My husband, Case, and I have been entertaining some this summer, and it occurred to us, we have learned a thing or two over the years on great summer entertaining tips.

This summer we have thrown parties at Das Peach Haus as well in Calistoga, California in the beautiful Napa Valley. We have put together this blog to share some of our fun with you. We hope we can inspire you for your own entertaining pleasure!

First and foremost….the heat! Being from Texas, we are accustomed to temperatures soaring near the 100’s as early as June. With that type of climate, we know the importance of protecting party goers from the sun and its affects. We always start with shade. There is nothing like good old shade tree to lower the temperature by several degrees and if you are lucky enough to catch a breeze – even better! However, not everyone has a shady area in their yard. When we want to create shade in a sunny area outdoors, we use sails! These are triangular shaped pieces of fabric that you can find at your local lumber company or online. And don’t forget the good old umbrella. Setting a few of these around the yard or right next to the pool can really help. Here are a few examples of how we used sails to create a shady area this summer.

Another nifty way to beat the heat is to install a misting system. These are relatively inexpensive at your local lumber company and super easy to install. Case and his buddy installed one along the porch overhang to cool off the air and to keep the guests cooler while standing around the drink station or sitting on the porch. It is just a matter of connecting a few tubes and inserting the sprayers, nailing it up and connecting it to a water hose.

The next challenge is figuring out what to serve at your party. You want something that is fun, festive and easy on you. In Calistoga, we resorted to hiring a Food Truck! Of course it was the perfect backdrop for our line of Food Trk Fusion sauces and all of the guests loved it – even the kids! Tacos anyone? Click here for Fischer & Wieser’s Food Trk Fusion Sauces. This type of food also makes it easy for people to eat from a plate on their laps and with their fingers, so no utensils needed! Here you will see the seating areas we set out under the umbrellas and sails. We even had fun blow up couches that can be deflated and stored until next time. The colorful plastic Adirondack chairs brightened up the scene.

At home in Fredericksburg, we focused our meal around fresh peaches from our orchard and vegetables from our garden. Summer is the perfect time to feature the bounty of the summer garden. Even if you don’t have your own garden, you will find an abundance of yummy summertime fruits and veggies at your local market. Click here for Farm to Table recipe ideas.

This day for decorations, we focused on a farm to table theme. We wanted to enjoy the beautiful setting by the lake and serve our meal in a casual family style manner and gather around a common table. We did use utensils and a more formal place setting which gave the whole event an old world feel.

Our Go-To drink for the summer is easy, refreshing and fun! It is our Texas Peach Sangria. Colorful and full of flavor, a big glass jar of this wonderful sangria will brighten up your drink station and please all of your guests. Click here for the recipe.

The best ingredient for any party of course is friends! Stay cool, stay relaxed and gather your squad for a summertime get-together. You will treasure these memories all your life!

Happy Entertaining!

Deanna Fischer