Gobble, Gobble to HOHOHO … Effortless Covid Entertaining … Outdoors! š
Dear Friends,
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, we continue our Covid holiday entertaining series. As I suggestedĀ in two of our āTen Steps to Effortless Covid Entertainingā …
āGet creative and think outside the box.āĀ
āGather outside as much as possible.āĀ
In this newsletter, EE offers two menus and recipes perfect for outdoor gatherings ā¦ Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other occasion. With either menu, do a little, do a lot, or make it superĀ effortlessĀ and donāt do at all.Ā Hire a caterer! Let these menus and suggestions be your thought-starters.
Another concept that you may want to consider ā¦ a food truck! Many of our cities have fabulous food truck options. In Charlotte, one of my favorites is Big Red, the pizza truck fromĀ True Crafted Pizza. Several years ago we attended an outdoor party with Bid Red and it was fantastic! Consider a Tap Truck too! North Carolina based companyĀ Tap TruckĀ NCĀ looks like so much fun and could add a special kick to your party.Ā You could also consider mid-morningĀ Bloodys and Biscuits with a biscuit food truck. InĀ Charlotte, I’ve spiedĀ Callieās Biscuits… looks like a great way to start a Saturday morning!Ā Create a festive Bloody Mary Bar with Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers, and Mimosas.
Other thoughts …
- If you typically hostĀ a big crowd, consider hosting your party over three to four hours, and stagger your guests. Perhaps you couldĀ invite your A āĀ Gās for the first hour, H āĀ Nās the second hour, O āĀ Uās for the third hour, and V āĀ Zās for the last hour. Think what fun it will be for you to more easily visit with all of your guests since fewer will be there at one time!
- Start early afternoon so you can take advantage of the daylight and warmer hours. Youāll see several recommendations in Sources &Ā Resources. Even though Iāve provided online links, I do encourage you to shop locally for as many products as possible. I include online photos and links as an easy way for me to provide suggestions, but so love it when you can find locally!
- Take care of bugs. Even if youāre not sensitive to mosquitoes, assume your guests are. Spray before your guests arriveĀ or use organic repellents.
Be sure to refer to the October 8th edition ofĀ The DishĀ forĀ āEEās Ten Steps to Effortless Covid EntertainingāĀ for helpful considerations, and donāt hesitate to email with questions.
From our home to yours,
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MENUS
OYSTER ROAST MENU
- Steamed Oysters with Saltines, Cocktail Sauce,
Hot Sauce, and Melted Butter - Three Cheese Pimento CheeseĀ
- Vidalia Onion DipĀ
- Ham Rolls
- Carrots and Cukes in Hummus
- Brunswick Stew
- CornbreadĀ
- Irwinās Super Brownies
BARBECUE AND BRATS MENU
- Guacamole and Salsa with ChipsĀ
- Vulture DipĀ
- Grilled Brats on buns with all the fixinsā
ā¦relish, chili sauce, slaw, mustard, onion - Barbecue Sliders
- Slaw
- Fiesta Black Bean Salad
- Irwinās Super Brownies
SOURCESĀ & RESOURCES
Gas Tripod
|
Gloves
|
Bamboo Cocktail Forks
|
Oyster KnivesIf you want to be clever, tie an oyster knife in an oyster glove for each guest. |
For The Mains
ā¦ Perfect for chips, veggies, and dips
Available here:
ConesĀ |Ā Ā Holder
For the Condiments
Consider plastic squeeze bottles and/or individual sauce cups.
Available here:
BottleĀ |Ā Ā Sauce Cups
For the Beverages
Beverage Tub
Contact All Through The House | Call (336) 777-1000
Cups
My favorite multi-purpose beverage cup for beer, wine, and cocktails. You can buy already designed or customize. Many of our local paper and stationery shops can order these for you.
Available here
Glass Markers
Available here
Extras
Many of our local kitchen and tabletop stores carry these wonderful Vietri napkins ā¦ SHOP LOCAL!
Paper Napkins
Capri Dinner NapkinsĀ |Ā Ā StripeĀ Cocktail NapkinsĀ |Ā Ā PlaidĀ DinnerĀ Napkins
For The Tables
Ā Consider butcher paper, which can be replaced frequently or PVC tablecloths which can be cleaned frequently.Ā
Butcher Paper
Available here
PVC TableclothĀ
White PlaidĀ |Ā Branch
For The Trash
Disposable Trash CansĀ
Available here