6 Tips for dining from the comfort of your lounge set

Everything is perfect

Are you looking forward to the long summer evenings, too? It’s precisely during those very languid hours spent happily outside, I enjoy reflecting on a whole day of doing nothing. Everything is perfect… as long as I ignore the small food stains on the cushions of my lounge set, that is. Salad dressing with gravy, now that’s going to be a challenge. During the recent cosy barbecue I hosted, it seems I wasn’t the only one who had trouble combining sitting with a food plate on my lap, whilst also trying to chat enthusiastically with those around me. Instead of grabbing a book to escape into, I decide to get to work on giving the cushion covers a good pre-soak before washing them. At least in these temperatures, they’ll be dry in no time.

The summer is long from over and I am not planning to trade in my lounge set for a traditional set of garden furniture just yet. Using the following 6 practical tips for dining, your lounge set will be spared any more future food disasters.

1. Lose the etiquette
2. Get your hands dirty
3. Soup through a straw
4. Creative sandwiches
5. Improvise a little
6. Connect with Mother Nature

1. Lose the etiquette

A lounge set is naturally an oasis of comfort in your garden. Of course, that shouldn’t have to change. However, if you dine with your plate on your lap, you end up being short of hands. It’s quite an art, using one hand to hold your plate straight, whilst your other hand busily tries to prick some salad with a fork. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way! For starters, change your cutlery. Make small portions and serve them on small breakfast plates. It’s lighter, smaller and can be easily managed using only one hand. Just serve the salad in small dessert bowls, as it’s also easier to eat that way. Or, how about using a soup bowl? They’re not too big and the the raised edge creates a good barrier against those sauces spilling on your lounge cushions.

2. Get your hands dirty

Using smaller and more practical dinnerware, you keep one hand free. However, this still sometimes isn’t enough, especially when you’re faced with long strips of pork belly. So, make it easier for your diners and cut the meat in small pieces before cooking. Pop it on some skewers, along with some chunks of vegetables for the added vitamins. Not only delicious and responsible, but it also saves a whole lot of mess. A small tip: soak the wooden skewers in a flat bowl or tray for a while first before putting the food on them, as that way they won’t burn. Or, better yet, use steel skewers that you can re-use, time and time again. Spare-ribs already come with their own ready-made handle, so just separate them up before cooking and you’re set! And of course, by adding some colourful serviettes or simply putting a roll of kitchen paper on the table, you can make short work of dirty fingers.

3. Soup through a straw

Soup is an ideal dish for lazy summer days. However, sitting with a warm bowl of soup on your lap is only asking for trouble. Yet, this too, can be easily solved by using a hot pan trivet, or small tray under your plate. You could of course, also serve up a cold cucumber soup or Gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup dish. If you’re feeling really adventurous, then serve a clear or finely pureed soup in plastic beakers, which by the way, also comes in quite handy for a picnic on the beach. Just take the soup along with you in a thermos flask and pour when desired. Oh yeah, the drinking straw is, of course, for the atmosphere.

4. Creative sandwiches

Beside the soup, you can serve the most creative of sandwiches, with different types of toppings served on breakfast plates, your summertime lunch is served! Try not to overfill them though, as that will only make it messy to eat, so instead, by serving a simple salad sandwich, toasted bread with salmon and cream cheese, or a vegetarian wrap, you’ll definitely steal the show. Entirely in keeping with the barbecue theme, put some fresh or toasted pieces of bread on a large skewer. In-between, vary the layers with different types of cold fillings. That’s how you make your very own club sandwiches. Truly delicious and of course, ideal to eat whilst sitting on your lounge set. Mmm, all you need now is a refreshing drink and your day is complete.

5. Improvise a little

Of course, there are always dishes that are asking for trouble. Thinking back on my experiences, I would suggest you leave out the spaghetti for the inexperienced pasta-eaters, peas, sweetcorn and bread with any loose toppings. Fortunately, it’s not so much down to your lounge set, as these ingredients are often the cause of mess at a regular kitchen table, too. If you still wish to serve dishes like these though, then lay a throw or tablecloth over the cushions of your lounge set first, or whenever you’re barbecuing, bring out your handy camping table to give you more space.

6. Connect with Mother Nature

One very easy tip for keeping mealtimes fun with children, is to lay a large blanket out on your terrace or lawn and make it an unforgettable picnic. Serve them delicious hotdogs, rolled-up pancakes, and of course, a favourite sandwich or two, won’t be refused. Dress the area up a little with fun, unbreakable plates, bowls and beakers, decorated bananas and fresh grapes. This will make it a lot less worrying.

With these practical tips for dining outdoors, we keep our mood high the whole summer long, and our lounge sets will remain perfect for years to come. Great, right?

I’d love to hear if you have any tips to share, so we can all dine, stain-free, in the comfort of our lounge set. Share them with us on our Facebook page.

– Lorna –