Labor Day Party Menu Ideas for a Summer Labor Day Party

By Gail Leino

Labor Day is one of the last chances you and your family will get to enjoy a summer barbeque, and it really is a nice way to celebrate all the hard work you and your loved ones put in for the rest of the year. It was created by the Central Labor Union to give working men the day off; now, many people see it as a paid opportunity to enjoy spend time with loved ones! Here are a few catering ideas:

A menu you may create for Labor Day is barbeque ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, and cupcakes for dessert. Any simple, tasty, picnic-friendly food that your family loves will be suitable though.
Broccoli salad is another healthy dish you may find for Labor Day. All you need is a 1-2 large heads of broccoli, ½ red onion chopped, 10-12 slices of cooked bacon broken up (substitute bacon bits), ½ cup of raisins, 1 cup of mayonnaise, ½ cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. You just combine all of the ingredients and you have a salad to eat along with your barbeque.

Another great recipe is ham and cheese salad. You take 1 cup of chopped ham, 1 cup of chopped cheese (preferably to types of cheese, any kind), ¼ chopped onion, ¼ chopped red pepper, and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. You may need to add more mayonnaise to make it creamier, but that will be your choice. You combine all the ingredients in a bowl until the ingredients are well coated with mayonnaise.

Dips and other salads work great with crackers or chips depending on your preference for Labor Day.

It’s a good idea to keep your food options for Labor Day simple. And just because food is fairly quick and easy to make, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t taste good too. Before you know it your guests will be coming back for more.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Labor Day party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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Two Techniques to Grill Whole Chicken

By Paul Yates

Chicken is my nations most popular meat however when it comes to the barbecue it's probably less popular because people are more concerned to ensure that the meat is properly cooked. I've known some even to pre-cook chicken in the microwave first but this really isn't necessary if you follow the basic rules that I've set out before.

Just to re-iterate one point when using a charcoal barbecue grill, always give the coals time to settle before starting to cook (about 45 minutes) because despite chicken being described as a lean meat, the fat that is under the skin mobilizes very quickly and makes for serious flames. You don't get beautiful barbecue chicken with a crispy skin but raw chicken with what looks like an dirty oily coating, best described as a health hazard.

So when it comes to how to barbecue chicken there are essentially four different styles, rotisserie, spatchcock, smoker or roast, the fist two are the ones I'm going to concentrate on being specifically for the grill. Hopefully smoked chicken is self explanatory and roast chicken is great in a kamado ceramic BBQ but maybe that's for another day.

Rotisserie

Rotisserie is when you barbecue chicken on a spit roaster and rotate it over the heat so effectively grilling and continually turning to ensure that the chicken is cooked evenly all over. Rotisserie is probably the most difficult way to barbecue chicken because it's not so easy to tell when the chicken is done and it's important to ensure that the inner cavity is cooked. This means that it needs to be cooked well and for longer than if you were roasting the bird but that doesn't mean that it's going to be dry. The secret is to ensure that your barbecue chicken is basted every 15 minutes with the juices in the drip tray. Check for good cooking either by using a BBQ thermometer or simply stabbing the thigh with a skewer and when the juices run clear (no blood) then it's done. If using a barbecue thermometer then you're looking for a breast temp of 165°F and 180°F in the thigh and wing.

Spatchcock

This is my preferred way of how to barbecue chicken because it's relatively quick (about 45 - 50 minutes) and because the cavity is exposed, you're guaranteed to have the inside well cooked. The challenge is in the preparation because you've got to cut the chicken down either the backbone or the breast bone and this is best done with shears or a sharp knife. When using a knife I tend to cut the breast bone because it's easier. When you finished cutting, flatten the bird and place it in a BBQ basket and then you're ready for the grill, 25 minutes each side and then your done. TIP - less fat drips from the inside of the chicken so cook this side first.

Both the above are essentially grill techniques and to simply turn these into full blown barbecue chicken recipes then simply season with salt and pepper. This will add flavor but most importantly the salt will help crisp up the skin - not the most healthy part of the chicken but certainly tasty. If you then want to enhance the recipe then break out your favorite homemade barbecue sauce.

Resources:

Homemade Barbecue Sauce - Great easy recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Yates
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Grilling and Smoking Chicken

SPRING IS HERE!
Time to get the grill out!

By Aaron Ralston

Chicken is one of my favorite meats to cook. It is low in fat, high in protein, and if

cooked correctly, it will definitely be a crowd pleaser. There are many different
recipes for grilling and smoking chicken, and I have included my two favorite
recipes below. I am known as The Smoker King, and I am the author and
Webmaster of “Outdoor Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs,” so you can bet
that my favorite way to cook chicken is outdoors, on a grill or smoker.

The first recipe is one that I use when I cook chicken fajitas. The marinade gives a
tequila-lime twist to the chicken, which is great for Mexican-type dishes. The
second recipe is my take on the famous beer can chicken recipe. Through my
experience, I have found that placing the chicken on a beer can throne while it is
smoking produces a juicy, tender bird. Smoking chicken is one of my favorite ways
to cook chicken, and after you have tried this recipe, I believe that you will really like
smoking chicken too.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

4-Chicken Breasts

2-Cups of Margarita Mix (I prefer Mr. and Mrs. T's)

1/2-Cup Vinegar

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1-Tbsp Onion Powder

1-Tbsp Garlic Powder

1-Tbsp Cajun Seasoning

Lemon Pepper

Option for a kicked up version: Add one shot of Tequila

Recipe:

1. Trim chicken breasts to remove fat

2. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the each chicken breast until they
are about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.

3. Mix all ingredients into a bowl just big enough to hold the chicken breasts while
they are completely covered in the marinade.

4. Add chicken breasts, and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour. The longer they stay in
the marinade, the more Tequila lime taste they will have.

5. Season both sides of the chicken with Lemon Pepper before grilling.

6. Grill over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes per side. Times may vary
depending on heat, just make sure that the meat is white throughout the breast,
and the juices run clear.

This is a great recipe for chicken fajitas.

Here is my recipe for Cajun smoked, beer-can chicken.

Injection Ingredients:

1. A 3 or 4 pound chicken

2. 1/2 cup melted butter (room temperature)

3. 2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere's seasoning (more for a spicier chicken)

4. 1-teaspoon garlic powder

5. 1/2 cup vinegar

Rub Ingredients:

1. Olive oil

2. Tony Chachere's seasoning.

Mop Ingredients:

1. Apple Cider

2. A Spray Bottle

Other:

1. A beer of your choice (1/2 full)

2. 3 cloves of garlic

3. About 3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

Directions:

1. Whisk all injection ingredients together.

2. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the liquid into various spots on the chicken. Try to
be even as possible, injecting about 1/2 of the mixture into the breasts, and the
other 1/2 throughout the rest of the chicken.

3. Rub the chicken down with olive oil, and apply an even layer of Tony's to the bird.

4. Drink half of the beer, widen the opening at the top of the can, then put the garlic
and onion in the can.

5. Place the bird on the can. It should sit up by itself.

6. Preheat your smoker to about 250 F degrees. I use hickory for chicken, charcoal
works well too.

7. Put the chicken on the smoker and spray the chicken with the apple cider about
every 30 minutes.

8. Smoke the chicken for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest
meat reaches 180 F Degrees.

I hope you enjoy both recipes as much as I do. You can find many more at my
website listed below.

Aaron Ralston, also known as The Smoker King, is the owner of Outdoor
Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs at
http://www.thesmokerking.com. Check out thesmokerking.com today to learn
many great barbeque and cooking recipes and techniques.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Ralston
http://EzineArticles.com/?Grilling-and-Smoking-Chicken&id=123189

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Crock Full of Beef

By Dusty Patterson

The crock pot is the busy person’s best friend and right hand man (woman,) always working with you, never against you, and couldn’t care less about what the weather’s doing outside.

The beauty of the crock pot is that it can be stocked in the morning and left to its own devices all day. No babysitting required. And by the time you drag your sore body home at the end of a hectic day, your crock pot will greet you with a ready-to-serve home-cooked meal!

If you’re curious to test the servitude of your crock pot, here’s a quick (prep time wise) and easy recipe for barbecue beef.

Crock Full of Beef

4lb roast of beef

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup water

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

1tsp salt

1tsp ground black pepper

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Add cooking oil to frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from heat.

To stock your pot, add 1/2 of the sliced onion to the bottom of the pot. Place the browned roast on top of the onion. Add the water, garlic cloves, salt and pepper and the remaining onion.

Cover and set timer according to the length of your work day for a minimum 4-6 hours or maximum 8-10 hours. The longer you work, the better your roast will be!

Fast forward 6-10 hours ...

Welcome home! Supper’s almost ready!

Remove the roast from your trusty crock pot and discard the juices. Shred the meat using a fork and return it to the crock pot.

Add the barbecue sauce and cook on high for another 30-60 minutes, or the amount of time it takes to change into something comfortable and check a day’s worth of emails.

Once the last email is answered, you will have yourself one happy crock full of tasty beef!

Serve it over rice or pasta, or make a gourmet sloppy joe and serve it up on a fresh bun.

For an easy all-purpose barbecue sauce, which tastes great with beef, pork or chicken, here’s one of my favorites from “Barbecue Secrets Revealed”.

The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored either in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

Amazing All Purpose Barbecue Sauce

1 cup Catsup

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Bottled hot pepper sauce

1 cup Water

1/4 cup Vinegar

1 tbsp Brown sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Celery seed

1 tbsp Minced onions

Combine ingredients in slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook over low heat 2 to 3 hours.

Makes 2 to 2 1/4 cups sauce.

Happy crockin'!

These recipes are from the book "Barbecue Secrets Revealed! How to Barbecue Like A Barbarian And Grill Like a Grand Chef!" For more awe inspiring recipes and barbecue crisis management tips and tricks, sign up for the free newsletter at http://www.Barbecue-Secrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dusty_Patterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Crock-Full-of-Beef&id=554254

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