I love the meal that we had this last weekend when our friends came for dinner. We’re really aiming to eat healthier as a family, and it had been awhile since we had steak, so we wanted to treat our guests. When we entertain we usually try to keep it as simple as possible: meat, potatoes, veggies on the grill and a salad and bread.
The lovely part about the evening was that it was our first time to eat outside this year! We hosed down the back patio, pulled out the new umbrellas that we had stored in the shed, and spruced up the entertaining area a bit.
It wasn’t perfect, but the evening temp was perfect, the food was tasty and the company and conversation was soul-inspiring!
First off, my son set the table. Teenage boys don’t know the difference between a salad fork and a regular fork. Or if they do, they don’t really care! So the table was set with salad forks. Now normally I would have just left it, but I do think adults like to use a regular fork with dinner, so I swapped them out. Oh, and he used the larger spoon, but I left that in the setting. I’m always reminding myself that things do not have to be perfect.
The tags were still hanging on the new umbrellas. I purchased a stash of umbrellas about 3 years ago on sale for $19.99, and have stored them in the shed.
We started off with a delicious bean dip, packed with crisp, juicy vegetables. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you in my NEW BOOK. It’s so good, it’s almost a meal!
Getting the food ready to barbeque …
We cut fresh chives from the garden for the potatoes, to go along with the salad and bread.
And fresh flowers from the yard.
The lights were strung and added a beautiful ambience when the sun went down.
In the morning, it looked like this. This is where we had a fire the night before, sitting for hours, talking with the kids, laughing and telling stories. We laughed with each other. We laughed at ourselves! There were some pretty funny moments!
Hosting a dinner party is a way to reflect God’s love through hospitality.
Share the preparation with your friends allows them to contribute to the meal so you don’t have to carry the burden of the cost. And if you haven’t thought about Easter yet, it’s time! My friend Anne and I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out what we plan to serve for Easter Brunch this year.
I’m not sure if we’ll be able to eat outside for Easter this Sunday, but even if it’s too chilly, we can still open the doors and let the fresh air in …
I’d love to hear if you’ve opened your doors to outdoor dining this year? And how’s your Easter menu coming along?
Don’t forget tomorrow is Home is … Day here at RE! Link up and share about a delicious scent in your home! Check out the side bar for the weekly post ideas. You can read more details at the end of this post.
Hi, I'm Sandy. Five years ago I stocked up on beautiful glasses from the Dollar Store. As I started writing about dinner parties, I realized that this “icon” portrays a great message. 
I can not WAIT for deck weather!!! I love just opening the house up and having the flow of friends and family in and out . . .
Is the book up for sale yet?!?
.-= Annie @ astonesthrowfrominsanity´s last blog ..For Today, I am Awesome! =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 11:59 am
August! Yipee!
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Here in Florida we have a small time span that we have to eat outside without getting ate up by mosquitoes. That and I’m still waiting for an outdoor table. *sigh* Craigslist here I come. LOL!
Hugs
Kim
.-= Kim @ Homesteader’s Heart´s last blog ..The Hutch Makeover! =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Patience. You’ll find one, Kim!
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I love entertaining and eating outdoors. It’s still been a little chilly in the evenings, but hope to do so soon. I have a bistro table and lights on the patio – I’ve already got the table clean off and ready to go. I think we’re keeping the meal for Easter pretty simple this year – ham and potato salad.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Sounds delicious. I love traditional ham on Easter. That is what my Mom always made!
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I am enjoying your outdoor photos and posts- I’m storing up great ideas for the future! Since we’re apartment living for 2 years, we have no outdoors to share! Even our balconies are enclosed (and will be used for storage). Believe it or not, we have not even discussed Easter plans with anyone. Dinner plans will be made based upon which church we decide to attend, and the menu always includes sweet potato casserole and baked pineapple and ham! I suppose I’ll be making a run to the embassy to pick some of those ingredients up or it’ll be Kraft mac ‘n cheese!
.-= Tara G.´s last blog ..Pysanky Pupils =-.
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Every time I read a new post from you I get the itch to entertain. I just need to get organized (or not so organized and just do it).
It if finally nice enough to eat outside here. My daughter and I had a picnic of Mac & Cheese and Strawberries yesterday.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Palm Branches and a Picnic =-.
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I threw a Sangria party to welcome spring and celebrate with girlfriends. Spring cooperated and we were able to be on the patio with the colored lights and paper lanterns. Love being outside. Will definitely be celebrating Easter outside. Only so many family & friends can fit inside. Hoping the desert southwest will be nice on Sunday!
.-= Janice´s last blog ..It’s Baaaaaaaaaaaack =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Well, it’s snowing here today Janice, so it looks like we’ll probably be inside!
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Love the lighting on your outdoor table…beautiful.
.-= ellen b´s last blog ..Ruby Tuesday ~ Glass Tulips =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Wanna join us?!
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This is fabulous! I want to come to your house for dinner!
.-= Elizabeth@LongToLove´s last blog ..Remembering Our Story =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Come on over, Elizabeth!
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I’m so jealous that you can eat/entertain outside! It’ll be at least another month before we can do so here. I really wish we had a patio like yours. We’ve got a deck- and the only way we can enjoy being out there is if the gazebo has the bug netting on it. Bugs (mosquitoes, gnats, wasps) really take the fun out of eating outdoors.
Okay….I am inspired to host a spring party at my house….now I just have to follow through with this idea!
.-= Astrid´s last blog ..Weekend Adventures: Easter Egg Hunt 2010, Garage Walls, Cookies & More =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Post the results, Astrid!
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No outdoor entertaining for us yet. Still too cold. Even when it’s warm during the day, by early evening it’s just too chilly. Our porch is not really condusive to outdoor eating anyways. We’ll need to wait a little while for that! However we do have a semi-grassy area that I could use to put a table and some chairs..I may try that this year.
We do enjoy bonfires though.
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Can wait into tomorrow! My first outdoor entertaining will be in April for my husband birthday.
.-= Enid´s last blog .. =-.
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Beautiful! Entertaining is something that I want to get better at, which is one of the reasons I love following your blog. I just don’t seem to have that “entertaining-gene”! We are hoping to get a patio set next month, which I hope will inspire us to entertain more often.
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Sandy! So glad to hear from you…we always love your inspiring ideas (and reminders not to fuss!) Your story about your son setting the table makes me laugh…my son took a cooking project in 4-H last year, part of judging was setting the table. All that week we practiced, but I don’t think teens absorb those facts – at judging he swapped sides for the knives, spoons & forks – too funny! When is your cookbook coming out? We’d love to put it in the store
You might see us tomorrow…we’ll see how we do!
Karla & Karrie
.-= The Summer Kitchen Girls´s last blog ..Don’t Play With Your Food =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
I would love for you to carry the book!
It will be out AUG. 2010!
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Sandy,
Love your post. We are eager to eat outside on our covered deck and enjoy sharing time with friends and neighbors. It is still a bit chilly here in Nebraska. I normally don’t care for all the wind here but on the flip side…we don’t have to worry about too many bugs!!! Easter Blessings!
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Sandy~
Love the post…we entertain outside and eat on our deck June-Sept….and hopefully a little earlier this year because it’s unusually warm early this year.
In fact, we pretty much eat all our meals outside. I like all the crumbs to be outside. And, it’s just so nice.
But, I gotta know? Where did you get your beautiful plates?
Chris Ann
.-= LoveFeast Table´s last blog ..Gearing Up For Avocado Pound Cake =-.
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Sandy Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Wedding … 19 years ago!
Still love my dishes today as much as I did back then!
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Sandy, What a beautiful post. I’m hosting a dinner party tomorrow night for couples in our Marriage Class at church. Thank for the reminder that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. I look forward to sitting around and talking for hours and I won’t be stressed out from over preparing… I’ll just enjoy. You have a beautiful blog and wonderful testimony.
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This next week I plan to do some planting outside, and getting things spruced up. I would like for our next ladies gathering to be outside. Jackie.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..Here We Go Again =-.
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What a lovely way to welcome Spring! Love the garden bouquet, it really sets the tone for the evening. The bean dip looks so tasty. Cannot wait for your Book, how amazing to see you on Amazon! When will it be released?
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