Summer's almost here and it's time to open the back door, fire up the grill and start the season of outdoor entertaining. Hosting an outdoor party or get-together at your home allows for a casual, fun, laid-back party atmosphere. You don’t have to agonize over a spotlessly clean house, polished silver or sparkling glassware.
Serving a meal outdoors allows you to use bright colors, beach theme accessories, and contemporary plastic plates – even paper. Entertaining outdoors brings on the fun.
Adapting Your Own Outdoor Space for Entertaining
If you entertain frequently, you may want to invest in a top notch grill, outdoor kitchen, permanent refrigerator-cooler and other permanent improvements for entertaining.
For more spontaneous outdoor entertaining, bring outside as much as you can, to outfit your deck, porch, patio or yard for an event. Fill large coolers or tubs with ice and drinks, setting aside some clean ice cubes in an ice bucket for guests to use in their glasses. Set up a long table for food for a buffet. Bring out clean garbage cans and recycling containers for easy clean-up.
For lack of outdoor speakers, bring out a boom box or set stereo speakers at the edge of an open window to pipe music outside.
Using Outdoor Tables and Chairs for Dining Outside
Your lawn furniture, umbrella table, picnic table and folding chairs are perfectly acceptable for entertaining outdoors. A casual outdoor gathering doesn’t require matching chairs. Be sure chairs are not too low for the table and that guests are comfortable.
If you’re setting up tables and chairs on grass, be sure they are on level ground and neither table nor chairs are teetering or wobbling. Use small, wedged wood blocks or folded cardboard to balance all four legs of a table.
Clean your outdoor table well just before your guests arrive. If you’re using a tablecloth, put it on just before the party starts, so it’s clean for dining. Use table cloth clips to keep the table cloth from blowing away.
Weather or Not: Porches, Overhangs and Tents
Outdoor entertaining would be a lot easier if you didn’t have the outdoors to contend with, wouldn’t it? Seriously, rain, storms and bad weather can throw a monkey wrench into your outdoor party plans as fast as a high pressure front.
If you’re determined to entertain outdoors, use covered porches, patios with awnings, or rent a party tent. Tents come in all sizes, types and styles. If you’re a frequent entertainer, you may want to invest in a medium sized party tent to have on hand.
If there’s a light rain falling, you can still party outside if you’re under a roof or overhang. High winds, storms, cold temperatures that require more than a light jacket or sweater, and driving rain may force you and your guests indoors. But mildly “off” weather is still fair game for outdoor entertaining. Most guests will choose to sit outdoors, even if it’s slightly chilly or very humid, because being outside has its advantages.
Bugs and Other Hazards of Entertaining Outside
Depending on where you live, entertaining outdoors could be challenging due to mosquitoes, flies, bees and other pests. A screened area is ideal, giving you the feel of nature without the exposure to the negatives. If you’re out in the open, citronella candles and torches often work well to keep bugs away, but they have an odor that might be off-putting during mealtime. Bug zappers come in various styles and prices and can keep a fairly large area free from bugs.
Planning the Perfect Picnic
Everybody loves a picnic. Spread a few big tablecloths or bed sheets on the lawn and serve your guests sandwiches, potato salad, fresh fruit and cookies from picnic baskets. Picnic parties require little work and can be spontaneous and thrown together at the last minute.
For picnic ideas, see iVillage.com’s Entertaining page. And for picnic recipes, the Food Network recommends Copper Pennies, Creamy Cole Slaw, Deviled Eggs and Ratatouille with Feta, Green Olives and Almonds, among other great recipes.
Planning a Cookout
If you love to grill, you’ll love to grill for friends. The people at Weber have compiled some of the best grill recipes for appetizers, meat, fish, vegetables and side dishes, and even dessert, hot off your grill.
For cook-out side dishes, avoid mayonnaise dishes and other food that doesn’t hold up well to warm temperatures. Many pasta salads, marinated vegetables and corn salads are even better when served at room temperature, which work well for cook-outs.
Serving a meal outdoors allows you to use bright colors, beach theme accessories, and contemporary plastic plates – even paper. Entertaining outdoors brings on the fun.
Adapting Your Own Outdoor Space for Entertaining
If you entertain frequently, you may want to invest in a top notch grill, outdoor kitchen, permanent refrigerator-cooler and other permanent improvements for entertaining.
For more spontaneous outdoor entertaining, bring outside as much as you can, to outfit your deck, porch, patio or yard for an event. Fill large coolers or tubs with ice and drinks, setting aside some clean ice cubes in an ice bucket for guests to use in their glasses. Set up a long table for food for a buffet. Bring out clean garbage cans and recycling containers for easy clean-up.
For lack of outdoor speakers, bring out a boom box or set stereo speakers at the edge of an open window to pipe music outside.
Using Outdoor Tables and Chairs for Dining Outside
Your lawn furniture, umbrella table, picnic table and folding chairs are perfectly acceptable for entertaining outdoors. A casual outdoor gathering doesn’t require matching chairs. Be sure chairs are not too low for the table and that guests are comfortable.
If you’re setting up tables and chairs on grass, be sure they are on level ground and neither table nor chairs are teetering or wobbling. Use small, wedged wood blocks or folded cardboard to balance all four legs of a table.
Clean your outdoor table well just before your guests arrive. If you’re using a tablecloth, put it on just before the party starts, so it’s clean for dining. Use table cloth clips to keep the table cloth from blowing away.
Weather or Not: Porches, Overhangs and Tents
Outdoor entertaining would be a lot easier if you didn’t have the outdoors to contend with, wouldn’t it? Seriously, rain, storms and bad weather can throw a monkey wrench into your outdoor party plans as fast as a high pressure front.
If you’re determined to entertain outdoors, use covered porches, patios with awnings, or rent a party tent. Tents come in all sizes, types and styles. If you’re a frequent entertainer, you may want to invest in a medium sized party tent to have on hand.
If there’s a light rain falling, you can still party outside if you’re under a roof or overhang. High winds, storms, cold temperatures that require more than a light jacket or sweater, and driving rain may force you and your guests indoors. But mildly “off” weather is still fair game for outdoor entertaining. Most guests will choose to sit outdoors, even if it’s slightly chilly or very humid, because being outside has its advantages.
Bugs and Other Hazards of Entertaining Outside
Depending on where you live, entertaining outdoors could be challenging due to mosquitoes, flies, bees and other pests. A screened area is ideal, giving you the feel of nature without the exposure to the negatives. If you’re out in the open, citronella candles and torches often work well to keep bugs away, but they have an odor that might be off-putting during mealtime. Bug zappers come in various styles and prices and can keep a fairly large area free from bugs.
Planning the Perfect Picnic
Everybody loves a picnic. Spread a few big tablecloths or bed sheets on the lawn and serve your guests sandwiches, potato salad, fresh fruit and cookies from picnic baskets. Picnic parties require little work and can be spontaneous and thrown together at the last minute.
For picnic ideas, see iVillage.com’s Entertaining page. And for picnic recipes, the Food Network recommends Copper Pennies, Creamy Cole Slaw, Deviled Eggs and Ratatouille with Feta, Green Olives and Almonds, among other great recipes.
Planning a Cookout
If you love to grill, you’ll love to grill for friends. The people at Weber have compiled some of the best grill recipes for appetizers, meat, fish, vegetables and side dishes, and even dessert, hot off your grill.
For cook-out side dishes, avoid mayonnaise dishes and other food that doesn’t hold up well to warm temperatures. Many pasta salads, marinated vegetables and corn salads are even better when served at room temperature, which work well for cook-outs.
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