I was so excited to chat on Martha Stewart Living Radio today about Summer Backyard BBQ Party ideas. I hope you all were able to listen and if you missed it! don’t worry! I’ll share my wonderful tips with you again RIGHT here!
Enjoy!
TIPS:
* Bring your own meat BBQ. This is a great money-saver for last minute barbeque. Ask guests to bring whatever they want to grill to the party.
* Going beyond the red, white and blue! Remember there are lots of ways to “barbecue”. Think Chinese: Top loin with Chinese bbq sauce, add some hoisin sauce to a Peking pancake with some enoki mushrooms, and chopped scallions. Say Adios to boring – Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex: Burgers, chops, steak and chicken pieces served in warm flour tortillas with jack cheese, pinto beans, diced green chilis, jalapenos from the garden?. Or, put some diced green chilis, green onion and jack cheese BETWEEN two beef patties. American 3 Ways: 1) Homemade spareribs (I’ll give you a good way), 2) chicken basted with your favorite bbq sauce and 3) an idea from The Hot Dog Shop in Warren, Ohio (an institution!), not too chunky chili on top of hot dogs. Chili is great to have around as a vegetarian option for those who don’t want to eat meat.
* Picked from the garden. Don’t have time to go buy flowers? Used vases (or mason jars of all different shapes and sizes) that you have around the house and pick colorful flowers from your garden to add a splash of color to your tables. Remember that vases full of herbs and bowls of fruit and vegetables also make amazing “arrangements.”
* Not your typical dessert! Skewer fruits to make fruit kebobs and arrange them in pots to make an arrangement for you table. Later guests can enjoy them as is or drizzled them with honey and throw them on the grill. (If you want to really go the extra mile, melt some chocolate for dipping.)
* Get the kids involved with a scavenger hunt that will definitely keep them busy! Paint rocks or use plastic gold coins (or even little toys) and hide them all around the yard and house for the kids to find. When they turn them in to you, have a bag of prizes to give them, like squirt guns, frisbees, and beach balls that they can play with afterward.
* Have your frisbees do double duty! Use frisbees as plates and then the guests can take the frisbees home as a favor. (Make sure the Frisbees are new and that you scrub them well first!)
* Don’t forget the signature cocktails. Right now I’m obsessed with margaritas. Go for something fun (tons of recipes on the MSL site, color your salt, serve in outrageously big glasses.)
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