Category: summer

Memorial Day weekend welcomes keep it summer simple entertaining, outdoor living, backyard cookouts, and the summer entertaing-picnic packing times that go so well with summer.

Summer entertaining ideas o’plenty are filling up my notepad file marked hot style in the summertime.

Who remembers when the crudite tray ruled the appetizer course?

The ultimate crudite crate is a super cute summer entertaining idea.

Farmhouse chic is for sure the trend with staying power and one tailored-made for summer entertaining.

Millennials, brides-to-be, kitchenistas, decoristas, outdoor living entertainingistas love, love, love the ease of entertaining farmhouse chic brings to the table.

Our Millennial son aka the Canadian snowbird and his bride-to-be completed their trip with a quick trip to Waco and the uber popular Magnolia Market.

They give the market, bakery and the metropolis of Waco a glowing review.

Okay, let’s get back to the crudités crate ideas.

Natural Wood Square Tray by Ashland

As far as appetizers go, especially in the heat of the summer, I practice the rule of less is more.

Small bites and nibbles make the perfect edible complement to a cold beverage.

With that in mind, I think the Natural Wood Square Tray by Ashland from Michaels will make a big summer entertaining statement.

Like a picnic basket- pack it tight with fresh veggies for summer snacking.

Potato salad is a picnic-pot luck staple.

I don’t know if I would go so far as to categorize it as a vintage side dish, but potato salad has graced the summer picnic table of my great grandmother, my grandmothers, my aunts, my mother and my mother-in-law.

You get the picture.

Chairish

Recipes for potato salad vary in ingredients and styles, serving warm or cold is in the palate preference of the fork or spoon holder, and to add mustard or not add mustard is a whole nother potato salad issue.

I came across Doris Day’s recipe for German Potato Salad, and thought it would make a great addition to this post.

Doris Day’s German Potato Salad

Ingredients

6 medium-sized potatoes

1 large stalk of celery, chopped in small pieces

3-4 scallions (white part only), thinly sliced

4 slices lean bacon, cut in small strips

2/3 cup water

½ cup cider (or wine) vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Cook potatoes in their skins until tender.  Cool slightly, peel and slice into a large bowl.  Add celery and scallions.  Fry bacon in saucepan until crisp.  Add water and vinegar.  Pour over potato-celery-scallion mixture, toss lightly.

Cover and marinate thoroughly (several hours or overnight) before serving.

Serves 4.

Julia Child is deliciously correct.

To her words I add my own: entertaining well doesn’t mean entertaining extravagantly, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it is summertime and the livin’ is easy rules.

Griffith Red Metal Outdoor Lounge Chair

I’m coming to realize the correlation between vintage and comfortable is undeniable.

Easy and delicious, I served this fruit salad at the bridal shower and the crowd went yum.

Pretty presentation, and that’s what counts.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients

2 cans tropical fruit, drained

1 can pear halves, drained

1 pint blueberries

juice of one(1) lemon

1 large ripe avocado, halved and cut into slices

1 small container plain Greek yogurt

2 Tablespoons honey

black pepper

Directions

In a mixing bowl, toss together canned fruit with juice of one lemon. Cover and chill 1 hour.  Add to a small container of Greek yogurt two Tablespoons of honey and you’ve got the dressing.

Garnish with avocado slices, yogurt dressing and black pepper.

Dollar store wine goblets in the style of oatmeal glass make a lovely serving presentation.

I am snacking on this fruit salad as I write up this post.

Delicious, if I do say so myself.

By now you’ve realized vintage style glassware is a favorite.  Inspiration is everywhere, especially at the movies.

Sparkling Spiked Peach Lemonade

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup of water

3 large peaches

6 cups sparkling water

1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ cup vodka

Directions

In a small pot, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Remove the skins from 2 of the peaches, reserving the third.  Cut an “X” in the bottom of each one, and place them in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Transfer the peaches to an ice bath, and peel when cool enough to handle.  Slice each peeled peach in half and remove the pits. Cut peaches into cubes, place them in the blender or food processor, and puree until liquified.

In a large pitcher, combine the pureed peaches, the cooled simple syrup, the sparkling water, the lemon juice and the vodka.  Stir to combine.  Add ice and stir again.

Cut the remaining peach into thin slices.  Stir a few of the slices into the lemonade and use the others to garnish the glasses.

Serves 4.

-The Kitchn

Are you ready for summer entertaining?

Enjoy this Memorial Day weekend, practice the entertaining rule of KISS by keeping it summer simple, and bon appétit.