Rain or Shine: Steaks on the Grill

Disclosure

If there’s one thing (other than fireworks) that is synonymous with the 4th of July, I would say it has something to do with the get-togethers, often which involve grilling.

In our case, we were invited to a pool party on the 3rd of July. It was beautiful weather for a pool party and the kids were absolutely looking forward to it. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to bring along some snacks and drinks that I was purchasing at MurphyUSA as part of a shopper insight study. Unfortunately, the hostess insisted that everything was already planned and we were instructed to bring nothing.

We obliged for the most part… we showed up with strawberries dipped 2/3 in white chocolate then half of the chocolate dipped in blue sugar. My MIL and I simply couldn’t resist because it was something the kids could do and bring along. I feel it’s important for my girls to understand the importance of hospitality and this was a great opportunity for them to do that.

Knowing that we couldn’t bring snacks to the pool party, we moved on to plan B. Snacks for our family barbeque. Our menu was somewhat set but very casual.  We were planning on steaks and fixings and then possibly eating on the back patio if the heat/humidity index wasn’t too high. It would be the perfect setting for some pop, snacks and stuff.  I enlisted the help of my brother-in-law to drive me there – partially because he’s a regular MurphyUSA customer but doesn’t take advantage of any of the extras (which I wanted to introduce him to) and partially because I wanted to ride in his new car.

With iPhone in hand, along with my Murphy e-Offer printed and in my pocket, we headed off to the local MurphyUSA station to pick up stuff for the gathering. First thing when we got there, he fueled up and we discussed the latest Murphy discount promotion. While he did that, I checked out the place. It’s much different than my usual Murphy station so it took a little for me to get acclimated.

We decided to do our Foursquare check-in and get the free energy shot and cash in our e-Offer coupon for free Skittles. He doesn’t use either of these but had my husband’s phone and coupon so he could see how easy it is.

Then we decided to check out the corridor – you know, where all the goodies are. The coolers and shelves are lined with beverages of all kinds, as well as various sweet and salty snacks. In addition to the food stuff, Murphy also sports a healthy selection of fluids for your vehicle. Our Murphy carries stuff like sidewalk salt during the winter and I think it even has propane for grilling.

Murphy recently introduced Murphy Sport but we landed a deal on Powerade last week so we were set for those.  We did, however, grab some cold Coca-Cola products as well as some Tum-E Yummy for the kids.  I picked up some David sunflower and pumpkin seeds but couldn’t find the Pringles that I was searching for.   I asked the attendant and she said they don’t have any right now but are expecting to start carrying them by the end of the week.  One thing is for certain about Murphy employees… they totally get customer service.  I have yet to meet a rude MurphyUSA cashier.  They’ve always been helpful and friendly.

We headed home with our loot to enjoy at our gathering.  Because it had started raining, we moved the dinner inside which made it a little more traditional.  We enjoyed our steak, salad and drinks followed by pie.  We were too full for the snacks, so I tossed them in my purse to enjoy during our trip to see Transformers!

Overall, we had a great 4th of July event despite the rain and I was thrilled to show my brother-in-law all the things he had been overlooking at the MurphyUSA station that he visited so regularly.

For more information on MurphyUSA, visit their Cheap Gas Blog, catch them on Facebook (where they often post about their promotions) or follow them on Twitter. You can also find the featured products online:

Pringles website, Facebook and Twitter; David Sunflower Seeds, Facebook and ConAgra on Twitter as well as Coca-Cola on Facebook and Twitter.