Summertime Entertaining Ideas

Take the Party Outside

Throw a fiesta. Any day can be Cinco de Mayo with a south-of-the-border themed party. Toss together a huge taco salad or several Smoked Sausage Quesadillas and serve with a simple side of tortilla chips and salsa. Pitchers of margaritas are a great complement for the theme, but any frozen, fruity beverage will do.

Open your garden for a formal tea. Linen tablecloths and white china are elegant touches when surrounded with the fragrances of summer flowers in full bloom. Top off your table with clippings from your garden, but make sure the arrangement isn't too high so your guests can easily see each other. Serve finger sandwiches and appetizers such as brie and Smithfield's Mini Lemon Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches along with flavored iced tea for a refreshingly sophisticated afternoon.

Host a luau. The decor is easy; surround your patio (or deck, or lawn) with tiki torches. Not only will they give your guests a sense of the islands, you can fill them with citronella oil and they'll do double duty keeping mosquitoes away. Cap off the evening with a challenging limbo dance.

Invite friends to gather around the grill. Summer is the season for barbecue and you can break away from the ordinary by ditching traditional hamburgers and hotdogs for more sophisticated baby back ribs, Barbecued Pork Loin Roast or sausage dishes. Create a smorgasbord of condiments on a nearby table and let your guests slather on sauces and salsas, then pick their own fresh salad fixings to compliment whatever you serve up from the grill.

Go for al fresco fondue. Set up several tables with different choices of fondue treats such as chocolate, various cheeses and hot oil. Pair with fresh fruit, bread and cheese cubes and sliced meat. Be sure to caution your guests about cooking meat thoroughly. Sophistication is the rule here, so host this party by candlelight and serve grown-up drinks such as wine spritzers and martinis.