It’s a hot summer day and you want to plan a party. What should you do? Really, there is only one thing that you can do. Throw a barbeque. But what should you serve, how should you serve it and what will you need for your guests? Find out in this article.
First of all, you should really plan farther ahead than just one day. Realistically, you should start by looking at the weather and making sure that it isn’t going to rain or snow or something. After that, invite the best, most fun-loving friends that you have. If you don’t have any friends, then this is the perfect way to make some.
After the invitations have been sent it is time to decide on things to eat. You can’t have a barbeque without some sort of food. I would recommend that you have a least a few different choices for people. Things like hot dogs and hamburgers are simple, cheap and effective. If you want to get a little fancier, there are always kabobs or possibly fondue that you could make. Whatever you choose, be sure that your grill is ready to go and that you have enough propane or charcoal.
After the food is done, you will need a way to serve it. Obviously paper plates are a great thing for the bbq crowd, but you might want to consider heavy duty plates if you are serving items that could get messy like burgers or kabobs.
Seating is another thing you will want to look into. You can’t just have your friends all sitting on the ground. Be sure to invest in nice patio dining sets that will add to the atmosphere of your party. You wouldn’t want to have sets that are uncomfortable or ugly, so it is crucial that your patio set looks and feels great.
With these things all set up and in order, your job as host or hostess will be much simpler. In fact, you will probably get to know your neighbors really well if you do too good of a job at hosting a backyard barbeque as they will never want to leave.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/summer-barbeque-planning-1532142.html
Filed under Techniques by on Dec 4th, 2009. Comment. 
Enjoy this VERY funny story by Weekend Griller, Bob Alexander
Backyard Barbeque Blunders
by Bob Alexander
http://www.bluemarlinbob.com
Stupidity isn’t one of the essential ingredients in the perfect back yard barbeque. As much fun as grilling can be, it can be dangerous at times. It can also be quite amusing, unless you’re the one being the idiot. But then, life is made up of idiotic acts that we all have been fortunate enough to survive. God must really have had a sense of humor when He gave the first cave man the idea to cook his meat instead of eating it raw.Trouble begins when one of questionable intelligence, starts playing with matches, charcoal lighter and gas. A friend of mine who had a gas grill tried to start the burner with a match after turning the propane on and then going into the house to use the bathroom. He then took the time to get a drink before he went back outside.
It was a calm day with no breeze, so the gas sort of settled around the grill. When he struck the match, you could hear the whoomp all the way to the house. Luckily the fireball only singed the hair on his head, his arms and his eyebrows. It shouldn’t have to be said, but never leave the gas line open for any length of time before igniting the gas.
Unfortunately, most barbequing mishaps are not due to carelessness, but to stupidity. Charcoal grills are especially fun to work with and only an idiot would use gasoline to start the fire. Another friend of mine, Joe, did just that. He didn’t start off that day being stupid; that came later in the afternoon.One Saturday afternoon in June, Joe invited all the neighbors over for the first cook out of the season. Everyone was in a festive mood, especially Joe. This was his big chance to show off his grilling skills to the neighbors. Now he has always struck me as being a brick shy of a full load, but I was always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, until that Saturday afternoon. Joe proved my theory correct when he came very close to burning down his house.Joe’s stupidity wasn’t readily apparent at the beginning of the evening when he prepared to light the charcoal. Not one to do something half way, he used an entire twenty pound bag of charcoal. He had converted a 55 gallon drum into a smoker grill that was big enough to serve the entire neighborhood. Almost a full can of charcoal lighter was used to ensure that all the briquettes were burning brightly.
It didn’t work. While Joe went into the house to supervise the preparation of the meat and side items, the fire outside in the grill went out. Such a dilemma! He had just used all his charcoal lighter. One of his neighbors went next door to get a can of fire starter but it wasn’t fast enough for Joe. After all, this was his party and it was up to him to get things rolling again.
I’m sure somewhere deep inside Joe’s mind he knew that pouring gasoline on charcoal, especially when that charcoal had already been burning, was not a brilliant idea. Sure enough when the gasoline hit the charcoal, a briquette that was still burning and hiding underneath the mound of charcoal, ignited the gasoline! Whooomp! The gas can start spouting flames.
Joe threw the gas can as far as he could; right on top of his brand new treated wood deck. When the can hit the deck, the top came off, pouring the gasoline out of the can onto the wooden deck. There was a big blaze this time. By now we had the garden hose going and the next door neighbor was soaking down Fred’s deck too. In a matter of minutes the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Luckily nothing but the deck was burned. Someone was looking out forJoe that day!
Electric kettle type smokers have become popular lately because they keep a constant heat and they’re easy to cook with. A great tip is to always keep the smoker in the garage and out of the rain. If the lava rocks in the bottom of the tray are wet, when you turn the electric wand on and it’s buried in wet rocks; guess what? The sound this time won’t be whooomp! It will be bang! The electric wand will blow apart, ruining a perfectly good smoker and cook-out.
The moral to this story is simple. If you’re stupid, don’t play with matches!
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
To Read More of Bob Alexander’s Funny BBQ Stories visit The Weekend Grillers and Check out Fred’s BBQ Blowout and BBQ & Ice Cream.
Filed under BBQ Stories by on Aug 10th, 2009. Comment.
If you have never entertained in your home before, you may be wondering how you can wow your friends with a party they will never forget. When the weather is nice the answer to that question is a classy backyard barbeque. You may have cooked out with your family before and be asking yourself how you can turn a barbeque into a world class dinner party. The right food and a few fabulous touches will turn your soiree into the talk of the town. Barbeques are becoming so much more than a cheap evening in the backyard. You can find high end recipes for the grill on the internet. Many famous chefs are sharing their favorite recipes and tricks.
The first thing to take into consideration is bug control. Even if you are serving the best food in town, your guests will be very unhappy if they are constantly being bitten by mosquitoes. You will need mosquito repellant candles and possible mosquito repellant torches. Make sure you calculate the amount of space that your guests will occupy and buy enough protection. Instructions will be on the packaging of the products you buy. IF you are hosting a big event or you want to step up the atmosphere, consider renting tents. If you can, serve food inside and then allow your guests to go outside and eat. A mud room or sun porch can easily be turned into a make shift serving station. This will ensure that no ants crash your party.
What drinks to serve should be next on your list. It is your decision whether or not to serve any alcohol at your barbeque. If you do try having a limited selection of beer, wine and you can whip up a quick mixed drink or two. Try finding a recipe for a mango margarita or a strawberry daiquiri; both are guaranteed to be popular with your guests. Pinot Gringo and Merlot are two good wines to choose and you should offer two domestics and one imported beer for your guests to choose from. Ice tea and lemonade are good non-alcoholic choices. Guests will really appreciate a cooler stocked with regular and diet sodas.
Food should be kept simple and tasty. On the grill you can have hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled chicken. If you really want to impress, you can try your hand at some surf and turf by offering steak and grilled lobster tail. You can also serve shrimp on skewers or kabobs. Make kabobs by alternating chicken or beef with vegetables on a skewer. You can also add a little Greek flair to your barbeque by using lamb meat on the kabobs. Serve snacks throughout your barbeque in cute plastic bowls. These snacks can include potato chips, pretzels, and vegetable trays. You do not need to buy expensive pre-made trays at the store. Go to your local party store and pick up a couple of inexpensive plastic trays and make your own. You just put a small bowl of dip in the center and then arrange the cut vegetables around the dip; this is easy to do with fruit, meats and cheeses too. Try broccoli, carrots, pea pods, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and green pepper strips. Cole slaw and baked beans are easy to prepare and are usually crowd pleasers. Most people will also enjoy pasta, potato and macaroni salad. The ingredients you can include in these are diverse and you can really come up with some creative and inspired dishes. Do not worry about the mayonnaise spoiling; it is a little know fact that the mayonnaise actually makes these salads last longer.
It is the little things that will really impress your guests. Make sure that you have enough plastic silverware, paper plates, napkins and drink cups. Nothing ruins a party faster than not being able to find a cup or napkin. If your party has a theme you can find everything you need at the local party store. Place trash cans in convenient places and keep them emptied throughout your event. You may have to bus the tables a little bit but it is better than everything getting messy. Do not save all of the clean up for the end of the night. Simple flower arrangements will add the perfect finishing touch. Place them on serving and guest tables for a touch of color.
David Beart is the owner of Professors House. Our site covers selling a house, household finances, family forums, food and other household topics.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/hosting-a-fabulous-summer-bbq-1027624.html
Filed under Techniques by on Jul 10th, 2009. Comment.
