One of the best ways to celebrate the start of the United States of America is with a fun cookout. You can invite friends, neighbors, or family members to enjoy some warm weather and a great barbecue. Planning a cookout in Plano, Texas, can be difficult, but this guide will give you some awesome ideas to help you get started.
Independence Punch
This red, white, and blue drink is sure to impress guests. It contains:
- Cranberry juice.
- Blue sports drink.
- Diet 7-Up or Sprite.
- Ice cubes.
Use a glass or a large drink dispenser that lets you fill cups from the bottom of the container. Fill the container completely with ice, and then fill about one-third of it with cranberry juice. Fill the next third with the blue sports drink. Pour it over a large ice cube or over the back of a spoon to avoid disturbing the cranberry juice. Use the same technique to fill the rest of the container with a clear diet drink.
You can create variations of this drink with many ingredients and color combinations. The ingredients need different sugar contents for this recipe to work, and you should put denser, more sugary liquids closer to the bottom of the container.
Red, White, and Blue Bandanas
For a casual, welcoming look, you can use red, white, and blue bandanas as decorations. If you wrap silverware or paper utensils in them, they can double as napkins. You can also tie a few strings between trees or other objects and then hang bandanas over them to make quick, easy banners.
If your cookout will be in the evening, you can use a string of lights instead of just a string. Place the bandanas directly over the lights, or cover them with paper cups. If you use cups, tape or glue the bandanas around them and cut holes in the cups before you put them on the lights.
A Patriotic Charcuterie Board
This recipe looks impressive during Fourth of July buffets. Use a cutting board or a large platter with lots of red, white, and blue items. You can even try making it look like an American flag or arranging the differently colored foods in a spiral. Possible ingredients could include:
- Twizzlers.
- Fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
- Cherries.
- Pepperoni.
- Mini hot dogs.
- Mozzarella sticks.
- Salami.
- Blue corn tortilla chips.
Flag Centerpieces
Place miniature American flags in Mason jars or glasses on each table. You can put one or two red, white, or blue artificial flowers in each jar as well. At the end of the cookout, your guests can take the miniature flags home as souvenirs.
A Craft Table
Providing some type of arts and crafts for kids can keep them occupied with fun activities and let parents relax. You can let children paint American flag mugs, make bracelets or necklaces, or tie-dye T-shirts with red and blue dye. Kids can also make simple Fourth of July headbands to wear at the cookout. Start with plain, white cloth or plastic headbands. Then, twist short lengths of metallic silver, red, and blue pipe cleaners together at their centers to make fireworks.
Attach them to each headband with a longer piece of pipe cleaner. You can twist it around the headband or use glue. Kids can also glue red, white, and blue pom-poms to headbands or make USA lettering from red, white, and blue construction paper. Set up your craft area outdoors to avoid messes, and place smaller materials and supplies in an old muffin tin or an ice cube tray.
A Movie
While everyone waits for the burgers and steaks to finish grilling, you can show an all-American movie for people who don’t feel like watching sports. Bring a TV onto your porch or patio, or you can let guests hang out in your living room, den, or family room. Popular movie options to consider for this occasion include “Independence Day,” “Top Gun,” “The Patriot,” “Forrest Gump,” and “The Right Stuff.”
Patriotic Desserts
Image via Flickr by Phil Roeder
It’s easy to make many red, white, and blue desserts that look and taste great. For example, you can cover store-bought shortcake or pound cake with real or artificial whipped cream, whole blueberries, and sliced strawberries. You can also add some strawberry syrup or make your own shortcake, cheesecake, or pound cake. Consider a coconut cake or coconut cream pie as well. For an extra way to keep cool, cut the cake into bite-sized pieces. Then, place it in a clear glass or a Mason jar and add layers of vanilla ice cream, blueberries, and cherries or strawberries.
Vegan Options
More and more people are avoiding meat and other animal products to improve their health. Fortunately, vegans and vegetarians can still enjoy barbecues with plant-based hamburger patties. You can grill them like beef, and many varieties are available. Some people even prefer foods like almond milk and plant-based burgers to their animal-based predecessors.
A Patriotic Playlist
While people mingle and enjoy your cookout, you can play some patriotic music or even have a karaoke contest. Here are some patriotic songs to consider:
- “An American Trilogy” — Elvis Presley.
- ”God Bless America” — Celine Dion.
- “Beautiful Texas” — Willie Nelson.
- “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” — Toby Keith.
- ”God Bless the U.S.A.” — Lee Greenwood.
- ”It’s America” — Rodney Atkins.
- “Born in the U.S.A.” — Bruce Springsteen.
- “American Heart” — Faith Hill.
- “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly” — Aaron Tippin.
- “America Will Survive” — Hank Williams, Jr.
- “Surfin’ U.S.A.” — The Beach Boys.
These are only some of the interesting ideas you can try at your next cookout in Plano, Texas. Did we miss any of your favorites? Contact us at Huffines Hyundai Plano and let us know what you plan to do for your next Fourth of July cookout. We’ve been open since 1924, and we can also help you get an excellent deal on your next new or used car, truck, or SUV.