Innehållsförteckning för Celebrate Fresh & Easy Outdoor Parties 2013 från Southern Lady

Summer is my favorite time of year because it is the season to take it easy, enjoy the family, and get outdoors for some sun and fresh air. There is nothing more refreshing than the warmth of the sun on my face—even if it’s just during the morning drive to the office. It makes me happy. But lately, I have found it hard to slow down and relax. Keeping up with home-decorating projects, family (especially the grandchildren!), and the beautiful magazines we are producing here at Hoffman Media keep me quite busy. This year, however, I am making it a priority to feel the sand between my toes, picnic by the river, and relish some family time by celebrating with a patriotic-themed gathering at some point—if not the Fourth of…

When I was a little girl, summertime meant sleepovers at my grandmother’s house in Guntersville, Alabama. All my girl cousins would gather there, and when it was bedtime, we’d pile into two big beds in the front room and swap stories until we fell asleep. When morning came, we were given a mission: to collect strawberries fresh from my grandmother’s patch in her orchard. With large woven baskets in tow—you know, the kind you get with a bushel of peaches from the farmers’ market—we all hurried to the patch to pick berries while they were still cool from the morning dew (the best time of day to pick them, my grandmother always said). Of course, we would make a contest out of it: Who could find the biggest? The strangest…

There’s something about this time of year. Whether the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or even Labor Day, a patriotic occasion seems all the more festive with a cool, salty breeze, bare feet in the sand, an ice-cold drink, and the taste of fresh seafood. Perhaps you live by the coast full time or are simply planning a family vacation. Either way, gather your loved ones for a relaxed dinner at sunset to proudly celebrate all our country stands for. When choosing the décor for this occasion, coastal flea markets and antiques shops can be treasure troves. We used a weathered oar as a piece on which to write the menu and filled vintage lanterns and crab traps with pillar candles to hang over the table and food buffet for…

Summer is here, and we hope you are ready to party. We have the most innovative celebrations to inspire you in this issue. It’s amazing to look back and remember the long days we spent—but the fun we had—capturing each event. I attribute so much of the incredible photography to Sidney Bragiel, our photo stylist, and the talented team of photographers here at Hoff man Media. Sidney’s keen sense of style, positive energy, and attention to detail weave these pages together beautifully. She will be the first to tell you that it is not all glamorous, but day in and day out, she is living her passion. She sets the style, the color palette, and the ambience we want jumping off the pages. Her days include meetings with editors, food…

Standing at a worktable in her Seattle studio, McKenzie Powell pulls together a combination of Clematis vines, dahlias, peonies, and garden roses. The sweet, subtle fragrance brings back memories of Bellingham, a coastal city in Washington, where she grew up. She remembers summer days of her childhood spent barefoot near the family garden. While she played with pinecones, leaves, and pretty flower petals, creating a pretend “stew,” her mother cut flowers from the garden and then grouped and placed them around the home. “My mom has beautiful gardens and has always created casual arrangements for the house,” she says. “So when people ask me about my training, I just have to smile. I got the best training out there.” Watching her mother and spending time in nature gave McKenzie, now…

Enjoy the dog days of summer, lounging by the lake with friends and family. A picnic is a perfect way to get outside and take in the sweet smells and sounds of nature. As you listen to bees humming in the distance and the rustle of tall grass and wildflowers in the summer breeze, everyday stresses melt away. Bring a camera, a game, perhaps a musical instrument, and enjoy simple pleasures with those you love most. A color palette of light pastel hues for this outdoor occasion allows the fresh food and surrounding nature to remain the center of attention. Pack a portable lunch, using individual jars for a flavorful summer succotash and wrapping sandwiches in parchment paper secured with twine. Plenty of quilts and pillows provide a comfortable seating…

TIRAMISÙ ICE-CREAM SANDWICHES Makes 12 sandwich cookies 1 (3-ounce) package soft lady fingers ¾ cup coffee ice cream, softened ½ cup semisweet chocolate morsels ¼ cup heavy whipping cream ¼ cup chocolate-covered coffee beans, choppe Preheat oven to 350°. Tear ladyfingers into individual cookies. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, or until toasted. Let cool. Spread 1 tablespoon ice cream onto half of cookies, and top each with another cookie. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until hardened. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate morsels and cream. Microwave on High, in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 minute total). Dip each ice-cream-filled cookie halfway into chocolate; place on cold prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with chocolatecovered…

Martha and John wanted their wedding to be a very different kind of celebration. Martha says her vision was simple: “I wanted to make guests feel like they had left Birmingham (Alabama) for the night.” Choosing to have a smaller, more intimate wedding allowed them the creative freedom to realize their dream. Martha and John, along with planner Neillie Butler of Mariée Ami, created a gardenlike atmosphere in the reception space and did it with modern flair. Following an evening ceremony at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, guests entered Mountain Brook Club for the cocktail hour greeted by lush arrangements of fist-size dahlias and roses in deep shades of orange and pink accented with eggplants and artichokes. “I wanted the color palette to reflect my love of bright, rich…

GOAT CHEESE TOMATO STACKS Makes 4 servings 12 (¼ -inch) slices goat cheese 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper 4 small to medium tomatoes 4 fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar Sprinkle cheese slices with salt and pepper. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each tomato to keep them upright after assembling. Cut one tomato crosswise into 4 slices. Place 1 cheese slice between each tomato slice, stacking slices upright. Top each with a basil leaf, securing with a wooden pick through center of stack. Place on a serving tray. Repeat procedure with remaining cheese slices and tomato slices. Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Note: Tomatoes and cheese should have about the same diameter. Use a thoroughly chilled…

MINIATURE CHERRY CUSTARD PIES Makes 4 mini pies 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling 1 large egg ¼ cup honey Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 (14.1-ounce) box refrigerated pie crust Garnish: whipped cream, fresh blueberries Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 4 (6-ounce) mini pie pans or ceramic dishes with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together pie filling, egg, honey, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, cardamom, and cinnamon. Cut 6 (5-inch) circles from pie crust; reroll remaining dough, and cut 2 more circles. Place 1 circle in the bottom of each mini pie pan. Divide filling evenly among pie crusts. Using a small star-shaped cookie cutter or a knife, cut a star in the…