Outdoor Entertaining: Tips and Advice

What would an outdoor dinner party be without savory grilled foods? We have selected a couple of our grilling favorites to share with you. Just click on the recipes above for full cooking instructions.
Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon Slow Roasted & Smoked Ribs


Making Your Next Outdoor Dinner Party Memorable

Show your guests that they are worth it
Make your guests feel special! Don’t just go with the ordinary paper plates and plastic silverware. Break out your best dinnerware and flatware and set the stage with some drama. I guarantee that your guests will immediately feel special and respected. Best of all you won’t have to worry about the wind blowing your tableware away.

Sophisticated but simple
Do you have a flower garden? This is a great time to show it off. Pick some fresh flowers to arrange as a centerpiece or to use as accents throughout your outdoor space. Fill some glass bowls with water and float votive candles and perhaps some of the flowers you picked from your garden. Be sure to put a table cover on your outdoor table. Choose one that is light and summery. Sometimes flat sheets can do the trick with simple embroidery or flowery patterns.

Think seasonal. Think fresh
Utilize a vegetable garden to pick fresh veggies for a snack tray or to liven up a tossed salad to begin your summer feast. Have lemons? Spruce up an ordinary glass of ice water with a tasty zing and with the leftover lemons you can fill a glass vase for a unique but fresh centerpiece.

Stay Cool
Be sure that your guests stay cool especially on those hot summer days. Make sure you have enough shade by providing umbrellas. Make sure that you keep plenty of ice on hand and lots of drinks available.

Preparation is key
Like any other entertaining, be sure to prepare as much food ahead of time as possible. Try to keep your attention on the guests without spending too much time on the cooking and preparation. Remember that the guests are there to see YOU as much as they are there to eat your food.

Lighting
If your outdoor dinner party is at night be sure to include enough lighting. You can use strings of white lights to accent umbrellas or to drape in between surrounding trees. Paper lanterns can add a wonderful Asian flare and transform your back deck into a mystical orient escape. Use candles with citronella oil and light them at least 30 minutes prior to your guests arriving. These candles will ward off unwanted insects and add a soft glow to your patio perimeter.

Make it comfortable
Make sure that you have enough seating for all your guests and that your seating is comfortable. Most outdoor seating is hard but you can bring out chairs from your home or perhaps some wicker furniture from your porch to help. Arrange the furniture in a way that promotes good conversation so the guests may sit and socialize with ease.

Table Setting Guide: How to properly set the table for different events and occassions.

This guide will show you the correct silverware / flatware, dinnerware and drinkware items to purchase for any type of restaurant or dining situation. Whether it's for breakfast, brunch or an elegant dinner this guide will help you to visualize what needs to be done.

Breakfast: Silverware / Flatware: Dinner Fork, Dinner Knife, Teaspoon

Dinnerware: Two Bread & Butter Plates, Cup, Saucer

Drinkware: Water Glass, Juice Glass


Lunch: Silverware / Flatware: Salad Fork, Dinner Fork, Dessert or Dinner Knife, Teaspoon

Dinnerware: Bread & Butter Plate, Luncheon Plate

Drinkware: Water Glass, Wine Glass

Dinner: Silverware / Flatware: Salad Fork, Dinner Fork, Dinner Knife, Teaspoon, Butter Knife

Dinnerware: Bread & Butter Plate, Salad Plate, Dinner Plate

Drinkware: Water Goblet, Wine Glass


Formal Dinner: Silverware / Flatware: Salad Fork, Dinner Fork, Dinner Knife, Oval Bowl Soup/Dessert Spoon or Dinner Spoon, Teaspoon, Butter Knife

Dinnerware: Bread & Butter Plate, Two Salad Plates, Service Plate, Cup & Saucer
Drinkware: Water Goblet, Champagne Flute, Wine Glass

European: Silverware / Flatware: European Size Dinner Fork, U.S. Size Dinner Fork, European Size Dinner Knife, Dessert Knife, Oval Bowl Soup/Dessert Spoon or Dinner Spoon, European Size Teaspoon, Butter Knife, Fish Knife, Fish Fork

Dinnerware: Bread & Butter Plate, Salad Plate, Service Plate

Drinkware: Water Goblet, Champagne Flute, Two Wine Glasses

Tips:
• Allow at least 24 inches for each place setting.
• Keep all tableware approximately one inch from the edge of the table.
• Place all knives with the cutting edge toward the plate.
• Arrange silverware / flatware in order of use, working from the outside toward the plate for each course served. If salad is served after entree, place salad fork next to plate.
• Glass placement: from right to left, white wine, red wine, and water/iced beverage. Champagne may be placed behind red and white.
• A seafood/cocktail fork is always placed to the right of the soup spoon, unless served with a seafood cocktail. It may be placed on the cocktail plate.

Need to "Bring Life to Your Table?" Shop Oneida silverware / flatware, dinnerware, drinkware and kitchenware directly from Oneida.com

Patterns for a Lifetime. What is it and Why is it so important to you?

Nothing is Guaranteed Forever, Right???
This is a fantastic program that is jammed packed full of great value. Have you ever looked into your silverware drawer and noticed that your spoons are half missing? You would love to go out and buy a couple of spoons that are of the same pattern but to no avail. You either have to buy another whole set OR the pattern that you once loved you find is not being sold anymore. How frustrating is that! Now with this program through Oneida you won't have to worry. Just take a look at some of the benefits:

Your Worry-Free Guarantee.
The silverware / flatware in the Patterns for a Lifetime Collection is not only crafted in the highest caliber stainless steel, it comes with this exclusive guarantee:

Your Oneida pattern will never be discontinued.
This means you can add extra place settings and open stock pieces whenever you want. It is our commitment to you. What’s more, these premium patterns offer the most open stock items. So you can build the set you’ve always wanted.

Enjoy These Benefits…

• Your pattern will never, ever be discontinued. See details.
• Add pieces whenever you want to, whether you need another place setting or just a teaspoon. Choose from the largest assortment of open stock items…serving spoons, tall drink spoons, ladles, etc.
• Never forget your pattern name as it is conveniently located on the back of the teaspoon.

Get With The Program! How to enroll…
Click on the enroll link below to register your pattern. By enrolling, you’ll be notified if your pattern is retired from store shelves. Remember, you can always purchase your pattern directly from us. So if you ever need to replace a piece–whether its next week or in the next decade, it is never a problem.

• Click to enroll
• Click for program details
• Click to view patterns

What's your Style at the Table?

Choosing Your Style

Do you like the clean, design-driven shape of modern flatware? Or perhaps you prefer classic, architectural inspired patterns. Maybe your home is a bit more ornate, with floral themes and decorative décor…With more than 100 flatware patterns, conveniently grouped in three design categories, you are sure to find an Oneida silverware pattern that speaks to your unique style. You can go to www.oneida.com to view the latest and greatest styles.

Modern:

Modern Design is a collage of convergent perspectives; think of it as Bauhaus meets Scandinavian and pop art, with a wild card thrown in. The Bauhaus proved that less is more, and form follows function. Its purposeful straight-line perspective is alive today in a wide range of product and interior design. The Scandinavians softened the perspective with curvilinear shapes, and metaphoric propositions. Finally, the pop art generation added a fun graphic language to the mix. Modern tableware design today, continues to examine the potential of line and form that stays ahead of the curve.
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Classic:

Classic Design exhibits balance and form that is timeless and enduring. This aesthetic is about lasting significance. Envision the simple and harmonious lines established by the craftsman who created the fine lines of Shaker cabinetry. Tactile satisfaction also relates to this aesthetic, with the pleasure one receives from using a purposefully elegant historic design. Familiar lines and details from classic architecture, provide the visual vocabulary and lasting spirit for this portfolio of design.

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Decorative:

Decorative Design is intuitive and emotional, romantic and traditional. It provides structure and symmetry, line and color, and a natural order of composition. Culturally, people often signal their financial arrival with traditional decorative design. Primary to the language is its emotional connection to nature. Very often designers will use the natural rhythm of decorative motifs to connect with organic beauty in the world. Today’s decorative design is often tradition with a twist familiar, shapes and patterns used in refreshingly creative ways.

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Mix and Match:

Mix and Match is an option for those who feel constrained choosing just one design style. This tableware trend is becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s relaxed attitude in home decor. Table setting rules that were once followed are now broken. The result is a more creative, eclectic and visually stimulating dining presentation. Feel free to mix modern with classic, decorative with modern, or classic with decorative to find a look that’s truly your own. With all the innovative new shapes, textures and finishes to choose from, the possibilities are exciting and infinite.