The Backyard BBQ

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, you might be worrying a bit about that customary backyard barbecue. What will you serve? Who will you invite? How much propane and what propane accessories will you need? For such a simple party, backyard barbecues really do require a bit of thought. But don't worry. Today, I'll share with you a few key tips that should make your Fourth of July bash a great success.

• Keep the menu simple. Sure it might be kind of fun to try deep-fat frying that beer-marinated tur-duck-hen with cornbread and sausage stuffing. But let's be honest here – that's a lot of work for a simple backyard affair. Plus, if you're inexperienced at deep-fat frying 20-pound turkeys, you're probably better off sticking to far less combustible entrées like cheeseburgers and hotdogs...
  
  
• Be certain to purchase a lot of ice. Not only will the summer heat prompt all your guests to ice down their sweet teas, lemonades, and foreheads; but the mounds of mayonnaise-based cole slaws, noodle salads, and egg salads are going to require several large coolers of ice. (Unless of course, you don't like your dinner guests and wish to send them all home early with stomach-churning party favors...)
  
  
• If you don't feel like cooking everything, then don't. Backyard barbecues are a great opportunity to do dinner á la potluck. So ask your guests to bring along a salad or two and share in the labor. Maybe you'll even get lucky and all of your dinner guests will bring a potato salad. Thus, enabling you to host an impromptu potato salad taste testing that should provide for a moment or two of entertainment.
  
  
• Don't forget to stock up on beer, ketchup, and toilet paper.
  
  
• And forget about the fine china. It's a backyard barbecue! If you're serving on anything other than disposable picnic-ware, you're either far too wealthy for your own good, or you have some sort of dishwashing neurosis that requires professional help. So break out the Chinet and enjoy your day in the sun!