PARTY THEMES: FARM STYLE BACKYARD BBQ

Need an idea for a big birthday party or something unique for a rehearsal dinner? With popularity of weekend farms and trips to the farmer’s market, enjoy all that summer has to offer by transforming your typical backyard BBQ. Add farm fresh produce, some bales of hay and your party will take on a whole new feel. Get your grill on this weekend and invite your gang over for backyard barbeque—farm style!


DECORATIONS

The beauty of a casual barbeque in the backyard is the word casual. You don’t need much more than baskets of fruit or vegetables, a few bales of hay and maybe flowers from the yard for decorations. Instead of setting up a table, I used the back of an old farm truck for our buffet. A picnic blanket, quilt, or burlap can be used for a tablecloth—design your color palette around that. I’m all about trying to use what you have in a new and different way. Drape some holiday lights in the trees or bring your candles outdoors and display them on a wooden or metal tray to add some style to your party decorations. Bales of hay are available at a nursery or from your local landscape company. Throw them around the yard—they add atmosphere and can be used as extra seating, too. Provide colorful bandanas to use as napkins. Galvanized tin tubs are inexpensive and can be used for other household chores (like washing the dog) after the party is over!

Make sure to have a backyard survival kit for guests complete with bug spray, sunscreen, fans, and wipes. Make up a refreshing station: put hand towels in an ice bath so guests can freshen up and cool off if the party is on a hot day. Here’s a link to my article on what to include when you are hosting a party outdoors.

PARTY FOOD

Change up your normal BBQ menu by adding lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, like my famous grilled sweet corn, grilled peaches, and bruschetta skewers with homegrown tomatoes. Remember, the key to great grilling is to use fresh ingredients, have the right tools and plenty of patience. Make sure to let your grill or charcoal come to the right temperature before adding your food. Don’t turn items too soon or too frequently; allow enough time to get that char and those prized grill marks! Here are my recipes for a farm stand BBQ:

BBQ RIB RUB

MOM’S BBQ SAUCE

TRADITIONAL ALABAMA STYLE BBQ RIBS

HOMEMADE QUICK PICKLES

POTATO SALAD

BEVERAGES

I am a big fan of the signature cocktail. Mix them in advance and guests can serve themselves with ease. It is also easier to estimate quantities so you control costs better than you can with an open bar. For this party, I made a lemonade station with regular lemonade for the kids and a ‘loaded’ version spiked with bourbon for the adults. Since it was a hot day, I also iced down lots of beer and lots of bottled water in a galvanized tin tub.

ENTERTAINMENT

Since this party was actually at a farm, we fished, rode the tractor, and played games until everyone was exhausted. We did get up a quickie game of whiffle ball—that plastic baseball game we used to play as kids. I could almost hear my mom calling me in for dinner as it began to get dark— it really took me back. Some other ideas are badminton, croquet, and horseshoes. 

You can host this ‘down on the farm’ backyard barbeque anywhere. You don’t even have to have a backyard or an outdoor space to create a casual mood. How rustic you want to go is up to you. You may not want to drag bales of hay into your high rise apartment, but by using some of the ideas I’ve shared and adding some country music to your party playlist, you’ll create a laid-back atmosphere— even if you have to grill it up inside

SUMMER FUN: HOW TO MAKE A S’MORES BAR!

Want to add a little DIY fun to any outdoor party or just make some memories on a summer night? Build a S’mores bar! It’s really easy to create some old school fun… and who doesn’t love S’mores?

First question: what kind of party are you having? Casual? Elegant? Don’t worry. You can create a S’mores bar with unique ingredients to suit the style and theme of your party. Use containers and vessels to suit the decor and mood of your event. Since this one was very rustic, we used wood, tin and burlap to decorate the table and display all of the toppings. 

I like to make the marshmallows easy to reach so I create a little “sculpture” with them. For roasting, use something you can put into the fire— wooden skewers work well, but only if you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes first so they don’t burn up. Since you are using skewers or pointed objects, make sure you have adult supervision when you have children on the guest list.

Select ingredients that will suit your menu. Traditional s’mores ingredients include: Hershey bars, graham crackers, and Jet-puffed marshmallows. New twists include: Nutella chocolate hazlenut spread, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, raspberries, coconut toasted marshmallows or peanut butter. Add different types of cookies: Biscoff, Almond Thins, and ginger snaps are all good choices but any flat cookie will work.

Now, simply toast up your marshmallows to the desired degree of doneness. I don’t like mine too burnt, but I know some of you do. Spread Nutella on your cookie. Layer sliced strawberries or raspberries. Add your toasted marshmallows and top with another cookie spread with Nutella. Your guests will love this variation on a campout classic!

Martie Duncan How to Make a S'mores Bar

S’MORES BAR INGREDIENT LIST

Almost any toppings you find at an ice cream or yogurt shop will work for a S’mores bar!

  • Hershey Bars
  • Nutella Spread
  • Dulce de Leche or Caramel
  • Peanut Butter
  • Almond Butter
  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Marshmallows
  • Toasted Coconut Marshmallows
  • Orange Marmalade
  • Sliced Strawberries
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Raspberries
  • Sprinkles
  • Shredded Coconut
  • Chopped Peanuts (be sure and label any nuts for guests with allergies)
  • Chopped, Toasted Hazelnuts
  • Chopped Pistachios

....And a variety of different cookies:

  • Graham Crackers
  • Cinnamon Graham Crackers
  • Biscoff Cookies
  • Ginger Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Thin Mints or any you think would be delicious!
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TABLES & DECOR: COTTON CANDY TREE AND CANDY TABLE IDEAS

We did this adorable cotton candy tree and candy table for my sweet friend Kristina’s wedding and it has been the most shared PIN I’ve had on Pinterest. What a fun idea for a wedding reception, a birthday party or centerpiece for a candy bar or candy table buffet for any occasion: anniversaries, baby showers, graduation parties, sweet sixteen parties, Quinceañera or even school parties for Easter or Valentine’s Day parties. Since you can find or make cotton candy in almost any color, it is a great way to tie a color scheme to your party theme.

Martie Duncan Make a Cotton Candy Tree

COTTON CANDY TREE HOW-TO

Decide on a color for the candy. You can readily find cotton candy in lots of colors- even at the dollar store and Wal-Mart. Kristina’s wedding colors were blue and green so she opted for blue cotton candy. There are lots of online stores for cotton candy with tons of colors and cheaper prices if you have the time to order. You can always make your own cotton candy but you’ll need to use it quickly; it will not hold more than a day before it begins to shrink and  sort of melt. If the weather is very humid, you’ll need to use it immediately.

Get tiny glycine envelopes or plastic treat bags from the party store or hobby store. Make up labels with your name, monogram, or a photo and affix them to the bag. Oriental Trading Company has the clear mini-treat bags $1.99 for two dozen.

You’ll need a tree branch for the arrangement. A manzanita branch works well. I got branches from the yard… but hobby or floral supply stores have several different types if you don’t happen to have a yard.

Secure the branches in a tall vase. You’ll need something to really weight it down. The “trunk” part of the branch needs to be pretty long if you are going to use a tall vase. We used river rock in the base for weight and filled the vase with water so it was very heavy. Be sure to push the tree to the center of the table so children will not be tempted to pull on it. You should not use a glass container if the party is for kids. Use a plastic vase or a sand pail filled with sand (add a little water to wet the sand for weight) for a kids party.

Tie the bags of cotton candy to the tree with matching ribbon. We also tied several pairs of mini craft (not pointy) scissors to the tree so guests could snip the cotton candy. To make sure the centerpiece tied in with the other wedding decor, I clustered some Hydrangea in wedding colors around the top of the vase.

Under the cotton candy tree, we put glass bowls, cylinders, and vases filled with different candies along with mini Chinese take-out boxes so guests could take home a treat from the couple. Easter candy is out so now would be a good time to find an assortment in the stores… but the day after Easter, all of the left-over candy will be 1/2 off so stock up for your next party or wedding.