Menu Plan Monday ~ August 26 ~ Beer, Bourbon & BBQ

Our lives last week revolved around preparing for a big party at our house.  I say this because my house is perpetually messy...so when we have a party I have to kick it into gear to scour the place.  And of course, with my distractable personality, I always find extra chores to do when cleaning for a party.  For instance, did Ella's closet really need to be organized and cleaned out for the party?  I mean sure, it was making me twitch because it was so cluttered...but would anyone have known if I had just kept the door shut?!?  So I spent all week cleaning, organizing and sending stuff off to St. Vincent.  It felt good!  We hosted the party for my mom's family in celebration of my cousin Paul being in town for the first time in over 25 years.  Paul is a part of the "Irish Cousin" contingency of our family.  His family & their relation to us was discovered when my grandparents worked on their family geneaology years ago.  Paul grew up in Ireland but now lives in California with his wife and two adorable sons (one of which is a long lost twin of Henry's, I'm sure of it).  I decided to have a big ol' backyard "Beer Bourbon & BBQ" party at our house to celebrate his visit, and wow was it fun...and we had a smorgasboard of foods!  Along with some other great meals this week....here are links for some of the recipes I made this week....

Our Dinners Last Week ::
Mama's Night Out: I got a sneak peek of the newest Chuy's in Cincinnati...more on that soon!
Caprese Pizza & Salad
BLTs with Mac N Cheese
Caprese Grilled Cheese
Reds Game & Dinner with Family
Best Burgers EVER (with pretzel rolls from Trader Joe's) with Garlic Fries and Grilled Squash

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Party ::

Pulled Pork BBQ from BBQ Revue in Oakley
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Sliders (ALWAYS a hit, and easy to make!)
Crunchy Slaw
Fruit Salad
Saratoga Chips from Montgomery Inn
Red Potato Salad
Pasta Salad made by my Auntie Annie
Corn Relish made by my Aunt Patti

Crab Appetizers
Chips & Guacamole (made by Mara)
Tomato/Basil/Mozzarella Appetizers

Gooey Butter Cake
Watermelon & Sunshine Cookies from Vivian Sweets
Tea Cookies from Servatii's

For more menu planning inspiration visit my Recipe Archives or OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday roundup.

What's cooking at your house?

Here's some pictures of the tasty foods (and beverages) that we had at our party...