Good Stuff for Your Next Backyard Shin Dig

Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us.  For many families that means kicking off the unofficial start to summer with a backyard BBQ or a party in the park.  In an effort to encourage you all to partake in just such a ritual, I’ve gathered up some helpful stuff to make your summertime celebrations a breeze.  Click through for the goods.

Lets start with a trio of cool treats, which are always a fun way to celebrate summer (even here in Seattle where the weather’s not exactly roasting).

First up is this recipe from The Mother Huddle for Coconut Ice Cream in Edible Bowls with Tropical Salsa.  Doesn’t that name just say it all?  Every part of this dish, including the bowl, sounds wonderful.

Next are these Banana Cream Pie-sicles from momtastic.  Pie + popsicle = bonus points with the hubs for a very long time!

And last in the frozen treats category, Hip Hip Hooray has rounded up recipes for four more gourmet homemade popsicles.

In the not-frozen-but-still-super-yummy category there’s this fruit salsa with baked cinnamon chips dish via The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Now that we’ve got the sweet stuff covered, let’s move onto the main dish.  Hot dogs and hamburgers are classics and will always be a fan favorite.  But why not fancy it up a bit this year and add this simple grilled pizza from Martha Stewart – Living in the Family Room.

The only two vital ingredients for a good party are good food and good people.  But if you’re feeling particularly festive then you might also want to check out these free cupcake toppers (and ideas on how to use them) by Babalisme, featured on Lil Magoolie.

And if you go all out with the pretty cupcakes then you might as well serve them up in style.  Here’s a clever tiered summer treat stand DIY from giver’s log.