July 4th: The Great American Cookout
It's time to discuss the Great American Cookout. Even if some of my readers prefer not to barbecue on Independence Day, most families spend the 4th grilling everything they can get their hands on. Not a master of your grill? Haven't harnessed your grilling chi? That's quite alright. Don't be intimidated. One of the best things about party planning for a cookout is how little preparation it actually takes.
You will, of course, need to decorate the party space. For something as informal as a cookout, I like to keep decorations simple, fun and charming. Since it is, after all, our nation's birthday, you can't go wrong with a red, white and blue motif. But don't feel trapped by the same old red-and-white checked oilcloth. Our country's colors can be found everywhere--blueberries, strawberries, cherries, flowers and wildlife, just to name a few.
In our family, tradition is to involve the children in decorating for July 4th. For our picnic tablecloth, I buy a basic white flat sheet and cut standard yellow sponges into star and firework formations, pour Cherry Red and True Blue fabric paint into Dixie cups, and let Maggie, William and their friends take care of the rest. If you're up for trying this yourself, make sure you leave enough time for the paint to dry before you your family sit down to eat. We like to do ours in the morning on the 4th and let the sun do the drying while I prepare food for the barbecue. I save table cloths from Independence Days past for the kids to use as dress-up capes to wear while watching the fireworks.
And let's not forget the food. The best cookouts have something for every guest : potato salad for little Bobby, who only eats white food, grilled vegetables for Ivy, the charming vegan cousin and, of course, lots of delicious fresh meat for the family carnivores. In addition to the standard fare of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken breast, I like to grill zuchini, yams and thick slices of vidalia onions as layering items with hamburgers or chicken, or simply as a delicious side. You might also consider lightly grilling tomato and pineapple slices to give some juicy, summery flavor to your meal. For dessert, a red berry fruit salad with homemade whipped cream fits in nicely with our theme. Be sure to have lots of drinks on hand for all age groups--fruit punch is particularly appropriate for the holiday and, these days, alcohol comes packaged in nearly every color of the rainbow. Sam Adams feels particularly appropriate for July 4th, no?
Barbecuing or otherwise, enjoy the holiday.
Enjoy planning.
Penelope
4th of July party invitations and party planning at MyPunchbowl