Memorial Day Barbecue Tips & Ideas

There are plenty of ways to have fun on Memorial Day. One of the most popular ways to celebrate is by having a family barbecue. Throwing a Memorial Day barbecue for family, and friends is easy to do. These tips will help guide your path to a wonderful day full of fun, and memories that will last for years to come.

FOOD:

What would a barbecue be without food? There are several meats you can cook on the grill. If your a beginner grill master stick with meats that pose less of a challenge. Hot dogs, and hamburgers are both easy to grill, and almost everyone loves them, including the kids. If you have been grilling for a while, and know what your doing then chicken, ribs, and even pork make great dishes. Do not try to be fancy, if you do not know what your doing. A delicious hot dog is better then an undercooked chicken wing any day.

You'll need something to go with your meat. A variety of chips are cheap and easy. By having several types of chips to choose from you will have a happy crowd, and little to worry about. Baked beans are also easy to make, and hold up good in the summer. You should avoid potato salad, and coleslaw if you can. Both of these have mayonnaise in them, and soil very fast in the heat.

Everyone loves desert. and you'll need one. If your good at baking, cupcakes or a small cake makes a great desert. You can use fresh strawberries, and blueberries to show off your patriotism, and add color to the meal. Strawberry shortcake is another great desert dish that is simple to make, and fun to eat. You can buy pre-made strawberry shortcake cups at any grocery store. To make the filling, slice strawberries, and add sugar with a small amount of water. Smash the mixture together, and add more water, and sugar until the texture and taste is good to you. Finally, place the filling in the cup, and top with whip cream, and a fresh whole berry.

DRINKS:

Your barbecue might have alcohol at it, but you still need drinks for the non-drinkers, and kids. You should have a cooler with a mix of several different types of soda handy. You can also make a couple of gallons of iced tea. Iced tea is great during the summer, and to spice it up you can add flavored ice cubes. To make flavored ice cubes simply freeze any type of juice in an ice cube tray. You can use lemon, orange, cranberry, or even peach juice or nectar.

TABLE:

You want your table to be as wonderful as your food of course. A white table cloth keeps the table looking fresh, and cool. To add color use red and blue plates, cups, and napkins. You want to make sure your cups, plates, and napkins are not the same color as your table cloth if possible. Keep everything simple, remember this is a barbecue, not a formal dinner.

GAMES:

You should have some games for your guest to enjoy, especially the kids. Horseshoes, are something most adults are willing to play. You can also include a football to toss around, or kites for the kids. If it's hot outside, and you have access to a pool, then take advantage of it. Remember, not everyone can swim so make sure you have some kiddie floats, or wings for the little ones.

You should invite your guest at least two weeks in advance, and remind them the week before. Barbeque's are fun, but it's important to keep it simple. There is no need to spend a lot of money, or have a mess to clean up if it can be avoided.