As spring approaches, many of us are waiting for warmer weather and outside activities. A perfect way to welcome the change in season is to host a garden party. Garden parties are great because the decorations are done by nature and there is rarely a lot of cleaning involved!
To start planning your garden party, the first item to deal with is the drinks. A perfect start is to brew some iced tea. There are many different flavors of tea bags to choose from. Take 6 bags out of the paper envelopes and remove the paper tags; tie the bags together by their strings. Boil 3 to 4 cups of water, then pour into a gallon pitcher or jug. Add the tea bags to the water and give them a gentle nudge with a spoon so they are under the water. Let the tea seep for about 8 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add ½ cup to 1 cup of sugar, to taste. Add cold water and place the pitcher in the refrigerator to cool. Serve the tea in pretty glasses with lemon wedges.
Another idea to make your garden party iced tea memorable and delicious is to make ice cubes from the tea itself. You can also add small berries, like raspberries, or mint leaves to the tea before freezing. As the ice cubes melt, the tea won’t be watered down and an extra burst of flavor will be added.
Garden parties are best when the food is easy to eat. A great snack idea is toasted bread pieces with various toppings. Get a few baguettes and slice them diagonally to get small pieces of bread. Place the bread on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil over each piece then place under the broiler in the oven. Be careful to keep an eye on it, as it could burn quickly. When done, flip the bread and toast the other side.
The toppings for the bread can be placed in different bowls so the guests can choose what they would like. Diced tomatoes with oregano and garlic is very easy and popular. You can also make hummus. (Hummus is a paste made by combining chick peas, garlic, olive oil, and cumin.) Chopped black olives with a bit of olive oil is also easy. Another option could be slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato slices.
The main entrée at a garden party should be filling, but light and refreshing at the same time. Chicken and vegetable skewers are perfect for this type of occasion. Get the appropriate amount of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for your party and chop them into 2 inch cubes. If time allows, marinate your chicken in Italian dressing at least 4 hours before cooking. (Ideally the chicken will marinate overnight.) Before grilling, soak wooden skewers in water so they don’t burn. Also, sweet peppers (in any color you wish) and onions should be chopped into chunks similar in size to the chicken. You can also plan on adding cherry tomatoes since they are a good size for biting. Prepare the skewers by placing the chicken and vegetables in a pattern on each one. Grill until the chicken is no longer pink. Serve the skewers along side a medley of fresh fruit.
Since most of the decorations are done for you at a garden party, you really only need to worry about the table tops. Use a pretty tablecloth and place a clear glass bowl in the center. Fill the bowl with water, adding various colored flower petals to float around. Another idea is to gather freshly cut flowers with varying stem sizes to just place around the table, giving the garden party a more laid back appearance.
There are obviously many ways to personalize your garden party. Take these ideas as starting points and manipulate them to work for you. The important thing is to have fun. If you have fun planning it, then your garden party is sure to be a success.
