For our first outdoor entertaining of the season, it was a beautiful day, but a chill was in the air.

We didn’t let it stop us, though. We moved the outdoor heater into the dining space and turned it on “high.” It was so warm and toasty.

I don’t stress over my table in the outdoors, do you? I really keep it as simple as possible, partly because I do not want to have to bring tons of dishes back into the house at 10 pm.

Throw on a tablecloth.

Add the plate, the napkin, and put the goblet on top to prevent it from blowing away.

Once we are dining together, the warmth of the conversation makes us forget all about the chill in the air. (Although sometimes we have jackets on!)

On this night we found ourselves sitting around the heater, as if it were a fire. It was fun and probably almost midnight when we came in … just the 4 of us.

Are you gearing up for outdoor entertaining? Do you prefer a real fire or do you have an outdoor heater?

(We found our heater at a yard sale about 5 years ago – a real bargain.)

A few weeks ago, my friend Jeannie brought me a beautiful springy basket of flowers, and off to the side was a small paper-thin butterfly.

Butterflies are very elegant and I find them so fascinating, with their vibrant colors so spectacular, all created with different patterns, and the way they flit around so gracefully.

Phyllis Hoffman from Celebrate Magazine, creates party inspiration for every occasion, this month encouraging mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and sisters to come together for a lovely springtime luncheon for all ages.

If you notice, the theme throughout this elegant luncheon is butterflies. (Love the classy chair.)

The butterfly has long been a Christian symbol of resurrection, for it disappears into a cocoon and appears dead, but emerges later far more beautiful and powerful than before.

The butterfly is also a symbol of hope.

How beautiful is that?

Keeping the Mother’s Day theme in mind, Celebrate offers printables that are simple and helpful:

Pre-planned menu

Blank menu

Mother’s Day place cards

What’s cool is that you can come up with your own menu, or you can use some of their recipes. Or you can follow the recipe menu for this particular party found in the Spring 2012 issue.

So lovely!

Have you considered hosting a Mother’s Day Luncheon this year, and if so, have you ever used printables?

(Celebrate Magazine did not sponsor this post today, but they did do a lovely book review of, The Reluctant Entertainer, a nice gift idea for Mother’s Day. Thank you, Celebrate Mag!)

I love Fridays. And easy posts that have simple entertaining ideas!

If you read my post earlier this week on how to make delicious granola, today I’m sharing a simple breakfast (or snack) entertaining idea.

It’s really fun for kids, especially with smaller portions.

Ingredients:
Greek yogurt
Honey
Granola
Strawberry (or fruit) for garnish

Take small (1/2 pint) canning jars (no lids).

Fill with Greek yogurt.

Drizzle with honey.

Sprinkle with 1-2 inches of granola. (Homemade is best!)

Garnish with a beautiful piece of fruit.

And serve on a tray with other fruit!

Happy weekend, friends.

What will you be doing this weekend?

I’ll be doing something really fun which I plan to share about later.

Also, come back on Monday for an exciting KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway with a couple other cool items!

I recently saw this easy DIY dinner party seating plan idea, for place cards, and it stuck in my head when you need the option of moving your guests for pre-planned seating. (I rarely use place cards unless I have 10 guests or more, otherwise it seems a bit stuffy.)

Gather
-2 colors of Post It pads (one color for ladies, one for the men)
-Scissors
-Note pad
-Pen

How it works
-Cut matching pieces of paper, leaving sticky part on one end, enough for your dinner guests.
-Draw on your note pad the size/lay-out of your table
-Write the names of guests on the Post It pieces
-Place names around the table until you come up with a “seating plan” that you like

Isn’t this a fantastic idea? I’ve penned it out on paper before, then I didn’t like it, and had to start completely over.

This way you can easily move the “guests” around, play with the way you want to seat your guests.

Boy, girl, boy, girl …

Or, girl, girl, girl, boy, boy, boy …

What’s your easy way of planning where your dinner guests will sit?

I sure like efficient ideas when it comes to entertaining.

Like multi-purpose canning jars turned into drinking glasses.

Stuffed with a Springy napkin.

Along with real silverware. (I say real, because I’m not a fan of plastic unless you absolutely have to.)

Gather the jars.

Fold the napkins and add the silverware.

Stuff the jar.

You can do this with a bunch of jars, depending on how many guests you have coming over.

Not only does it look classy, it’s efficient and “just right” for a casual event.

Do you have a stash of canning jars and do you ever use them for different entertaining situations?

And wonderful friends who came and celebrated with our family.

My sis came early to help.

Family and friends – making 16 around our table. We had our Chinese exchange student with us, which was a real treat.

Of course I had to add a table on to the end. My dining table only comfortably seats 8, so I keep an extra Costco table out in the garage for larger gatherings.

Blossoms and daffodils from the yard. No expense there!

I did splurge and buy 2 new Ralph Lauren matching tablecloths on sale. I’ve never owned a yellow tablecloth.

Yellow makes me happy!

Easter starts off with so many hugs. I also appreciate our adult friends who love on our teen kids.

Delegation is what we do best! Everyone brought a dish or 2 and we had a marvelous buffet meal.

The food was awesome! This year we enjoyed a ham (last year we had prime rib, the year before an Easter brunch), which is a yearly treat for us.

Everyone helped out.

Minor whipped up the beautiful drinks, garnished with a fresh pansy in each glass.

We held hands and sang our family prayer.

The gals gathered in the back yard for an Easter shot (missing Jeannie, who was walking through the garden/yard with my husband).

And then it was dessert time.

Did I say dessert?

We had yummy carrot cakes that Abby made with Beatrix Potter gummy worms.

Incredible white coconut cake with 7-Minute frosting from Jeannie.

And delicious Key-Lime Pie from Jenny.

The doors and windows were open, Vivaldi was playing on Pandora, the smell of yummy fresh-baked Challah bread and all the other dishes permeated the kitchen.

So much to be grateful for … family and friends. The freedom to come together and celebrate a beautiful event (The Resurrection), relax, catch up, soak in the sun, eat good food.

Easter is different when there aren’t little kids around, as we didn’t hide eggs or celebrate with bunnies, but it did take on a springy feel of its own.

And you know, once you get all the entertaining dishes, tables, chairs, etc. out … it kind of gets you excited for Spring!

I’d say that for us, this past Easter Sunday was our first entertaining moment where we’ve really segued into Spring.

How was your Easter Sunday and what was a highlight for you?

One thing I love about the place where my husband and I often go on dates is that they always leave a bottle of cold water on the table after the waiter fills our glasses. We can refill when we need to, and don’t have to wait for our waiter. And by the way, we always ask for “no ice.” It makes the food taste better.

What about entertaining in your home? There have been many times where I’ve forgotten about the “refills.” So now I put the pitcher of water off to the side, on the sideboard where it’s out of the way, but still accessible to our guests. You can also set the pitcher on the table.

A simple glass pitcher, or even some fun water bottles filled with cold water is all you need. And with the water bottles, you can fill them ahead of time, chill in the fridge, then bring out right before it’s dinner time!

Adding lemon or fruit in the summertime also makes the water refreshing!

If serving a crowd, the large water dispensers off to the side with glasses also makes entertaining no fuss!

Water is an extremely simple gesture. One that most everyone appreciates. And it’s proven that it keeps the energy level up!

So, don’t forget the water!

How do you serve water for dinner guests?

Love is in the air! And most of us think about only spending Valentine’s dinners with our significant others. Which for me, is what I love.

But how about also hosting a party the “week of” Valentine’s Day for the friends you love?

Read more, below, but first of all I really want to thank LoveFeast Table for being a part of RE today!

I’ve done this several years in a row, and last year we were invited to our friends’, where we got to meet 2 new couples! It was awesome because I didn’t have to be the hostess, but got to be the guest!

Here are some simple tips for hosting a Valentine’s Dinner Party:

-Get together with your spouse and decide who you want to invite, and remember that just because it’s Valentine’s Day, the list doesn’t have to include couples! Think about your single friends as well.

-Make it as easy on yourself. Invite early so everyone can get the “date” on the calendar. Use Evite.com for new friends, because you can attach a map to your house. You include party details, add your guest list, click and send. It’s that easy!

-Is it possible to move your table to a new area? In my case, not really (though for summer outdoor entertaining, yes!) Change it up a bit and make it special!

-I used my wedding dishes (standard white) and of course, Dollar Store goblets, and added in red accents. And I also added the adorable HeartGrams (giveaway today, read more, below). Pretty decorating.

-Think of a simple meal you can either make ahead of time like lasagna or even spaghetti (Lady and the Tramp?), or one that only takes a few minutes like my QUICK Angel Hair Shrimp Scampi recipe found in my book (and so easy!) Buy fresh pasta and bread and you’re set!

-Ask your guests to each bring a bottle of wine or beverage of choice, or a light appetizer. You could even ask for a platter of strawberry-dipped chocolates to pass around while you’re rinsing the dishes and preparing for the next course: dessert!

-Store-bought desserts can be tantalizing if fresh and unique. IE, we have a store in Ashland, Oregon called Market of Choice. They have killer desserts that are perfect for last-minute parties, to just bring home, and serve on your own beautiful glass pedestal or serving platter.

-Conversation will just roll … it always does. Remember this dinner party is not designed for Valentine’s Day (you should be out with your sweetie!), but for the “week of.” Spread love, through encouraging words, and make your guests feel special!

Mix it up, both couples and singles, and just enjoy a great night together, with all the hearts, red and white touches, and a “love is in the air” attitude.

WHAT TO WIN:
One set of LoveFeast’s heart shaped velvet pumpkins (The HeartGram set comes with a 5in. Crimson and a 4in. Rose velvet, plush heart pumpkin. Each package contains apersonalize-able vintage inspired postcard and is tied with a satin ribbon. They are an excellent idea for an anniversary or any time you want to send a bit of love. You can read more about them, HERE.

HOW TO WIN:
Answer this question in a comment on this post.

If you were hosting a Valentine’s Dinner Party for 6 or 7, what would you serve?

EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN (1 extra chance each, please come back and comment and tell me):
Follow Reluctant Entertainer on Facebook
Follow LoveFeast Table on Facebook (Please tell them I sent you over!)
Follow LoveFeast on Twitter
Follow SandyCoughlinRE on Twitter
Tweet this:

Heartgram giveaway @SandyCoughlinRE thanks to @LoveFeast What would you serve for VD dinner party? http://su.pr/ALGUnZ #giveaway

Good luck, Friends!

US only. This post is sponsored by LoveFeast Table today. Contest ends 2/8/12 at midnight. Winner announced on 2/9/12.

There really is a way to bring some wholeness and goodness to one of the most popular snacking occasions of the year – The Big Game- known in our household as Super Bowl Sunday, and that’s by creating a menu with less fat and great tasting recipes and tips!

Last week I shared my veggie platter with Swiss Cheese Onion Dip recipe, served with Pepperidge Farms Baked Naturals® Cracker Chips collection, that includes Simply Multi-Grain and Simply Cheddar varieties.

I believe guests really appreciate a healthy alternative to classic game-day recipes (the typical potato skins, delivered pizza, chicken wings, indulgent dips, etc.).

So today I’m sharing another recipe which would be perfect for a Game Day menu: Stuffed Endive with Walnuts and Honey Appetizers, served with a bowl of Pepperidge Farms Baked Naturals® Cracker Chips. (Recipe below, inspired by my friend, Kristin, I used pecans instead of walnuts.)

Why serve Baked Naturals® Cracker Chips?

Because they are a unique snack that delivers wholesome goodness with a great tasting crunch, yet 50 percent less fat than the leading potato chip, the newest Cracker Chips flavors—Simply Potato and Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato—are an ideal alternative to potato chips (a hard-to-avoid snack… Until now!).

An alternative to potato chips? I’m so jazzed about this new, healthier product!

So what would my menu look like, if hosting a Super Bowl party?

First of all, I find that if everyone contributes, it’s really helpful. Being the hostess, of course I’ll fill in the gaps and make sure we have enough food, but delegation really helps take the pressure off of a reluctant entertainer. And also, we should focus a little on health and portion control (not always easy to do on rare, occasional celebrations).

Game Day Menu Ideas:
Smoked Turkey Mango Chili
Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins (She Wears Many Hats)
Spinach and Edamame Salad (Bev Cooks)
Pasta Salad Skewers (Cooking During Stolen Moments)
Healthy vegetable tray
Swiss Cheese Onion Dip
Classic Hummus
Many bags of Baked Natural Cracker Chips
Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms (Aggie’s Kitchen)
Endive Filled with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Honey (recipe below)
Desserts brought by other guests, although I will be making these yummy Lemon Meringue Bites!

Whether entertaining a starting line-up of close friends, or simply keeping your own “home team” satisfied throughout the game, we want to see how you plan to entertain as football season comes to a close!

Will you be delegating part of the menu for Super Bowl? And how will you add a “healthy spin” to your menu?

(I am being compensated by Pepperidge Farm® for my time and materials used in the Pepperidge Farm® Baked Naturals® Cracker Chips post.)

I love experimenting with recipes, adding something “different” to an already-established recipe. Like adding a couple of crisp Granny Smith apples to French Onion Soup. Yum! Back in December I was blessed to get a 13-Cup Food Processor from KitchenAid and I love it!

Slicing onions with this appliance was such a slick process!

Also, we add apples to gratin, potatoes, salads … so why not add to soup?

When I made this recipe for my family, I was thinking ahead to Super Bowl Sunday. This is a recipe where you could make the soup the night before, then heat it up, dish into individual servings, add the croutons, cheese, and bake.

I like the idea of timing it just right – pulling the individual servings from the oven to serve during half time.

French Onion Soup is such a classic recipe. Sort of like the Super Bowl, which has been around for almost 50 years.

I’d say their both classic!

Put napkins on a platter.

Place a dish on each napkin.

And a spoon for each serving.

Enjoy!

I’ll be sharing more healthy Super Bowl ideas tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Have you thought about serving “soup” on Super Bowl day?

If you’re gearing up for a New Year’s Eve party, here’s a little inspiration from a post I wrote last year.

It’s about how to invite and delegate, create and borrow, be organized and think ahead.

It includes easy flow and name tags, conversation and music ideas, and … tah-dah … what to wear!

You can read all about it, here.

Also, one year ago, I knew that my NYE dinner party would be a part of this beautiful new book, Where Women Cook: Celebrate! It was a blast to put it all together (in the month of October). And I’m grateful for my friends who participated.

My hope and dream was that by sharing my annual dinner party, others would be inspired as well.

Laughter, sharing stories, acceptance, and the connection to existing and new friendships form the basis of hospitality. Feelings of inadequacy, unrealistic expectations, fear of failure, and the lack of time all conspire to steal the joy that comes from opening one’s home to others.

“Fear is often a jail cell locking us in so that we don’t form friendships.” Friends bring zest to life. Without friendships, we become lonely, isolated, and smaller than we want and need to be.” – Where Women Cook: Celebrate!

One of the recipes I shared for dessert at this dinner party was Chocolate-dipped Bacon.

Yes. Chocolate. Dipped. Bacon.

If you’re having a party this year, try this on your guests. They will love you.

Ending the year of 2011, and looking back on many hospitable moments with great friends, brings beautiful feelings of joy and nostalgia.

As I’ve said throughout the year, entertaining is all about the people.

Will you be hosting a NYE party this year or participating in one?

The winner to the Sierra Mist giveaway is Ann from Cooking Healthy for Me. Congrats, Ann! And our friend, Tim Tidball, took the pictures above for the book!

Also, I have something very NEW to share! In 2012 I’m partnering with Ziploc Brand. I’m also excited that there will be giveaways and lots of great tools and tricks from Ziploc but the FUN part is that I’ll be working with a celebrity partner! Stay tuned for the official announcement next month!

*I have partnered with Ziploc® and am being compensated for my posts. However, my opinions on the product are my own.

Can you believe how quickly the holidays arrived this year? And now that Christmas is over, we get to look forward to New Year’s Eve and Day!

When it comes to a party, I wonder how many of us worry about it going on too long, what’s the etiquette way of ending a party (when you’re exhausted and ready for your guests to leave), and how do you do it all with class?

I mean, how do you send your guests out the door in a time frame that works for you?

Is it ok to end a party when your guests are having a good time?

A couple of readers asked me these questions:

Sandy, I want to know how you were able to wrap things up and encourage guests to leave graciously. This is sometimes a problem for me, although a good problem, as it means that people are still having a good time!

And …

How did you “wrap things up”? We had a family over for an impromptu casual dinner not too long ago and they stayed until 11:00 (on a school night too)! We even started putting the kids to bed and that didn’t work…

What’s worked for my family and me for many years is simple. Because we’ve all had guests or family members who won’t leave, we don’t want to feel “caught” or “stuck” and let our graciousness fly out the door.

So I’ve come up with these tips to help “wrap up the party” – with grace and style!

-When you’re holding a party, think ahead to the time when you’d like the party to end.

-Be flexible – don’t be married to that time, because you may be having such a good time extending out the party.

-If you have to be done by a certain time – let your guests know ahead of time. Most guests would be sensitive to the host’s needs.

-After the last course is served, and conversation is winding down, stand up and head into the kitchen (you can even start on the dishes).

-If the night is getting later than you had planned – go put your slippers on!

-Feel free to explain that you have to get up early – start moving toward the door.

Obviously, the sign of a great party is when the guests don’t want to leave.

When I think about all of the entertaining we’ve done, I can hardly think of a time when our guests weren’t sensitive to our family’s needs if we needed to wind it down by a certain time.

And my husband’s quick-witted humor always comes out as our friends leave, when he says, “Come back when you can’t stay as long!” (It’s our family joke.)

With New Year’s right around the corner, when we’re “given to hospitality,” enjoying the spirit of the holidays with friends and family, let’s not be so quick to get to the next event, or fall into bed exhausted from cramming too much in to our schedules, that we lose our grace.

Being sensitive, but keeping our style and our grace as we open our homes and extend hospitality to others, is a good thing to keep in mind.

What are your tips for gracious ways of ending a party?

The family fun started when I wanted to try a few new drink recipes.

I asked the fam, “Are you a Frost Bite or a Meet Me at the Mist-letoe?”

While using the key ingredient, Sierra Mist Natural, I told my family to get ready for some yumminess as I whipped up some mocktails. I also explained that this product was made with real sugar, no artificial ingredients, and 100% natural flavoring. Why did I tell them this? Because my family are all health nuts! It’s important for them to know what they are putting into their bodies.

Back to the fun drinks … during the holidays it’s festive to make special mocktails, and this time I followed 2 recipes (below) and set up an area where we could spread out so the family could be a part of it.

Setting up a festive drink station is really easy!

Why not make your kitchen area special by spreading a table cloth on the end of your center island? (Who would have thought?)

I pulled out my silver tablecloth, glass party cups, and displayed the ingredients.

My Dollar Store water goblets were even part of the set-up (frozen blueberries, yum!)

Party napkins and fresh mint.

And what was our favorite drink?

The Frost Bite Mocktail!

Today I’m sharing 2 Sierra Mist Natural Mixology recipes for you to try, perfect for the next two weeks of holiday entertaining. And if you’re interested in more Cocktail or Mocktail recipes from Sierra Mist Natural, I encourage you to “like” their Facebook page and check out pages of recipes.

Love this picture. We had fun!

Do you put effort in making your “drink station” fun and festive? And which Sierra Mist Natural Mocktail recipe would you like to try?

The winners of this fantastic giveaway are: Dayle (The Hip Hostess apron), Shari (Where Women Cook: Celebrate! book), and Lora (SDG Artistry NOEL). Congrats to all!

When I asked my husband what I should make for dessert for our annual Progressive Dinner the other night, he said, “Just keep it simple, Baby!”

Guys have it figured out. They’d rather make or bake something familiar, easy, and low-stress. Which, by the way, did you know that “desserts” spelled backwards says “stressed”? I think men would say, do what’s easiest and you don’t have to slave in the kitchen!

Especially during the holidays, my husband really wants low-key, since we have quite a few commitments.

I posted on my Reluctant Entertainer Facebook page, “What should I make for dessert?” and many gave excellent suggestions. (Thank you!)

But I ultimately resorted to a recipe that I’ve made for years, but one I had never served to this group.

Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake.

There are different ways that you can serve this dessert … one with whipped cream, the other with ice cream. (PS. Here’s the 4 ladies, a tradition to get our picture every year.)

Since our house was the last stop for the Progressive Dinner, I knew our bellies would be full.

I set my table, pulled out the espresso cups just in case (which we ended up not using), and baked my cake. That’s what I love about Progressive Dinners. You are only responsible for one course!

What’s your go-to dessert recipe for the holidays?

Stay tuned for step-by-step instructions on how I decorated the cake that brought back many nostalgic feelings.

(Photo credits for this post: Abigail Ellen Rose Coughlin)

We were long-past due in getting some special friends together, but we finally coordinated our schedules to enjoy a warm summer’s evening with each other in our backyard in Medford, Oregon.

It’s been the mildest, most wonderful summer, although our garden is very late in producing and our tomatoes are very small! But I’ll take small for the many beautiful entertaining moments that we’ve had in our yard this summer.

The memories will resonate in our minds, and our kids’ minds, for a long time, possibly forever.

Have you ever thought about how hospitality can be eternal?

It’s a very deep thought, but I believe it has eternal value. The things that we talk about around the table, how we encourage one another, how we listen, all have huge meaning …

Some of the friends that were present I’ve known for 30 years, and our lovely neighbors joined us. So it was a very good thing to welcome them to our table in the outdoors and to enjoy a night of good food and talk.

On this warm summer evening when our retired friends came for dinner, Jeannie started us off with a mixture of fresh, tantalizing hors d’oeuvres.

And you may remember my neighbor Ellie’s Prawns and Avocado with Mango Salad. Yup, I was worried for a few minutes if we even needed the rest of the dinner, after enjoying this incredible salad. You really need to bookmark this recipe for a great summertime salad.

We enjoyed steak and potatoes, and I cooked our beets from the garden, slicing them over green beans with feta cheese and toasted walnuts. Oh, boy!

And then dessert came. Our friends Roger and Faye know just how much we love chocolate. All of us!

Their cake was so rich and wonderful, I asked Faye if I could share her recipe with you today. I remember commenting on the delicious frosting. And I just realized Faye’s little secret for the frosting is actually very simple.

It’s okay to have cooking secrets because sometimes they are the tastiest.

(the sticker on the back of Faye’s cake pan)

I’ll be making this cake in the future. You bet I will!

When’s the last time you delegated and invited friends older than you over for dinner?

We recently hosted a potluck on a Sunday afternoon and invited several families to come watch a soccer game with our family.

I love potlucks, especially on a summer day, in the middle of the day!

On Sundays guests come refreshed and ready to have fun (we watched the game, ate good food, kids played soccer on the lawn, the guys played ping pong), and they generally seem to have a lighter feel to them.

I also love the feel of “family.”

I’ve been reading more about resting and enjoying Sundays as a day of rest. It’s a day that we can find restoration and re-creation.

We can worship, rest, go on walks, read, play games, and my favorite … eat good food … but not be a slave in the kitchen.

On this particular day everyone pitched in with the menu.

It was easy and low-key.

The night before, I pulled out my slow cooker and prepared Aggie’s Barbecue Pulled Pork recipe.

This succulent pulled pork recipe cooks while you sleep – what could be easier? Having a simple recipe like this, already cooked in the morning, made entertaining at noontime much easier.

The secret to “easy” is planning and preparing, preferably the night before.

We hosted, and they came … and a few extra kids showed up, too.

When’s the last time you entertained on a Sunday afternoon? And what did you serve?

For the first time since we have lived in our home, my husband and I decided to move our outdoor dining table to a different space for entertaining.

It was so easy and created a new experience for us all.

We moved the table out by the garden.

I added a small side table for water and for overflow of platters.

Snipped a few lilies from the closest flower bed.

Used MyDrap large dinner napkins, folding them in half.

I loved the large, clean, crisp look.

We moved the tiki torches closer to the entertaining space.

The table was set and ready for a great night.

I think we need to be reminded that it’s okay to break the rules with summer entertaining, to realize that we sometimes get in a rut with the standard barbecue served casual buffet-style.

It’s great to move things around, to change things up a bit.

To take our modern, casual, informal lifestyles and add a spin of elegance and creativity.

Have you recently done anything different or creative with your summer entertaining?

Thinking ahead to October, I’m going to be participating in Nester’s 31 Days of Change series coming up! I’m so happy she invited me back, and if you want to join with a topic that inspires you, during the month of October, feel free to jump in with your blog! My topic last year was: 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining.

My topic this year will be: 31 Days of Keeping the Family Together.

What inspires a happy family and how we can stay connected during busy times with 3 teenagers and the holidays just around the corner. I hope you’ll join me in October as I post for 31 days straight, but better yet, why don’t you start thinking about your topic? There will be different ways to link up. It’s going to be inspirational, I can feel it already Thank you, Nester!

I live in the Pacific Northwest where we’ve had a record-setting spring and summer so far … very mild with plenty of rain.

Mild is perfect for summer entertaining.

We don’t deal with the heat as much as the mid-west and south, but I will say we do, and eventually will have, 100+ days!

A reader recently wrote:
The thing that stresses me out with summer cooking is the heat! I am always worried about food spoiling!

Here’s what I learned to do years ago, on this very hot holiday when we entertained …

How to beat the heat and not let the food spoil:

1. BUFFET STYLE: Clear a bar, sideboard, or dining table INSIDE the house on which to serve your 4th of July feast.
BENEFIT: No bugs and you don’t have to worry about the food spoiling.

2. TABLES: Use Dollar Store tablecloths on tables and mix-match chairs in your back yard, patio, or front porch area.
BENEFIT: Use what you have without stressing over everything having to be perfect.

3. DRINKS: Fill an old cooler with ice and store drinks in a covered area.
BENEFIT: Keeps the company outside and not having to keep running inside for drinks.

4. FOOD: After the company is served, even if food was served inside, cover all and put away.
BENEFIT: No spoilage. For a long event, any leftovers could be gotten out again later.

My friend had a great idea to appoint a friend or child or relative to help you be mindful of the food (and bugs, spoilage, etc). I like that – a food watcher! (I’d be snitching constantly).

And for the warmer climates (than Oregon) I’d say avoid foods that spoil easily and stick with frozen desserts that are perfect for summer!!!

If you happen to make my homemade ice cream (recipe in my book!) make sure and remove the paddle right away, and then you can let the ice cream sit on the ice until it’s time to serve!

Homemade ice cream is so perfect for the 4th of July!

How do you deal with the heat and food being left out too long for holiday celebrations?

Happy July everyone! I want to thank my top 3 referral friends who sent their readers over to RE in June:
Bakerella
The Nester
Kimba

Here are some great 4th of July recipes ideas that many of my friends have posted on their blogs. Amy lists them, HERE.

Thanks for joining me in my “30 Days of Summer Entertaining” series. (Scroll down to the bottom for previous posts in this series)

What I love about summer entertaining is the relaxed attitude and atmosphere. It’s easier to push the time back. Everyone seems more relaxed with a “go-with-the-flow” attitude.

Guests tend to hang around to visit longer. Summer entertaining is really my favorite season, if I had to pick a season

But things can change quickly when a couple or two cancel. Right?

Earlier this week, our party changed when a few people had to cancel.

The party was planned, dishes were delegated, groceries were purchased for my portion of the menu. But as soon as I found out I immediately changed the meal to lighter fare, knowing it would only be 4 of us.

Since we had so much freshly-picked lettuce, spun and washed, we decided to divert from the bigger “dinner party menu” to make a large summer salad for our guests.

(One of 7 garden beds looking up at our house from the bottom of our property … not sure I’ve ever showed this angle before.)

And it was a hit!

Our guests brought appetizers.
We put bread in the oven.
We served a beautiful summer salad
We resorted to *Plan B for dessert (since I originally had delegated this dish).

Sweet Summer Tossed Chicken Salad
Mixture of fresh lettuce
Rotisserie chicken, seasoned and chopped into small pieces
Sweet Vidalia onions
Feta cheese
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Toasted walnuts (this method is really yummy)

Mix greens, onion, feta cheese, and cucumbers. Toast the walnuts (using this method), and then add in the chopped chicken. Heat on low for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken/nut mixture and toss the salad with oil and vinegar.

Serve onto plates. Top each plate with slices of avocado and fresh pineapple.

Toss with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.

Top each served salad with: fresh pineapple, sliced avocado.

Do you free to deviate from your menu when guests cancel? Or do you stick with what you had already planned?

(*Plan B for the dessert will be shared on the last day of this series.)

If you’ve missed the last 21 days of this series, you can catch up now:

Day 1: Summer Entertaining is About the People
Day 2: When Perfect Robs You of Something Good
Day 3: Who To Invite to Dinner
Day 4: Planning the Menu for Outdoor Entertaining
Day 5: Setting the Table Using What You Have
Day 6: Using One Classic Water Glass
Day 7: Napkin Options for Summer Entertaining
Day 8: When You Feel Like Canceling the Party
Day 9: Leave Your Technology at the Front Door
Day 10: Candles That Enhance Good Conversation
Day 11: Serving Flavored Herb and Fruit Water
Day 12: Leafy Greens and a Tiny Bit of Agave
Day 13: Keeping Nut and Fruits and Cheeses on Hand for Easy Appetizers
Day 14: Move Your Table to a Different Space
Day 15: Greek Salad on a Stick and Getting the Kids Involved
Day 16: Three Lies of Perfectionism that Ruin Entertaining Moments
Day 17: Be Creative When You Run Out of Linens for Your Dinner Party
Day 18: Gather Around a Fire for Intimate Summer Entertaining
Day 19: Last Minute Father’s Day Invite and Pork Chops with Glazed Apricots
Day 20: Summer Entertaining GIVEAWAY from National Pork Board
Day 21: Create a Simple Appetizer Basket for Last-Minute Guests

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Thanks for joining me in my “30 Days of Summer Entertaining” series. (Scroll down to the bottom for previous posts to this series)

When it comes to summer entertaining, nature always provides the best ambience for making your guests feel alive.

Try something different. Move your table to a different space, for a different feel.

Today I’m sharing a recent dinner party that our family had together.

I love how my sister kept adding tables, until she got enough seating for her guests.

We served ourselves buffet-style up on the deck.

And enjoyed being together down on the lower-lawn area.

My sister lives out in the country, and on this summer night, the extra effort that they put forth to get the entire family to sit together was so worthwhile.

It’s another aspect of summer entertaining that I love. We can be more creative outdoors because it often provides more space around us.

Have you thought about hosting a dinner party on your front or back lawn area?

If you’ve missed the last 13 days of this series, you can catch up now:

Day 1: Summer Entertaining is About the People
Day 2: When Perfect Robs You of Something Good
Day 3: Who To Invite to Dinner
Day 4: Planning the Menu for Outdoor Entertaining
Day 5: Setting the Table Using What You Have
Day 6: Using One Classic Water Glass
Day 7: Napkin Options for Summer Entertaining
Day 8: When You Feel Like Canceling the Party
Day 9: Leave Your Technology at the Front Door
Day 10: Candles That Enhance Good Conversation
Day 11: Serving Flavored Herb and Fruit Water
Day 12: Leafy Greens and a Tiny Bit of Agave
Day 13: Keeping Nut and Fruits and Cheeses on Hand for Easy Appetizers

Feel free to grab my button and share it with your readers .

<a href=”http://reluctantentertainer.com”><img src=”http://reluctantentertainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/30dosu125Flowers”</a>