MAKE A LEMONADE STATION FOR EASY ENTERTAINING

Think old-school lemonade stand meets fun, fabulous mix-ins to create a new spin on that old summer standard. Lemonade is a great drink for summer parties. Whether you make it fresh, buy it at the store, or use a powdered mix, it's hard to go wrong with cold lemonade on a hot day. Here are some of my fun ideas to dress up your lemonade by making a lemonade station- an adult version of the old-school lemonade stand- perfect for any party,  wedding, rehearsal dinner, or supper club!

Creating a lemonade station will give your guests lots of choices and allow them to serve themselves making beverage service a lot easier!

Making a lemonade stand doesn't require a lot of wood and building, a simple table will work. Recently, I wanted to show Daytime Alabama viewers how to make a lemonade stand for a large party or wedding and asked my friends Corey & Jared from the Sonnet House to help me out. Corey decked out the table and I did the lemonades. Burlap from the fabric store, Mason jars, and large containers of lemonade, cute paper straws, and a big sign are all you need

At The Sonnet House in Leeds, Alabama with my good friends Jared and Corey. Corey created the lovely table with tulips, lemons, and yellow and white chevron runners and I made the lemonade!

THE HOW-TO

Start with large containers or pitchers of lemonade. Add bowls of your favorite flavors: think spices, fruit, herbs, liquor, or even Kool-Aid mixes for the kids. Be creative. Almost anything tastes good with lemonade as the base!

When I am in a hurry or on the road without a kitchen, I buy pre-made lemonade from the store.Simply Lemonade is the best if I have to buy at a grocery. If I am in the South, I often get the  Chic-fil-A gallon lemonade to go. Expensive but worth it. Those are my favorites if I cannot make my own. If you use the CountryTime or other powdered mix, add the juice of two lemons and lots of lemon slices into it; makes it taste better. I always prefer the fresh lemonade when time, budget, and location allow :) 

I like to put out a little menu board to give guests some ideas of flavors that work well together. I write them on a chalkboard but you can write or print recipes.

BASIC LEMONADE RECIPE

 It's really simple. Four cups of water to one cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1/2 cup of sugar. That's it!

To make enough for 4-5 servings:

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar (more to taste if you like it really sweet)

7-8 cups water

In a pitcher, add the sugar and the lemon juice and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the water and chill.

Serving Tips:On a hot day, I will use 1 cup less water because I know the lemonade will become diluted with the melting ice. Often, I will freeze lemonade into ice cubes or freeze large plastic containers of lemonade. I put the lemonade into a large plastic milk jug or other repurposed plastic bottle. Freeze solid. A few hours before the party, I remove them from the freezer and allow them to become slushy. Soooo good on a hot day!

MIX-INS AND OPTIONS FOR A LEMONADE STATION

Mint leaves

Basil leaves

Strawberries, sliced plus strawberry puree

Raspberries

Watermelon slices plus watermelon puree

Peach slices plus peach nectar (find it in a can in the international aisle of the store)

Lime wheels

Lemon wheels

Sweet Tea

Grenadine

Vodka - I usually include a plain vodka and one flavored, like citrus or raspberry flavored

Chambord Liqueur

Bourbon

Pama Liqueur

VARIATIONS ON THE CLASSIC LEMONADE RECIPE:

PINK LEMONADE

Perfect for kids and adults, too!

Add a tablespoon of Grenadine to the basic recipe. Stir well to color your lemonade bright pink. If you want a soft pink color, for a baby shower, for example, use less grenadine.

ARNOLD PALMER

Half iced tea, half lemonade.

ARNOLD PALMER WITH SPIKES

Add a shot of vodka (I use citrus flavored) to your Arnold Palmer.

CHERRY LEMONADE

Add 1 ounce cherry vodka, 3 maraschino cherries and a 1 teaspoon cherry juice to each glass of lemonade. Add a squeeze of lime.

PEACH TEA LEMONADE

1/3 each peach nectar, sweet tea, and classic lemonade per serving.

MINT INFUSED LEMONADE

Add a big handful of fresh mint leaves to the sugar and one cup of the water. Make a mint simple syrup. Equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add 25 or so fresh mint leaves. Allow to cool completely. Strain the syrup into a mason jar, discard the leaves. Add to your pitcher and add the lemon juice and the remaining water.  

POMEGRANATE LEMONADE

Add a shot of Pama Liqueur. Yummmmy!

KENTUCKY LEMONADE

Put  4 fresh mint leaves into the bottom of the glass. Add a little ice. Use a wooden spoon to bruise the mint with the ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon and fill the glass with lemonade. My Kentucky bourbon of choice right now is Four Roses. Their Yellow Label is perfect for this drink... side note, the single barrel is really good on it's own.

TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR PARTY, EVENT OR WEDDING

A good rule of thumb to follow when setting a budget for your party is to estimate what you think you’re going to spend, double that number and you’ll have a more realistic figure.

Parties always cost more than you think they will. As you begin to budget, decide what you can’t live without—your “must-have” items. Put those items at the top of your budget knowing you may have to compromise on other things. You need a party plan and a shopping list to keep you from going over budget. You know how it goes—you head to the store and think to yourself--- “I think I have the right tablecloth, but I should get this one just in case. I can always take it back later.” Then you don’t use it or take it back. In fact, I’ll bet it is in the closet with the price tag still on it. So the best tip for saving money on your next party is to stick to a list when shopping for your party. Don’t pick up any “I might need this” items that aren’t on your list and you’ll keep your budget intact. You can also shave a little off the top with these tips.  

1. GET SOME HELP

Many people don’t hire planners because they think it adds to the bottom line. In fact, a planner can make suggestions and recommendations that will actually save money, time, and mistakes so they are well worth the cost. My good friend Lori Stephenson at LOLA Event Productions in Chicago always comes up with clever, unique ideas that are extremely cost effective. It’s her job. If it’s not your job, get someone like her (or me) to help you and you’ll save yourself money and headaches.

2, PLAN AHEAD

The more time you have to plan, the more time you can take to source the items you need. If you allow time to compare prices and quality, you’ll be less likely to make impulsive decisions which could add to the bottom line.

3. CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBERS

Think about it this way, for every guest you have to eliminate, you save money. Suddenly, the chore of cutting down the guests list just got easier. Cut ten guests at $25 per person and you’ve saved $250.  

4. THE RIGHT PLACE

No matter if you are renting a venue or have the party at home, you need to think about what you’ll need to pull off the party in terms of space, kitchen, and cooking facilities. If you have to bring in tents, ovens, refrigeration units, etc., the costs can explode and kill your budget. Check with the caterer before booking a venue to determine the additional rental supplies required.  

5. TAKE THE DAY OFF

Book your party on an “off day” for caterers, venues, florists, etc. You’ll be able to negotiate better if you book your party on any day other than Saturday. 

6. BAR NONE

Serving a signature cocktail rather than having an open bar looks festive and will save some dollars. You can squeeze 20+ drinks (depending on recipe and serving size) from one large bottle of premium vodka. This is also a an easy way to monitor and control the amount of alcohol served.

7, START THINGS OFF RIGHT

Guests are always hungry when they arrive at a party or event. By serving several inexpensive appetizers as guests arrive, you’ll curb their appetite and can lighten up on the main menu.

8. DON'T DO ME ANY FAVORS

Every magazine shows pictures of celebrity parties with loads of swag. Your guests don’t expect to go home with favors. It’s a nice touch, but certainly something you can eliminate if your budget is already strained.

9. MAKE SOME MUSIC

If you have a good selection of tunes on your MP3, make a mix to last the length of your party and pass on hiring a DJ or band. You’ll never get the impact you would have with live entertainment, but if your budget is tight it is a viable alternative.

10. USE WHAT YOU HAVE

If you look at my various party profiles, you’ll see that I often use both food and beverages as décor. Brightly colored and filled glasses stacked on trays are not only welcoming to a party guest, they are pretty, too. Use lemons, limes, apples, or other food items like tiers of cupcakes as decorations. Just about any type of food or beverage can be creatively presented using unique vessels and lighting so that your food doubles as your décor. All of the top caterers use food to make a statement. You can easily accomplish the same thing by thinking creatively about presentation and display of your food and beverages.

WEDDINGS: PLANNING A PERSONALIZED BRIDAL SHOWER

It’s wedding season! Many of us have friends getting married right now and we’re faced with the impossible task of planning a fun, unique, and appropriate shower to celebrate the occasion. What kind of party you ultimately decide to throw for your bride-to-be should depend on her personality, your budget, and what type of gifts the couple really wants or needs.

Gather the girls to host a bridal shower completely customized to your bride-to-be!

Since our friends already had what they needed to set up their home, we decided to host a Honeymoon Travel Shower for them with food and decorations evocative of the Mexican beach honeymoon they were in the process of planning. A beach theme, Mexican cuisine, and margaritas made for a perfect pre-wedding fiesta.  

Aqua blue and sea green along with coral and shells inspire this Mexican Riviera theme for our bride's honeymoon shower.

If your friends are into cooking, a “Top Chef” style kitchen shower could be fun. Ask each guest to bring a favorite dish with the recipe and a utensil necessary to complete the dish. Every bride (and groom) loves a lingerie shower so how about hosting a “Sex in the City” themed party complete with Cosmopolitans and plenty of girl talk? With the popularity of couples’ showers, consider a tool and gadget shower. The guys won’t complain when they can test drive the latest gadget innovations. If the couple is renovating their home, a do-it-yourself (DIY) shower for their home or patio could help them prepare for future entertaining. Guests come armed with everything necessary to paint a room or make-over the outdoor space. You do the work, they reap the benefits!

No matter what kind of shower you host for the happy couple, here’s a guide to help you plan.        

Setting the Scene

Decorations and music are two essential elements in setting the tone for any event. You don’t have to go over the top with your decorations, but do put some thought into them. Many hostesses will stop by the party supply store and pick up uninspired decorations which can be expensive. A better idea? Use items you have or can borrow and add a few key decorative objects like we did for this party. Start by selecting a color scheme. For a chic seaside tone, I used aqua and soft blue as my color palette. Adding shells to a row of candles on a hammered silver tray anchored the beach theme. Two brightly colored glass fish seemed to swim over variegated blue sea glass in a round vase filled with water, making a whimsical yet elegant centerpiece. Travel posters, luggage tags, and suitcases with travel stickers borrowed from a travel agent completed the décor. Throw on a compilation CD of “margarita” music and you’ve set the mood for a perfect party. If you prefer a traditional Mexican color palette, there are hundreds of fiesta supplies readily available.

This couple likes to dive so we wanted to create a water element that was affordable. We filled glass fish bowls with sea glass in party colors and found glass fish to replicate the ocean.

Planning the Menu

Creating the menu for a party is often the most difficult task—especially when you’re inexperienced in the kitchen or don’t have a lot of parties under your belt. Nothing creates a party mood like good food and a refreshing cold beverage. Since we were working with a Mexican beach theme, this menu was easy to create---there are tons of easy Mexican recipes or good Mexican take-out if you’re not up to cooking. I decided on sure-fire party favorites like fresh guacamole, warm tortilla chips, and a variety of salsas as starters. Easy fiery grilled shrimp skewers over rice with store bought pineapple mango salsa looked festive presented on a Mariposa shell platter. Build your bar around a selection of margaritas. Add salt, limes, mint iced tea, and sparkling water and you’re all set. A large frozen margarita maker comes in handy for a big crowd. Serve drinks in any pretty glassware that coordinates with your décor or a margarita pitcher and glass set.

Games and Entertainment

I admit it. I am not a big fan of shower games. (Is hate too strong a word?) While a wedding tradition, they can be soooo boring! Smart hostesses incorporate creative activities into their party plans instead of stale games. The wedding gown game---using toilet paper, tissue paper, newspaper or paper towels to design a wedding dress is always fun and it gives guests a chance to mingle and chat. Another fun activity is to create a memory album. Guests bring copies of their favorite photos of the bride or couple and make a scrapbook or photo album together. You can even have a printed and bound copy sent to the bride using an online service. Have guests send images via email or scan them into your computer at the party.

Don’t stress out trying to come up with the perfect shower plan—just stick to the recipe for any good party. Good food, plenty of drinks, a good cake, a fun theme, and good mix of people make any party successful. The fact that presents are involved is icing on the party cake!

Photos by Arden Ward, Arden Photography