Five Ingredients for Easy Summer Entertaining

These five essential ingredients for a great summer get-together will help you keep it simple.

1. Easy dishes and ready-to-cook foods

Outdoor entertaining should be casual and easy, so make it easy on yourself by serving a menu that won't keep you in the kitchen the whole day. Start guests off with an array of ready-to-bake appetizers, which you can pop in the oven and pass around with the first round of cool drinks while the main meal cooks on the grill. Be sure you have enough gas in the grill or charcoal on hand - there's nothing worse than running out mid-party.

With the meal, serve sides that epitomize the season: fresh fruits and veggies, classic potato salad, and corn on the cob. A watermelon half makes a gorgeous natural fruit bowl; just cut up the watermelon and tumble it into the shell with other fresh seasonal fruits like strawberries, grapes, peaches, and pineapple. A big green salad can be tossed ahead of time and set out with a selection of dressings (don't let them sit in hot weather more than an hour; even better, put all perishable foods on bowls of ice to keep them cool and safe).

For dessert, set up a DIY sundae bar with a big tub of ice cream, bananas, sauces, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries.

Make clean-up super easy: put a big trashcan outside and use disposable tableware.

2. Plenty of ice-cold drinks on hand

Fill a clean wheelbarrow with ice and use it as a drinks cart, and put a towel nearby so when guests pull out a beverage they can wipe it down. Water is a must, as is ice-cold lemonade or iced tea to keep guests hydrated in the heat. You can jazz up iced tea by adding 2 cups of pomegranate or cranberry juice to the pitcher and throwing orange or lime slices in for color. Or, freeze mint leaves or lemon slices in ice and plop them in any of these drinks. For a patriotic gathering, freeze red and blue Kool-aid ice cubes and serve with lemon-lime soda.

If you're offering alcoholic beverages, make a big batch of your own signature drink, like a sangria or rum punch, and keep beer and white wine over ice so it stays extra-cold and refreshing.

3. Festive décor to set the mood

With Mother Nature as the backdrop, you won't have to do much to make the gathering festive, but a few touches will go a long way. Anchor brightly-colored disposable plastic tablecloths with tablecloth clamps or decorative weights so they (and the food) don't blow away in the breeze. Use your watermelon fruit bowl as the centerpiece, or create a simple centerpiece from a potted plant or big, bold flowers like sunflowers or dahlias.

If you're doing a theme like a Hawaiian luau, wrap a grass skirt around a large bucket and fill it with leis for guests to grab. A piñata makes a great Mexican fiesta centerpiece, and a flower-and-flag arrangement is perfect for patriotic occasions.

Put napkins in a wire basket and secure them with a weight, or pre-wrap silverware in napkins and tie with a ribbon that complements your color scheme. Keep it simple with plastic plates, cups, and silverware, but upgrade the old floral-themed plates with some modern square-shaped plastic plates or colorful paper products instead.

If your party goes on after dark, light the outdoor area with tiki torches and strings of Christmas lights in the bushes and trees.

4. A playlist of rockin' music

Get guests in the mood for fun with plenty of upbeat music. Good artists include the Beach Boys, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet, and Bob Marley. For a themed party, cue the luau music, salsa music, or patriotic band.

In the evening, switch to mellower tunes from artists like Josh Groban, Elton John, Sarah McLachlan, and The Eagles.

5. Endless fun and games

Have fun in the sun with water, water, lots of water. Stage a team game with squirt guns, a water balloon toss, or water balloon volleyball (players use a sheet to toss the balloon over the net). Or play tug of war with a sprinkler in the middle (the losing team gets wet!) or water limbo, where players bend over backwards and shimmy under a stream of water from the hose.

Not a water fan? Try traditional summer games like horseshoes, regular limbo, and badminton. Put sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and balls out for the kids.

After dinner, build a bonfire, roast marshmallows and make S'mores to eat while everyone takes turns telling scary stories around the fire. If you have a swimming pool, a moonlight swim is a perfect finale to the evening.