Summer Barbecue Ideas for the Whole Family
Summer barbecuing, oh yes! Love a lightly blackened ear of corn, fresh off the grill and a sizzling piece of fish. It’s so yummy and fun to barbecue, it doesn’t seem fair not to include the whole family, ie: members of the furry kind. How do we make it safe and fun for them, too? I have some great summer barbecue ideas and products to make your family day a big success!
Summer Barbecue Ideas: Getting Started
You can’t have a great barbecue without a great grill. ‘Nuff said. I have a favorite that won’t break the bank, as far as grills go, but will give you years of consistently great food. It’s the Weber Genesis 6511001 E-310. I love that its a trusted brand; Weber is a go-to company for grills. I love that out of 471 reviews, it’s a 5-star product. Here are its attributes:
- it’s a 5-star review product, based on 471 individual reviews
- 38,000-BTU gas grill with 637-square-inch cooking/warming space
- Front-mounted control panel; 3 stainless-steel burners; individual electronic ignition system
- Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates; Flavorizer bars; heat deflectors
- Enclosed cart; built-in thermometer; 6 tool hooks; requires an LP tank (not included)
- Measures 30 inches long by 60 inches wide by 64-1/2 inches high; 5-year limited warranty
- Amazon is offering free assembly of the grill through July 25th, 2015
Where to buy: Amazon
Price: $699.99
Yes, there are less expensive grills, where you can also get free assembly through 7/25, but I always feels it’s best to go not for the cheapest, but one that has gotten the best reviews from a variety of people. That way, I know chances are I’ll be happy with the product.
Make Your Barbecue Doggy-Themed!
Turn your conventional barbecue into a celebration of dog with this super cute paw print set. It’s in always chic black and white and features:
- 16 ct – lunch size plates – measures 9″ – heavy duty
- 16 ct – lunch napkins
- 5 ct – helium quality printed latex balloons 11″, in a paw prints pattern
Human kids will love, too. The furry ones will just want what you put on the paw print plates! LOL
Where to buy: Amazon
Price for set, which serves 16: $37.87
Great recipes for us and them!
Finding delicious recipes for the pups was the most fun! Colleagues like doggydessertchef and YOUDIDWHATwithyourWeiner? had some great ideas, like grilled sweet potatoes with lemon and dill, crunchy barbecue liver treats and bacon swiss burger (shown above). As with most bbq food for us, depending on the recipe ingredients, these may be more occasional treat than staples of the diet. 🙂
photo credit: Sandi (from CA.)
For us, allrecipes has some delicious grilled fish choices like staff picks Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Sauce and Grilled Oyster Shooters, as does food.com, with its Barbecued Spiced Fish and Baja Chipolte Tacos (shown above). I’m getting hungry just reading these! 🙂
Or, follow your own explorations for healthy, tasty recipes for you and your pup. Here seems a good place to include foods poisonous to dogs:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine (tea, cola, etc)
- Onions and Garlic
- Grapes and raisins (beware of what is in salads, too)
- Chocolate
- Fruit pits and large seeds
- Raw fish
- Bones
- gum or any candy containing xylitol
Read this article on Pet360 to find out more about foods that are poisonous to your dog.
Dogs CAN have this barbecue fare:
- celery
- carrots (without dressing) from the veggie tray
- sliced watermelon or cantaloupe (without seeds or rind)
- cheese
- an unseasoned hamburger patty or chicken breast
Make It Memorable
Whether you backyard or park, rooftop or resort, make your barbecue memorable and fun for the whole family. Add extra touches like music, coordinated color schemes and fun drinks. For pups, coconut water made especially for dogs by Viva Coco, is always a treat. It’s hydrating and yummy and Sophie and Jasper love it! And please, keep your dog safe and secure in any area that isn’t completely enclosed. Pet ID tags a must!
Have you barbecued with your dog? Tell me your favorite doggy bbq recipes!
This looks like a lot more fun than the barbecues at our house! Mostly its just me watching dad closely hoping he drops something! Love Dolly
Dolly, run, don’t walk to show your mom and dad this article! Get them to buy you some doggy paw plates and give you some special treats on bbq day! LOL
Those doggy themed plates and cups are adorable. I should definitely grab some for our next BBQ. I can’t wait until we can have a our own grill. Right now we have to use the communal one in our apartment complex and it is quite the trek!
I’m loving those plates, etc too! Just seems to add instant fun to any bbq, right? Sounds a bit of a drag having to trek to the grill, but at least there is one and you can partake in some bbq’ing parties! 🙂
We have that exact grill and we love it! 🙂 And one of Nike’s all-time favorite foods is grilled sweet potatoes!
That sounds yummy, Christina! I”ll have to do that for our kids as they both love sweet potatoes. Thanks!
Love the BBQ outfit. Mr. N will get a tiny bit of cheese or part of a hamburger patty when we grill.
LOL it’s cute, right? Well, I’m sure Mr. N will love his treats and look forward to your next bbq!
I’m all ready to bbq! We’ll be doing it this weekend, and my dogs are always included. They’ll get some chicken and chew toys.
Have fun bbq’ing, Ryan! Sounds like your pups will be very happy.