Budget Entertaining 101: Dining Alfresco

Although dinner seems to be the most common meal for people to eat outdoors, many will tell you that there is a certain charm to eating eggs benedict and sipping chilled champagne outdoors mid-morning. But dining Alfresco does not have to be costly to be a fancy affair. Here are some tried and tested ideas that will allow you to entertain outdoors with style, while sticking to a budget.

Hit The Thrift Shops

Scour flea markets and thrift shops for china and silverware. Although you may only find complete settings for one or two, you should be able to find enough to put together a nicely mismatched table setting. Many of the patterns you will find will be vintage, and just as long as they are in good shape, they will compliment each other nicely.

Thrift stores are also a great place to find inexpensive vases and vintage table linens.

Make It Yourself

• If you are unable to find vintage tablecloths at a thrift store, make them yourself. The next time you see a sale or clearance on bedding, buy several each of different patterned and plain colored flat single bed sheets. Cut the plain sheets in half and sew a seem on the cut edge. Cut the patterned sheets into thirds and sew cut edges. Place the smaller cloth over the larger cloths and viola.
• Make your own tablecloth anchors by glueing sea shells, painted stones, or large glass beads to a wooden clothes pin
• Make an ice bin out of your old galvanized washtub. Be sure the tub is completely clean and dry and paint it with a hammered steel or other textured spray paint. .
• Make a vase by adding brightly colored glass marbles to the bottom of a mason jar and tying bright colored ribbon around the mouth of the jar

What To Serve

Brunch

When serving brunch on a budget think French. Not only are the French known for their cooking abilities, but they are very smart too. They were able to come up with foods that are simple and inexpensive to make, yet people are willing to pay big bucks to eat them in a restaurant. Wow your guests with these same dishes. They`ll think you spent a fortune on the meal.

Eggs Benedict: Poached egg and ham or bacon on a buttered English muffin topped with hollandaise sauce.(you can buy hollandaise mix that you just add water to)

Crepes: Very thin rolled up pancakes filled with anything from chicken and mushrooms to cottage cheese and fruit.

Vichyssoise: Cold potato soup.

Lunch

For lunch, think Buffet:

• Make up platters of assorted sandwiches made with different cold meats and cheeses
• Cheese and crackers
• Raw vegetables and dips. .
• Deviled eggs
• Fresh fruit with yogurt dip

Did I mention before how easy this was? Now on to dinner...

Dinner

• Cheaper cuts of beef such as top blade or sirloin tip that have been marinated are perfect for the grill. Because of the fat content they have much more flavor than some of the more expensive cuts. .
• As long as it is well seasoned and cooked properly, all parts of the chicken are a grill favorite
• Mini beef burgers. These bite size burgers will be the hit of the party. Using your favorite recipe, make meatballs and flatten them like a hamburger patty before grilling. Serve on a tiny bun (ask about these at your local bakery) topped with a cherry tomato slice some blue cheese and a bit of fancy mayonnaise. .
• Grilled seasonal vegetables brushed with garlic and olive oil and grilled. .
• Steamed asparagus wrapped with thinly sliced prosciuto ham. .
• Green salads like Greek, Caesar, and regular Tossed salad are simple and are all crowd pleasers.
• And last but not least, try peaches or pears poached in brandy over top of French Vanilla ice cream for desert.