Friends Food & Fun: Essentials to #MakeSummerGreat via @WalmartCanada & @Listen2Lena

One way to #MakeSummerGreat is to start it off 

with an invitation to Lena's for a BBQ!

Close your eyes and visualize a beautiful sunny day, a specially-designed menu prepared by chefs, where my only job is to enjoy catching up with friends and feasting on the culinary delights.

Sounds good doesn't it? And then visualize being able to easily recreate those same culinary delights when you host your own get-together. These budget-friendly menu ideas definitely meet the criteria for my make summer fun essentials list, and are perfect to get you out of the kitchen and into the fun.

My Make Summer Great Essentials List only has 3 items on it:
1) Friends and Family: In my opinion a great mix of guests with diverse and interesting personalities, ages and life experiences is sure to keep any get-together fun and memorable.
2) Great Food and Beverages: Nothing brings people together better than sharing a delicious selection of foods and beverages.
3) Fun: The fun factor is a must every step along the way; in the guest list, the food and the presentation. Get creative and make sharing a meal and time together an adventure. Think out side the box ... so to speak. For example, find ways to take plain burgers out of the box and transform them into something special. FYI it really is easier than you may think to make summer great!

Lena brought her A game with all 3 essentials to make her summer BBQ great.
1) It goes without saying the company was fabulous and fun! 2) With some help from Walmart Canada and Great Value products Lena shared some favourite ideas for what I like to call "almost from scratch". Let Walmart make the basics and then bring it to a whole new level with personalized touches. Which brings us to 3) the Fun Factor. The food presentation was delightful making it an experience and adventure rather than just a meal.

Below are some of the experiences and adventures Lena shared with us:
Signature Beverages: Nothing says fun like signature beverages. (you can even give them fun themed names like Cathy's Kaleidoscope of Flavours Punch) At Lena's we had the pleasure of experiencing: A sparkling Watermelon Limeade and a Berry-Mint Iced Tea.

Appetizers: or as I like to say "appe-teasers", since they give everyone a hint of the delicious things to come. Lena started with Rainbow Fruit Kebobs and Creamy Lemon Dip. I love the fun factor the mini mason jars added. Then we moved onto veggies and chips served with a to die for Creamy Taco Dip.

Burger Bonanza: Lena brought burgers from boring to breathtaking with an assortment of topping options and sauce options, including a Secret Burger Sauce! (Psst ... click the link for the secret sauce recipe, but keep it on the down-low ... it's a secret) 

Dessert: It was a display of eye candy ... literally a selection of candy sure to please everyone. Nothing says fun like an ice cream sundae bar! Lena served ours in Marshmallow Cereal Bowls. And, I think we can all agree my ice cream sundae artistic abilities are truly outstanding!

Are you hungry yet? I bet you're ready to plan and "experience" of your own. I hope these entertainment and menu ideas help inspire you to #MakeSummerGreat.
I would like to thank Lena the hostess with the most-est, Anne and Walmart Canada for a lovely afternoon. They thought of everything, including sunscreen. 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about ways to #MakeSummerGreat.

This post is sponsored by Walmart Canada, as part of the Great Value #MakeSummerGreat program. In exchange for this review, I have received special perks in the form of product and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.