My Mom has a group of life long friends who meet for lunch on Fridays. I affectionately call them "The Lunch Ladies". Ever since our chicks came to live at Chez Poulet she's been wanting to bring her friends by to see the coop & chicks so I offered to host a luncheon for them. I thought it might be nice to share a few of my favorite simple outdoor entertaining ideas with you.
1. Centerpieces are best kept casual. Getting too extravagant can be stressful and expensive. I used what I had on hand, silver vases with a mixture of fresh cut garden blooms. With the "chicken" theme a few vintage garden chicks were added to the tables for fun.
2. In lieu of a formal menu, I opted for a small pennant flag encouraging them to enjoy their meal. It's such a quick and easy way to add a festive touch.
3. A small drink station or bar set up is always a welcome site. It gives guests a chance to mingle and prepare their tea just the way they like it. Instead of an ice bucket, each glass was filled with ice just as guests arrived.
4. If fresh flowers aren't in the budget, a trip to your local garden center can provide an inexpensive alternative and you will also get the benefit of planting them later. Any kind of greenery will add so much life and vibrancy to a buffet.
5. I like to use an assortment of serving pieces. Good choices to try might be vintage platters of any kind, french baskets, ironstone bowls, glass punch bowls for salads or tin tart pans. The variety will give you different height options and create a nice layering effect as well as provide interest and depth to your tablescape.
6. Keep your menu simple. Mixing in a few store bought items such as cookies or croissants from a bakery will save you time and still taste delicious. Make a few of your favorite salads and perhaps one splurge such as Brie en Croute or another specialty in your recipe arsenal. If you're not busy cooking at the last minute you're more likely to enjoy the party as much as your guests.
Hope some of these tips and tricks will be helpful to you as spring and summer entertaining season is about to open. Outdoor dining has got to be on the top ten list of happy things for me. I'm so glad I live in an area that provides me with many beautiful days to do just that.
I'll leave you with one overall shot of the buffet table. Please forgive all the shadows from the beams on the patio cover. I don't have a reflector large enough to hide them for the photo but still thought it would be nice to give you a sense the full picture.
And btw, don't you love my new 8 ft. work bench buffet? I think it's completely perfect for the space. The Man on the other hand not so much. He thought it was too expensive, rickety and beat up. What about you guys? I could sure use your vote of confidence in this area. I would really like to win this debate!
