A cracking Australia Day party is best thrown stress-free with plenty of fun for your friends and family to enjoy. With the new year in full swing, there’s no better calling for a party than outdoors in your backyard living areas. From food and decor to signature cocktails for the occasion, celebrate in style this Australia Day with a stress-free party that’s sure to be a bloody ripper of a good time.
Barbies on the BBQ
Keep the cuisine simple on the day of your party. Australia Day and barbecuing go hand in hand, greatly lightening your load as host-with-the-patriotic-most. A great way to do this is to cook up the day’s menu ahead of time. From potato salad to creamy deviled eggs, look for recipes that are fresh, easy to assemble, and, most importantly, delicious.
Definitely Hit a Snag
What’s better than a snag? How about mini snags served on potato buns with a hint of a signature aioli? Here’s a recipe will give you the skinny on how to deliver a pint-sized barbecue punch come Australia Day:
- Start by inquiring with your butcher for an ideal size. This appetizer-sized sausage should be smaller than the traditional snag, yet large enough to still encompass that summery smoke flavor.
- It is at the market that you should also be able to find potato buns for serving your Australia Day snags. They don’t have to be of the potato variety, but they should be very rich in texture and ideal for toasting.
- Remove your grill cover and get down to the grit of cooking your snags. You can also grill the likes of onion and bell peppers for even more flavorful toppings.
- While your snags heat up, you can get started on your aioli. For those who may be intimidated by aioli, just think of it as fancy mayonnaise.
- Toast your buns on your grill top until golden and crispy, slide your snag right in, top with onions, pepper, and your aioli and you’ve got the main course covered.
What’s a main course without a few helpful additions? Serve your snags with lemony prawn kebabs, a salad of fresh summer greens, savory meat pies from your favourite small business takeaway spot, and a selection of bakery bought pastries and treats for dessert.
State of the Decoration
Decor is especially important for an occasion as prestigious as Australia Day. Australia Day decorations encompass the resilient spirit of the nation with the pomp and circumstance of red, white, and blue everything. Plates, napkins, tablecloths – any combination of accoutrement is not only the conventional choice for decor but the expectation for your guests as they arrive at the scene.
Embellish your party with accentuating flags. You can go big and you can go small, but you can never go wrong with Australian flags in a variety of sizes as decoration. Summer is also peak season for floral arrangements. Take your party to the next level with selections of Waratahs, Proteas, Banksias, and Birds of Paradise. These flowers scream “summer!” and can turn any decorative ambiance up to eleven, especially an Australia Day party.
Decor can also have the power to extend polite courtesy to guests at your party. Outdoor chair covers and waterproof patio furniture covers personalized for the occasion can dissuade guests from taking refuge in spaces not outlined as the designated seating arrangements in the party collection.
Pin the Tail on the Kangaroo
Every good host knows that entertaining guests is part of the job. And while a game of Pin the Tail on the Boomer is certainly fun, you’ll definitely need more activities to keep your guest occupied.
Break the ice with trivia games celebrating Australia Day. Coasters are a great canvas to etch down various facts and questions, inviting your guests to mix and mingle amongst each other with a fun game to keep them guessing.
Other yard games like horseshoes, lawn darts, cricket, croquette, badminton, and volleyball are also crowd-pleasers that offer guests more active options should they feel the need for athleticism.
Limitless Libations
Tuesday, January 26 is prime real estate for the summer cocktail season. A signature libation is just what your Australia Day party needs to go over the top.
Is there anything more refreshing than a Shandy on a hot summer day? A good Spiked Shandy is a spirit worth conjuring on Australia Day:
- In a large glass pitcher, mix 1.25L chilled lemon-lime soda with bitters.
- Add 3 x 330ml bottles of ice-cold light lager and 180ml spiced rum.
- Stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Garnish in mason jars with chilled fruit for a Spiked Shady de jour.
Serve your Shandies alongside other classic cocktails of the barbie, or even good old-fashioned beer from the cooler. Carlton Draught is a great choice for a warm summer’s day. Other favorites of the holiday include Colonial Pale Ale and Cheeky Monkey Mid.
Hello, Goodbye
When the festivities wind down, it’s important to have a plan to get your backyard living area back in order. The joy of a stress-free party lies in proper planning and cleaning up should be no exception. Using completely recyclable materials for the party, for example, makes cleaning up any extra waste a breeze
Wipe down the outdoor furniture with a warm wet towel and place sectional slipcovers over any larger pieces of furniture in your outdoor collection. Outdoor chair covers and other waterproof patio furniture covers can be fitted over smaller pieces, while fire pit covers protect any outdoor fire fixtures. Once completed, give your porch or patio a solid sweep before hosing down any areas where you have food or beverage spills.
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