The season of renewal is a great time to catch up on all the celebrations we likely missed over the last year. Creating an outdoor oasis or hosting a backyard bash doesn’t have to be labor intensive. You want to enjoy time with your guests outside in the sunshine and fresh air, not in the kitchen prepping, chopping, and cleaning up. We found a few ideas that can transform your backyard into a worthy escape from the everyday.
It’s graduation season! For a creative way to keep drinks for a crowd chilled, go inflatable. These trays are perfect for tabletops, or the grass, or anywhere you want to give easy access to cans and bottles that will stay cold for hours. Fill them with a variety of beverages from Butcher Boy’s selection of seltzers, soft drinks, beers, and wine while you’re shopping for your meal. The best part is, the trays simply drain, deflate, fold and store for future use without taking up too much space.
Celebrating a baby shower, engagement, or wedding shower? Set up a garden party atmosphere and use a floral theme for everything from decorations to food and beverages. Container plants around the deck or patio provide greens and color to brighten things up. How about putting some blossoms on stir sticks? Even the ice bucket can get dressed up, with fruit, herbs and flowers.
It’s easy to turn even an ordinary weekend evening or any occasion into an al fresco party with string lights. Use as many or as few as necessary to get just the right vibe.
When it comes to the menu, think simple finger foods, such as sliders and small sandwiches, grilled steak or chicken on skewers, or cut fruit. Now that New England’s weather is cooperating, it’s time to fire up the grill any day of the week and go all-in with steaks, marinated chicken, pork, and veggies. Don’t worry about needing extra groceries to make your own side dishes. You’ll find prepared sides of every variety at Butcher Boy. Choose from potato salad, pasta salad, mixed veggies, and so much more — all are available at Butcher Boy. To give your party the sweetest ending, pick up cakes, pies, and pastries from our bakery.
What are you celebrating this summer? Share your favorite party menu items and easy decoration tips with our community on Facebook or Instagram.
Burgers are usually a quick family favorite. Butcher Boy has the freshest ground beef for the best-tasting hamburgers. 
Up your weeknight game with 
True to my own style of cooking, I have developed a more modern recipe for Schweinebraten with a mushroom gravy. I use a pork butt with only a bit of fat still on. I dry rub the roast with a spice mix of caraway seeds (pulsed in grinder), marjoram, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Generously rub spices over the entire surface, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
After cooking is complete, let the roast rest on a cutting board and remove vegetables. Strain the pan juices and set aside. Cut baby bella mushrooms in quarters and sauté on medium-high heat with 4-6 tablespoons butter until just tender but still firm. Add pan juices and reduce until slightly thickened. Slowly add a corn starch slurry to thicken. Slice roast and serve with vegetables and gravy.
For many of us over the past year, an evening to celebrate a special occasion with dinner out on the town has been put on hold. In the meantime, we still need to celebrate, perhaps now more than ever. No matter your culinary talents — or lack thereof — any home cook can upgrade an ordinary night in, to give a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day (hint hint), or any big announcement or milestone the recognition it deserves.
Butcher Boy’s guest blog series is an opportunity for us to feature some of our customers, and to share their recipes, inspiration, and enjoyment of great food. Follow #RealPeopleRealFood on Instagram to see new posts in this series.
As I share on my website, I grew up in Andover, went to college in Maine and law school in Boston, and spend a lot of time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. My family and I love all things New England including its natural beauty and rich history. I try and include interesting pieces in my postings about the many wonderful things in New England, and have in the past posted about the tradition of the local farmer’s market, the Ammonoosuc River that runs off of Mt Washington, and visits to Whitefield, Littleton, Bethlehem, and Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. My hope is to include more posts about interesting places to visit throughout New England when travel is safer.
This year more than ever, we want to highlight the small businesses and charitable organizations in our community during the season of giving. These businesses employ our friends and neighbors, contribute to our local economy, and provide a vast array of goods and services. And in a year with overwhelming need and disruption, the charitable organizations in our community have stepped up efforts to provide food, housing, programs, and necessities to individuals and families, adapting their distribution and fundraising efforts to find new ways to continue meeting those needs safely.
