Memorial Day Entertaining

Ah the Memorial Day Weekend Barbecue.  The signal of the beginning of summer, the official first day of white jeans, open pools, and sunburns.  The red, white, and blue decor, the smell of bbq chicken and burgers, and the first flowers  in bloom in the yard.  What's not to love about it?  Summer is my favorite season, so this just kicks everything off.  Instead of your normal, everyday barbeque, how about taking it up a notch this year?  We've all done Caribbean, or Luau themes, but here are a few ideas that you might not have tried...

New England Style Clambake

Easy to make (just do a google search and you'll find a bunch of recipes that you can customize to your liking and budget), and easy to clean up (everything goes in the trash).  Use the New England beach, red and white checkers and nautical blue as your decorating inspiration, lay out some picnic blankets and have some fun.

Mediterranean Grill

Give your guests the feeling of being on the beautiful shores of the Western Mediterranean.  Using olive oil and citrus, cook up some chicken shish-kebab, lamb burgers, mussels and whole fish.  Grill up some pita and vegetables, serve gazpacho and sangria. Don't forget the feta, the olives, grape leaves and the grilled long and hot peppers. I would decorate the tables in white tablecloths with sprinkles of Mediterranean blues and turquoise.  Think elegant and rustic.

Surf and Turf

The key to this is not to overdo it.  A small, top notch steak, a lobster tail, a baked potato, and some grilled vegetables are all you need.  Ad some good wine and you've got yourself an elegant barbecue that is sure to impress.  Use the good china outside for this one!