Easy Summer Entertaining

This Easy Summer Entertaining shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FlavorYourSummer #CollectiveBias

You know the saying, “when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade”? Well, when life gives you oranges…

mangoes…

watermelon…

and easy to prepare pizza…

you plan a summer party!

I love this time of the year when the warmer weather is enough reason for a celebration. Summer parties don’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. As long as you have good food on the table, great music to set the mood, a tablescape that packs a lot of visual punch, and of course, good company, then you’re all set! Who is ready to do some summer entertaining?

Easy Summer Entertaining Tips

1. Flavor your summer with food that’s easy to prepare, doesn’t take much time, and something that everyone will love. Nestlé has a lot of easy-to-prepare options. But you know what would be a sure fire hit for both kids and adults? PIZZA! It’s a no-brainer. It’s a whole meal on its own. Plus, all you have to do is pop it in the oven. You can use the rest of your time for some side dishes and dessert, or just enjoy the extra time to mingle with family and friends. We tried the latest TOMBSTONE® Limited Edition Pizza in Bratwurst flavor the other day and it was awesome. I just took it out of its packaging, put it in the oven, and 17 minutes later, we were ready to eat. It was quick, easy and delicious, not to mention something different for pizza night.

Dig into something different with the new TOMBSTONE® limited edition flavors, Bratwurst and Diablo. You can find them at Walmart. And guys, a whole pizza is under 5 bucks. These limited edition pizzas feature unique flavor combos, premium meats and 100% real Wisconsin cheese. So grab a couple and stock up. They’ll come in handy when someone requests for an impromptu pizza night! You may want to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated about current promos and new flavors too.

2. Add a complementary dish. After deciding on pizza, I thought about what easy side dish to pair it with. Immediately, I thought salad would match. Plus, it’s super easy to prepare one!

• Grab your favorite leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce or chards.
• Mix in carrots, tomatoes, pine nuts, almonds, or even dried cranberries to add color, different textures, and flavors to your salad.
• Finally, have a variety of salad dressings available, so your guests can choose. I usually have balsamic vinaigrette and ranch dressings on hand.

3. Prepare easy summer desserts. Watermelon, mangoes, berries and other fruits are the easiest desserts to serve at a party. You can never go wrong with a tray or basket of a variety of fruits. There’s going to be something for everyone. Plus, you can prepare them ahead of time by cutting them the day before, and chilling in the refrigerator after. Now to at least make it look like you exerted some effort, present them nicely by cutting them in fun shapes or adding in some fun decorations. I cut my watermelon into pizza wedges and stuck disposable plastic knives underneath. Not only were they easier to handle and eat, they looked like popsicles too. As for the mangoes, I simply decorated them with palm tree toothpicks. Oh, and let’s not forget the classic summer/grilling food, s’mores!

4. Keep your summer party table decorations fun, colorful and bright. I love a clean, minimalistic and elegant tablescape. However, if we’re talking about summer entertaining, I love to keep the decorations colorful and fun.

• The oranges topped with a palm tree as it’s hair and a sunglasses printable is one way to put name labels on the table.
• Colorful flowers, real or not, is a great way to add color to your table setting too.
• Other ways to keep the theme flowing throughout your tablescape is through colorful straws, napkins, place settings and cute water cups and glasses. I put grass skirts on our drinking glasses using cut green plastic table covers and washi tape!

5. Prepare a summer playlist. Each year, I have a set of summer songs I listen to over and over again. So make your own summer playlist that will set the mood for your summer party. Now it’s time to enjoy your food, and make memories with family and friends. Bon appetit!

How easy was that to plan a summer party? Hope you enjoyed these summer entertaining tips. If you have other ideas or want to share what easy dishes you love to serve during summer, please share them away!

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