a small pan on top. But for marshmallows it’s so much fun!!!!
We cut sticks off the tree in the back yard and the girls and I whittled them with my old timer brand pocket knife for roasting sticks. Meanwhile the fellows were in charge of starting the fire. No paper or lighter fluid to yuck up the flavor in our backyard set up is ever allowed. Just some charcoal from a previous fire and some small chips of wood combined with some dry bark shredded up by hand to make kindling. Now that’s what I call a yummy cooking fire! All natural! And because this hibachi is small you don’t need more than a hand full of wood chips to cook for several hours! Very economical! As you can see it’s cast iron mounted on a wood base… so it’s very sturdy.
My friend Violet captured these photos and they are really cool!
We have lots of edible landscaping in our yard, so “grazing” is a common occurrence. We also like to experiment. So tonight’s fabulous discovery is: marshmallows with raspberries and some mint (chocolate mint is particularly good). This is amazingly yummy! Like drool worthy yummy! The combination of flavors is something that you just have to try! Trust me… it’s good… really really really good.
So the next time you are out and about keep your eyes out for one of these vintage hibachi’s! They are so much fun! This lil fellow is a keeper, and will be packed in the RV for some more camping table top fun… if I can rescue it from the back yard that is lol… it may be in use too much to be allowed to be packed in the camper! But it’s size it perfect for tucking away in a cabinet when not in use, always ready for some outdoor fun. It also makes a nice kitchen decoration when not in use.
Unfortunately Conestoga Chuck wasn’t allowed outside during this particular cookout because I was afraid his puppy antics would cause him to have a flaming tail or other such catastrophe. Safety first! Fortunately it is small enough we were able to place it inside the large barbecue grill we have and shut the lid with it inside after we were done eating marshmallows for the coals to finish burning down safely … and then Conestoga Chuck was allowed to join the party along with his sister Miss lil bit.
Here is a lovely video for you to enjoy that my hubby took of our mini hibachi fire tonight, so you can zen and go to sleep dreaming of marshmallows, raspberries, and mint.
Oh! And we got a few night time photos of our Halloween ghost/alien (whatever lol) that we posted about earlier today… with his solar light eyes shining. Super cool! Hard to capture at night… so I took one photo with the flash and another one without. But he glows very nicely! So I call this seasons decorations a success!
Conestoga Chuck 