You’ll Find all Kinds of Grills at Labor Day Parties
Sep 3rd, 2010 by Kathy
Naturally, most of the people who are hosting Labor Day cookouts will have made meticulous preparations to ensure that there will be ample food, drinks, and tableware for everyone. They will also have music and lawn games planned in advance; and if people are going to be swimming, they will have lounge chairs by their pools, and extra towels in their pool houses.
Undoubtedly, they will also have places for everyone to sit and eat comfortably. If their picnic tables are not large enough to accommodate everybody, they will surely have outdoor settees, Adirondack chairs and chaise lounges with wide armrests, outdoor accent tables, and even ottomans, where people can set their food and drinks.
While this is the ideal scenario, in reality, there will be many not-as-well-put-together get-togethers, because a lot of people will decide to have parties at the last minute. After all, there are those who like to, uh, fly by the seats of their pants, as I believe the expression goes (you know, I’ve never quite understood where that saying came from; but one of these days, I’ll get to the bottom of it!).
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with doing things on the spur of the moment; actually, sometimes, that’s when you have the most fun. So, if you suddenly decide to invite people over this weekend, don’t worry about things being unplanned. Even if you never entertain, and you don’t have a lot of outdoor furniture – or even a picnic table – you can always use a table from your house, and scrape up some folding chairs.
Once you have your friends together, simply add some food and a grill, and it’s a party. But, wait! What if you don’t have a grill, either? That’s okay, too, because you can make one on the spot. Just take some cinder blocks, and stack them, at least a foot high, in the shape of a ‘U’ on a patch of concrete or bare ground; then put a rack on top of them (your oven rack will do), and start cooking. In a pinch, you can also use an old, metal wheelbarrow with a rack across the top. That should really get things rolling!
Just as there are several creative ways of getting the festivities started, there are many techniques for getting the fire started. For example, a half-gallon waxed milk or juice carton makes an excellent disposable starter. Just fill it with charcoal briquettes, and set it aflame; the container is easy to light, and will heat things up quickly. You can also use a brown paper bag, filled with charcoal, twigs, and pieces of paper.
To make a reusable starter, use the sharp end of a bottle opener to punch triangle-shaped holes around the edge of a large coffee can, and remove the bottom with a regular can opener. Then, place the can in your grill, open side up, put in some scraps of wood and paper, fill it to the top with charcoal, and light it through the holes at the bottom. After the briquettes get hot, use tongs to lift the can and spread the coals.
In any situation, there are ways to improvise. Mind you, I’m not saying that they will always amount to gracious living; but they don’t always have to.
The important thing is to have a fun – and safe – holiday weekend.
Happy Labor Day!
Kathy
