Unlike a summertime BBQ block party, hosting a backyard BBQ with friends and family is a more intimate affair. You are not entertaining neighbors but close friends, and family. And while they may excuse slips, you do not want to be remembered as “Uncle Rob who forgot to bring the steak” or the barbecue to be mentioned as “the barbecue fiasco of 2010” into the foreseeable future. So how can you ensure that your backyard barbecue doesn’t fizzle? Just follow these simple suggestions. Although employees who take extended staff lunches hours can frustrate managers, they also may lower workplace morale if issues aren’t corrected in a timely manner.
Now before you begin, is your yard presentable? If you’ve got crab grass growing, dog poop all over the place and weeds growing wild then you have a lot of clean up ahead of you to make your yard presentable and inviting. So your first thing you need to check is the yard and deck area. If you entertain regularly chances are your yard and deck will be in tip-top shape anyways, and all that will be required is some quick touch ups to make it look fresh.
It all starts with meal planning. Plan in advance what you will be preparing and read up on the right way to cook those items. Burgers and hot dogs for the kids is great, but you may not want to feed that to your adult or young adult guests. Look at good cuts of beef or boneless chicken breast. Another great adult food is fish, such as salmon – it’s super easy to grill and when garnished with vegetables and lightly seasoned it is a hit. The big advantage with fish is that you do not need to marinate it for a long period of time.
Other alternatives to straight fish is to try fish burgers, such as halibut or salmon burgers. It is your traditional backyard barbecue staple, but has a more adult taste to it.
As you are planning the main course, don’t forget snacks on the side. For the kids chips, and Cheetoes might be great but adults may want something more refined.
You could try some light appetizers, or gourmet pretzels or other adult type of snacks – chips are also fine for adults if this is an informal event.
Some tasty appetizers are: vegetable tarts, spicy roasted chickpeas, mushroom caponata on Bagel crisps, feta and spinach stuffed mushrooms, seven-layer tex-mex dip, bacon and cheddar pinwheels, smoked salmon spread in a sourdough bowl. Tasty ideas. You can find recipes to these appetizers by visiting http://recipes.kaboose.com/holidays/summer-recipes-appetizers.html.
Next thing to remember is the drinks. Since this is a private function, serving alcohol is fine but ensure your guests stay within limits. You don’t want to be serving hard liquor. Think about drinks that go well in the summer with a barbecue. The guys may be happy with beer, but the women may want something more refined like wine, or coolers. It is also a good idea to keep juice, pop and water close by for those that will be driving and for the younger kids that may be there.
Before sending out the invitations, do you want guests to bring anything? Some may bring their favourite wine or another dish. You just want to make sure there isn’t too much left over food.
Finally once everything is set and ready, send out the invitations or just call them up and invite them. Most people have e-mails so a quick e-mail might be all that you need. Remember to let everyone know several weeks in advance to give them time to plan for the event. Asking people to come at the last minute probably may not go over well, and nobody will be in the mood and your fiesta will fizzle.
Remember to make it clear in your invitation the date, and start time. Give your address even if the people you are inviting know where you live. If you want them to RSVP, tell them. If kids are invited, make it clear in the invitation.
Ready? Last thing is to let neighbors on either side know that you are planning a friends and family barbecue and that you may be out late into the evening. If parking will be an issue, ensure that your driveway is free so let guests park there or arrange parking with neighbors who may not mind if you park your vehicle on their property allowing your guests to park in your driveway.
On the day of the event, make sure your yard is prepared. Your deck chairs should already be out, and cleaned up if necessary. If you have patio furniture, make sure it’s presentable. Your grill should be ready to go with all required utensils close by. As your guests arrive, designate someone in the house to answer the door or just have them come right into the back yard. Keep cold drinks close by and snacks ready, games for the kids and conversation for the adults.
Congratulations! You are on your way to the perfect, memorable backyard barbecue!
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