Simple Summer Fun: Host a Food Festival in Your Own Backyard!

Check out my ideas for simple summer entertaining from Talk of the Town in Nashville... I suggested a summer food festival right in your own backyard complete with food stations, games, a parade... simple summer fun. Our party theme was a Peach Festival with Chilton County peaches from my great state of Alabama but you can also center the party around your summer favorite: tomatoes, watermelon, blueberries, BBQ, ice cream... you name it!

GET THE RECIPES:

FRESH PEACH TARTS

FRESH PEACH SANGRIA

FOR SUMMER FOOD FESTIVALS, RECIPES AND GREAT ALABAMA FOOD CHECK OUT THE YEAR OF ALABAMA FOOD... LOTS OF GREAT FOOD FROM MY HOME STATE!

FOLLOW ME ON MY QUEST TO BECOME FOOD NETWORK STAR!

Talk of the Town Nashville Summer Special: Recipes & How-To Tips

Happy 4th of July!

For those of you watching our TV special on Nashville's Talk of the Town, here are links for some of the recipes and ideas we showcased today! Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the how-to video from the show.

Infuse your summer with flavor!INFUSED LEMONADE

Take your lemonade from ordinary to extraordinary when you infuse the simple syrup with flavor. Get the recipes:

VANILLA BEAN PLANTATION LEMONADE

INFUSED SIMPLE SYRUP

For even more lemony fun, make a lemonade station for your party with lots of mix-ins and libations! Get the how-to...

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Popsicles and ProseccoPOPSICLE-PALOOZA!

Hi-tech, low tech, and low tech ways to make your own frozen treats for kids and adults this summer.

POPSICLE HOW-TO

POPSICLES AND PROSECCO

Once considered just a kiddie treat, the popsicle has gone exotic! Whether you make your own popsicles or buy them, this elegant presentation takes popsicles to a whole different level. The perfect way to end a summer dinner party or wedding reception.

Some other great homemade popsicles to make include:

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE POPS

S'MORES POPS

16 HOMEMADE POPSICLE RECIPES

Watch our how-to video from Talk of the Town!

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BACKYARD CAMPING PARTY

This one is so much fun for just about any occasion... birthday party, neighborhood party, team get-togethers, and more. It is even a fun date night. Watch the video...

This is a super inexpensive "stay-cation" for those staying home this summer. You'll feel like you went away... and best of all, your bed and the air-conditioner are just steps away!

Here's the simple recipe for the hobo packs that you can throw right on the fire or grill:

LOW COUNTRY HOBO PACKS

This is a similar taste to a one pot boil but even easier. Since shrimp cooks faster than the potatoes and the corn, it is best to pre-cook those so that you don't overcook the shrimp.

For 6

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

1 large onion

3 ears of corn

12 medium red potatoes

Old Bay Seasoning

2 lemons- one cut into wedges for serving

1 Beer (you can substitute water if you like)

butter

salt and pepper to taste

Parboil the potatoes and corn for a few minutes on the stove in boiling water. Do not cook completely. You just want to give them a bit of a head start so that all of the food in the pack has an equal cooking time. I usually cook the potatoes for 8 minutes and add the corn. Cook 4 more minutes and remove from the heat.

Tear large squares of aluminium foil to make the packs. Layer the potatoes, onion, corn, and shrimp. Add a dot of butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Turn up the edges and add about 1/4 cup of beer to each package. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top and seal the packs well on all sides. Cook over medium coals for about 10 minutes until the shrimp are cooked. You can put these directly on the edge of a campfire, too.

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Scrapbook Paper LanternEASY TABLE DECORATIONS: SCRAPBOOK PAPER LANTERNS

Scrapbook paper sheets

Double sided tape or glue stick

Mason jars or other jar, vase, etc

Candles: floating candles, tealights, or other light source

These lanterns are so easy to make and can really dress up a table or customize any party for very little money! Since scrapbook paper comes in all colors and patterns, you really have endless options. Here's the how to:

Get a sheet of scrapbook paper. If it is thick, you'll want to cut in some designs so light will shine through. If the paper is thin or you use vellum, you don't need to cut in a design. You can use a hole punch or a paper cutter- or a utility knife.

Use a glue stick or double faced tape along the edge of the back side of the paper to form the paper into a cylinder.

Put the light source into the jar. For tealights or candles, I like to put sand in the bottom to keep the candle off the bottom of the jar. This is a great use for floating candles or even glo-sticks.

Place the paper cylinder over the jar.... and you have a customized lantern!

 Custom banner made of flags and ribbonCUSTOMIZED BANNERS

This is one of the easiest ways to dress up any area in your party colors.  Using flags, ribbon, or scrapbook paper, simply make a pretty line of color to decorate a fence, a tent, or patio.

For the paper banners, fold over to make a triangle. Fold over a piece of clothesline, twine, rope, or string. Secure with a piece of Velcro or double stick tape. I like using a Velcro dot so I can use these over and over again; sometimes in different color combinations! You can make these directional banners or signs, too by lettering them... lots of fun and very affordable.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE GREAT PARTY IDEAS, RECIPES, COCKTAILS, AND FUN!

Straight from Bobby Flay: Coconut Thai Shrimp

Bobby Flay was one of the headliners when we presented our workshop on entertaining at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Atlanta. Now, the reason that's important is because Chef Flay sent over one of his signature dishes for us to use... his fantastic Coconut Thai Shrimp. It was a perfect addition to our island-inspired Pirate Party! His creative presentation worked perfectly with our party design. He used a coconut nestled in a bed of salt (meant to look like sand)for serving... super creative and perfect for our party theme! Since I've gotten several requests for the recipe, here you go.... A big thanks to Iron Chef Flay!

Bobby Flay's Coconut Thai Shrimp

• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 Thai Bird Chiles, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 pounds large shrimp, heads on
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:Combine coconut, chiles, garlic, cilantro and lime juice in a shallow dish. Marinate shrimp in mixture for 1/2 hour. Season with salt and pepper and grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

You can stuff the coconut with rice. I have a friend, Fred McGuire, who is an awesome cook... in fact, Fred taught me much of what I know about cooking for a crowd on a budget! Last summer, Fred made this wonderful pineapple rice dish that would be perfect for this menu. I recreated it using coconut milk and fresh pineapple... Here's the recipe:

Dr. Fred's Island Pineapple Rice

1 1l2 cups Jasmine Rice, uncooked

2 cups Pineapple juice

1/2 cup Coconut milk

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges, diced (optional)

Dash soy sauce

In a saucepan, add the coconut milk, pineapple juice, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the rice and reduce the heat to simmer for about 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to open the lid.  Turn off the heat and let it stand for 10-12 minutes. Add the soy sauce, diced pineapple, and orange. Fluff with a fork and serve. 

Read all about our Cayman Island inspired Pirate Party and get the recipes we previewed at the Atlanta show!