Party Music: Summer Playlists!

Lately, I've gotten several emails from readers asking for ideas for party music. Making music for a party is easier than ever if you have an iPod. It may be a little old school, but I still love having a band and live music for any party I throw. It just adds an element of excitement you just don't get from your iPod. Second choice would be a DJ--- again, that live element makes the party so much more fun. BUT-- if your budget doesn't allow for either of those options (and believe me, you can get a band or DJ for a lot less than you may think) head to iTunes and put together a playlist that fits the theme. You can make a variety of playlists: start with some quiet tunes as guests arrive and ramp up the volume and the beat as the night progresses.

Here's a starter for those of you looking for ideas for your summer party playlists: 

Top 25 Summer Songs Playlist

Good Vibrations- Beach Boys

All Summer Long- Kid Rock

California Love- 2 Pac

Three Little Birds- Bob Marley

It Must Be Summer- Fountains of Wayne

Summertime- Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff

The Boys of Summer- Don Henley

Summertime- Kenny Chesney

Hot in Herre- Nelly

Smooth- Santana with Rob Thomas

Summer Breeze- Seals & Crofts

Beautiful Day- U2

Hot Fun in the Summertime- Sly & The Family Stone

Summertime Blues- Alan Jackson

Summer Nights- From Grease- John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

California Girls- Beach Boys

Island in the Sun- Weezer

Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison

Margaritaville- Jimmy Buffett

Summer in the City- The Lovin' Spoonful

Heat Wave- Martha & The Vandellas

Dancin' in the Streets-  Martha & The Vandellas

So, we've left the last spots open for your favorite summer song! Email us and tell us your summer favs!

Martie Knows Parties: Big News Soon!

I can't wait to tell you the big news but I have to wait a few more days......... but this photo's a little preview. I'll tell you the rest of it very soon but here's a little hint: 

A party's about to start and it's got my name all over it. :-)

Martie Knows Parties on MyRecipes.com

Stay tuned!

Pre-Fourth Parties: My Blue Breeze Cocktail, DIY Buffet Bar, Easy Entertaining!

Am I the only person working this week? Seems as if everyone is already headed out of town or has taken the week off. That leads me to believe many of you will have house guests and start the party early Friday night. Since you're probably grilling on the 4th, you may need some ideas for Friday night to ease into the holiday weekend, right? I thought so. Let's keep it easy--- we have to pace ourselves. 

Photo: Arden PhotographyDIY Buffet Bar

Nothing is easier than a make-ahead serve yourself buffet. That way, you can relax and enjoy your guests as they arrive on Friday evening. I'm opting for a Taco Bar--- this one couldn't be easier. I'll slow cook the beef on Thursday night and reheat and shred it just before serving on Friday. Chop up veggies: onion, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. and get your condiments together: cheese, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, etc and you're good to go! Get more buffet bar ideas; they are cheap and suddenly chic too!Photo: Kathy G & Company

Something Blue

I've just added a new drink to the holiday lineup. I like Hpnotiq--- but I love that it is blue! I always forget about it until July 4th. This cool looking aqua liqueur is made from a blend of fruit juices, vodka and cognac. It is a little sweet for some people but I like it in the summer and the color makes it perfect for the 4th. These go down easy so watch out.

BLUE BREEZE

2 ounces Hpnotiq liqueur

1 ounce super premium coconut rum  

Splash of pineapple juice

Pour ingredients over ice and garnish with a cherry, strawberry, an American flag, a pineapple star (use a cookie cutter) or a red umbrella for fun.

Affordable BBQ Party Recipes: Beer Can Chicken

Planning a party this weekend? Well, it's summer and as far as I'm concerned, that is reason enough to have a party. You don't have to go all out--- just invite a couple of friends over and fire up the grill. There are lots of easy grilling recipes that look as good as they taste. Your friends will start calling you Grillmaster when you bust out my Beer Can Chicken! Beer Can Chicken is juicy, tender and full of smoky flavor---plus it looks festive and fun. The bird stays moist from the steam created from sitting perched atop an open beer can. You want the bird to sit squarely on the can so smaller birds tend to fit better. Since whole chickens are a pretty good buy at the store these days, you can stretch your party dollar and feed a big crowd with ease and originality. I use the actual beer cans for grilling my chickens but you can find a vertical chicken roaster that is more stable than trying to keep the birds balanced on a can. If you don't want to use beer-- you can use a can of lemonade--- the fizzy kind of lemonade works best.

Here's the recipe:

Big Bud Beer Can Chicken

Start with your favorite BBQ rub or make one. Here's my recipe:

2 T. Brown sugar

1/4 c. Paprika

2 t. Cayenne pepper

1 t. Granulated sugar

2 t. Kosher salt

1 1/2 t. Dry mustard

1 t. Black pepper

1 t. Garlic powder

1 t. Onion powder

1 t. Celery salt

1/4 t. Chipotle pepper (optional but gives a nice smoky flavor)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or plastic Zip loc bag.

Other ingredients:

1 large can Budweiser beer per chicken

1 T.  Vegetable oil per bird

Trim excess skin or fat from each bird. Remove and do whatever the heck you want with any "giblets" or disgusting packages you sometimes get with a whole bird. Wash and rinse the chickens under cold water and pat dry. Do I have to tell you to wash your hands after handling raw poultry? Didn't think so.

Rub each bird with one tablespoon vegetable oil. This helps the skin crisp and holds the rub.

Spoon a tablespoon of the rub mixture into the cavity of the bird and rub it in well. Rub another tablespoon of the rub mixture into the flesh of the bird by gently lifting the skin. Rub another tablespoon of the rub mixture onto the skin of the bird. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before grilling. Remove the birds as you get ready to light the grill to take the chill off before you put them on the grill. Open the beer and drink about half. If you have several birds, you may need some friends to help you with this step so you won't get a G.U.I. (grilling under the influence) or blow yourself up lighting the grill. Now, grab a bird and push it down onto the beer can so it looks like it is dancing. Put some music on because it is more fun to dance (and grill) with music.

LOW & SLOW GRILLING ON INDIRECT HEAT

Light the grill. Once coals are about medium heat, push the coals around the edges of the grill leaving the center open. I always put a grill pan in the middle. Since we're cooking LOW & SLOW, you may need to have extra coals available if you are using charcoal. I keep mine in a chimney style charcoal starter.

Place the dancing beer can birds on the grill. Push the birds down onto the can so the legs help prop it up sort of like a camera tripod. Close the lid.

The birds will take about 1 1/2 -2 hours to cook depending on size and heat. The bird is done when it reaches about 165 degrees in the breast. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving the bird.

Need some cold beverages for this party? Try my new fav, Spiked Sweet Tea or lemonade that is best spiked with a little bourbon and Grand Marnier. Check out the Farmstand BBQ article and slideshow for more grilling ideas!

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Back to the Classics BBQ for Memorial Day: Dessert Ideas

Don't forget the dessert! For this year's back-to-the-classics Memorial Day BBQ, you're going to need some refreshing old-school desserts to round out the menu. Here are a few easy suggestions: 

WATERMELON FREEZE

Everyone loves watermelon at a summer BBQ so I always have it on the menu. In addition to big wedges of watermelon, I've added a new favorite I call Watermelon Freeze. You can make this with or without the alcohol but we loved it with!

Use a small melon baller to scoop out about 10-12 melon balls per guest. Put them in a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup lemon-lime soda and 1/2 cup Limoncello liqueur. (I substituted Orange liqueur once and it was good, too) Toss well to coat the melon. Allow it to absorb the liquid for about an hour in the fridge then you can pop the melon balls into individual serving cups or you can transfer to large freezer bags if you need to transport. Place into the freezer allowing the melon to freeze for at least 2 hours. To serve, carefully scoop the frozen melon balls into serving dishes and top with a drizzle of the Limoncello- I keep my Limoncello in the freezer so it is really cold. Delish!

ICE CREAM DREAMS

I dream about ice cream, do you? Homemade ice cream is not as difficult as it was when I was a kid; there's no cranking these days! My mom made the best homemade ice cream so we never really complained about the cranking--- it just took too darn long to get to the good stuff! Here's a recipe I found on MyRecipes.com that is very close to my mom's fresh peach ice cream, which was one of our favorite treats every summer. Make ice cream sundaes, or just add a bunch of sweetened, fresh berries to your double scoop. Here's a whole ice cream slideshow to help you find the perfect recipe for your crowd.    

OH MY---PIE!

How about an ice cream pie? I've seen tons of beautiful cherries in the stores lately--- so perhaps your should pick this Cherries Jubilee Pie as your sweet ending? Yum.

So, you don't want to cook this holiday weekend? Then I have a little secret for you. Costco has the most amazing apple pie! It is soooo good and it is beautiful, too. I have served this several times and guests thought it was homemade. (I may or may not have corrected them) Take a look at this Costco apple pie topped with ice cream-- the ultimate old school dessert for our back-to-the-classics BBQ.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Update on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 9:14PM by Martie Duncan

Hey! I made the Watermelon Freeze again yesterday for a backyard BBQ with friends Sam and Carolyn--- two of my favorite foodie friends and most reliable recipe taste testers. Sam made his famous ribs and BBQ sauce-- more on that tomorrow!! Yum!

A few more tips for Watermelon Freeze:

If you don't want to fool with a melon baller, watermelon chunks taste just as good!

Save your watermelon juice to make Watermelon Mojitos--- recipe to come!

Use 1/2 of the amount of Limoncello to the lemon-lime soda. You can always add a little more if you like.

Leave it in the freezer for about an hour before serving--- max. Tastes best just slushy.

It looks really pretty when you add the lemon-lime soda-- it fizzes up. You might add a little at the table for show just before serving!

If you want to make it for the kids, skip the Limoncello and add a little sprinkle of lemon-lime Kool-Aid mix, and stir in the soda.