The countdown to Memorial Day is here and with that the countdown to summer! I remember growing up in Maine and our summers would start Memorial Day and end after Labor Day – so this weekend always feels a bit nostalgic! While we still have a few extra days of school left here in LA I’m excited for this unofficial start of summer!
I’m looking forward to firing up the grill and serving some of my favorite summertime recipes – cocktails, sweet treats, and so much more! While I love a dreaming up a menu, I think I may enjoy setting the table even more! This block print tablecloth is the perfect base and is under $46 – we got ours last year and use it all the time!
A few other tablescape must-haves:
- These rechargeable lamps – while we have string lights in our backyard it’s nice to have these on the tables for a little extra light!
- Gingham melamine plates – upgrade your paper plate game!
- Mesh Food Cover – keep them out and enjoy the outdoors.
Memorial Day Menu
Watermelon Margarita
This is truly such a refreshing cocktail – and requires minimal ingredients! Simply blend the watermelon, add limes, jalapeños, and tequila, and throw in your favorite festive glass.
Feel free to make it with or without jalapenos if you don’t like a little kick!
You can also do this in a batch and create a mocktail or even freeze it into popsicle molds!
Festive Graze Board
Snacking is fun … but snacking from a graze board is even better! This is probably one of my kid’s favorites… simply take a large cutting board and pick a few of their favorite snacks (I try to balance healthy options with a few treats!). I love these for when you are entertaining a large group of kids too!
Watermelon Carpaccio Summer Salad
There’s nothing that screams summer like watermelon! I love finding new recipes to test out with my crew and this one did not disappoint. It’s refreshing and the perfect combination of sweet and salty – also so easy to put together!
Veggie Quinoa Salad
This is one of my go-to salads for all occasions! It’s great because you can prep ahead, throw in your favorite bowl, and let it chill in the fridge – I think it tastes better too after a few hours combined.
I also love that it’s kind of an “all but the kitchen sink” type of dish so while I do follow a recipe I always throw in extra veggies that I have in the fridge.
Turkey Burgers
It’s not a summer BBQ without firing up the grill. This is my go-to Turkey Burger recipe – they are really easy to throw together and my kids love them!!
Also, what makes these even better is a full topping bar and grilled buns!
Classic Vanilla Cake
I feel like you hear me share about Sweet Laurel time and time again – it is always my go-to for recipes especially since they are gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy free!
We made the chocolate cake during Mothers Day and love this vanilla cake for warmer weather celebrations as the icing is light and the fresh fruit brightens up the dessert. Feel free to swap out the fruit or add more berries (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries – are all fabulous on this cake!)
