Since my MIL is coming (and the woman enjoys stressing me out and interfering in party plans) I’d appreciate make ahead food ideas.
The event is my sons 1st birthday party and we’ll have at least 15 kids under the age of 5 (we have a big family).

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Host an Oscar Party at Home
Get out the glitz, break out the movie-inspired foods and host your own Oscar-watching party at home.

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Im having a bbq outdoor bday party for my son. Im looking for some unique delish side dish recipes for a hot summer day that adults and little kids would enjoy. Ive got lots of websites already, so no links needed. Just seeing what else people have made that is to die for . thanks!

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One of the most popular grilling foods is steak but it is easy to spoil when grilling outdoors. If you follow these 5 top tips, you can learn how you can produce amazing beef steaks every time!

Tip number one

This one is a no-brainer – choose and use quality ingredients. If you buy an inferior quality cut from a cheap source, it shows. The meat will be tough and lacking in flavor no matter how you cook it. Buy a quality cut from a quality supplier. A good steak will be tender and tasty so whatever you do to it you will be starting from a better position. Some of the better cuts are tenderloin, Porterhouse/ TBone, top loin, rib, top sirloin, ribeye, chuck eye and chuck top blade steaks.

Tip number two

Avoid flare-ups whilst cooking. Flare ups are caused when fat from the meat drips onto the burners and ignites, they can impart an unpleasant taste of burnt grease to an otherwise perfect beef steak. So make sure that you trim the fat from the steak before cooking; if you have followed step one, there will be very little to remove!

Tip number three

Turn the steak properly. Use turning tongs, NOT a fork. A fork will pierce the steak and it will lose juices from inside that enhance its flavor.

Tip number four

Marinade the beef before grilling. If you buy a tender, good quality steak, marinade for no more than two hours. That will be plenty of time for it to take up the flavors. If you have chosen a tougher cut or lower quality steak, you will need to marinade for longer, at least 6 hours to have any appreciable effect.

Tip number five

This one may take some practice before you get it right. Smoke the steak. On a gas grill, you will need to purchase or make a smoker box. Then decide on your hardwood chips for the flavour, hickory is a popular one but why not try something a little different like cedar or mesquite if you can get hold of them – talk to the guy in the store for advice. The chips will need to be soaked before use, but drained first so that they are not dripping. Smoke with the lid down for maximum effect.

And finally, I promised you five tips but here is another one for free! Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature, if you have set the grill heat too high, the steak may look cooked but the centre may not have achieved an appropriate internal temperature – 145 F is recommended as a minimum.

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