School may have started back up, but it’s still summer in this house. Since I live down South, it stays 85 degrees until the end of September, so I’m holding on as long as possible. We’ve been cooking out all summer long and today I’m sharing my top five must-haves for any cookout.
A Fire Pit
Last November, we built a fire pit in our backyard and it works great for cookouts when you don’t have a grill. Ahem. It wasn’t hard to make and I love using it for making bread on a stick (call me crazy), grilled corn, pizza on the grill, and grilled burgers and hot dogs. Yum!
Potato Salad
I grew up on potato salad (with mayo) and this recipe is my absolute favorite. It is so delicious and dreamy! I’ve been caught in a corner with a bowl of this stuff and a jumbo spoon…
Lemonade
There is NOTHING like a nice cold glass of lemonade to sip while you sitting around the grill (in our case, fire pit), chatting with friends and family. Nothing. And it’s so easy to make.
- 6 – 8 organic lemons
- 1 cup unbleached pure cane sugar
- 6 1/2 cups cold water
- Ice, as needed
In a pitcher, combine the water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, 3-5 minutes.
Squeeze the lemons with a lemon or citrus juicer. They should yield about 1 cup of juice. Add the lemon juice to the pitcher with the water and sugar. Stir and serve with ice.
And BAM! You’ve got yourself some refreshing (and healthy!) lemonade.
Party Bucket
I found this freaking awesome party bucket on Pottery Barn and I love it. You can put ice in it to keep it your drinks cold and it’s got a nifty tabletop to set your drinks on. How awesome is that. Not as awesome as number five on my list of cookout essentials, that’s for sure!
Hickory Grilling Crate
This hickory grilling crate from Man Crates (an insanely wicked brand that sells great gifts for men) is perfect for an cookout! It DOES have Corn Nuts and Pretzels Bites included in the crate, but men need to keep their sanity too and I’m pretty sure they won’t mind having this as their treat!
So that’s all folks! Thanks to all the great people over at Man Crates for getting me to put this list together! If you haven’t heard of Man Crates yet (or heard about them but haven’t checked them out), head on over to their website and check out all their awesome products!
I am looking for a new house (I’m in a condo now) and would love to have a firepit in my backyard. I love the things you can make over a bonfire when camping and having one at home would be so great.
You mentioned bread on a stick. If you haven’t tried it, you should take your biscuit dough and twist it around the stick. Once it is slightly charred on the outside and seems cooked through, roll it in some butter and then cinnamon sugar. Oh my. Monkey bread on a stick!