Weekend Beach, Pool or Park Barbeque Party

This is San Diego:  average year-round temperature of 70.5°!!  Take advantage of beautiful Mission Bay which contains 27 miles of shoreline, 19 of which are sandy beaches.  Inland, there are lots of parks available;  You may choose to host an event poolside or in your own backyard!  There really is no excuse not to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Planning Hints:

• Remind guests to bring beach towels
• Music!  Set the mood with tropical tunes like Bob Marley, Beach Boys, or Jimmy Buffett
• Bright yellow flowers, like daffodils or sunflowers make great centerpieces
• Provide sunscreen for guests who may forget to bring their own.
• Have plenty of ice available!

• a Tiki Party with Polynesian food (mango & shrimp wraps, chicken satay with peanut sauce, and fun tropical drinks)
• Americana (traditional hot dogs, burgers and beer)
• A New England-style ‘Clambake’ (with steamed clams, grilled lobster tails, corn on the cob, red potato salad, and ‘Cape Cods’ (Cocktail of vodka & cranberry)

Visit the Quail Botanical Gardens or the Carlsbad Flower Fields to see them in person.  And shouldn’t everyone be able to enjoy fresh flowers?—they always bring a smile to people’s faces.  A local company strives to do just that: Blooms From The Heart (http://bloomsfromtheheart.org) sends a message of caring and compassion to those in need by recycling leftover flowers from special events, venues and businesses, and delivering the re-purposed arrangements to San Diego area hospitals, senior homes, hospice centers and other facilities where they can be enjoyed again!  If you are interested in donating your flowers after they have served their original purpose, contact Blooms From The Heart and they will schedule a time to pick them up, free of charge—so easy!

***SEASONAL FOODS***

Consider the benefits of eating foods at the peak of their season: Seasonal foods offer the most flavor, pack the biggest nutritional punch, and are the most cost effective. Today's global marketplace makes it possible to buy all types of food year-round, but buying seasonal produce provides an opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes. And it simply tastes better! Click here to see what's in season, year round!

Eating seasonal foods just feels right, and it reminds us of the associations we formed when first developing our love of food. Chomping on sweet, juicy watermelon on a hot summer's night while watching fireworks (summer fruits and vegetables are naturally high in water content to quench our thirst and cool us down from the heat)….Slurping on steamy cup of hearty vegetable soup, filled with sweet potatoes and winter squash, on cold night (these winter veggies provide sustained energy and generate warmth as the temperatures get colder).