Labor Day Party/BBQ
By Alexis, CEO Jr.
Can you believe summer is almost over? Even though August is almost over, there is still time for some summer fun! One of my favorite things to do is throw a barbeque, and with Labor Day just around the corner, I thought I’d give you my ideas for a great BBQ/Labor Day party.
Now if you are going to throw a Labor Day party it is all about the decorations. Deck out all your tables in red, white, and blue. Below is a picture of us starting to set up my dining room during a Memorial Day party, but you can use the same type of decorations. We hung stars from the chandelier and outside was decked out in American flags. American flag napkins and plates are always a plus and it is great to decorate with American themed tea-lights and candles. All the lights will come in handy when the sun starts to set. Of course we also had to decorate our dog too !
Finding some red, white, and blue beads and American themed tattoos is always great if there will be kids there because they can have fun decking themselves out. If you don’t want to spend all your money on buying decorations, you can also make them. I always enjoy using Mason jars when I’m making decorations. You can get some red, white, and blue wax paper and glue and go to town. I would cut up all sorts of designs like stars and stripes and paste them to the Mason jar. The wax paper will give them a very cool effect when you add a tea-light to them. You could also fill up a mason jar with red, white, and blue candy. It serves as a decoration and food at the same time. Construction paper always comes in handy as well. You can use some to cut out stars to hang outside. It does not need to look perfect, because the home-made look is in. Just have fun with whatever you decide to make!
The center piece for any BBQ is the food. Burgers, BBQ chicken, hot dogs, and ribs are all traditional food to have. One of my favorite rib recipes is Emeril’s with his spicy apple glaze. Below is the recipe!
Baby Back Ribs with a Spicy Apple Glaze Yield: 4 servings Glaze: 3 cups apple cider 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup apple sauce 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger 1/2 stick cinnamon 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped 6 cardamom pods 2 teaspoons allspice berries 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 teaspoons salt Ribs: 4 to 5 pounds baby back ribs (2 full slabs, each cut in half) 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon paprika 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion powder 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup apple cider Directions To make the glaze, place all of the ingredients for the glaze in a 6-quart pot and cook over medium-high heat. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and allow the mixture to reduce to a glaze consistency, about 30 to 35 minutes longer. Remove the glaze from the stove and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Reserve until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Place the ribs on a full sheet pan. In a small mixing bowl, combine the kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir well to incorporate, and use 1 tablespoon of the spice rub to cover each of the ribs. Rub the mixture into the meat, and allow it to sit undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. Pour the cider into the sheet pan, and wrap the ribs with aluminum foil to make a tight seal. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the foil and the fat and oil from the sheet pan, and allow the ribs to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the oven to the broil setting and position the oven rack on the lowest rung. Brush the ribs with a generous coating of the glaze, about 3 tablespoons of the glaze per set of ribs. Place the sheet pan back in the oven, and broil until the ribs are browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and lay on a cutting board meaty-side down. Use a sharp knife to cut the ribs apart. Serve the ribs with some of the leftover glaze on the side, if desired. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/baby-back-ribs-with-a-spicy-apple-glaze-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Doesn’t that sound so delicious? It is an in depth recipe, but it is definitely worth the labor. They are always the hit of the party when we make them. Now if you are sticking with the Labor Day party a great thing to do is add red, white, and blue into your food. You could do a dessert with strawberries and blueberries. I love mixing some cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla for a fruit dipping sauce. It always comes out very tasty. Of course find red, white, and blue bowls and plates to serve all your food in. Those little touches bring your party to the next level.
The best thing about being a party host though is not only the presentation, but how you treat your guests. Coming around and serving some of the food is always thoughtful instead of making them wait in line by the grill. It isn’t always easy hosting the party, but little things like that show that you care!
I hope you enjoyed some of my ideas for a Labor Day Party/BBQ. Sound off in the comments if you have any questions and enjoy the rest of your summer!!
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