Summertime Grilling With Martha Stewart

I’ve spent the past month working in our backyard and garden at our home in Washington and now that I’ve finished planting all the flowers, I thought it would be the perfect time to have an outdoor summer BBQ and enjoy this beautiful space surrounded by gorgeous evergreen trees, and Martha Stewart’s Grilling collection is the perfect addition.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

(Sources are linked at the bottom of the post)

I like to serve buffet style when I’m hosting a dinner and I convinced my husband to help me haul this antique table that I recently purchased outside. With it being close to the Fourth of July, I decided to do a patriotic theme using items from the Martha Stewart Grilling Collection from Macy’s to create this look. I absolutely loved setting it all up and kicking off the start of summer with a family dinner in our backyard.

 There are so many items in this collection that make summertime grilling and backyard BBQs easy to pull off. One of my favorite items I used were the red cocottes. As soon as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect to make Martha Stewart’s Sour Cherry Pistachio Crisp Recipe in. Not only are they decorative, but they are perfect for individual desserts.

I also grilled some veggies on this enameled cast iron grill pan and the stainless steel skewers worked perfectly for my chicken and steak skewers.

Planning the Menu

When planning a BBQ outdoor dinner, I like to use the grill and plan my menu around that. I kept this dinner quite simple and had lots of veggies, fruit, chicken, steak, and two desserts.

I wanted to do something different than burgers and hotdogs so I chose to make chicken and steak skewers with vegetables. I seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning salt and they came out perfect!

I grilled the skewers on the BBQ grill and the veggies on this cask iron enameled grill pan on my stove. I  brushed the veggies with olive oil and then seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and Johnny’s seasoning salt. (do this on both sides)

The cast iron grill pan stays hot for a while which helps the food to stay warm. I put a dish towel underneath it to keep it from damaging my antique table.

I made a fruit salad with rainier cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries and served it in a clear glass bowl. I garnished it with mint leaves that I picked from my garden.

It’s cherry season in Washington right now so I chose to make a sour cherry pistachio crisp in the individual coquettes. I also made a chocolate cake since not everyone in my family likes cherries.

Table Decor

I always like to dress my buffet or serving tables up and I kept this one quite simple. I picked flowers from my yard and garden and arranged them in a vase and then I used them in the center of the table as a focal point.

I used a large dish towel as a small table runner in the middle of the table too.

I also set out the plates, drinking glasses, flatware, and napkins on the serving table.

I used the flower pots and containers in my backyard to dress up the bottom of the table and the area surrounding the table.

I love this outdoor space in our backyard and it’s so much fun to set a pretty table to serve dinner on. I had a second table set up nearby that we ate on and I added some flowers in a vase to the end of the table.

We had perfect weather for our outdoor summer BBQ and I’m looking forward to doing it again soon!

Lilo, our eighteen-year-old kitty likes to hang out in the backyard with us.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this post inspires you to host a little backyard barbecue as we head into summer. I would love it if you subscribed to my blog and followed along with me on Instagram and Pinterest. Wishing you all a great summer!

xoxo,

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Outdoor Spring Table Decor

I am so excited to be joining some of my talented friends to share some Outdoor Spring Table Decor ideas and inspiration. Spring is in full swing and I’m looking forward to warmer days and dining outdoors. Scroll down to the bottom for the other inspiring posts!

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Dining Outdoors in the Pacific Northwest

One of my favorite places to set a table outdoors is in my backyard at my home in Washington. Our patio area is surrounded by evergreen trees and it’s always so beautiful, especially in the spring and summer.

The Place-Setting

I’m so in love with these beautiful Giulietta Blue Dishes from Arte Italica and the table runner and napkins from Crown Linen Designs. The napkins were specially designed to go with this dinnerware. (Sources are linked in the highlighted text and at the bottom of the post)

Giulietta Salad Plates

You can see the detail on these beautiful linen napkins.

Crown Linen Designs napkins are linked here:

I mixed and matched the Arte Italica dinnerware and I love how it’s versatile it is.

The Centerpiece

I cut blue and white hydrangeas and other greenery from my yard and picked up some other flowers at the local market. The blue hydrangeas in my yard were in full bloom and matched the dinnerware perfectly.

I added some poppy seed pods and greenery to the hydrangeas and arranged them in a matching blue and white  Giulietta pitcher to create this centerpiece. I layered a linen table runner underneath it and then tucked some more hydrangeas around the base of the pitcher.

I had extra flowers and another beautiful pewter pitcher from Arte Italica so I made another flower arrangement. You can never have enough flowers!

More Details……

I then added some candles and placed them around the table. I love the romantic ambiance that candles add to an outdoor table.

I also added some of the blue Giulietta doves to the middle of the table. These are so beautiful and I placed them on either side of the flowers.

I added mini salt and pepper shakers to each place setting.

Add Dessert to the Table

Another thing that I like to do is add the dessert to the table. You can add the rest of the food if you like to serve it that way or you can always do buffet style too. Adding dessert to the table is decorative and adds extra beauty to the table. I bought this lemon blueberry cheesecake and set it on a little pedestal cake stand and it was delicious!

Don’t be afraid to mix and match dinnerware and wine glasses. I didn’t have enough of each item to create six identical place-settings so I mixed and matched what I had to create this tablescape.

Another view of the full tablescape.

Are you wondering what I served for dinner? I made my Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Scalloped Potatoes with Fontina Cheese, Rustic Bread, and a yummy salad.

I am looking forward to many dinners outside this spring and summer! I hope you found this tablescape inspirational and full of ideas on how to style an outdoor spring tablescape. Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a post! Sources for the items I can link are at the bottom of the post!

xoxo,

Check out the posts below from my talented friends! They’ve all shared their Outdoor Table Decor Ideas that are perfect for Spring and Mother’s Day!

Ella Claire & Co. | Handmade Farmhouse | Azure Farm | French Country Cottage

Shabbyfufu | Maison de Cinq | Home with Holly J | Designthusiasm

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Dove Birds linked here and here:

The outdoor table was hand made by a local guy in my town. He made two of them for me for my sons wedding a few years back. Sorry I don’t have a way to link it!

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Pink Peony Summertime Tablescape

Who doesn’t love farm fresh pink peonies? I was inspired to create this pink peony summertime tablescape after visiting my friend Amy Brown’s flower farm. She and her husband Steve, own Laughing Goat Flower Farm located in the beautiful town of Enumclaw, Washington. Enumclaw is a farming town located southeast of Seattle and sits just below the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and majestic Mount Rainier.

A Match Made In Heaven

Amy and I met last summer at a floral arranging workshop and it was a match made in heaven. We became fast friends and realized we lived near one another. We bonded over our love of flowers and gardening. I love going to visit Amy and Steve at their farm and seeing all the beautiful flowers, vegetables, and of course, the adorable goats, pigs, and the farm dog Sheila.

Laughing Goat also grows beyond organic vegetables and both Amy and I love growing and eating our own food. Amy is much better at gardening than I am and I thoroughly enjoy learning from her. She’s very knowledgeable and generously shares it with me. The farm is beyond organic and practice’s sustainable based growing practices.

Sourcing Locally

As I’ve learned more about the farming industry I’ve become more aware of how important it is to source flowers and produce locally. Amy practices beyond organic, pesticide free growing methods and is very conscious of the environment. I believe it’s important to support your local farmers when you can, especially those that are considerate of the environment. The flowers last so much longer because they are local and most of the time I can buy them the same day they are cut.

Amy’s farm has the most beautiful flowers and I’m so lucky to have Laughing Goat so close to me. It’s always a fun day when I can drive out to the farm, visit Amy and come home with gorgeous flowers and produce I know has been grown without the use of sprays and pesticides.

Pink Peony Summertime Tablescape Details

Mixing The Old With The New

I wanted to create a tablescape using my vintage dessert rose salad plates that I bought at a local antique store. Amy and ventured out one day to see what pretty dishes we could find and I was quite happy to have found these gems!

I paired them with dark green chargers that I found years ago at Homegoods and pink dinner plates that I found recently Walmart. They were $1.88 each if I remember correctly! I chose a solid green napkin and layered it under the salad plate to give some contrast. Mixing vintage dishes with newer dishes is something I really like to do. It adds charm and character to the place-setting. I picked a hyacinth placemat to add texture and warm tones to the color palette and silver flatware. The goblets are crystal and have a vintage look.

The Centerpiece

For the centerpiece, I arranged the pink peonies in a pink vase. The flowers were so beautiful on their own. I wanted the focus to be the flowers. Amy also had scoop scabiosa flowers so she cut a few of those for me too. I put them in two smaller vases on each side to fill up the empty space on the table.

Keep It Simple

Sometimes less is more. Let the dishes and the flowers do the work! I typically do a lot more to fill in the empty space on the table but this time I just wanted the flowers to be the center of attention.

I hope you all enjoyed this pretty pink peony summertime tablescape. I truly love creating a beautiful table and sharing a home cooked meal with friend and family that I love.

Some of my talented friends have also shared Summertime Tablescape Ideas and Inspiration!

Click on the links below to see each post.

 

Maune Legacy | Sanctuary Home Decor | Home With Holly J

 

Southern Hospitality Blog | Happy Happy Nester | To Have To Host

Modern Glam Home | Summer Adams Designs | Home With Holliday

 

 

XOXO,

HollyJ

Click here for more information on Laughing Goat Flower Farm.

Check out this Outdoor Entertaining Farm To Table post with more flowers from Laughing Goat Flower Farm.

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