Shake off that gloomy end-of-summer feeling! The season may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop now. Labour Day weekend is THE time to plan a barbecue! If you’re not travelling or attending an event yourself, this is your opportunity to take advantage of the last warm weekends, and put on a great cookout for friends and family.

Before you get busy in the kitchen, there are a few tips we thought were important to keep in mind while planning your outdoor cookout. With these useful pointers, your outdoor ambiance will be just as pleasant as you plan it to be!

Create a critter-free space:

Protect your friends and family from unwanted guests by setting up bug-repellent candles. They can even double as décor accents if you add the right touch! Find some cute candle holders here.

Break out the outdoor entertainment:

One of the perks of hosting an outdoor event is that the food and fun can all be in one space! Put out a beach ball or set up a table for some games to help bring the party level up a notch. You can check out our tabletop games here.

Keep it cool:

We’ve been saying it, and we’ll say it again—it’s still summer. That means the sun and the heat will (hopefully) be just as strong as ever! Give guests options for cooling off, whether it be sitting under trees or an umbrella, playing in the pool, running through a sprinkler, or enjoying a refreshing drink (you can find some delicious summer cocktail drinks here).

Impress your guests, but don’t blow them away:

Wind can often cause havoc at an outdoor event. You can use decorative accents or vases with flowers to weigh down napkins and tablecloths so they don’t get taken by the wind!

Create a fun vibe → Grill-tastic!:

Don’t shy away from using your grill! Your guests are expecting it, so why not prepare your sides and appetizers on the grill as well? If it’s possible timing-wise, it’ll make life easier!

A  BBQ is a great opportunity to make good on those promises you made for summertime catch-ups and hang-outs. Hosting a gathering everyone will remember is just the thing to end the summer on a high note! A successful barbecue is easy to plan when you have our handy tips, and the help of blogger and recipe developer Anne of @lafille.du3eme! She’s planned not one, but three jaw-droppingly easy and delicious recipes for your Labour Day cookout. You must be wondering: What makes these recipes so hassle-free? Well, they’re all skewers, which makes cooking and serving a breeze! What’s more? These recipes feature a variety of food, which provides a mix of flavours that will satisfy any palate: Spicy Pineapple-Mozarella Skewers, Tex-Mex Veggie Skewers and Potato Duo Skewers.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your epic end-of-summer cookout!

Helping you end the summer with a bang,

I consider myself a passionate person. I have a passion for life, for everything it brings and the experiences it provides. I grew up surrounded by people who have a passion for cooking. Inevitably, this has influenced how I decided live my life. I obtained a technical diploma in dietetics at Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe. Afterwards, I started working as a technician at the Montreal General Hospital in Food Service Management. I learnt that there is a strong relationship between health and nutrition and enjoyed the chance to apply the knowledge I gained in my education to the real world. Although I loved nutrition, hospital environment was not for me. I decided to make a career change and I worked as a supervisor at Starbucks. I enjoyed being in a leadership position and wanted to study in a field that would help develop my leadership skills. I completed studies in Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal, which opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship—something I found incredibly interesting and appealing.

My interest in entrepreneurship gave birth to new dreams and ambitions: my blogger identity and brand (thegirlfromthe3rdfloor), my culinary blog, and the goal of one day opening my own café-boutique.  I work hard every day to accomplish my dreams and I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. The path to where you want to be can be challenging, but if you listen to your heart, you will achieve your goal.

Follow Anne on Facebook, Instagram and on her blog: www.thegirlfromthe3rdfloor.com

For everyone out there who loves to entertain, but doesn’t have bottomless pockets – this one is for you! In collaboration with recipe developer, blogger, and Montreal-native Anne Bernard-Gobeil (also known as girlfromthe3rdfloor), we’ve created a meal for 4 that will cost you only $20. What’s more is that it’s finally BBQ season and these recipes can easily be made on the grill! Deliciously economical, the dinner features tasty coriander chicken brochettes with moist cooked-on-the-BBQ Grelot potatoes (also known as baby potatoes) and a fresh tomato, cucumber and Bocconcini salad.

This recipe includes many items that you may already have in your kitchen. Anne factored in her calculations the cost of many of these basic ingredients, such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic, honey, maple syrup, yogurt, sour cream, etc… But if you have most of these ingredients already at home, you may even spend less!

Whether it’s a meal for family or friends, an easy weeknight dinner or entertaining on the weekend– when money’s on your mind, your taste buds don’t have to suffer! Let Anne, thegirlfromthe3rdfloor, lead the way and show you how to put on a delectable dinner for yourself and three others. Delicious dining can be inexpensive!

Why not serve this low-cost dinner in style? You know our stores are the place to find good prices and Anne set a gorgeous, inviting table using our Ice Aqua Dinnerware Set, Lexie Mirror Flatware, Ivory Nature tablecloth, Faux Wood Tray and Primavera Stemless Glasses.

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Chicken Brochettes

Servings 4 people

Author thegirlfromthe3rdfloor

Ingredients

• - 16 wooden skewers soaked in water
• - 800 g of boneless chicken thigh $10.00, cut into strips
• - ¼ cup olive oil 60¢
• - Juice from 1/2 lemon 25¢, 1 tablespoon set aside for the yogurt sauce
• - 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup less than 10¢
• - 1 clove of garlic less than 5¢, minced
• - 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander less than 25¢, minced
• - Salt and pepper

Instructions

• On our Marble Chopping Board, Cut the chicken into strips using the Tory Ceramic Chef Knife and set aside. Mince the garlic and the coriander.
  
• In a large bowl from our set of thinkkitchen Assorted Coloured Bowls, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken into the bowl and mix thoroughly until the chicken is completely covered with the marinade.
• Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let it marinate.
• Thread about 6 strips on to each skewer by folding the strip in half and placing the skewer through both ends of the strip.
• Heat BBQ to medium heat (350°F). Grill for 8 minutes, turning over occasionally with the thinkkitchen Tongs.
• Make sure that the chicken is cooked correctly. You can cut into the chicken making sure it has lost its rubbery consistency and that there is no pink colour remaining, or use our Bios Digital Thermometer to check that the inside is at the appropriate temperature (165°F).
• Serve in our Green thinkkitchen Rectangular Baker.

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Yogurt Sauce

Servings 4 people

Author thegirlfromthe3rdfloor

Ingredients

• - 2/3 cup of plain yogurt around 75¢, sour cream, or a mix of both. Use what you have at home
• - 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander less than 25¢, minced
• - 2 teaspoons of fresh mint less than 10¢, minced
• - 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup less than 5¢
• - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• - Salt and pepper

Instructions

• In a medium bowl from our thinkkitchen Assorted Coloured Bowls, combine all the ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  

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Fresh Tomato, Cucumber and Bocconcini Salad

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• - 2 fresh tomatoes $1.25, cut into cubes
• - ½ an English cucumber 50¢, diced
• - 10 mini Bocconcinis $2.30, drained and cut in halves
• - 2 tablespoons olive oil 30¢
• - 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar less than 10¢
• - Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Cut the tomatoes into cubes and dice the cucumber. Drain the Bocconcini and chop them in half.
• In the Shallow Gerbera Bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss the salad until well mixed.
• Cover and place in the refrigerator until time to serve.

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Grelot Potatoes Cooked in Foil

Servings 4 people

Author thegirlfromthe3rdfloor

Ingredients

• - 1.5 lb of Grelot potatoes $2.99, cut in half
• - 1 onion 20¢, roughly chopped
• - Olive oil
• - Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the BBQ to a medium heat (350°F).
• Place the halved potatoes and chopped onion on a big sheet of foil. Drizzle on the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil sheet and crimp the edges to make a tightly sealed packet. Make sure there is some extra space in the aluminum foil package to let air circulate.
• Put the package on the top grill of your BBQ and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender.
• Note: Heat may vary from one BBQ to another. Periodically check to make sure you are not overcooking your potatoes.

Cost of Meal: About $20.04

Here to help you achieve your everyday entertaining goals,

I consider myself a passionate person. I have a passion for life, for everything it brings and the experiences it provides. I grew up surrounded by people who have a passion for cooking. Inevitably, this has influenced how I decided to live my life. I obtained a technical diploma in dietetics at Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe. Afterwards, I started working as a technician at the Montreal General Hospital in Food Service Management. I learnt that there is a strong relationship between health and nutrition and enjoyed the chance to apply the knowledge I gained in my education to the real world. Although I loved nutrition, hospital environment was not for me. I decided to make a career change and I worked as a supervisor at Starbucks. I enjoyed being in a leadership position and wanted to study in a field that would help develop my leadership skills. I completed studies in Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal, which opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship which I found incredibly interesting and appealing.

My interest in entrepreneurship gave birth to new dreams and ambitions; my blogger identity and brand (thegirlfromthe3rdfloor), my culinary blog, and the goal of one day opening my own café-boutique.  I work hard every day to accomplish my dreams and I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. The path to where you want to be can be challenging but if you listen to your heart, you will achieve your goal.

Follow thegirldfromthe3rdfloor on Facebook, Instagram, and on her blog: www.thegirlfromthe3rdfloor.com

By making your own veggie chips you can choose which vegetables and seasoning to use. It doesn’t take long and they are quite simple to make once you have the right equipment. Slicing the vegetables becomes a really easy task thanks to a mandolin, also be sure to use a peeler to remove the skin. It’s also a little bit easier if you have a wire rack that can be placed on your baking sheet because then you won’t need to flip the chips over halfway through cooking. You also need a cooling rack to place your chips once they are baked.

These recipes are just to cook the chips but you can add any seasoning you want. You can pretty much use any type of vegetable for this recipe; we suggest trying eggplant, zucchini, and carrots! Seasoning suggestions are salt, pepper, paprika and rosemary … etc.

Beet: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Wash 2 medium sized beets and slice as thin as possible on mandolin. In a mixing bowl, toss them with 1½ tbsp and seasoning of choice to evenly coat, then bake in the oven on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes; don’t forget without a wire rack check to flip them over after about 15 minutes. Once they are done baking, let them cool before tasting. Beets are a great source of nutrients and fiber; they help fight inflammation, lower blood pressure, have anti-cancer properties and boost your stamina.

Taro Chips – heat oven to 400 degrees
Taro Root is not the most common vegetable, but they taste great as a crisped chip and are a great source of Vitamin C and Potassium. Taro root works better if you peel the skin off, and slice them as thinly as possible. Once again, toss 1 sliced taro root with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and any other seasoning you wish to add. Place the slices on a baking sheet, they can be touching but make sure they do not overlap. Bake them for 12 minutes before flipping them over for another 12 minutes. Give them about 3 more minutes to cool down and crisp a little bit more before eating. Be sure to watch them carefully so they don’t burn.

Sweet Potato: heat oven to 450 degrees
Sweet potatoes are great when baked and even better when turned into a healthy alternative snack choice! They are high in potassium, dietary fiber and Vitamin A and have countless health benefits. It’s the same steps as the other two but this one cook 2 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced, on a higher temperature (450) and start with 10 minutes on one side before flipping them over for another 10. You want to pull them out when they are crunchy on the edges but tender in the middle.

You might have to wait a bit longer for some of them to fully crisp as every oven is different. A good trick if you have the time is to cook for the specified amount of time, then turn off the oven but keep your chips in there for about an hour. Because these chips are sliced so thinly they can burn very quickly or if they’re not thin enough they won’t crisp or just take longer. A lot can go wrong so don’t be disappointment if it doesn’t come out perfectly your first try, it takes some practice!