Before I show you all the pictures of my daughters graduation party I wanted to share with you some of the delicious meals we had out in the backyard while many family members visited us here for Emily's graduation. We had 13 guests come for the graduation and we had a ball!! It was like a gigantic sleepover.... everyone slept at our house for the whole week. Sleeping bags, blow up mattresses, sofas all had someone sleeping on them. We cooked most meals at the house as well.
This was our salad night
We made a delicious bow-tie pasta salad with grapes and chicken that my daughter Madeline had found a few years ago on the Cooking light website.A beautiful fruit salad with cantelope, strawberries, raspberries bananas and apples.
Madeline cut some flowers from my garden and stuck them into a watering can I had outside my back door and voila!! Instant centerpiece.
We also made the amazing panzenalla salad from Ina Garten's parties cookbook. 
We cut up some watermelon and served yummy bread. Notice the small white cups..Madeline cut some rosemary from my garden and placed it in the cups and it just added to the table and the smell is incredible! She got the idea from Matthew Meads book Entertaining Simple. He teaches how to make good use of things that you may already have and using them for different things.
We even tried to make it festive for the all the little boys by using my colorful plastic dishes and setting them on the footstool for their dining pleasures.
The mosquitoes started to come out and my mom had heard that if you use dryer sheets and rub them on your skin it will protect you from them.
We decided to wear them on our heads too! Ha ha...it did work! Then we played a great card game called Nertz!! We just laughed and laughed and had such a great time.
Madeline cut some flowers from my garden and stuck them into a watering can I had outside my back door and voila!! Instant centerpiece.
We also made the amazing panzenalla salad from Ina Garten's parties cookbook. 
We cut up some watermelon and served yummy bread. Notice the small white cups..Madeline cut some rosemary from my garden and placed it in the cups and it just added to the table and the smell is incredible! She got the idea from Matthew Meads book Entertaining Simple. He teaches how to make good use of things that you may already have and using them for different things. We even tried to make it festive for the all the little boys by using my colorful plastic dishes and setting them on the footstool for their dining pleasures.
The mosquitoes started to come out and my mom had heard that if you use dryer sheets and rub them on your skin it will protect you from them.We decided to wear them on our heads too! Ha ha...it did work! Then we played a great card game called Nertz!! We just laughed and laughed and had such a great time. Simple and yet beautiful fun ideas for dining in your backyard.
8 Comments
Looks like so much fun and the food looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a blast and all the food looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of that "dryer sheet" solution to pesky mosquitos. Glad to hear it works....it's so sad not to be able to get in the yard because of buzzing and biting nuisances. :)
Happy Weekend Ya'll!
What a fun family gathering! All the food looks wonderful and what wonderful memories made here for all of you!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your daughter! How fun that you had so much family come to help celebrate. What a lovely dinner. I love pasta salads in the Summer.
ReplyDeleteHave a super weekend!
XOXO
Jen
What an adorable "setting" and the food looks delish! What a special celebration!
ReplyDeleteWow, your table setting looks great! I would love to have a big party and sleepover like that.
ReplyDelete~Liz
What a wonderful post!! When food and family are combined, it creates a good time and beautiful memories. Loved this!
ReplyDeleteXX 00
Oh yeah food is calling me! Yep I use the dryer sheets also...good thing to blog about...Congrats to the Grad!
ReplyDeleteComments