Cookout Food ChecklistIn Feburary 2016 26,

In Feburary 2016 26,
The first thing on your cookout checklist should be main course foods. Hamburgers and hot dogs will most likely be expected by meat eaters at a traditional cookout. If your cookout is for a fancy or special occasion, you may want to opt for fancier foods like steak, barbecued chicken or ribs. When hosting a cookout, you should always provide non-meat and fish options for potential vegetarians in the crowd, unless you are 100 percent sure that the people you've invited eat chicken, beef and pork products. Vegetarian options include grilled eggplant, veggie burgers and veggie dogs. It is also a good idea to have salmon burgers and tuna steaks on hand, as some vegetarians eat fish.
Side Dishes and Finger Foods
The next items on your checklist should be one or two classic cookout side dishes. These include fresh green salads and corn on the cob. You can also choose one of the many egg and mayonnaise based products such as potato or pasta salad and deviled eggs. You will also want to add finger food to your list; this way your guests have something to nosh on while they wait for the grilled foods to cook. This includes plain or flavored potato chips, tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole or fresh cut veggies and dip. Fresh cut veggies are obviously the healthiest option. You can also opt for baked potato chip varieties.
Condiments and Essentials
With all the focus on the main courses and side dishes, it is easy to forget some of the most important condiments and essentials. Adding these products to your checklist ahead of time will ensure that you won't be caught without one of these cookout basics. Make sure you have plenty of condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and relish. If you are serving barbecued chicken or steak, make sure that you have extra barbecue sauce and steak sauce on hand. Additionally, add cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, baked beans and pickles to your list if you are serving hamburgers and hot dogs. Also, don't forget hamburger and hot dog buns.
Drinks and Desserts
Primarily, on a hot day, you need to make sure that you have plenty of cool fresh water on hand. Guests will also enjoy fruit juices and punches, sports drinks, seltzer and sodas. For an adult beverage option, add chilled white wine and beer to your list. Because cookout foods pack a lot of calories, you can keep your cookout healthy by ending the meal with fresh watermelon or a fresh fruit salad. Other more traditional desserts to add to your checklist include strawberries and whipped cream or brownies.
In Feburary 2016 26,

How to Throw a PreIn Feburary 2016 23,

In Feburary 2016 23,
Decorate the joint with a banner, streamers, balloons or anything else that suits your fancy. Spice up one of the doorways with flowers, streamers or a garland as the designated posing spot for pictures.
Ask your friends for copies of their baby pictures then post them around the room, next to their senior photos, so that everyone can see the before and after. Or don't post the baby pictures and senior pictures together, and see if your friends can pick each other out from the baby photos.
Make appetizers to have on hand as a pre-dinner snack. Spinach dip and chips or stuffed mushrooms are a fancy way to go, or keep it really casual and serve up movie-theatre style popcorn, cookies and punch.
Watch a classic prom-themed movie, such as 'Footloose,' '10 Things I Hate About You' or 'Pretty in Pink.'
Set out disposable cameras, wedding-style, so that friends can go wild taking pictures (instead of obsessing over whether the picture turned out just right, as is the case these days with the ubiquitous digital camera). Tell your friends that you will make copies to hand out to everyone.
All-Out Glamorous Gathering
Invite your friends to bring their families along so that parents and siblings can take pictures and be involved in the pre-prom festivities.
Mark the spot by tying balloons to your mailbox or hanging a banner to welcome prom-goers.
Rent a white tent or a gazebo and set it up in your yard so that friends and couples will have a pretty place to pose. Set flower arrangements on either side of the entrance.
Lay a red carpet down from the street to your house so that your glammed-up friends can have an actual 'Red Carpet' moment.
Hire a professional photographer to capture the experience on film. Your friends can later purchase any photos they would like to have.
Set up card tables on the porch or around the yard to hold punch and hors d'oeuvres as refreshment for your guests.
Hand out party favors to commemorate the event. Give your friends a silver picture frame with the date and event printed within (or, as a pricier alternative, engraved on the outer frame) or a personalized tin of mints.
In Feburary 2016 23,