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Kristen Hagopian: Create a Fabulous Summer Barbecue Without Roasting
Your Wallet!
By Kristen Hagopian
Sunday June 12, 2011
'BRILLIANT FRIGAL LIVING' WITH KRISTEN HAGOPIAN
Yup, this first heat wave of the year makes it official - it's
summertime!
Bring on the barbeque! I'm hearing from a lot of people how the double
whammy of tighter wallets combined with rising food prices is putting
the potential squash on summer entertaining plans.
But no fear - your food-loving-frugalista is here! Read on to throw a
fabulous summer bash, without getting bashed at the bank.
The Food - If you're like most summertime party-throwers, the
neighborhood all-you-can-eat-steak cookout of years past might be well
out of your budget comfort zone this July. No worries, easy solutions
abound that will still satisfy your heartiest meat-loving friends.
A fabulous alternative: take one of those gorgeous steaks, cube it,
and skewer it with fabulous veggies like zucchini, grape tomatoes and
peppers to create enough beef kebobs for four people! If one of your
wonderful neighbors is just starting to get produce in their garden,
encourage them to bring as much as they'd like, and add it to the mix!
It cuts down the food costs significantly, and guests will adore your
culinary touches.
To cut down the costs further, never forget your meat and potatoes
purist buddies who come to a barbeque looking for nothing more than a
fabulous burger, a hot dog or two, and a handful of chips.
Keep the costs low by hitting your local discount gourmet grocery to
get the best brand names of those summertime staples, for easily 50%
off.
And don't forget to pick up fresh jars of condiments as well!
This time, in addition to the usual ketchup, mustard and relish, keep
an eye out for some of the more exotic fare. Burgers are great, but
burgers put together with some salt, pepper and oregano, topped with
jalapeno-studded-swiss and a touch of herbed mayo are going to be
raved over. It's the little touches that your guests will adore, and
they'll cost pennies to create.
The Side Dishes - Here is where a brilliant summertime host can really
shine without breaking the bank. Potato salads, pasta salads, green
salads, all easy to make (don't you dare hit the supermarket and pay
$25 for a container of potato salad you can easily make for $2!). The
secret is in the ingredients. The simplest of herbs, the perfect blend
of spices, the right vinaigrette will turn an average salad into a
showstopper.
Hit your local discount gourmet grocery for the ingredients, then head
to a dependable recipe database like www.FoodNetwork.com and go
straight for the `Easy' recipes.
There you'll find thousands of recipes for every bite of your BBQ menu
- fun, fabulous, and zero stress. You'll have a table full of
incredible side dishes faster than you can say `Paula Deen."
The Alcohol - I've spoken to people (who clearly party far heartier
than I do) who have regaled me with stories of parties of years past
in which the alcohol budget inadvertently surpassed that month's
rent. Yowsa. It's generally acknowledged that an alcohol budget can be
one of the toughest things to keep under control when you want to pull
off a great party.
The fabulous fact here is that all of your guests are going to want to
bring something to your get-together, and here is where their
offerings can keep costs down considerably. Have your buddies with the
more expensive beer tastes bring a pack of their favorites; let your
designated driver friends bring a pack of their favorite organic
carbonated cola. You supplement with the sodas and mixers. Always
remember, the more the thermometer peaks at your party, the more you
need to stay hydrated - above all else, keep the ice water flowing!
The Kids at Your Party - Throwing a bash that will ensure lots of
little ones running around? How fabulous, the more the merrier! Keep
in mind that your ingrained frugalista mindset is perfect for a
munchkin menu. Kids have wonderfully simple tastes that couldn't be
easier to satisfy. Your fabulous orzo and zucchini medley delicately
tossed with raspberry vinaigrette will get little more than a wary
glance from these guys. However, hotdogs, chips, brightly colored soda
and some fun desserts (unlimited cupcakes and popsicles, anyone?) will
put you at hero status with the 12-and-younger crowd. Hey, you're only
young once.
Above all else, remember that these fabulous get-togethers are about
celebrating another gorgeous, long-awaited summer and having a
terrific time with family and friends. Bon Appetit!
Kristen Hagopian is a Motivational Speaker and Author of `Brilliant
Frugal Living', conducting humorous lectures on personal finance and
wealth-building to civic, corporate and private groups. She lives with
her husband and two kids in Elverson, PA. Her book is available at
Amazon.com, is downloadable to Kindle and can be ordered at her
website www.BrilliantFrugalLiving.com
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Your Wallet!
By Kristen Hagopian
Sunday June 12, 2011
'BRILLIANT FRIGAL LIVING' WITH KRISTEN HAGOPIAN
Yup, this first heat wave of the year makes it official - it's
summertime!
Bring on the barbeque! I'm hearing from a lot of people how the double
whammy of tighter wallets combined with rising food prices is putting
the potential squash on summer entertaining plans.
But no fear - your food-loving-frugalista is here! Read on to throw a
fabulous summer bash, without getting bashed at the bank.
The Food - If you're like most summertime party-throwers, the
neighborhood all-you-can-eat-steak cookout of years past might be well
out of your budget comfort zone this July. No worries, easy solutions
abound that will still satisfy your heartiest meat-loving friends.
A fabulous alternative: take one of those gorgeous steaks, cube it,
and skewer it with fabulous veggies like zucchini, grape tomatoes and
peppers to create enough beef kebobs for four people! If one of your
wonderful neighbors is just starting to get produce in their garden,
encourage them to bring as much as they'd like, and add it to the mix!
It cuts down the food costs significantly, and guests will adore your
culinary touches.
To cut down the costs further, never forget your meat and potatoes
purist buddies who come to a barbeque looking for nothing more than a
fabulous burger, a hot dog or two, and a handful of chips.
Keep the costs low by hitting your local discount gourmet grocery to
get the best brand names of those summertime staples, for easily 50%
off.
And don't forget to pick up fresh jars of condiments as well!
This time, in addition to the usual ketchup, mustard and relish, keep
an eye out for some of the more exotic fare. Burgers are great, but
burgers put together with some salt, pepper and oregano, topped with
jalapeno-studded-swiss and a touch of herbed mayo are going to be
raved over. It's the little touches that your guests will adore, and
they'll cost pennies to create.
The Side Dishes - Here is where a brilliant summertime host can really
shine without breaking the bank. Potato salads, pasta salads, green
salads, all easy to make (don't you dare hit the supermarket and pay
$25 for a container of potato salad you can easily make for $2!). The
secret is in the ingredients. The simplest of herbs, the perfect blend
of spices, the right vinaigrette will turn an average salad into a
showstopper.
Hit your local discount gourmet grocery for the ingredients, then head
to a dependable recipe database like www.FoodNetwork.com and go
straight for the `Easy' recipes.
There you'll find thousands of recipes for every bite of your BBQ menu
- fun, fabulous, and zero stress. You'll have a table full of
incredible side dishes faster than you can say `Paula Deen."
The Alcohol - I've spoken to people (who clearly party far heartier
than I do) who have regaled me with stories of parties of years past
in which the alcohol budget inadvertently surpassed that month's
rent. Yowsa. It's generally acknowledged that an alcohol budget can be
one of the toughest things to keep under control when you want to pull
off a great party.
The fabulous fact here is that all of your guests are going to want to
bring something to your get-together, and here is where their
offerings can keep costs down considerably. Have your buddies with the
more expensive beer tastes bring a pack of their favorites; let your
designated driver friends bring a pack of their favorite organic
carbonated cola. You supplement with the sodas and mixers. Always
remember, the more the thermometer peaks at your party, the more you
need to stay hydrated - above all else, keep the ice water flowing!
The Kids at Your Party - Throwing a bash that will ensure lots of
little ones running around? How fabulous, the more the merrier! Keep
in mind that your ingrained frugalista mindset is perfect for a
munchkin menu. Kids have wonderfully simple tastes that couldn't be
easier to satisfy. Your fabulous orzo and zucchini medley delicately
tossed with raspberry vinaigrette will get little more than a wary
glance from these guys. However, hotdogs, chips, brightly colored soda
and some fun desserts (unlimited cupcakes and popsicles, anyone?) will
put you at hero status with the 12-and-younger crowd. Hey, you're only
young once.
Above all else, remember that these fabulous get-togethers are about
celebrating another gorgeous, long-awaited summer and having a
terrific time with family and friends. Bon Appetit!
Kristen Hagopian is a Motivational Speaker and Author of `Brilliant
Frugal Living', conducting humorous lectures on personal finance and
wealth-building to civic, corporate and private groups. She lives with
her husband and two kids in Elverson, PA. Her book is available at
Amazon.com, is downloadable to Kindle and can be ordered at her
website www.BrilliantFrugalLiving.com
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress