I know it is early, but I am dubbing the summer of 2012 as the Summer of Grilling and Games! Most summers are full of BBQ and events outside, but this year I am making it an effort to host my friends for BBQ at least once a month.

I can already see it now. My brother showing off his great grilling skills (because let’s face it, I am not the best when it comes to burgers and brats):

Friends and family gathered in the backyard relaxing, tanning, feet in the kiddie pool, drinking beer, hanging with the dogs, playing games. Doesn’t that just sound divine?

Since I am not the cook of the family, I tend to focus on the entertaining portion of the BBQ. Coordinating friends and assigning different foods to each, making the BBQ into a potluck of dishes. Living in Boulder there are many dietary restrictions, so having each friend bring something they know they can eat is key (I can never keep track of who is gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, sometimes eats meat etc). Once everyone has been assigned a dish, that is when the real fun begins, planning the games!

With so many options, we won’t run out of ideas for the whole summer. Just to name a few:

Games of Cornhole:

Polish Horseshoes:

Bocce Ball:

Outdoor Volleyball:

There are so many options for games! Depending on who is invited the games will change from week to week, but the outcome is always the same: laughter and fun is had by all.

Then there is the music. You have to have a great playlist! Mine is generally a mix of Rock and Pop, new and old, local and mainstream. But, there is always that one guest who isn’t satisfied with my mix and takes over as DJ for the rest of the party.

These are just some of the reasons I love to grill. Besides all of the tasty food, tell me what you love about grilling. One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!

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