It’s BBQ time and patriotic time! For this 4th of July celebration, add flavor to the expected with a little unexpected. We love our hot dogs. A hot dog is greatly improved by grilling a whole sausage for the meat instead of the regular hot dog meat. Sausage comes in a variety of flavors and blends. Add a touch of BBQ sauce and the flavor meter increases again. Also, everyone loves an interesting bread selection for their BBQ beef sandwich. Offer chutney blends to flavor the sandwiches, in addition to plain pickles. Create a build-your-own nacho station by offering good corn chips, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, fajita beef (or homemade roast beef sautéed with green peppers and onions), and melted cheese that can be scooped with a dipper. Create an all-American beer selection served in flight glasses for a great conversation starter and soirée discussion. Another improvement on traditional apple pie is to bake the pie and fill mason jars with layers of the baked pie. Top each jar with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. The presentation is a winner and the prearranged pie-in-the-jar concept saves time when serving a crowd. A time saver is to pre-roll the silverware with big napkins. It’s efficient and demonstrates thoughtful entertaining. Tag line the wonderful menu in French since the France was our revolutionary ally. (It’s amazing how many people don’t know that.) Bring on the fireworks and celebrate America. It’s time to be a patriot! © Kelly McBride Loft