Summer is all about Barbecuing
Summer is the time of hot days and warm nights spent on our back patios. With temperatures warming up during the day, it seems as though it’s already possible to smell the charcoal aroma filling the air. Barbecuing is a summer staple for many reasons: friends, family, good food, and enjoying the great outdoors (of our backyards, at least). But barbecuing isn’t just a great way to spend summer nights, it also helps save on air conditioning costs. By not cooking with hot ovens and stoves inside the home, the air conditioner doesn’t have to work harder to keep the inside of the home at a cooler temperature. While that may be incentive enough to make your outdoor barbecue space inviting enough to grill every night, with the following tips, your backyard will be the perfect space for a barbecue. Whether you’re planning a large holiday get together or just enjoying a nice dinner with the family, here are some tips on how to set your backyard up for the perfect barbecue.
Cooking
When we think about barbecuing, of course the first thing that comes to mind is the food. You don’t have to be a grill master to have the perfect summer barbecue. First things first, make sure you prep your food before the guests arrive. This will allow you to have a more stress-free environment as your guests arrive and as the grilling begins. Side dishes should be prepared the day before, and all vegetables can be chopped and arranged on platters just before your guests are set to show up. And you want to make sure you have enough fuel to properly cook your burgers and hotdogs—don’t forget to double check that you have enough propane or charcoal to make it through the meal.
Avoid making your guests go inside your home for refreshments or snacks. Set out snacks on a table away from the grill so peckish participants have something to nibble on as the main meal is being cooked. The same goes for drinks: stock a cooler or steel tubs with ice and bottled beverages for your guests to serve themselves. You can have one filled with water bottles, juice, sodas and other kid-friendly drinks and set aside another for beer, wine and other adult beverages.
Setting
A perfect barbecue isn’t only about the food. To make your barbecue truly special, you have to make sure that all the right trimmings are in place. The decorations, the seating, and the garden all add to the atmosphere of a great backyard barbecue.
Add light features to your dining space to help create and maintain an intimate feel as you transition from a day barbecue into evening drinks. An easy alternative to electric lighting in your yard is to pick up a few tiki torches or even solar powered string lights! Cosy, well-lit settings can make for great evenings no matter if you’re with many friends or just your family.
Backyards and backyard gardens have become home havens in recent years. Putting some well-placed potted plants or planters in your yard can help add color to your backyard as well as create more secluded areas for friends to catch up. Set up some backyard games like corn hole, horseshoes or lawn bowling before your barbecue for kids to play and adults to join in later.
Count on Ned Stevens
Now is the perfect time to make sure that your backyard is completely set up for your perfect night of grilling and chilling. Call Ned Stevens today to set up an appointment to have your patio cleaned and your home exteriors and gutters checked. Let Ned Stevens take care of your home exterior so that for your next backyard barbecue all you’ll have to think about is the event itself.
