Planning the Perfect Family Barbeque!

No barbeque would be complete without guests and pleasant outdoors weather.  Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone is key in planning the event and giving everyone enough advance notice.   You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests.

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire.  Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day.  Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque 12 to 24 hours before the party; make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking.  Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having.  If you want a traditional barbeque, you may want to stick with the usual sides of potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob and coleslaw. Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish and onions. These foods are typically served at barbeques because they are easy to prepare and store until the event happens. You may want to cook other items, but any barbeque is complete with just the items listed above.

Your party area should be set up before guests arrive. It only takes a few minutes to get everything ready, but the reaction you get from your arriving guests may make you feel like you were preparing and decorating all day.  Depending on the situation, you may or may not want to have the food already cooking on the grill. The smell will surely be inviting if you start cooking ahead!