Hectic Host: Go On Make His Day! Father's Day Made Easy

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By far the best way to celebrate Father’s day is with a Barbeque. It couldn’t be more perfect. The kids can help with the preparation, the big kid can do the grilling and mum can sit under a tree with a glass of Sancerre. 



What is more if you plan it properly you won’t even have to do any washing up. Organic bottled St Peter's Beer, free from hangover inducing additives, will save you banging on Pete's pearly gates to be let in the morning after. Bottled beers also save on soap suds; the rinsed empties can go straight into the recycling. Serve food you can cook and eat on a wooden  screwer.

A wonderful, cheap and effective way to add more patio seating is to buy a whole load of these funky bags you can find in most hardware stores and stuff them with foam rubber or those Quaver type things that flood your kitchen every time you open a mail order package. At last! A use for them! Voilà you have an instant floor cushion that wipes clean and even comes with a handy handle! I do this at home but rather than invest in foam rubber – and we reuse all our Quavers irritating our mail order customers - my friends loll around on my winter woollies! They go back under the bed afterwards. Incidentally this is a top tip if you suffer from moths the zip up bags are moth-proof especially if you include a few of Mrs White’s all natural Moth Off sachets.

If your party is going to go on past the bairns’ bedtime then you will have to think about some outdoor lighting. A simple and romantic way to cast some light on the subject is to simply save your old jam jars and string them from trees and bushes lit from votive candles 

No garden party would be complete without bunting and as it is Father’s Day it is time to hang out the flags. I love vintage style bunting from The Garden Trading Company, which does a good boyish blue one.

Bangers and burgers may be the staple of most BBQs but you are better off with some thin cuts of meat which will cook all the way through. If you are doing drumsticks it is a good idea to microwave them first so they are cooked on the inside. Duck legs are delicious barbequed, especially if you marinade them over night in the fridge in orange juice and toss orange peel onto the coals. 

Another absolute winner is corn on the cob grilled in its leafy husk. Soak the corn in water for a few hours, shake and place on the grill for around 10 minutes. The leaves will start to char but don’t worry inside the corn will be steaming and will be so sweet and tender you won’t need any butter. Also the husk peels back to create a convenient handle. Even less washing up! 

Shucked oysters barbeque well, cook them in the half shell and throw some lemon peel on the flames. 

For pudding some cubed fruit on a skewer coated with a sugary, syrupy liqueur such as Amaretto, grilled on the barbeque until they start to caramelise. 


The Citronella based candles are perfect for urban patios but beware if you are picnicking in the Rockies this Father's Day, Citronella attracts bears. 

'Dad where are you!'

Hectic Host appears monthly in SE Magazines.


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