Much about July makes the fourth day of the month the ideal time to celebrate — school is out, the weather is warm and the relaxed attitude of summer has typically taken hold.

Here are some tips on hosting a July Fourth party to ensure everyone has a good time:

• Don’t try to break the mold. Some hosts may be tempted to think outside the box in regard to the foods and beverages they’ll serve. While hosts can still experiment and serve new foods and creative cocktails at their parties, many guests will be anticipating some Fourth of July staples, such as grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and cold beer and lemonade. Making sure such foods and beverages are served alongside more experimental fare won’t disappoint traditionalists or those looking for something beyond the norm.

• Leave the fireworks to the professionals. Hosts should not succumb to pressure, real or perceived, to supply fireworks at their Fourth of July parties. Fireworks can lead to injuries and accidents and are best left to the professionals who put on community fireworks shows. Discourage guests from bringing their own fireworks by making it known they will be asked to leave the party if they do.

• Arrange transportation home for guests. To make sure everyone gets home safe and sound, arrange in advance for some guests to serve as designated drivers. Hosts also should abstain from consuming alcohol during the party so they can get people home safely, if necessary.

Yard bird

No July Fourth party would be complete without grilled meat. If burgers and hot dogs don’t light your fuse, nothing beats the taste of grilled chicken.

Some people have difficulty grilling flavorful chicken, while others cannot put chicken over an open flame without overcooking or undercooking it. The following tips for grilling chicken can help poultry lovers grill flavorful chicken.

• Cook to the appropriate temperature. Many cooks have conducted the eyeball test when grilling chicken, removing chicken that appears cooked from their grills only to cut the chicken open and see it’s pink. Putting chicken that’s been sliced open back on the grill can compromise its flavor once it’s fully cooked. Guidelines established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend cooking poultry to 165 degrees, whether it’s a whole chicken, turkey, poultry parts, duck or goose. Measure the internal temperature using a food thermometer, only removing the chicken once it’s reached 165.

• Employ two-zone cooking. Chicken cooks most evenly when grilled at a lower temperature. When the grill temperature is too high, the outside of the chicken may burn while the inside might still be pink. Grill chicken over a two-zone fire in which the heat source, whether it’s charcoal briquets or propane gas, is on one side of the grill. Once the outside of the chicken has crisped over, it can be moved to the cool side of the grill. Shut the lid and allow the inside of the chicken to reach the recommended temperature.

• Wait to apply barbecue sauce. Barbecued chicken is a favorite food to grill, but it’s important to apply barbecue sauce at the right time. Many barbecue sauces contain lots of sugar, which burns quickly over an open flame. That can give cooks the impression their chicken is cooked, even if it needs significantly more time to reach the recommended temperature. Cooks should wait to apply barbecue sauce until right before the chicken is done cooking. This prevents the sauce from turning to char and ensures the flavor of the barbecue sauce is preserved.

• Recognize not all chicken cooks at the same pace. Different parts of the chicken will cook more quickly than others. Chicken breasts may take the longest time to reach 165, while thighs might need only a few minutes to reach that temperature.

Avoid grill disasters

No matter what you cook on the grill, meat can be quickly ruined by one too many flare-ups. Those same flare-ups may also lead to grill fires and bodily injury. Here are a few ways to reduce the risk of high flames and overcooked foods:

• Trim fat. Excess fat that drips down into the coals can ignite easily. Trim as much fat as possible without sacrificing flavor. Consider using lean meats in burger patties.

• Limit use of sauces and marinades. Sugary or oily marinades and sauces may be more prone to ignition. Try dry rubs and then add a small amount of sauce when the heat is low during the final minutes of cooking.

• Wait to grill until windy conditions abate. Oxygen fuels fires, and wind that can channel between the grates may cause bigger flames. Try to keep the grill away from windy areas or wait until the wind dies down before cooking.

• Leave the lid open. The grill manufacturer CharBroil advises leaving the lid open when searing fatty foods.

• Keep a clean grill. Remove residue from the belly of the grill and clean the grates after each use.

A sweet treat

Whether vanilla, strawberry or peach, homemade ice cream is a popular July Fourth staple for many. Making ice cream is a fun way to bring the family together with the reward of a tasty prize for all the effort. Here are some tips for making ice cream at home:

• Buy quality ingredients. Choose fresh, high-quality ingredients. Real vanilla beans or extract produces better flavor than imitation. Select in-season berries and other fruits and, if possible, use organic milk. All of these ingredients will blend together for fresh flavor.

• Freeze equipment early. Cold equipment is necessary to produce ice cream. Store the bowls of an ice cream maker in the freezer to keep them ready for when the mood strikes to make a batch.

• Avoid ice crystallization. According to Food 52, a foodie equipment and recipe resource, ice crystals in the ice cream can ruin the texture by making ice cream crunchy. Freezing ice cream quickly at very cold temperatures is essential. That means freezing the bowl and keeping the ingredient mix cold. Spinning the ice cream and transferring it quickly to the freezer helps keep ice crystals small.

• Keep mix-ins small. Mix-ins, like cookie pieces or cake crumbs, can add a different dimension to ice cream. Chill the ingredients and make sure they are small (roughly the size of chocolate chips). Add them after the ice cream is entirely frozen.

• Watch alcohol use. Alcohol can create a tipsy ice cream experience, but adding too much can interfere with ice cream’s ability to freeze. Therefore, use it sparingly.

• Store ice cream smartly. According to David Lebovitz, author of “The Perfect Scoop,” store ice cream in a shallow container to keep it softer. Also, cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming. Homemade ice cream will last for roughly a week in the freezer.