OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING
How to have a Outdoor Summer event.
Plan Ahead for Outdoor Entertaining
By Chris Casson Madden
Scripps Howard News Service
Summer is the time for outdoor entertaining. It wasn't so long ago that outdoor entertaining meant a picnic in the park, with your drink cooler, paper plates and plastic forks. If you were at home, it meant throwing hamburgers on the backyard grill.
Today, with the trend of well-decorated outdoor rooms and kitchen elements that are made for outdoor use, a backyard party can be a bit more sophisticated. There are luxury grills available that allow you to grill and prepare foods on a stovetop. I've been doing a little research for my own backyard grill and I am amazed at the plethora of options.
Kitchen islands are becoming another indoor item moving outside, allowing you some room for prep work and storage. Refrigerators, wet bars and sinks also are available for outdoor installation.
The secret is to bring your best outdoors and to have fun with decorating. Think about these ideas as you plan your outdoor get-together:
Lay out your basic "floor plan:" Planning the space before the party is key. First, decide if guests will be seated at tables or will be eating while standing or seated in the nearest lawn chair.
When I had my family over recently for a Sunday afternoon get-together, I pulled out some of my favorite Oriental rugs in smaller sizes that I had rolled up for the summer and created seating areas under shady trees for supine dining.
Plan for a main buffet table for entrees, salads, side dishes and condiments. You can ice drinks down in festive containers ranging from copper tubs and wheelbarrows to wine in terra cotta plant pots.
Dress up the tables:
Use paper for drink napkins only, and bring out cloth napkins and linens to the party. Arrange silverware in inviting "take-one" containers like plant pots, cachepots or other imaginative containers, and invest in some mix-and-match china pieces in colorful hues.
Centerpieces can be as simple as small containers of Gerbera daisies or impatiens, along with greenery, or even bowls of summer fruit or veggies. I like to use a row of glass canning jars to hold treasures from my own garden.
Choose food suitable for outdoors:
Place food buffets in any shady areas you might have, because direct sunlight may cause even the greenest summer salad to wilt and dishes with dairy in them to curdle. Nor do foods that contain lots of oil or gelatin do well in the heat. Be sure to cover them with some waxed paper or old-fashioned netting baskets. Think about dishes that serve well at room temperature, like tomato salads, grilled kabobs, beans and noodle dishes.
Light up the night:
If your gathering will take you into the evening, add a little romance with lighting. Strands of small clear lights look wonderful woven through trees, shrubs or fencing and they are available in lots of different shapes and styles. Hurricane lanterns will stay lit even if it becomes breezy, and they can double as centerpieces.
My favorite mode of lighting — candles — can sit on tabletops in small jars or holders, or as a grouping. Consider the citronella variety if insects are a concern.
You may also opt for gas- or oil-filled tiki-style torches in either rattan or metal styles that can be placed in different spots in the outdoor space, creating "rooms" and separate areas or walkways.
Make children feel welcome.
If a lot of young ones will be a part of the festivities, come up with some creative ways to keep them entertained. You might want to have an eating table just for the children. Try covering it in white butcher paper. Have crayons available and let them draw to their heart's content.
Plan ahead, and keep it simple, so you can enjoy your summer gathering as much as your guests will.
(Chris Casson Madden, frequent contributor to Home & Garden Television, is also author of 15 books, including the newly released New American Living Rooms, Clarkson Potter Publishers, $35.)
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