time for flip flops and lawn seats! A few friends and I thought entertaining would be a great section to add to the blog. I love to throw parties and don’t get to do it often enough so this is a great excuse. We decided to do a picnic for the first one and thought it would be fun to tie into a Cool Thursday at the Arboretum. Grammy award winning Asleep at the Wheel was the entertainment.

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invitations

We sent out invitations to just a few of our closest friends. So easy. Basically just astroturf mounted to chipboard. Punched holes to tie a bamboo spoon and then a pink sheet of cover weight paper with the details.

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shopping list

table cloth, wooden skewers, vintage inspired  lemonade jar, blue floral pillow, Crate and Barrel outlet .

outdoor plates, Madison. You can find them here. (They REALLY made the place setting so beautiful.)

plastic glasses, pink and navy napkins, Pier One.

plastic tray, TJ Maxx.

Lorina lemonades. You can find them at Central Market or World Market. (They come in several different flavors and colors, very fun for summertime parties).

Pink straws (we had, but they are from IKEA).

Picnic basket (we had).

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recipes

THE FOOD was AMAZING. I’m not a cook so I left that up to my dear friend and culinary genius Kimberly Donlon. I love everything she makes. Bamboo flatware,  Anthropologie

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Steak Sandwich with Avocado Salsa
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¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 2-lb flank steak

2 firm but ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, chopped
1 16-oz jar thick chunky salsa, well drained

6 sandwich-sized baguettes
2 7-oz jars roasted red peppers, drained, thinly sliced
7 ounces thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare barbeque (medium high heat) or preheat broiler.  Combine ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, oregano and cumin in a small bowl.  Rub mixture over both sides of steak.  Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper.  Grill or broil to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Transfer steak to work surface.  Cool.  Cut steak across grain into think strips.

Toss chopped avocados with salsa in medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Slice bread in half horizontally.  Scoop out bread from center of each half, leaving the crust intact.  Brush cut surfaces of bread with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Arrange steak slices in hollow of bottom half of bread.  Arrange red peppers over steak.  Arrange cheese over peppers.  Spoon avocado salsa over cheese.  Top with second half of bread.  Wrap sandwiches in foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

Cut sandwiches in half, and wrap in parchment paper tied with a string to transport.

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Cucumber, Orange and Radish Salad
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6 oranges
6 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cumbers, peeled halved lengthwise, sliced
18 radishes, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cut off peel and white pith from oragnes.  Clice oranges into rounds.  Cut each round crosswise in half.  Whisk oil, vinegar, orage peel, cumin and cayenne in large bowl.  Add orages, cucumbers, radishes and cilatron. Toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt.  (Can be made 6 hours in advance.  Cover and chill.)

Serves 6

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details on events

Cool Thursdays run through September and are beautiful scenery out on the lake. Jazz under the Stars at the DMA is another great outdoor concert in a more urban setting and they runs through the end of June.