Studio 5: Easy Outdoor Entertaining

Life can get pretty fast paced and one the best ways I know to sloooooooow it down is to share a beautiful summertime evening with friends & family.

The term "dinner party" can be intimidating. It sounds formal, but it's not. It sounds like you have to have "Martha Stewart" skills, but you don't.

Today's Studio 5 segments are all about tips you need and a 4-course menu that can help you create a successful dinner party this weekend...or the next...or the next. But don't wait too long because before you know it, our still warm summer evenings will be too cold to eat outside. Please watch the segment below, but also visit the Studio 5 website for more great ideas and detailed recipes.

It was certainly a challenge to come up with a 4 course meal I could demonstrate in 8 minutes, but in the end I relied on my own advice. Simple, fresh & seasonal.

I don't have the greatest garden; but I still managed to get a crop of carrots, beets, herbs galore and most importantly, tomatoes. I drove all the way to Salt Lake to track down some of my favorite heirloom tomatoes plants. I crave these all year long. There simply isn't anything better than a fresh garden tomato.

If you don't have a garden, then visit your local farmer or farmer's markets for some exceptional produce. Bon Appetit!

P.S. Foreign words for today's segment. Yes, I know I used those alot today. But sometimes they are just too perfect not to share.

Amuse Bouche (French): to amuse the mouth. Basically, it's a little something you can pop into your mouth and it makes it happy :). These happy sweet & salty treats do just the trick.

Mis-en-place (French): To put in it's place, or simply to prepare the ingredients (chopping, measuring etc...) in advance to streamline last-minute cooking. This is a life-saver at a dinner party!

Heisse Liebe (German): Literally translated, Hot Love. I think Darin blushed a little. It's a lovely, simple and elegant dessert that is often served in German cafes. I know it sounds almost too simple, but try it. So delish!

P.S.S. Our Sneak-Peek winner for today's segment is Brooks Wynn! So many of you were pretty close on this one, I ended up doing a random draw on the comments that were the closest. Congratulations Brooks! Your prize is a collection of summertime paper craft supplies! I'll be in touch!