Outdoor Entertaining: The Ultimate Guide

At the Oven Baked Journal, we have covered everything from creative cocktails to plan-ahead party prep. However, with the spring season in full swing, we are elevating our parties to the next level. No matter the guest list or occasion, we are welcoming the weather and having ourselves a ball while doing it. Today, I am sharing with you how I transitioned my entertaining into the spring and have also included some behind-the-scenes of my Easter Dinner.

Complete with backyard florals and carrots, the table-scape is always the star of the show.

Simple Sips & Seasonal Snacks

The fall and winter holiday season is a time when I like to get fancy with my cocktails, but springtime is when I gladly welcome a perfectly chilled glass of wine. Occasionally I introduce a two to three ingredient drink, but love nothing more than a glass of Moscato or Sauvignon Blanc during golden hour. 

Almost always, I offer a non-alcoholic option and also a fun, flavored water that’s readily accessible on the patio in my backyard. For my Easter Dinner, I added some leftover lemons and raspberries I had on hand to a large pitcher of water with ice. With every gathering I throw, I like to have a lot of choice for my guests whether it be food or fun.

As guests begin arriving, I like to slowly bring out snacks and appetizers for people to pick through. In all my dishes, sweet and savory, I like to work with what is in season. In my kitchen garden this year, I was lucky enough to grow tons of carrots and spring lettuce. I used those ingredients in different ways that offered an element of surprise, fun, and flavor. 

I first pulled some of my smaller carrots to lay over top of my appetizer plates as colorful decor, along with some flowers my mother arranged into a pretty vase. My best friend thought the carrots were so cute, she wanted to pull one herself. For my other garden element, I used the bitter, spring lettuce in a Caprese style salad with very simple ingredients. Lightly tearing the lettuce into a large bowl, I added half a rough chopped tomato, balsamic vinaigrette, and some grated Parmesan. My friends could not believe how much different the produce tasted from that of the grocery store.

For my other dishes, I decided on a dinner that could be like a choose-your-own adventure game. All of the hot food served came from the freezer and beautifully cooked in the air fryer. We had spanakopita, caramelized onion and Brie pastries, spring rolls, and mini pizzas. The ease of these small plates or tapas gave me the space to focus on my dessert for the evening.

The inspiration for the evening’s dessert was my recent trip to Oahu, Hawaii. On the island, my mother and I visited the Old Waialua Sugar Mill. There we experienced the coffee and chocolate making process done at the estate. After tasting tons of chocolate, we flew home with a one pound bar of semi-sweet chocolate. My other source of inspiration for my Easter dessert was chocolate candy, particularly the robin’s eggs filled with solid milk chocolate. Therefore, I made a Chocolate Tart topped with fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar. It was an absolute hit, and could not have used my Hawaiian chocolate any better.

Chocolate Tart with Raspberries. Recipe from Tasty.com

Childlike Fun

Games and activities are one of my favorite parts of any good party, the simpler the better too. Tonight, since we had the luxury of the outdoors, I did not pull out any of my card games. Rather, I went for an Easter classic, the egg hunt. My friends and I ran around my backyard competing for who could collect the most eggs. It was fun opening up our colorful, plastic eggs and racing to see who would find the single golden egg.

Another favorite game of ours is reading Tarot. This night was especially fun because we were celebrating all kinds of milestones, achievements, and happy memories. From new apartments, to new partners, to new jobs. Everyone’s cards painted a full picture that represented the place everyone was in. 

This element of entertainment is so important because people want to come together in order to escape to some degree. Parts of growing up like longer work hours or paying taxes makes people quickly forget how to have some fun. Games take the conversation away from life’s woes, and makes us remember what it's like to laugh by the fire.

The sweetest carrots you have ever seen or tasted.

Creature Comforts

Although warmer evenings are in sight, sometimes an outdoor party suffers from temperature transition when the sun goes down. When the sun begins to disappear into the horizon, I bring out all my staples for nighttime fun outdoors. I have multiple serapes I bring out for my friends to use, I turn on the fire pit, and light all my candles for ambience around the patio. 

Anytime I entertain, I think about what makes a great party or what gets me to stay. Good games, good people, and an enjoyable atmosphere are all factors. I like when everyone’s needs have been thought about. One of my friends came later in the evening, and she asked for coffee. I would not have thought twice about having it on hand, but I was so glad I did. However, if you have the right people in your life, they will always give you grace when something goes awry. Keep scrolling for more snaps I got from the party.

White Chocolate Covered Strawberries made to look like carrots.

The quintessential perfect slice.