Project Design-Simple Summer Entertaining Tips

Welcome to our latest installment of Project Design!  We planned  a simple dinner at the lake with friends for Steve's birthday that just happened to be on Memorial Weekend. We like to keep entertaining simple at the lake so we made this easy appetizer.  All it takes is three ingredients; a wedge of Brie,  TJ's corn salsa (at Amazon if you don't have one nearby)  and Terrapin Ridge's Hot Pepper Bacon Jam. (also on Amazon click the link)

 We set up dinner on our lower patio because it can get toasty at the lake. 

The view above

Jenna and I decorated the tables with our faithful fence board box filled with flowers in red, white and blue.

We used my white Target plates and my twig chargers.  We layered these great Minted Watercolor Dots Napkins over bright red bandanas, added mini flags, herbs from my garden, and tied them with red raffia found at Michaels. They have the larger flags as well.

We set up one of our round folding tables in front of the fountain; (I have three for this purpose) , covered it with a burlap cover ( you will need 108" to touch ground), and used one of the toppers left over from Colin and Lauren's wedding with more bandana napkins.

This is the garden (in case you are wondering).  The deer, bunnies and birds eat everything in sight

For dinner we prepared Steve's favorite Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Bloody Mary Tomato Salad, Bobby Flay's (Mesa Grill) Southwestern  Potato Salad, and Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Chipotle Sauce (recipe below)

Lime Chipotle Sauce

• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 chipotle chile,with 2 tsp sauce from can of chipotles in adobo sauce
• ½ cup packed cilantro
• Zest and juice of one lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
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• Combine all in food processor and serve.
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After dinner as the sun set,

we enjoyed one of my homemade desserts (just kidding).  I don't bake.  For simplicity and the fact that I hate to bake ,I purchased these from Dollie Cakes in Salinas and added the flags, fruit and mint.

How about a Patriotic Playlist to get you in the spirit of things? The picture on the playlist is the barn on my dad's farm in Indiana.

Now stop by and visit these other lovely bloggers to see what they have in store for you. I know you won't be disappointed!

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• Pretty Pink Tulips

  
  

  shabby fufu

  
  

  Megan Pflug Designs

  
  

  Classic Casual Home

  
  

  Hello Lovely

  
  

  Rough Luxe Lifestyle 

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• Thank you to Minted.com for providing all of the lovely napkins to our participants.  If you would like to see more of their home collection go here.
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