I just realized that Labor Day is right around the corner and I haven’t even thought about making plans for the long weekend. Although I’d love to get some biking under my belt, I think I’d prefer to stay close to town instead of scrambling to come up with ideas for a destination that won’t be packed for the last holiday of the summer. Besides, it’s been a few weeks since I last visited the farmer’s market, so Labor Day is a great excuse to invite some friends over and grill up some market-fresh veggie kabobs along with steaks and burgers. There is nothing like outdoor cooking and entertaining to celebrate the end of summer.

I basically want to do a fuss-free yet fabulous evening with friends. I think the best way to pull it off is with some food that is relatively easy to cook, like steak and kabobs, with a couple unique side dishes and cocktails. I still haven’t set the menu, but luckily I found these great Labor Day party planning links:

• Food Network: Labor Day Recipes
• About.com: A Labor Day End of Summer Party
• All Recipes: Labor Day
• Rachael Ray: Labor Day Party