A Few Outdoor Dining Tips

Right now, it the height of cookout/grilling/outdoor living season. I love this time of year! We grill 3 to 4 nights a week and eat outside as much as we can. It seems a shame to have to come inside to eat on those warm summer evenings. I want to soak up as much summer as I can. I try and make the menu and the serving easy. Here are a few tips to keep outdoor dining simple.

Buy cheap plastic plates and cups just for outdoor use

 

I bought these green plates, bowls and cups for less than $1 a piece at the local grocery store a couple years ago when they were on clearance. They are great for eating outside. They are sturdy, reusable. They don’t break if dropped. And, if they do get ruined, who cares?

Use baskets to transport dishes and food

 

There’s no sense trying to haul armloads of stuff outside when  you can just put it all in a basket.

Use cloth napkins

 

We switched to cloth napkins about a year ago because I got tired of buying tons of paper napkins just to throw them away. Now, I love cloth napkins for many other reasons. They actually clean up messy hands and faces that paper napkins sometimes just can’t. And, they don’t blow away in the summer breezes like paper!

Bug spray

We don’t always need it, but I always have a bottle of bug repellent around - especially as the sun goes down and the mosquitoes come out! Dinner outside is just more enjoyable when you are not the main course!

Got any tips for simple outdoor dining? Please share!!


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Marci Goodwin is wife to an amazing husband and mother to two phenomenal kids. She is on a quest to get the "busy" out of her life so she can spend time on what's really important. Marci can be found blogging at OvercomingBusy.com or on twitter @OvercomingBusy.

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