Hosting the Perfect Barbecue

A barbecue is the perfect warm weather get-together! By cooking, eating, and socializing outdoors you get to enjoy the beautiful weather and enjoy things you couldn't indoors. Here are some tips to help you plan the perfect barbecue:

Invitations

Invitations for a barbecue can be informal. If the majority of your guests are close friends and family, simply call or email them to extend the invitation. For people you don't know as well, simply drop a casual invite in the mail.

Location

Your backyard, of course! If your home cannot accommodate a barbecue, you can instead hold one at the local park. Or, find a friend or relative with a big yard and ask if you can host your barbecue there. Most people will be happy to get involved if they can!

Decorations

Keep the decorations simple. A festive red and white checkered tablecloth over the picnic table and a few coordinating balloons or streamers tied to the legs will do. For your centerpiece, try an attractive citronella candle. Citronella works as a natural bug repellant, and a fragrant citronella candle will help prevent pesky mosquitoes and flies from crashing the party!

Food

The food is the best part of an outdoor barbecue! Fire up the grill and try some of these traditional and not so traditional dishes: hot dogs, hamburgers, steak, chicken, pork chops, fish, eggplant and corn on the cob are all fantastic when grilled! For fantastic side dishes, choose cool and creamy recipes that complement the grilled fare. Some good ideas: macaroni salad, potato salad, Greek salad – basically any cool, freshly prepared salad will work! To round out the meal, get a few bags of potato chips or pretzels in various flavors. Dessert can be something light such as strawberry shortcake in angel food cups. Gelatin desserts are a good choice as well!

Make sure you fill coolers with lots of ice, bottled water and canned soda. If you like, fill a second cooler for adults only and stock it with favorites like light beer and wine coolers.

Other great ideas for barbecue fare include fresh fruit like watermelon, homemade Sno-cones and funnel cakes, ice cream, and frozen blender favorites like iced coffee or daiquiris.

Games and Activities

Set up a net and recruit players for some volleyball or badminton. If you've got a pool, then swimming is a must! You could even take the volleyball into the pool for a fun, wet twist! Great activities for land lovers include tug-of-war, potato sack races, and traditional backyard games like croquet or horseshoes. Above All, Have Fun!

Don't stress too much about what you're serving or what games to play. The best thing about a barbecue is the casual atmosphere. You and your guests will have a blast eating, socializing, lounging, and enjoying quality time spent with friends and family!