This Mexican grilled corn salad is loaded up with peppers, zucchini, and beans, and tossed in a cheesy zesty dressing. Serve it at your next BBQ with grilled chicken, ribs, or steak. Finish off your meal with a light fruit salad, and you’ve got the perfect BBQ to finish your summer off with a bang!

Mexican Jalapeno Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn (leave the husks on)
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ zucchini, cut into thick slices for grilling
• 1 large or 2 small fresh jalapeno’s left whole
• ½ cup canned black beans, washed and drained
• 4-6 scallions, tops and bottoms sliced
• ½ cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• juice from one lime
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sriracha
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces Queso Blanco cheese, crumbled by hand (you can use Cotija cheese instead if you like)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Peel the corn husks back (but don’t remove) and take off all the silk from the ears. Fold the husks around the ears. Fill a large pot with corn, salt, and water to cover the corn. Soak for 15 minutes.
2. Heat your grill to medium heat.
3. Remove the corn from the water and drain the excess water. Place the corn (with husks) on the grill and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the corn every 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Turn your grill to high heat.
5. Brush vegetable oil on zucchini slices and grill both sides for 1 minute, or until there is a nice char. Don’t over cook! Set aside to cool.
6. Place the jalapenos on the hot grill and grill until the sides are black and blistered. Remove from the grill and place them in a paper bag for a few minutes to loosen the skin. Remove skin and discard. Cut the pepper down the center and discard the stem and seeds. Cut into small pieces and set aside.
7. Remove husks from the corn and discard. Using a bundt pan, place the corn pointy end down in the center of the pan and with a knife, cut kernels off and let them fall into the pan. Place the cut corn in a large mixing bowl.
8. Cut zucchini into small pieces and add to the corn. Add in jalapeno pieces.
9. Add in the rest of the ingredients, along with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour. After an hour has passed, serve.

Photos and recipe: A Family Feast.

This delicious sandwich has teriyaki marinated grilled chicken, sweet honey, and melted pepper jack cheese. Serve it up at a BBQ or picnic. Your guests will be begging for more, we promise! Pair it with a simple balsamic green leaf lettuce salad, and you’ve got the perfect summer meal! Without any further ado, here’s the mouth-watering recipe!

Honey Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches with Honey Cotija Avocado Spread

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 buns of your choice

Honey Teriyaki Sauce

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 3 coves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Cotija Honey Lime Avocado Spread

• ½ cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 large Avocado
• ⅓ cup finely grated Cotija cheese
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ¼ tsp pepper
• salt to taste

Toppings

• 4 slices pepper jack cheese
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• red onion

Instructions

1. Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thick. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together except for the cornstarch. Add 1/4 cup of marinade to a large freezer bag and add in chicken. To a seperate freezer bag, add the remaining marinade along with the pineapple. Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, preheat your BBQ or indoor grill to medium heat. Add chicken and grill for 4-6 minutes each side or until cooked through. Add the cheese in the last few minutes of cooking. Add pineapple slices onto the grill and cook them for 1-2 minutes each side. Toast the buns by placing them face down on the top rack of the grill. Close the lid. The buns should be done in 1 minute.
3. To make the Honey Teriyaki Sauce, whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch to the reserved marinade that you removed the pineapple from. Add it to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 seconds until thickened.
4. To make the sandwich, layer the chicken covered in cheese, add Cotija Honey Lime Avocado Spread (simply mix all ingredients listed together), layer tomatoes, drizzle with Honey Teriyaki Sauce, add red onions and lettuce to finish.

Photos and recipe: Carl’s Bad Cravings.

If your gold jewellery is looking drab, or coffee stains not coming out of your clothes? Beer is here to help! Beer can actually take out stains, restore your lawn, and spruce up your wooden furniture. Keep reading to find out what other amazing things beer can do!

1. Loosen Rusty Bolts

The acid in beer can help dissolve some of the rust on rusty bolts, helping you get them loose.

2. Insulation

Full, unopened cans of beer used in construction walls actually help insulate! The beer works by absorbing the cold.

3. Clean Gold Jewellery

Place your gold jewellery in a dish of beer and let it soak. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. The acid in beer works to clean most metals, making them look good as new!

4. Restore Wooden Furniture

Using flat beer, rub it gently onto wooden furniture using a soft cloth. The beer helps restore the polish and the color of your furniture.

5. Stain Removal

If you have tea or coffee stains on your carpets or clothes, soak the stain in beer. Leave it to sit and then dab it with a cloth. Wash it with soap and rinse with warm water.

6. Brown Spots on Lawns

The acid in beer kills off fungi and pests. The fermented sugar feeds the grass and helps restore your lawn.

7. Get Rid of Mice

For a humane way to get rid of mice in your home, put a small amount of beer in a bucket. Place a wooden board against the bucket so mice can fall in. Once the mice are in the bucket, take them outside and release them.

8. Get Rid of Pesky Wasps

Placing a few cups of beer a distance away from your picnic or BBQ area will distract wasps and bees. Say good-bye to swatting away wasps every time you try to take a bite of your food!

9. Get Rid of Fruit Flies

If you’ve got a fruit fly problem in your kitchen, crack open a can of beer and place it on your kitchen counter. Cover the top with plastic wrap and poke a few tiny holes in it. The fruit flies will be able to get in, but they won’t be able to get out.

10. Fertilize Gardens

Just like with your lawn, the fermented sugar in beer is something your garden vegetables and flowers will love!

Photos: Snow Brains, In Habitat, Modern Magazine Quality All Care.

Serve these salmon kabobs as an appetizer at your next BBQ! All you have to do is marinade them in a simple sauce, put them onto skewers, and toss them onto the grill! The marinade is made up of soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Deliciously healthy, these kabobs are sure to become a new favourite!

Citrus Grilled Salmon Barbeque Kabobs

Try these kabobs at your next BBQ, they’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon fillet without skin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch black pepper
• fresh lemon slices
• 12 skewers

Instructions

1. Slice the salmon into small chunks. Thread the salmon pieces onto soaked wooden skewers, alternating with lemon slices. Place them in a shallow dish.
2. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, ginger, honey, pepper, and garlic. Mix well. Pour the marinade over the skewers and coat well. Leave it to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. When you’re finished marinading, transfer the marinade to a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
5. Oil your grates lightly. Cook your skewers for 4 minutes each side. Brush them often with the marinade until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Photos: Community.Epicurious, My Invisible Crown.

Fresh fruit is perfect for hot summer days. It’s light, thirst-quenching, and is great for a healthy snack. These fruit skewers are great for balancing out all those salty snacks, and they make a wonderful healthy dessert. Make them for your July 4th BBQ, picnic, or get-together! Read the recipe below to find out how to put together these tasty patriotic skewers.

This is what you will need:

– 12 wood skewers

– 6 oz. blueberries

– 1 lb strawberries

– 3 bananas

– serving tray

Directions: Rinse the berries and dry them. Take the strawberries and chop off the stems. Cut them in half from the stem to the point. Then, cut off the point and set it aside. Cut the bananas into slices and set them aside. Start with the blueberries and skewer 6 on top and alternate between 2 banana slices and 1 strawberry slice. Do this until you reach the end. Place the skewers on a platter and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Photos: Evite Blog.

No one likes cleaning the grill. It takes up too much time, and the gunk never seems to want to come off. If you’re having trouble getting it looking like new, get your hands on some coffee and say good-bye to hours of scrubbing!

Since coffee is acidic, it will work for cleaning up all that gunked up grease on your grill. Get a pot of coffee and pour it in a basin. Soak your grill grates (you can also throw in BBQ utensils and oven burners) for 1 hour. Give it a quick scrub to loosen the grease and rinse it with warm water. Good as new!

Photos: Durashield Covers, A Mum ‘n the Oven.  

For unique Fourth of July decor, try using bandanas! Stitch together a bandana tablecloth, or make a banner to hang in your yard for your Fourth of July party. You can also use bandanas as  patriotic napkins! Keep reading for these 3 simple DIY projects that are simple enough to make at the last minute!

1. Bandana Table Cloth

First, wash and iron your bandanas. Then, arrange your red, white, and blue bandanas to plan out how your table cloth will look like. Make sure you have enough bandanas to make an entire table cloth. Next, stitch the bandanas together using a sewing machine.

2. Simple Banner

To make this fun banner, cut up your bandanas into 4 squares. Fold each square into a triangle and iron it to get nice, straight creases. Attach the triangles to a ribbon using a hot glue gun. Hang it up over your table at your party, or on your front porch!

3. Napkins

Fill mason jars with cutlery and use bandanas as napkins. It’s a great and patriotic way to keep everything organized.

Photos: Me and My Insanity, Hatter and Hare Events, Babble.

This is the perfect punch for any summer party! With just the right amount of sweetness and fizz, this drink is sure to be a hit with your guests! Pineapple sherbet adds an unexpected twist and the raspberry lemonade Kool-Aid keeps it from being too sweet.

Blue Raspberry Lemonade Punch

Sweet and fizzy party punch perfect for any summer party or get-together. Quick to prepare, this punch will be the life of your party!

Ingredients

• 1 – 12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 – 2 litres of Sprite
• 1 tub pineapple sherbet
• 4 cans warm water (use lemonade can)
• 1 – 2 packets of Raspberry Lemonade Kool-Aid mix

Instructions

1. In a punch bowl, mix frozen lemonade with warm water.
2. Add Kool-Aid and stir until dissolved.
3. Add Sprite and stir.
4. Add a scoop of pineapple sherbet to each cup and pour punch over the sherbet.

Photos: Food Family Finds.

There are so many little things that are needed for a party, BBQ, or any special occasion, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Setting that perfect table is one of the things many people have trouble with, but don’t fret! We’ve got 10 tips on how to set the perfect table for that special occasion, stress not included!

1. Table Runner

You don’t have to use a conventional table runner to decorate your table. Try using a pretty scarf, or you can stitch doilies together for a vintage look. Use your imagination, and the sky is the limit!

2. Napkin Rings

If you would like your silverware to look a little more organized, try using some napkin rings. You can buy your own, or get creative and make your own! We’re loving these simple print-out napkin rings that can be assembled in minutes.

3. Centerpiece

A gorgeous centerpiece is the highlight of any beautifully set table. Be it flowers, succulents, or candles. These lanterns and pink flowers look gorgeous on this table. Look for simple lanterns at the dollar store that can be spray painted, and decorated any way you wish!

4. Place Cards

If you have a seating arrangement, placing the names of your guests on cute place cards can help everyone stay organized. An easy way to keep your seating plan organized is printing out names in a fancy font on card stock and placing it with your silverware. If you’re feeling creative, these message in a bottle place cards are just too cute to pass up!

5. Lighting

For lighting, there are many options to choose from. For a rustic look, hang mason jars with tea candles inside. For a more casual party, paper lanterns are a popular choice, and they come in any color. What we’re loving these days is outdoor chandeliers that add a touch of elegance and romance to any party or get-together. Scour thrift shops for chandeliers and give them a new coat of paint to freshen them up. Hang the chandelier above the center of your table, or add two or three in a row for even more light.

6. Chair Covers

To save money, you can rent chairs and cover them with a unique slipcover to fit your party or get-together theme. Once you’ve outfitted the chair with a slipcover, decorate it by wrapping the back of the chair with a large bow, or even a small bouquet of flowers.

7. Charger Plates

Charger plates are a great way to dress up your table and they act as a base for food-bearing bowls and dishes. Since they’re not meant to be eaten off of, you can decorate them any way you wish to fit the theme of your table. These faux mercury glass charger plates would fit any elegant or winter-themed party.

8. Party Favors

Although optional, party favors add a little extra surprise for your guests. Place them in the middle of each plate, as a little thank you to your guests for coming. You can place candy inside cute packaging, or even a small succulent in a mini pot can be a delightful gift. We love the small paper bags at this western-themed party. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones!

9. Glassware

From fancy wineglasses to simple mason jars, your glassware reflects the theme and feel of your party. If you’re looking for a more elegant look with your glassware, large frosted wineglasses will do the trick. For a casual party, try mason jars and straws in the color of your theme.

10. Elevate Your Food and Drinks

To add interest to your table, place your drinks and food on cake stands and tiers. For extra serving space, place them on a bar cart or small table close to your main dining table. This is also a great way to store extra napkins and silverware within reach of your guests, and without crowding your dining table.

Photos: The Graphics Fairy, My Big Day Company, Ashley Ann, Etsy, Sheila Zeller, Style Me Pretty, Tip Junkie, Rustic Wedding Chic, Tidbits and Twine, Mid West Living.

Dining al fresco is when you eat your meal outside. Enjoying the fresh air and sunshine (or under the stars!) always makes food taste way better than when you eat it inside! This simple grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect light food for any outdoor party, or get-together. Melted provolone cheese, bell peppers, onion, and spinach come together in this mouth-watering grilled cheese sandwich. Serve it with a nice, light salad with balsamic vinegar dressing to complete the meal.

Veggie Stuffed Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This delicious, vegetarian-friendly sandwich is perfect for your next al fresco get-together! Make it in a pan, or make it on the grill for a smokey flavor!

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 4 slices bread, thickly sliced
• butter, softened
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 1 cup baby spinach

Instructions

1. Slice pepper and onion into thin slices. Heat oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes and set aside.
2. Spread butter on one side of every slice of bread.
3. Place 4 slices of bread (butter side down) on a large skillet (or over the grill) over medium heat. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread and top it with the sautéed bell pepper and onion. Top with spinach and another slice of cheese and another slice of buttered bread (butter side up).
4. Flip the sandwiches over and grill for 2 minutes more or until bread is golden. Remove and serve.

Photos: First Slice, Spoonful.