Summer Entertaining & Strawberry Lemonade

Summer is finally here! Living in New England we know that there are only a couple of months of warm, sunny weather each year and to take advantage of each day and enjoy every moment of sunshine. Summer is one of my favorite seasons. I love the warm weather, long days, green grass and leaves, pool/beach days, grilled food, and cool drinks. Our menu at home always changes with the seasons. In the spring and summer, we tend to eat healthier meals that include salads and grilled vegetables and meat. In the fall and winter, we eat more comfort foods (that tend to add a few inches to the waistline!). Our drink choices is one thing that does not change with the seasons. My family loves lemonade and we drink it all year around. However, there is nothing better than a tall, cold glass of lemonade during the hot summer months to quench your thirst. We typically drink store bought lemonade (Newman’s Own Organic Lemonade is our favorite brand) from the grocery store but I made homemade strawberry lemonade this week and it came out delicious (see recipe below)!

If your looking for an idea for summer entertaining, consider hosting a lemonade party! I put together an easy and affordable tablescape that will be beautiful for serving your guests. I’ve included links to either the products I used or something similar.

To start, I brought our antique kitchen table outside. Using a piece of furniture that is unique with character instead of a boring old plastic table will elevate the food or drinks you are serving. Once you have your table or furniture set up, you will then want to add texture to your tablescape. I added a white linen tablecloth on one side of the table and a flour sack towel on the other. Consider using cotton or linen tablecloths instead of plastic. Not only will you be using material that you can wash and reuse again, but it will be better for the environment as well.

Next, you will want to add height to your table. For this, I placed a bottle glass vase with stems cut from our yard. When cutting the stems, I like to keep them long to add height and to create a dramatic look to the vase. I love using materials that come from our yard and nature to add an organic touch. Just make sure you are not touching or cutting poison ivy! My husband is excellent at finding this and preventing me from getting too close.

I used a two tier tray to hold the cups, lemons, strawberries, mint, and linen napkins to easily move them from the house to the outdoors. Using a tray like the one I used, helps to add height and dimension to your table as well. I chose melamine cups and a melamine pitcher so that I did not have to worry about breaking glass. You can find really nice melamine products in various styles at multiple stores for very reasonable prices. Melamine is a great option for summer outdoor entertaining because it is affordable and unbreakable, which makes it ideal for parties with little ones. I found melamine, vintage looking cups and pitcher to go with the style of my tablescape. Finally, I placed a cutting board on the table with cut fresh fruit. This gives guests the ability to add additional fruit or mint to their drink if they so choose.

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Cup Smashed Strawberries

4 Cups Water

1/2 Cup Organic Honey

1 Cup Ice Cubes

Mint

Mix first 4 ingredients together then add ice cubes. Garnish with sliced strawberries, lemons, and fresh mint.

I hope this inspires you to host your own summer party! I would love to know what you think of my strawberry lemonade recipe!

I look forward to sharing more of my home and entertaining tips with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Xoxo ~ Heidi