Host a Fourth of July Cook-out

The Independence Day holiday has to be one of my favorite holidays on the calendar. I feel truly blessed to live in a free society where we can enjoy all of our liberties on a daily basis. The other benefit to this holiday is that it occurs in the summer which means nice warm weather and enjoying outdoor time with good friends and family.

Every year, we try to make it a point to host a Fourth of July cook-out. Hosting a barbecue can be easily accomplished if you remember all the correct elements of the day. You want to cover all the bases of the party which include invitations, decorations, food, and entertainment. If you can plan all these items in advance, your Fourth of July get together should be free of stress and you will be one happier camper.

Invitations

You should send out invitations to your guest at least a month in advance. This allows time for guests to get back to you so you can plan accordingly when it comes to purchasing food and drink. The invitations should take on a theme that matches the occasion. Try and find some patriotic colored invitations at the party store or make the invitations yourself with the help of your local arts and crafts store.

One other option to sending out invitations would be to use websites that e-mail your party list. These websites are very cleverly laid out that allow you to make fun visual cards that will be sent to your recipients. We live in an era where many people use e-mail as their main form of communication. It may be wise to go this route to save yourself time, postage, and leave a much smaller carbon footprint.

Decorations

After the invitations have been sent, you will want to start thinking about the decorations for your party. First of all, if you have an American flag you will want to have this on display. Your home can be further spruced up by hanging a bunting on the front of your house. Extra patriotic displays include placing miniature flags throughout the backyard. Make sure to hand these out to the kids when they go home after the party is over.

Also consider using red, white, and blue table linens. We usually get these at the party store along with cups and flatware.

If you still don't feel there are enough patriotic flavors to your setting, arrange to get about a dozen helium filled balloons to display throughout the house and yard. This will be another good souvenir to hand out to kids as they depart.

Food

The food choices should be easy and fit the theme. Most people opt for hot dogs and hamburgers. These items are easy to prepare and can be eaten with the fingers. I would avoid steak since this delectable meat can be a bit more maintenance for the cook and the guests. Cooking numerous steaks will be burdensome for the host since it will require getting "temperatures" from all your guests. If you are up to the challenge and love spending some time at the grill you may want to serve up barbecue chicken or ribs

The meal should be complemented with pasta salads and fruit salads. Try to avoid potato salad if possible as the mayonnaise base can be a health hazard. If you are serving the meal buffet style in an air conditioned area, then you can keep the potato salad on the menu.

The dessert should include a red, white, and blue theme if possible such as firecracker popsicles, tri-colored gelatins, or a mixed berry pie with vanilla ice cream.

Entertainment

Keep entertainment light as the evening's festivities will probably consist of everyone departing to view the community firework displays. It would be a good idea to have some yard games available for your guests such as bean bag toss, horse shows, or a croquet set. Provide plenty of fun things for the kids like squirt guns, glow necklaces, and bubbles.