How to plan the perfect summer barbecue
Summer is here! I'd like to share a few ideas with you on how to lend a creative twist to your next barbecue with friends.
Summer, sun, sunshine
Like every year, we can expect this summer to bring lots of pool-side fun, cool ice cream andbalmy summer evenings with friends. How about bringing a bit of that holiday flair home and inviting your friends over for a barbecue at your place? I've put together a few ideas for you on how to plan the perfect summer barbecue. Use this list as a source of inspiration and set the stage for new treasured moments with friends and family! They might even be picture perfect for a square print collage, don't you think?
Time to fire up the grill!
A barbecue is definitely one of the best ways to spend time with friends during the summer. Grilling is uncomplicated and requires very little effort. It doesn't take long to pick up the ingredients, plus everybody can bring whatever he or she likes. As host, your main job is to make sure you start warming up the grill early enough, so your hungry guests don't have to wait too long – because it always takes a while before the meat is ready. But watch out! Don't neglect your vegetarian and vegan friends! Have enough aluminium foil and trays ready so they can grill their vegetables separately from the meat.
My tip: Brush mushrooms or small potatoes with cream cheese, wrap them in foil and put them on the grill. Even meat lovers won't be able to resist!
Or for vegans: puree black beans, season and shape them into delicious patties.
Carbonated beverages like Coke and Sprite are classics but making your own refreshing drinks for your guests is both quick and easy. A recurring summer trend: vitamin water. Not only more delicious, more refreshing and definitely more exciting than pure tap water, it also packs an extra dose of vitamins. Wash and cut your fruits of choice – whether strawberries, lemons, pineapple, melon or kiwis, any combination will do – into small pieces and put them into a jug of water. Let them steep a little and voilà – your vitamin water is ready! It's also practical: you can refill the jug as often as you want because a bit of ice will keep the fruits fresh for quite a long time.
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Even though guests often offer to bring salads or other side dishes, you'll be playing it safe ifyou provide a little of everything anyway. The most obvious choices are the classics like bread, potatoes and rice, a variety of dips, sauces and crisps.Add a little pep to a run-of-the-mill lettuce salad with some tomatoes, peppers and onions - or have you ever tried a salad with feta cheese, halved grapes and toasted seeds? It's not only quick an easy, but delicious! A scrumptious mango-mozzarella salad or Parma ham withhoneydew melon are always tasty choices. Maybe season them with a bit of honey and pepper this time instead of using balsamic vinegar.
Definitely use the remaining embers for grilled chocolate bananas! The perfect finishing touch: shredded coconut or chopped almonds.
Picking a theme
Pick a special theme to infuse a little extra fun into your barbecue party because theme parties are all the rage right now. Whether you want everybody to turn up sporting a look from the 1980s or you decide to organise a special evening for all your football friends – anything is possible with a little creativity and that makes decorating for your special event much more fun!
Your favourite memories as table decorations
You don't always have to do a lot, but I recommend using personal place cards for your friends to make your dining table even more appealing. Use ifolor greeting cards to craft unique place cards both quickly and easily. Pick your subject of choice – either to match the theme or most treasured memories with guests – then add white stripes and some lovely hand lettering. They also make a sweet gift for your guests to take along home!
Share your memories
When I invite friends over to eat, I love putting a little gift on each plate to thank them for coming. Usually something personal or an item that reminds them of a special time we spenttogether. This year, for example, everybody received a picture that they could take home showing a moment we shared from the past few years. Square prints work particularly well for this! They come in a small format and make perfect eye-catchers on refrigerators or memory walls. When my guests arrived, I asked them to sit down wherever they recognised a memory. Do your guests still remember which memories you share?
The icing on the cake
Well? Feeling inspired yet? Then start planning your unforgettable barbecue with friends at your place now! As the icing on the cake, you can then use the ifolor app to design and orderyour own personal booklet.That way, you never forget your most special moments of the summer!
I wish you lots of fun at your next barbecue party!
Samira Hammami
Samira is actually an art history student, but she has always had a passion for writing. It all started with small blog articles about her biggest hobby: traveling.
Now she writes about all sorts of creative aspects of life, and for some time she has also been supporting ifolor with her articles. Because she is most drawn towards reporting she is especially happy to be starting a master degree course in Cultural Journalism in September.
