"Look who's coming to dinner!"
Although the weather has once again cooled and all this rain has me wondering if I'm really in the north east and not the North West, we are on the cusp of summer! My back porch has been cleaned, stained & sealed and I can't wait to host my first al fresco meal. Summer is a time of backyard entertaining, picnics, and just a good reason to randomly invite friends and family over for dinner.
This weekend my son turns 16!! It's hard to believe my middle child has reached this milestone - I'm still trying to figure out how that happened! So, instead of dwelling on the swift passage of time, I'm planning the meals we'll have over the course of the weekend, with a house full of family here to celebrate!
How do you entertain in the summer? From throwing everything on the grill to crock-pots & casseroles, summer is wide open when it comes to meal prep options.
When we are having friends and family over for a cook-out, it's usually the standards on the grill. Cheeseburgers (because what's a burger without cheese? - naked!), hot dogs (see my previous post about hot dogs!!), and BBQ chicken (boneless, of course), with pre-made sides that can be whisked to the table in a moments notice. I don't know about you, but I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when I'm entertaining, especially in the summer!
But, for an entire weekend of feeding a crowd with as little cooking fuss as possible, I turn to my trusty crock pot! No, they are not just for winter stews and comfort food. I'll be making Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork, from SixSisterStuff.com . Pulled meat always reminds me of outdoor eating & bar-b-que's, the smell as it cooks is just divine, and no utensils required! I love that cooking it low & slow requires almost no attention and it can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator (or freezer, if you're cooking way ahead of time) and thrown back into the crock pot for heating a few hours before serving. Throw together some veggies, fresh fruit, and a light dessert and we have a fabulous no-fuss meal for feeding a crowd during an exciting weekend of celebrating and family togetherness!
I'd love to hear your favorite crowd pleasing meal, especially for easy summer-time cooking!
If you're reading this in your e-mail click here to pop over to the blog and leave your comments!
I can't wait to try your mouth watering recipes!
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
warrior
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
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