Summer is half over, but there are still plenty of reasons to keep the outdoor parties with family and friends going strong — without spending a lot of money! Chef Aaron McCargo Jr., host of Food Network’s Big Daddy’s House, has teamed up with Family Dollar, to offer more reasons to host a summer gathering, more great grilling ideas and more ways to save.
Chef McCargo Jr.’s fun grilling menu and savings tips to you plan their next outdoor bash.
Midsummer Party ThemesMidsummer Nights Dream: An Outdoor PJ Party
o Adults or Kids – who doesn’t love a good PJ party?
o Fire up the grill a little later than usual, as the guests vote for their favorite PJ outfit
o Once it gets dark, settle in for some spooky ghost stories
o Don’t forget to leave the vents on the grill open for toasting marshmallowsDog Days of Summer: Bring Your Own Pet
o Adults or Kids – who doesn’t love a good PJ party?
o Fire up the grill a little later than usual, as the guests vote for their favorite PJ outfit
o Once it gets dark, settle in for some spooky ghost stories
o Don’t forget to leave the vents on the grill open for toasting marshmallowsDog Days of Summer: Bring Your Own Pet
o This time invite the most forgotten party guest of all – the pets!
o Serve a variety of animal-themed treats (puppy chow, anyone?)
o Goodie bags with dog treats are a nice touch
o Just remember to make sure you have the one party supply you might not normally
think of – a pooper scooper!
o Use caution in keeping pet outside in hot weather and always make sure they have
plenty of water.
o Serve a variety of animal-themed treats (puppy chow, anyone?)
o Goodie bags with dog treats are a nice touch
o Just remember to make sure you have the one party supply you might not normally
think of – a pooper scooper!
o Use caution in keeping pet outside in hot weather and always make sure they have
plenty of water.
Summer Toga Party
o What’s the coolest thing to wear in the summer? Shorts? A tank top? Wrong – A Toga!
o Roll up invitations in a scroll and use an “ancient” font
o Host a Greek potluck – have everyone bring their favorite Greek dish
o Fill wine glasses with water and put floating candles inside them for a nice touch
o Roll up invitations in a scroll and use an “ancient” font
o Host a Greek potluck – have everyone bring their favorite Greek dish
o Fill wine glasses with water and put floating candles inside them for a nice touch
Don’t forget the table weights (even if you have to make them yourself).Pinning old, unused keys on tablecloth corners helps them stay in place in case the wind picks up. Leave out markers so guests can write their names on their plastic cups. Spice it up by encouraging them to use fake names, then try to guess whose is whose. Put stickers on the bottom of several plastic plates before serving time. Once everyone gets their food, give a prize to the guests who (unknowingly) picked up the stickered dishware. Keep the games going. Whether it’s kickball for the kids or cornhole for the grown-ups, nothing keeps a party hoppin’ like a little friendly competition. Marinate chicken in Glad freezer bags several hours before grilling it to lock in the flavor. Have a sidewalk chalk drawing contest for the kids. Pick up goodies as prizes from Family Dollar. (Hey, you can even get the chalk there, too!) Place mini battery-operated fans on the food tables. The moving air makes it impossible for pesky flies to land. Turn meat just once onm the grill. For steaks, turn them when the juices start to bubble on the uncooked side (the clearer the juice, the more well done the meat). Apply sauces containing honey, brown sugar or molasses during the last 10 minutes of grilling to prevent the sauce from burning. Keep a spray bottle handy so you can spritz grill flare ups, which can blacken your food.
Family Dollar and you can get all of these summer entertaining supplies and more at FamilyDollar.com. The recipes are featured on
Visit FamilyDollar.com for more recipes from Chef McCargo Jr. and more tips to spice up your family fun!
Plus, Chef McCargo is offering one of my lucky readers or fans a “Spice Up Your Family Fun” giveaway package, including all the essentials for hosting a summer party, such as:
- Plastic Plates/Tableware
- SCOTT Paper Towels
- GLAD Plastic Bags
- BBQ Lighter
- Colored Chalk Tote
One winner will be chosen on August 25th. Winner will be email and have 72 hours to respond to claim their prize. You must be 18 years older to enter and live in the US.
Disclosure I received a party pack like above for free from ogilvy.com in exchange for holding a giveaway. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Veggies and veggie burgers.
Ribs!!!!! 🙂
my favorite bbq food is bbq chicken and salt potatoes….great giveaway
I love hamburgers and hot dogs but every once in awhile I like to have chicken.
BBQ pork or brisket! YUM
Chicken or steak…..love me some BBQ!!
BBQ Chicken!!!
chicken Kabobs! yum
i love the way my parents do BBQ chicken 🙂 super yummy
My favorite BBQ food is ribs!
grilled BBQ hot dogs and grilled corn wrapped in the husk
Stuffed cheese Jalapeno.
my favorite is bbq sishcabobs( cant spell it) they are so good with potatoes, and onion, and peppers. mmmm
Burgers
Corn on the cob!
burgers and corn on the cob yummy
Hamburgers! Thanks for the chance to win!
Ribs!! Mmmmm
Mine is chicken breast marinated in chivettas
bbq ribs & baked beans
I love corn on the cob and pork chops on the grill
My favorite BBQ food is rope sausages.
Grilled corn and bbq chicken!
My fave food would be bacon cheeseburgers
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
Brisket!!
grilled chicken with grilled pineapple salsa YUMMY
I like grilled hot dogs
Great giveaway! My favorite BBQ food.. everything! I absolutely love BBQ food. My favorite if I have to choose in BBQ chicken on the grill and homemade baked beans- YUM
bbq ribs and slaw
debbie jackson,
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
Burgers!!