Tips for Outdoor Entertaining

Anytime is a good time to entertain, especially outdoors. Whether an impromptu, casual, or a more formal gathering, these tips will help make it a stress free event for you.

If short on serving bowls, hollow out a round loaf of bread and use for salads and dips. Melon fruits, hollowed, can also be used as bowls
Condiments can be served in hollowed out red, green and yellow bell peppers. Cut the stem and tops off and remove the seeds from the inside of the pepper. Then simply fill them with mustard, ketchup and relish. It works great for a barbecue.
Purchase some inexpensive wooden skewers and thread with cubed cheese and slices of meat. Try to serve mostly finger food/appetizers when entertaining outdoors. To prevent misplacing of beverages, provide your guests with wine charms and/or personalized beverage holders. Add frozen fruit (i.e.: strawberries) to ice rings and use in punch bowl. Keep bowls of salads cold by setting the bowl in an ice ring.
Keep beverages cool by filling a children’s pool or steel/plastic tub with ice.
Display food in a shaded area and keep food in cooler or refrigerator until immediately before serving. Remember to provide plenty of garbage cans and bags, it will make clean up much easier. If you are short of serving space, borrow or create your own. If you have saw horses, lay any flat surface across them and cover with a tablecloth. Remember lighting. When evening comes, that porch light over the door will probably not be enough. For atmosphere, use candles and torches. Make luminaries out of paper sacks by cutting out a random design and placing a battery powered nightlight or small flashlight inside. Keep tablecloths weighted down by inserting a metal washer or coin into the hem of the 4 corners (you will need to remove a few stitches from the hem). On windy days, set out a roll of paper towels or provide cloth napkins rather than paper napkins for guests.