Finally! After all the snow and rain, springtime has fi nally arrived. Birds singing, bugs fl uttering and, best of all, the smell of burning charcoal. Th at’s right, Barbeque Season is here.

Before inviting all the friends and relatives over for the fi rst barbeque of the year, here are couple of tips and tricks that will help make your event successful:

Prepare all cold side dishes before the day of the event.

  • Macaroni and Potato salads taste better when they have had time to “chill”. Cover green salads with plastic wrap.
  • If you have salad dressing, make sure to have it in the refrigerator the day before.
  • Pre-slice and refrigerate your hamburger sides (pickles, lettuce, tomatos, onions).
  • Any cold desserts should be made early so they have time to solidify. Best of all the more food done early, the more time to spend at your event with your guests.
  • Make sure your cooking area and grill are clean. Even if you cleaned things up in the fall, winter dust and dirt can burn with your “clean charcoal” and effect the taste of your food.

Partially cook your meats. You can cut your actual grill time in half by placing your meats in a 9 ½ by 12 cooking pan or even on the broiler pan and place it on the middle rack of your oven. Cook for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees (or while the charcoal is turning white). Finish your meat on the grill for that smoky outdoor taste without everyone asking how long until the meat’s ready.

Here is a quick Barbeque Appetizer for your guest to snack on while you’re fi nishing the cooking.

Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings
NOT FOUND: backyardbbq1.jpg
Ingredients:
6 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints with tips discarded
1½ cups Louisiana-style hot sauce
¾ cup butter
1 cup honey
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate and grill the chicken, 8 to 12 minutes on each side. You can even deep fry or bake the chicken, but it tastes best when grilled. In a large roasting pan keep the chicken. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the hot sauce, butter, honey, garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes, till it is blended and heated through. Pour the sauce over the grilled chicken wings and stir to coat. Serve.

Here’s one of my favorite desserts to finish off the feast with:

“Not Yo Mamma’s” Banana Pudding
Courtesy of Paula DeanNOT FOUND: backyardbbq2.jpg
Ingredients:
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cookies
6-8 Bananas sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz) box instant French Vanilla Pudding
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, soft ened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.