{Summer Entertaining} Two Simple and Easy Summer Menu Ideas

When entertaining a small group of friends for the summer, I have two easy-breezy menu items that I always like to prepare.  For me, I keep it very simple and affordable and serve a large bowl of Caesar Salad with grilled shrimp and chicken. 

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I always buy those bags of romaine lettuce, cut the heads up into nice portions, pour a little olive oil onto the salad and season lightly with salt & pepper.  Then, I toss in large croutons and serve the dressing, shrimp and chicken on a platter.  I also love this idea of skewering the chicken and adding grilled baguettes on the side!

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Be sure to serve this dish with a nice bottle of Moscato and you're good to go!
 
My other go to staple for a summer gathering is sliced grilled flank steak and grilled veggies.  Fire up your grill and toss on a well seasoned flank, skirt or, hanger steak, grill for 10 minutes on each side then allow to rest for another 10 minutes and slice. Toss a handful of fresh veggies like, bell peppers, scallions, zucchini, squash and eggplant in a mixture of herbed olive oil and grill for 3-5 minutes.  Serve the sliced steak alongside the grilled veggies and you've got a perfect summer meal!

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It's always important to have the right cocktail on hand for any grown-folk occasion and my cocktail du jour is the SANGRIA!  You might remember I boasted about this fabulous drink back in May, well it's now got its hooks in me.

Want to make your own fun summertime sangria?  Leave a comment below to win this Tastefully Simple Samba Sangria Slush Mix courtesy of Charisse Matthews.

One winner will be chosen at Random.org on Friday, July 22nd at 8 pm!  Please be sure to leave your email with your comment so we can reach you.