slo’s FRIDAY 8/9 poll - Hosting a BBQ 🍔🌭🍗

[slo]

BBQs are so much fun this time of year - being outside with good friends and family make for such a nice day. Then if you add some games with it, the day becomes even more fun. Hosting a BBQ is a lot of work, especially if you want to do it all yourself. I always accept a persons offer to bring something - gives me one less thing to worry about. So let’s talk BBQs today…..

Have you ever hosted a BBQ?
If yes…..when was the last time?
(multiple choice)



For Me…..I hosted a BBQ a few weeks ago. The guests were my neighbors and the theme was Back To School. We have a total of 7 girls within our 3 homes, and they are as close as cousins (they’ve known each other their entire lives). My menu wasn’t super fancy - hamburgers, hotdogs, party/funeral potatoes, bakes beans, chips, watermelon, Oreo Fluff and a big cookie cake for the girls. It was a lot of fun. The girls played corn hole and a few other games. Our girls are…..married and away (mine), college senior (mine), college junior, college freshman, HS Senior, HS junior, Sixth grade. 4 out of the 7 girls are now away. Our block is getting quieter and quieter every day, so when we get together, it’s really special for everyone.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I have it’s been a long time out of town relatives so yeah I had to do it all myself I really didn’t mind about 15 people all in - I did burgers Texas potatoes and I don’t remember what all because it’s been a long time Probably a macaroni salad I know we had a dessert but I don’t remember what it was I just know I made it The rest of the meals we went out to eat we all took turns paying for it that barbecue earned me free meals the rest of the weekend

 

[TippyThomas]

Every weekend, in season, the members of my old community held a lunch/dinner that the entire community went to. Everyone took turns hosting but it really was a huge group event that everyone participated in so nobody really had to take it on alone. I miss many aspects of my old life, including those get togethers. I have hosted small BBQ's for the staff at the animal shelter I volunteer with, but nothing on a large scale like some I've seen.

 

[Kitty 34]

Back in the day we did grills outs a lot but the kids and families have moved on. Now when the kids are in town we usually just order pizza.

 

[LoveDaisy]

We have people over for a cookout several times during the season. We tend to do it more often in the spring and fall because the weather is nicer, our patio is in a very sunny area and can get hot in the peak of the summer.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It's been a long time, but yes to backyard barbeques in years past. We never did neighborhood ones but many friends and relatives 'back 'n the day'. Great memories.

 

[Disneylover99]

When we have friends or family over in the summer, we often bbq. But I don’t think of it as hosting a bbq, we just invite people over for dinner.

 

[Meriweather]

Often with just the family.
Every 4th of July for over 30 years. When we lived in WA, that would have 50-100 people. (we didn't use a traditional grill for that, it was a big fire pit).

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I think I enjoy attending a BBQ more than I do hosting one. We haven't hosted a large outdoor gathering "for fun" in quite some time. I have the space OUTSIDE but I stress myself to the Nth degree worrying about the weather because I don't have the space inside.

I say "for fun" because we did have a family gathering outdoors in May of 2021 as a memorial to our Aunt who had passed away the prior Dec. I hosted but my Uncle paid for all the food which I purchased between 2 local delis, there was no grilling/cooking involved.

 

[Moliphino]

I've never hosted one. My aunt likes to host all of the usual holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day), so we usually go over there. I don't even have a grill at my house.

 

[tennisfan]

Usually host family in the summer but most likely won't get the chance this year. My niece has just started in the police so is on shifts so makes it hard to fit round with everyone

 

[Micca]

We aren't a cookout/dine out family, pretty sure we've never hosted a BBQ. I'm happy to whip something up indoors for anyone who drops by.

 

[Buzz Rules]

BBQs are so much fun this time of year - being outside with good friends and family make for such a nice day. Then if you add some games with it, the day becomes even more fun. Hosting a BBQ is a lot of work, especially if you want to do it all yourself. I always accept a persons offer to bring something - gives me one less thing to worry about. So let’s talk BBQs today…..

Have you ever hosted a BBQ?
If yes…..when was the last time?
(multiple choice)



For Me…..I hosted a BBQ a few weeks ago. The guests were my neighbors and the theme was Back To School. We have a total of 7 girls within our 3 homes, and they are as close as cousins (they’ve known each other their entire lives). My menu wasn’t super fancy - hamburgers, hotdogs, party/funeral potatoes, bakes beans, chips, watermelon, Oreo Fluff and a big cookie cake for the girls. It was a lot of fun. The girls played corn hole and a few other games. Our girls are…..married and away (mine), college senior (mine), college junior, college freshman, HS Senior, HS junior, Sixth grade. 4 out of the 7 girls are now away. Our block is getting quieter and quieter every day, so when we get together, it’s really special for everyone.

View attachment 884287

My family has hosted a BBQ before.

 

[easyas123]

Sure, although we use the grill a lot so maybe a fair bit of our casual get togethers could fall under BBQ!
A more thought-out meal we invite folks to is liable to be crabs for us.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Well not really . We do have BBQs with family at the cottage. Not sure if that’s the same thing.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

OK, I'm going to focus on regionalisms...because I found out when I moved here.

I grew up in the northeast and anything involving our grill was a barbecue. I spent over 24 years of my life with that idea (even when I lived in FL)...and we hosted LOTS of them. So, pre TX, inviting someone over for barbecue could mean anything from burgers and hot dogs, to fish, chicken, kabobs, etc. That terminology changed when I moved to Texas.

Here, if it's not something that falls under the staples of Texas barbecue...you're grilling. I still sometimes slip up and DH is quick to correct me. So, if I invite people over for barbecue, at the bare minimum...they're expecting us to smoke a brisket. Smoked sausage and potentially smoked chicken, ribs, turkey and/or pork butt for pulled pork would be the next smoked protein expectations. I've had to really work on it and remember to tell people we're grilling, otherwise there's a lot of disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I love brisket but it's an ordeal.

EDIT- it's also so freaking hot here that unless it's a holiday or special event, we don't barbecue or grill much in the summer months unless we plan to eat inside. And by summer months...it's often oppressively hot by April and as late as October. Sometimes March and November can even be sketchy!

 

[ronandannette]

When we have friends or family over in the summer, we often bbq. But I don’t think of it as hosting a bbq, we just invite people over for dinner.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[RedAngie]

We grill outside two or three times a week, but it’s usually just DH and myself. A few times DD and SIL joined us.

We had two “hosted” BBQs with larger groups this summer. The Sunday of July 4 weekend and just last Saturday.

 

[CynBeth]

We used to have friends over for a BBQ now and then in the summer but have not done that in many years.

 

[soccerdad72]

We've hosted a number of people this summer at our lake house - it's one of the reasons we bought it, so we could entertain. Most of those weekends, we grilled out, so I suppose that counts as hosting BarBQs?