Many people will be planning a gathering for at least one more outdoor party during the Fall. If you are, make it easy and enjoyable.

Once you know how many guests are coming, you can begin to prepare. Most of the time, a large gathering is a barbecue. But depending on the heat, you may not want to be standing around a grill all day. I usually do something simple on the grill, like hamburgers or hot dogs, and have the rest of the food already made and heated. By doing this, I spend less time at the grill and less time in the kitchen. Depending on where you live, autumn can be a great time for a party since the weather may be cooler than during the summer months.

Most of the time I will make a pork or beef roast in advance. If you have a smoker, you can even do this outside the morning of the gathering. Because it needs to cook a long time, I will do it on a smoker or in a table top oven or slow cooker that I bring outside (to keep the house cool you can read ). Spice the roast the way you like or according to your favorite recipe, place in a pan or cooker with a little water and just let it cook for about three hours. That�s how you will end up with pulled pork or pulled beef. When it is done and cool enough to handle, I just start cutting and pulling apart. This goes a long way and people tend to really like it. I usually put out hamburger rolls for them to make sandwiches. You�d be surprised to see how many people it can feed.

I usually opt to make macaroni salad instead of potato salad since it is quicker and easier to make. It is also another dish that goes a long way. A pound of elbow macaroni can feed a pretty good crowd.

So that�s what is on my menu for a party with probably a few extras like chips and pickles. I learned the hard way to take the easy route. There are times when I do heavy duty cooking for gatherings, but most times it's easier for everyone if the menu is kept simple, easy and quick. Always remember to take time out to enjoy the day.