It’s been a hectic summer filled with all sorts of family emergencies. From broken necks to broken backs to a brain aneurysm, our family has been through the wringer this year. That’s why I was thrilled when I discovered my “spare” daughter was flying in from Colorado for a visit. I planned to celebrate with a family cookout, but I wanted this dinner to be extra special. Sure, I had all the basics; burgers, grilled chicken, baked beans, potato salad, and banana pudding. What more did I need? Glad you asked! Here’s some products I’ve discovered to “up the ante. ” These great additions for your next cookout or barbeque will make it an event to remember.

Great Additions for Your Next Cookout

Snacks

What fun is a barbeque without some snacks? We served KrackCorn (dubbed “the ultimate snacking experience”) before the meal to help cure the munchies. Not only is Krackcorn gluten-free, but it’s also made with non-Gmo corn and without high fructose corn syrup. Developed from a secret family recipe, this is a light but filling toffee-flavored popcorn. Everyone in the family enjoyed it, from the five-year-old and up!

Available in two sizes, the 11-ounce “Sharing,” and the 4-ounce “I’m Not Sharing,” you’ll want to keep this on hand for family movie nights or, really, anytime you want a snack. It would also be a great base for a Halloween or Christmas party mix. Just add some nuts and chocolate or peanut butter candy pieces and you’ll have an easy treat no one will be able to resist for your next party.

Beverages

Iced sweet tea is the (unofficial) drink of the South. It seems everyone has their own “secret family recipe.” While my family loves sweet tea, I’ve always been put off by the syrupy sweetness. Thankfully, a few years ago I discovered flavored tea. These teas are delicious served year-round, hot or cold, and can be used as the base for punch, lemonade, or even sangria.

One of my favorite brands is Oteas. All of their teas are Non-GMO and many varieties are certified organic, gluten-free, naturally caffeine-free, or vegan. They make a conscious effort to help the planet with their zero-waste packaging, using recyclable packaging and biodegradable tea bags I can add to my garden or my compost pile.

The best part of these teas? They come in so many different flavors that taste good. Whether it’s tea bags, loose-leaf, or matcha, Oteas has a blend for you. I’m a fan of their teabags which come in black, green, herbal, chai, organic, and functional varieties, while my kids favor the loose-leaf versions.

Want to try something new at your next barbeque? Mix together 2 cups of Oteas Green Tea with Peppermint, 1 (12-ounce) container of frozen lemonade, and 4 cups of water. Chill and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Good Additions

Whether you’re creating a topping for your grilled steak, corn on the cob, or toasting buns, a touch of Chef Shamy gourmet butter can elevate your food to new heights. Seriously. We sauteed some mushrooms and onions in Chef Shamy’s Garlic Butter with Parmesan and Basil and used it as a steak topping. It was amazing and several people asked how we made it.

Chef Shamy Butter started as a Christmas gift for friends and family. It was such a hit he began producing his recipe to sell, eventually expanding to include new flavors like Asiago and Chives, Lemon Herb, and chocolate. All of Chef Shamy butter is 100% real butter. It’s also gluten-free, preservative-free, certified kosher, and halal. This butter is reasonably priced and, since a little bit adds a lot of flavor, it’s an easy way to “up your cooking game.”

Fun Items for Ambiance

I’m obsessed with a house that smells fresh and clean. I love it when people enter the house and say, “Your house smells good! Are you baking something????” Let’s face it. If you have kids or pets, your house can sometimes be a little more “aromatic” than you’d prefer. My secret weapon to prevent those odors is my Happy Wax Signature Wax Warmers. I’ve placed them in my kitchen and one of my bathrooms. Seriously, I ordered an extra one because I like them so much.

What sold me on these? The easy-clean-up and fix-it-and-forget-it features. Once I set the timer for either 3, 6, or 9 hours, it will warm for the prescribed amount of time and then turn itself off. No more wondering if I left the warmer on too long or if I forgot to turn it off.

There are several colors/styles available to match almost any decor, plus it has an unusual feature not found in most warmers; a no-scrape silicone wax melt dish. All I need to do to clean the dish is remove the silicone dish, drop the wax cooled wax in the garbage, replace the dish, and it’s good to go.

If you are worried about finding a fragrance you like, Happy Wax has over 40 long-lasting scents. All of the cute teddy-bear-shaped melts are made with all-natural soy and essential oil-infused, phthalate-free fragrances, and are available in 3 sizes.

What’s a cookout if you can’t crank up the tunes? The iLive Cush Bluetooth Air Cushion Speaker provides us with both pleasure and peace of mind. With this shockproof and waterproof speaker, I no longer have to worry about devices getting dropped in a cooler of ice (yes, seriously) or in the kiddie pool. Instead, this speaker is made to be dropped in the pool and is designed to float! You can toss it in with no worries.

The built-in rechargeable speaker takes approximately 4 hours to charge, but, when fully charged, will work for up to 18 hours at 50% volume. Two speakers can be connected for a surround sound “Party Plus” mode. This, along with the seven color-changing light modes, makes it a welcome feature on our patio after sunset.

This speaker’s small, lightweight shape and the shock-absorbing cover make it ideal for travel on the long road trips I’ve had to make. It can be connected to Bluetooth, a Micro SD memory card, or other devices using a 3.5 mm audio cable, which is not included.


Cooking and entertaining have always been some of my favorite summer activities. I enjoy creating custom tablescapes and decorations for different events–usually. This summer I haven’t been feeling it. My philosophy became “grab a paper plate, a plastic fork and enjoy.” Then, I discovered Angie’s Tables.

Angie is an expert at curating and creating beautiful tablescapes with over 14 years of experience. Using one of her themed tablescapes as a guide, I had my table ready in a snap.

These table kits include everything I needed to begin my table design. The kit, delivered in a keepsake box, contained a tablecloth, a table runner, 4 plate chargers, 4 napkins, 4 napkin holders, two candles, and two candleholders. All the items are high-quality and designed to be used again and again.

To show how easy it is to design with the Angie’s Tables kit, I created four different looks with my kit; “drinks and dessert, ” “Easter Brunch,” “Simple Summer Cookout,” and “An Evening with Friends.” I added a few items I had in my kitchen and dining room, along with the items from Angie’s Tables, and had a beautiful design in only a few minutes.

I hope these items provide inspiration for your next cookout! What are your favorite ideas for making your cookouts or barbeques extra special?