Summer Entertaining by Evite

Celebrate life as often as you can

NEW FOOD, DRINKS & DECOR FOR

SUMMER ENTERTAINING FROM THE EXPERTS AT EVITE

SUMMER LOVINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Make the most of sunny days and warm nights with timeless recipes, refreshing drinks, and tips on mastering the perfect BBQ.

GET STARTED

Make a great first impression. Choosing and sending the perfect invitation sets your party off right. Our expert tips below will help ensure your invites send the perfect message.

INVITATION TIPS

SELECT AN INVITATION THAT SETS THE TONE FOR YOUR EVENT. Your invitation will immediately set guests’ expectations. Match the colors, motif, and style to your party, then finish with wording that communicates your theme.

CHOOSE THE INVITATION MEDIUM THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU. An electronic invitation allows you to easily track your RSVPs, while a print invite is a nod to tradition. Want both? allows you to send highquality printed versions of your invitations in addition to (or in lieu of) electronic ones.

View all of our summerthemed Evite invitations.4

GIVE GUESTS PLENTY OF NOTICE. Summer is prime vacation time and guests’ social calendars can fill up fast. Try to send your invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance or consider hosting on a weeknight when guests are less likely to be booked.

View all of our summer-themed Postmark invitations.4

DRINK UP

View the

DIY

Serve summer drinks with style.

When summer heats up, the only thing better than an ice cold cocktail is one that’s dispensed from our awesome watermelon keg. Perfect for a Memorial Day celebration, 4th of July, or other outdoor fete, this longtime Evite fave is even better when paired with our Minty Melon Breeze made with Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine for a twist. Visit Evite Gatherings for all the how-tos (see right) and make a splash at your next summer get-together.

MINTY MELON BREEZE INGREDIENTS      

Watermelon 1/2 cup White Lightnin’ moonshine 2 liters soda water 5 oz. fruit-flavored liqueur 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves Ice cube tray

DIRECTIONS • Puree enough watermelon to make 6 cups of juice and sieve into a large pitcher, reserving 1 cup. • Add the moonshine and fruit-flavored liqueur, then stir in 2 liters of soda water and freeze overnight. • Remove pitcher from freezer when guests arrive and garnish with minted melon cubes.

MINTED MELON CUBES Pour the reserved juice into ice cube trays and sprinkle with chopped mint. Freeze overnight. Get more drink ideas on pages 9-10.

SPARK SOME SPIRIT

Set the stage for a patriotic party. You can never go wrong with red, white, and blue at a summer gathering -- this patriotic color scheme works perfectly for a variety of party styles and occasions, from picnics and BBQs to Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Add some embellishments per our tips below, and you’ll be set to host your loved ones all season.

DECOR TIPS

THEME YOUR FOOD. A red-white-and-blue fruit salad or plate of skewered berries and bananas fits right into the color scheme... and there’s nothing more American than apple pie. Keep your theme in mind when choosing your menu, and your food can contribute to or complement your decor.

DOUBLE UP FAVORS. Party favors can do double duty as decor elements. Arrange patriotic light-up rings on a plate, prop red-white-and-blue pinwheels on the table, and/or fill colorful pails with a variety of fun treats.

USE SIGN LANGUAGE. Signage instantly adds a chic touch to your table. Tape the printout of your choice to two lollipop sticks and insert into your pie for a festive look, and/or add quotation tags to favors with decorative string. Pull quotes from patriotic song lyrics and poetry if your shindig falls on a holiday.

MIX AND MATCH. Feel free to mix disposable tableware with table basics pulled from your kitchen. Paper plates look great on woven placemats, and metal flatware makes a nice contrast to heavy paper napkins. The paper products make clean-up easy and the lasting elements add a homey touch.

PERSONALIZE PLACE SETTINGS. It’s always the little things that impress guests, and whether you use simple place cards or take a cue from our chalkboard tags, personalized place settings instantly elevate your event.

MASTER THE GRILL

Nail our must-know techniques. Want people talking about your impressive grilling prowess long after the last piece of coal is extinguished? Put our BBQ tips into play, and you, too, can be known as a grill master this summer... and once you try our incredible BBQ sauce (recipe at right), you’ll never go back to the bottle(d) again.

BBQ TIPS

MARINADE YOUR MEAT. The juicy goodness begins with a flavor-infusing marinade long before you fire up the grill. Fully immerse the meat in your favorite blend, and remember: The longer you let it soak the better.

MIX IT UP WITH A DRY RUB. Another way to lock in serious flavor is to use a dry rub – basically a mix of spices of your choosing. The key to rubs is to cover the whole piece of meat (either by shaking the rub on or rubbing it in) and then wrap in plastic for a couple of hours. Spicy flavor punch!

SAVE THE SAUCE. What good is BBQ if it’s not covered in tangy deliciousness? Everyone has their favorite (ours is below), but grilling masters agree that it shouldn’t be added until the end of cooking time and should be used mostly as a condiment.

SWEET & SMOKY BBQ SAUCE Makes 2 1/2 Cups INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

 1 can (6 ounces) organic tomato paste, no sugar added  1 teaspoon smoked paprika  1 tablespoon onion powder  1 tablespoon garlic powder  2 teaspoons dried mustard  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce  1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)  1/4 cup unsulfured molasses  1/4 cup honey  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  1 1/2 teaspoons salt  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper  1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper  1/4-1/2 cup water

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. The barbeque sauce will taste better if you allow it to sit for 24 hours.

TIP Make it your own by swapping out the balsamic for a different vinegar (such as red wine or apple cider); adjusting the heat by adding less or more cayenne pepper; or stirring in your choice of fruit spread in place of half the tomato paste.

GET COOKING

Round out your party menu. Cool finger foods and fresh salads are the perfect accompaniments to hotoff-the-grill BBQ. We love a mix of summer staples with a twist, such as the healthier version of deviled eggs below and the minted melon salad opposite. Be sure to check out all of our menu options on Evite Gatherings.

ANGELIC DEVILED EGGS 12 Servings INGREDIENTS  6 large organic eggs  2 teaspoons shallot or red onion, finely minced  1/4 cup light mayonnaise  1 teaspoon French’s Dijon mustard  1 teaspoon red wine vinegar  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  Pinch of cayenne pepper or dash of red pepper sauce (Tabasco)  Freshly ground pepper (optional)  Smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS • Rinse peeled eggs gently under cool water to remove any remaining shells. • Cut eggs in half lengthwise, and then remove cooked yolks and place in medium bowl. Arrange emptied egg whites cut-side up on a serving tray. • In bowl with egg yolks, combine shallot, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, and cayenne. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. • Spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg-white half, dividing mixture as evenly as possible between the eggs. (You can also spoon the filling into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe them into the center of each egg yolk, just be sure to choose a tip large enough to allow both eggs and shallots to pass through.) • Sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika. • Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 7

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Salads4

SUMMER MELON & BERRY SALAD 8 Servings INGREDIENTS cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces or melon balls  1/2 ripe honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces or melon balls  1 pint of blackberries, rinsed  5 mint leaves, rolled together lengthwise and cut into thin slice  1/4 cup of honey  2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil  2 generous pinches of sea salt 

1/2

DIRECTIONS • In a large serving bowl, stir to combine the melon, blackberries, mint, honey, and olive oil. Chill. • Just before serving, toss the fruit with the sea salt. Serve cold.

TIP You can easily change the flavor of this summer fruit salad by switching out the mint for fresh basil or exchanging the blackberries for raspberries.

MORE SUMMER SIPS

Mix up some old and new favorites. Save time by serving drinks you can make in advance batches and then pour over ice when guests arrive. A timeless cocktail like our Bloody Mary below works beautifully for adults, while the sparkling, fruit-based punch at right is perfect for kids and teetotalers alike.

CLASSIC BLOODY MARY 6 Servings INGREDIENTS           

36 ounces tomato juice 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 12 dashes Tabasco, or to taste 1 1/2 cups vodka 1 lemon, sliced 6 celery stalks

DIRECTIONS • In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients, except sliced lemon and celery, and stir. Refrigerate until ready to pour for guests. • To serve, fill glasses 3/4 of the way with ice. Stir pitcher to combine any settled horseradish and seasoning, then pour drinks. Squeeze a lemon slice right over the top and garnish each glass with a celery stalk.

TIP For a bubbly alternative, fill glasses halfway with Mexican beer, and then top off with the Bloody Mary mix. Stir gently and then garnish with a celery stalk, swapping the lemon wedge for fresh lime. Voila! Refreshing Micheladas.

SWEET PEACH & NECTARINE SPLASH INGREDIENTS  1/4 cup orange blossom honey  1 navel orange, washed and sliced  1 lemon, washed and sliced  2 ripe peaches, washed, pitted, and cut into wedges  2 ripe nectarines, washed, pitted, and cut into wedges  2 cinnamon sticks  32 ounces peach nectar/ peach juice  1 cup of frozen red or green grapes  Sparkling soda water

DIRECTIONS • In a large pitcher combine the honey, peaches and nectarines, cinnamon sticks and peach juice. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. • To serve, spoon the fruit slices into glasses and then pour in the chilled mixture, leaving a little room at the top of each glass. Top the glasses off with frozen grapes and a splash of soda water.

TIP Pair your pitcher of peachy splash with a spicy apple verson. Simply replace the peaches and nectarines with 1 tart green apple and 1 red apple cored and cut into slices. Replace the peach juice with apple juice. Top

Soft Drinks4 10

FOR MORE GREAT IDEAS ON SUMMER, HOLIDAY, AND YEAR-ROUND ENTERTAINING, VISIT EVITE GATHERINGS.

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