Tips for Hosting a Great Backyard Barbecue


You've probably attended a backyard barbecue at some point in your life. Most of the time, these events entail the cooking of meats and vegetables outdoors using a charcoal or propane grill or a wood barbecue smoker pit. If you're planning on hosting a backyard barbecue for your friends and family, here are some tips to make it a success:

Sending Out Invitations

It's a good idea to send out invitations a few weeks prior to the event. If you send out your invites too early, people are likely to forget altogether. However, by sending the invitations too late, you run the risk of some people having other plans. So about three weeks before your backyard barbecue, mail out basic invitations that tell guests the date, time and location. Or, for those people you're especially close to, call or send an email!

Decorating

Lots of decorations aren't necessary. However, a red and white checkered tablecloth is ideal for that down-home look. And citronella candles can not only add a nice fragrance and glow, they keep pesky insects like flies and mosquitoes at bay. Want a little festive flair? Try a few balloons tied to the legs of your picnic tables.

Menu Tips

Whether you prefer to grill, barbecue, or smoke the food, there are a few choices that should be on every backyard barbecue menu. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, and ribs are examples of fantastic meat choices. Corn on the cob and grilled vegetables like eggplant and peppers are always good, too. Try some convenient shish kebobs to combine meat and veggie favorites together.

Easy Cleanup

Provide lots of trash receptacles and heavy duty garbage bags so that guests will never have to look for a place to toss their dirty plates. Always use disposable plates, cups and utensils for the easiest cleanup, and try cooking on aluminum foil so that there's no scrubbing afterwards.

More Tips for Success

Provide bug spray to your guests if you live in an area where mosquitos are a problem. If your backyard barbecue runs into the evening hours, light some tiki torches or string some festive outdoor lights. Good ideas for fun activities at a backyard barbecue besides eating and socializing include volleyball, badminton, and the backyard classic – horseshoes!

 



Barbeque Secrets
Barbeque:
Raw shoreline resort
Anmyeon Island is no beach paradise, but it s clean, quiet and quick to reach. July 04, 2008 Neil It s nothing like Macao s casinos or tourist-laden Hawaii, but Anmyeon Island offers city people something ...

North Carolina Barbecue Trail, Ayden, NC (WNCT Greenville)
To watch video online please click here to download the latest version of the Flash plugin. They call it the barbecue capital of the world! And if you follow the North Carolina barbecue trail to a tee you'll start right here at the Skylight Inn, Ayden , NC ...

The Best Barbecue Worth Traveling For (Forbes)
If you want to explore barbecue country, the bad and good news is the same: There's too much to choose from...

Diners praise BBQs from the ro.
Until recently, a barbecue party was limited to wealthy house-owners who could afford a spacious garden and catered meals...

Happy Independence Day
My dear friend Sven has recently passed the citizenship test, and is celebrating his first Independence day as an American Citizen...

Whitewater Lions hosting barbecue
The Whitewater Lions Club will host its fourth-annual barbecue fund-raiser at 6 p.m. Friday at Jerry Hill Memorial Park in Whitewater...

Grillmasters getting ready for barbecue championship in Wheatfield (The Buffalo News)
WHEATFIELD -- Enthusiasm is only the first characteristic Roy Gregory shows when the subject is barbecue...

Gridiron Club hosts barbecue to raise awareness and funds - Bigfork Eagle
Jordan Dawson/Bigfork Eagle -- Saia Misa and Kelly Rieke finish setting up for the Gridiron Club barbecue, while her children Megan and Garett eagerly await their turn to dish up. The club raised $1,000 at the event for BHS athletics. The Gridiron ...

Big Nates Barbecue & Company (The Frederick News-Post)
If you can't stand the heat, back away from the barbecue grill. Big Nate can definitely stand the heat. He may be the hardest working man in barbecue . at least in Frederick County...

Lots of fun ahead for holiday weekend
One of the most fun-filled weekends of the year is about to begin in Albert Lea...

Fourth of July Events Planned - The Ledger
The city's Fourth of July Celebration will be held Friday and Saturday. The celebration Friday will culminate with fireworks at 9 p.m. Festivities will include a parade at 11 a.m. Friday, with lineup at the Dunham Field area on Reedy Lake. The line ...

Poll: Obama beats McCain as barbecue guest (AP via Yahoo! News)
People would rather barbecue burgers with Barack Obama than with John McCain...

Tiki Barber, Natalie Morales host NBC's coverage of Macy's fireworks - Miami Herald
Former NFL standout-turned-announcer Tiki Barber didn't have a lot of Fourth of July family traditions when he was growing up in Virginia. Neither did "Today" national correspondent Natalie Morales. They have one now. Morales and Barber, "Today ...

Technorati Tags: , ,