Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Outside Entertaining 101


How to entertain on the porch...without a lot of effort...


Gather flowers from your yard or buy them at the nearest market.

(I'll bet you thought I was going to give you a recipe for the crab cheese ball - nope - I picked it up at the grocers)


Buy a cheese ball from your local deli and put it on a pretty plate.

Stuff a glass with lettuce.

Drape a few shrimp around the rim.

Top the lettuce with a few spoonfuls of cocktail sauce (store-bought, of course).

Add some wine and candles.




Enjoy yourself! And so will your guests!

BTW, If you haven't seen the rest of the pergola, you can click here.

And now continue to enjoy yourself at Susan's Tablescape Thursday...

34 comments:

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

great post! Happy Tablescape Thursday ~ Susan

Pondside said...

It's dripping down rain here, so I won't be copying your pretty table for a while.....but come the weekend.......It's a holiday weekend coming up - Victoria Day - and I'd so like to sit in the garden house and sip a glass of chilled Riesling.

Unknown said...

Very pretty, especially the flower arrangement.;D

Unknown said...

That's the way I like it; sweet and simple. You really enjoy yourself more! I love your back garden, it is beautiful!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

How perfect. I love to buy things at the store and dress them up and make them look like I spent hours. lol What a fun table and the setting is just fabulous. Hugs, Marty

Allidink said...

Great tablescape! I wanna jump right in and join :) I like so much that you put the cheese ball on that pretty silver plate! It looks so much nicer than a regular white plate or something.

All the best,
Allison

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Looks like a wonderful way to entertain and enjoy yourself as well!

Peacock Blue said...

That riesling is my favorite!

susan said...

I like your entertaining style! I wish I had followed your advice this past weekend! Your table and food are VERY inviting!

Natalie Meester said...

It all looks very yummy and enticing. Great job!

Cindy said...

Very nice! And, that's a really good Riesling!

kelly said...

Love your outdoor area! We often eat dinner outside too. THanks for sharing!

Katy said...

Wonderful outdoor area, love the flower arrangement and the pretty additions to the table. Great job, thanks for sharing! ~Katy

sarah said...

oh wow I love outdoor entertaining and this one is gorgeous, you have pulled it all together beautifully


happy tablescaping!

Sarah
A Beach Cottage

Kammy said...

Lovely and flowers from your garden ! I love store bought stuff too ! Nice job , so fresh !
Hugs Kammy

Fifi Flowers said...

It all looks picture perfect... the first shot of the flowers is gorgeous!

Mary said...

Oh, how colorful and pretty! Those flowers are gorgeous!!! And I am so down with the idea of letting the supermarket do a lot of the work. ;)

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

How simple yet elegant -- the lettuce, shrimp wine glasses. I loved the tablescape and the menu. Thanks.

Maureen said...

Yummy and beautiful! May I join you?

Robin said...

Great table...it all looks so inviting.
Have a beautiful day.

Marie Reed said...

I just love the pink pitcher the roses are in!

Christi @ A Southern Life said...

Wish I could find a crab cheese ball around here that looked that yummy! Very relaxing and very pretty!

Anonymous said...

What a beautifully decorated table and the food looks delightful.

CJ xx

Joyce said...

So relaxing. Love the little candle.
Joyce

Kathleen said...

Looks good, and love the way you describe it...so easy!
Love your yard sale find too!

Martha said...

A pretty table and I like what you did with the shrimp.

g.suzie said...

Absolutely love you yard pictures, it looks like you have put in much 'sweat equity' and it has paid off. . .and you make entertaining sound sooo easy!!!

Hilary said...

That's so colourful and inviting. I almost helped myself to the wine. ;) Thank you for your lovely comments on my son's guest post on my blog. Your kind words are very much appreciated. :)

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

I love that tablescaping and entertaining doesn't have to be complicated! Gorgeous!

the wild raspberry said...

i just love that pink pitcher of flowers!!!
have a wonderful weekend!
chasity

Jodie (everything vintage) said...

Oh my...everything is so beautiful!
I could just live out there...don't you???
everything vintage

Katy said...

Beautifully done! Love the little candle. Great outdoor entertaining tips! Lovely blog too! Thanks for visiting mine! ~Katy @ http://katylarson.blogspot.com

Cathy~Mille Fleur said...

I love your tablescape!!! The flower arrangement is lovely!!! Your garden is amazing...it looks so lush and green...the perfect spot for entertaining!!!

Have a wonderful Sunday!!!
XOXO
Cathy

P.S. I became a follower of your blog today...I can't wait to come back and visit again!!!

Tess Kincaid said...

I'm a huge fan of quick and easy! Thanks for stopping by Willow Manor. :^)