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Hosting the Perfect Barbecue
It’s already summer, and the temperature is at its peak. It is a time to enjoy good food, music, beers every weekend. It is a collective experience for people to go on a family vacation, kids attending summer camps, hanging out with friends, amusement parks, and theme parks with popcorn and ice creams sound so much fun. Besides all the exciting activities people engage themselves in, to keep away boredom, one of the ways is hosting a BBQ. Inviting friends and family over for a nice party after dusk can be a fun activity. Arranging for a get together with your near and dear ones, picturesque sunsets, burgers, and smoking grills is one of the best ways to keep yourself entertained during the summer months.
Backyards and gardens with a fountain or an artificial waterfall or beside a pool serve as an astounding landscape to host exquisite barbecues. String light decorations, delicious food, healthy and exotic drinks, upbeat music, dance, and fun games make up the mood.
Most of you might be thinking it’s not that effortless as it seems to be. Trust me on this- just a few tips and tricks, and you are hot to trot to wine and dine. Be a stress-free host by going through the article!
One week before the BBQ
Start with planning the whole program. Decide on a date that can suit your friends, the number of people you are going to invite, a right place for the event, the dishes to be prepared (do not forget your vegan friends), decorations, party themes, games to be played, mode of invitations, quantity of food and drinks, parking space for the guests, prepare a shopping list, decide on a budget and much more. Each minor thing should be sorted in your head before you begin. To-do-lists and journals can help a lot with this.
Determining and fixing a date for your party can be a baffling task if you plan to invite friends from different circles. Some days may suit your family, but your friends are likely busy. Despite this, weekends are the best for barbecues.
The next thing which comes to mind is the number of people to be invited. It all depends on how many people can comfortably accommodate at a time in your yard or wherever you are organizing and how many you can easily handle. It’s better to have a comfortable party with fewer members than to make a fuss by inviting all possible acquaintances.
Sending personal invitations to every person is a time consuming and tedious job. Instead, try e-invitations to save your time and energy.
Settling a fantastic theme for the party is a must. Decide on a particular color, ask the guests to be present in the same color code, do the decor by the theme, and even the games and music be theme-based.
Three days before the big day
The real preparations should commence three days before the BBQ.
Arrange for house cleaning, each room, washrooms, kitchen, yard, garden. Hire services of a mower if the party is going to be held in your lawn. Ask the gardener to give beautiful shapes to the shrubs and trees to add glamour to your place.
Go shopping for the decoration material, if needed, and any other food ingredients, snacks, cutlery, coal, and other items. Place orders with the supplier for beer, wine, soft drinks, etc. so that you don’t have to deal with the shortage on the big day. Also, contact a bartender if you wish to have a sweet stall to be put up in your garden. Hire a decorator and some waiters, if you have summoned a large gathering.
24 hours to go!
Just a few hours left and there is a lot to be done. First and foremost, take a good night’s sleep the night before. The host should remain energetic to keep the guests engaged and entertained. Wake up fresh, and get to work. First, remind all your guests about the BBQ, give a call to the caterers, household workers, cook, decorators, and others involved to make sure they come on time. Please take out the cutlery and keep them ready, washed, and clean. Stalls for various items should be set up. Arrange the chairs and tables, make sure they are enough so that the guests don’t have to struggle with their plates, standing, and eating.
If you have children at home, have a word with them. Tell them that you expect decent behavior from them. Kids could cause serious blunders sometimes! Also, ascertain that you have a sound system at work to keep the kids at the party involved. Keep some exciting games and chocolates or better to make a separate play area for them.
A saying goes like this “Without the tiny plankton; the enormous whale goes hungry.” Take care of even small things like serviette, hand washes, and toothpicks to give your friends a comfortable experience at your house. Even the cuisines should be prepared beforehand and well settled on the stalls.
After all, when everything’s done, it’s time to groom up. Wear a beautiful and attractive dress, make up your hair and flaunt with the best matching pair of footwear.
The Wing-Ding
And finally, the party begins. Stay agile and attend every one personally. When the maximum of your guests has arrived, then comes the time for starters. You may have barbecued prawns, barbecued guacamole, tandoori chicken skewers, chargrilled aubergine, and red pepper roll-ups for starters. Compile it with drinks- wines, beers, whiskey, champagne, etc.
Begin with the games now. They should be exciting and engaging, and for all age groups. Games spice up the things and even helps pass time while waiting for the barbecue. Some of the classic barbecue games are Cornhole, Horseshoe, Washer toss, Lawn darts, Kan Jam, and many more. Remember, the music must go not. Let your guests have a sweet time dancing, chatting, drinking, and playing.
Fire up the grill as it’s the time for the Mains. From chicken to burgers, everyone’s pallet is pleased. Chicken, a crowd-friendly and easy to cook a dish, can be modified to various forms- Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken, Asian Marinated Chicken, Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs are some of them. Even skewers and kabobs are perfect for parties. Burgers are easy to customize; your guests can have them with the taste and flavor they want. Add all your heart and soul into the food and grab that ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron.
Halting the party with a round of shots, what could be better than this. See off the guests with a small token of your love and gratitude. Present them a gift- different items for guests of different age groups.
BBQs in the age of Covid-19
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, people are advised to stay home and not gather anywhere. People are tired of waiting at home, and as the summer commences, people are looking forward to attending various events and catch-up with family and friends.
Hosting a barbecue in this time and age, including a lot more concerns than just keeping the mosquitoes away and keeping the grill flames low.
Before inviting everyone, it is imperative to assess your risk. Covid-19 spread in the community, and if anyone who could get severely ill in your guest list is some of the things which are to be considered. Keep your guests outdoors as the virus spreads and thus reducing infectivity. If anyone is not feeling well or even if someone’s belly is a little off, ask them to stay away from everyone else. At least maintain a distance of 6-feet from others when you are outdoors. Wear a face mask, use sanitizers, and wash your hands frequently, before and after eating.
A few of the tips are as follows:
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- Ask your guests to bring their utensils, plates, spoons, bottles to reduce the usage of shared items.
- Identify one person to serve everyone with foodstuff so that your guests don’t touch the sauce bottles, serving spoons, etc.
- Make available extra face coverings for your guests who forget to bring their masks.
- Don’t hug and shake hands with others, instead greet each other with a wave and a smile.
- Arrange tables and chairs in such a fashion to maintain social distancing. People from the same household can sit together, though.
- Clean all the reuseable shared items before and after the barbecue.
- Keep single-use towels in the bathroom instead of shared towels.
- If you are planning for games and dance, don’t forget social distancing measures.
We are social beings and need to interact with others after months of staying in isolation. With proper safety measures, face coverings, and proper hand hygiene, it becomes easy and safe to spend time with family and friends while mitigating the coronavirus’s risk of spreading.
