• Keep Pests Away: Use a bug bomb before your party and lite citronellas 1 hour before guests arrive. As an added touch offer individual bug spray wipes and/or spray for guests' convenient use.

• Keep It Cool: Ice, ice baby - general rule of thumb is 2 lbs. of ice per person.

• Keep Guests Hydrated: Have plenty of beverages on hand - make sure to consider all your guests: adults, children, elderly. Always offer cold water as a refreshing alternate beverage.

• Keep it Fresh: Use Vinaigrettes, not Mayonnaise to dress salad - mayo can spoil quickly on a hot, sunny day.

• Keep it Healthy: Reduce exposure to carcinogens when grilling by following these easy rules from the American Cancer Society.
  

1. Choose lean cuts of meat and trim excess fat from meat;
2. Line the grill with foil and poke small holes in the foil so some fat can drain down but not all the smoke can come back onto the meat;
3. Avoid charring meat and don't eat any part that is especially burned and black;
4. Pre-cook meat a bit inside the house then drain away the juices before putting the meat on the grill; and
5. Watch portion size; aim for a three-ounce portion. Kebabs are a perfect size.
   

One of summers' favorite foods is corn on the cob. But when you and the temps are boiling and the last thing you want to do is boil a big pot of water, we've got a tasty and easy alternative!

Tip No 4

Grill your Corn on the Cob
(Tastes Great - Less Work)

· Completely cover the ears of corn with cold water and soak for a good hour - you want to thoroughly saturate the husks to keep them from catching on fire.

· Grill the corn on medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning and rotating the ears as needed to to keep it from burning.

· If your ears start burning, place the them on indirect heat, like the top shelf of your grill or an unlit side of the grill and close the cover.

· Grilling your corn on the cob will produce a different (we think superior) end result. This combination of "steaming" the corn in the husks and grilling it actually causes some of the sugar from the kernels to carmelize producing one of the sweetest ears of corn you'll ever enjoy - you don't even need butter and salt (although some will insist it's part of the ritual).

· Remove ears from grill and allow to cool. Since they're insulated by the husks they'll stay warm until they're not "too hot to handle". (FYI - if you're unsure if corn is completely cooked, pierce a kernel, if it shoots out liquid it's done.

· For safety and sanitary purposes, use a clean kitchen towel to hold the ear while you husk the ears. You'll be surprised at how easy it is remove.Season as you like and enjoy!