5 Tips for Throwing a neighborhood summer BBQ- This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SeeHowFreshWorks #CollectiveBias

On every summer bucket list you can find ‘BBQ’. Every time we move, we look for a neighborhood that is full of kids playing outside and neighbors chatting on the side walk. This summer we were lucky enough to host the neighborhood summer BBQ in our back yard. Being my first neighborhood party, I learned a few tricks that I wanted to share with you.

Tips for Hosting a Neighborhood Summer BBQ:

DON’T DO ALL THE FOOD YOURSELF

Have everyone bring a different side dish or dessert.  If the crowd is large, separate dish types by last name.  For example, have A-I bring sides J-N bring drinks O-R bring snacks and S-Z bring dessert. This way, you’ll only have to handle the main dish.

HAVE A DESIGNATED DRINK AND SNACK STATION

This helps with the flow and can be set up away from the food.  Depending on the size of the crowd, you could also have a special table with just kid’s drinks and another one just for adults!

HAVE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES

Turn up the tunes and have games such as , whistle helicopters, frisbees, bags set, hoolahoops, bubbles, footballs, sprinklers, chalk, scooters and a tub with water for super soakers. On hot summer days the water games are most popular. We also had a suntan/bug spray station to keep everyone protected while playing outside.

HAVE FOOD OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE

Because we want to be sensitive to everyone’s health needs we were sure to provide options for everyone. For example, we had a set of ribs with no BBQ, plane baked sweet potatoes, salad and had a fruit salad as a dessert option. Because I know how hard it is to stay away from the cookies and brownies, I always bring my famous fruit salad. I’ve never brought any leftovers home!

Summer Fruit Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• Strawberries (1 large container)
• Kiwi
• Mandarin Oranges (1 8oz can)
• Pineapple (cut a fresh one for best results)
• Red Grapes
• Blueberries (small container)
• Blackberries (small container)
• Lemon Juice (a 3 second squirt)
• Honey (5 second squirt)

See the video below for how to mix my Summer Fruit Salad:

TIP: My biggest secret for this delicious summer fruit salad is keeping the fruit fresh until the weekend in my Rubbermaid® FreshWorks™ produce container.  Two reasons I use my FreshWorks containers over all others are:

• That they have a Crisp Tray™ which elevates produce away from moisture and promotes proper airflow to help prevent spoilage. The FreshVent™ technology allows excess CO2 to escape, delaying produce spoilage. My strawberries stay fresh all week after my routine grocery trip on Sunday morning.

• Lid, container, and tray are dishwasher safe and BPA free. Quick to clean and non-toxic for my family.

MAKE CLEAN UP SIMPLE

Having several designated areas for trash makes it easier on you!  If you are using disposable plates and utensils, it will make clean-up a  snap because everyone will be “pitching-in.” At the end of the night, wash a few containers that held your main dishes and that’s it!

Now that I’ve hosted my first Summer Neighborhood BBQ at our new house, I’m already planning next summer’s 4th of July Bash! Find more Rubbermaid® FreshWorks™ inspiration and learn about how the product works here. No more throwing out moldy strawberries after one week! You can also get $2 off FreshWorks™ produce containers while supplies last with this link.

Here is how you can find Rubbermaid® FreshWorks™ next time you’re at a Kroger near you:

Pin for later: