I love that summer days are longer, which means more time for playing in the yard until the sun sets, BBQ fun with family and friends, and evening cocktails on the screened porch. Time slows down, and it makes "the grind" seem to fade to the background. So this weekend I did a huge relaxed sigh, and enjoyed the fact that summer has invited itself back into my home.
And then I did a huge squeal when I opened this box...
As much as I love entertaining, I love to spend as much time as I can enjoying the company we have. I like setting the stage for the "perfect" meal and creating an atmosphere that is enjoyable for our guests. However, hosting involves a ton of prep work, cooking, and clean-up - all of which detract from spending quality time with our loved ones. Any way to cut down on that time, and allow me to focus more on enjoying my guests, I'm in!
A few weeks ago I was introduced to Tara at Home and asked to give a few pieces a try. I was so excited looking through the website at all the gorgeous serving pieces. After reading how innovative their serving pieces are for making meal prep and entertaining easier, I couldn't wait to give them a try.
There are a ton of insanely fun patterns and "mix & match" options, but I was instantly drawn to the Star Stitched Collection. Forth of July is my favorite holiday, and knowing that from Memorial Day to Labor Day these pieces would get used a ton (I keep my Red, White, and Blue themed decor up all Summer), I was delighted to add a few of these pieces to my collection.
They are patriotic perfection and I couldn't wait to unbox them and set my table for the weekend. Each stoneware piece is wonderfully detailed and crafted to be not only durable, but extremely functional for all stages of cooking.
I love that the pieces are oven safe (up to 500 degrees), microwave safe, and - my personal favorite - dishwasher safe. Again, the less I have to do means way more. So the fact that I am able to cook, reheat, serve, and clean-up all in a few easy steps just made me Tara at Home's number one fan.
If gorgeous functional serving ware wasn't enough to make my heart skip a beat, the yummy recipes and fun Pantry items sealed the deal. Tara at Home extends the ease of entertainment but sharing an array of yummy recipes online as well as a variety of delicious mixes for purchase. From dips to drinks they've got a little something for everyone.
I whipped up a batch of the "Not Your Mother's Cucumber Dip", and before I could even take a photo it was gone. Trust me when I say you need this in your life.
We gave the "Spice, Spice Baby" rub a test run on some pulled pork and it provided just the right amount of flavor to the BBQ.
All we had to do was add some of our favorite BBQ sauce and voila! We had a delicious meal that, to be honest, I didn't have to think too much about.
Let me not forget to mention one of my favorite parts. Several of the serving pieces come with easy to click on storage tops.
We tend to have a ton of leftovers and it was so nice to have a serving piece be able to go from the table straight to storage with little clean-up involved. Later we just removed the lid and reheated as instructed. So so easy!
And that's how summer should be - fun, laid back, and easy!
What events are you looking forward to hosting this Summer? What tips or tricks do you have to make entertaining easier?
**We were given product from Tara at Home for review. All thoughts and awesome opinions are our own.
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