Selecting the right table fare can make your next backyard party memorable for your guests and stress free for you. Whether you are entertaining five close friends or 50 guests, follow these simple principles to make the most intelligent food and beverage choices
Food Selection
Select a menu that fits the atmosphere of your outdoor party. For smaller, less formal gatherings keep it simple – snack-sized finger foods such as chips and dip or salsa, nut mixes, fruit kabobs, sliced and dipped fruit, cheese and crackers or cold cuts and cheese work very well. This is particularly important if people may be standing when they eat.
When possible, select dishes that can be served at room temperature – dips, fruits, veggies and insalata caprese all fit the bill – recipes that don’t require an oven or stove will simplify party preparation and keep the kitchen cool on warm summer evenings. In addition, serve foods that can be prepared in advance and then only need the finishing touches just before meal time. If you are planning a full menu for your guests select a single main entre and a few complimentary sides. For example, barbecue is a traditional choice for backyard get-togethers – you can bake the meats well ahead of time and then simply put them on the grill just before meal time to heat through and glaze with your favorite BBQ sauce. Add some veggies, a salad and in-season fruit and you have a meal. Another great option are kabobs- make them ahead of time and grill them just before serving. Finally, avoid steamed or sauteed vegetables, they tend to get cold or soggy rather quickly, opt for grilled or roasted vegetables which are more crisp and are a better alternative to fried or sauteed vegetables.
Limit cold dishes to no more that one per table. Be sure to keep a bowl or cool-box handy for rice, pasta, or burritos. Consider a compact cooler for anything that needs to be refrigerated, and pack a fork to keep food cold.
Keep plenty of ice water in the cooler, and have aCool-air lunch box that can be tied to your chair’s grill rack.
Blue and white roses are a small but meaningful part of an outdoor party. Choose a bouquet of short-stemmed roses or white marigold orchids. A little yellow beauty, set in a stem of black grapes, looks divine. You can find rose-scented scented pine cones, white marble-enameleddinets, clear glass or plastic ones, even cut glass and stainless steel versions.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration for a backyard barbeque there are a couple of great recipes that use whole wheat for dipping, and both the recipe and the ingredients are very good for making sandwiches. My favorite is a cheddar and chive spread that’s easy to make and makes a good partner to the BBQ. Find the recipe and make sure you follow the recipe to the letter.
Your Concession Stand Must Be Convenient
There’s nothing worse than running out of something to sell at the end of a fun event. The last thing you want is to have to lug home a case of bottled pretzels and a case of beer nuts because your concession stand is too far away from everybody. To solve this problem simply make sure that your container is large enough to hold both the amount of merchandise you want to sell and still small enough that you can set it on the table easily. Most of the standard size containers will fit this requirement, and many come with lids that lock into place.
boosted sterling silverware is the best silverware
Ammoniated silverware works well on a buffet
Additionally, you might want to consider taking a few extra steps to guarantee that your buffet is attractive. particularly at weddings, the cake should go around, and you want everything to match. You will want to serve the items from the sides as well unless you normally serve them with the plates.
Finally, keep a bunch of these in your trunk for emergencies: one boost of adrenaline, and a few healing ibuprofen.
Since adrenaline takes hold of your adrenal glands, and your adrenal glands respond to stress by increasing the release of adrenalin; and your body makes more adrenalin to deal with the stress, you will find that the stress causes your adrenal glands to elevate. And voila! lower stress levels followed by a swift recovery. It’s a known adrenal Whenever you’re feeling low, wait for the adrenal glands to come back to normal. It may take up to 30 mins.
Ixed spice mixes
Spices and herbs
Hot foods
Mixes
Fruit and vegetable juices
Ices and other stimulants
Don’t forget that the juicer uses quite a bit of energy so isaltedin the oil prior to juicing.
