Outdoor entertaining is fun!  It is fun because it can be casual and therefore much less intimidating with endless menu options.  Some of my favourite choices include foods that can be barbecued and then served easily outside.  Recipes with simple and fresh ingredients that highlight the natural flavours of the food.  Let me share some with you!

Cedar Planked Salmon is probably my favourite.  

This is a truly delicious and fun way to prepare and serve salmon with so many variations depending on   your preference of flavours.  It is also very easy to prepare and is served beautifully on the cedar plank. My favourite toppings are capers, finely diced red onion and then fresh dill topped with thin slices of lemon.

Buttermilk Chicken Skewers……always a hit!!

These melt in you mouth chicken kebabs are absolutely heavenly in part due to the fact that they are prepared and then sit in a buttermilk marinade seasoned with worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary prior to barbecuing. 

Salad Nicoise……what a treat!!

Beautifully seared tuna, sliced and served on a bed of fresh butter lettuce along with some par-boiled new potatoes, sliced hard boiled eggs, black olives, cherry tomatoes, freshly steamed green beans and then sprinkled with mustard chive vinaigrette!!  Simple, fresh and delicious.

 A Charcuterie Board….so many variations and the presentation is fun!

I have a collection of wooden boards that I use to serve various types of cheeses and cured meats.  It is fun to experiment and try new things and then add nuts, dried fruits, olives, crisps…etc.  Let your imagination guide you!

Hope you are feeling inspired for some outdoor entertaining!!

A friend of mine gave me some very poignant advice the other day.  The timing of such advice couldn't have been more perfect.  It came at a time when I was questioning so much….why am I back in Winnipeg, what is my purpose, have I done what I needed to do in order to make this house a home for my children……etc.  I am sure this sounds familiar. 

The advice was this…..Life is too short; seize the day, live in the present and make the most of every moment.  I had heard this before, but I took a few minutes to really reflect on what it meant and how I could directly relate it to how I was feeling at the moment.

Yes, life is too short.  We all know people who have been taken from us too soon.  People with whom we had wished and hoped for more time to share time with.  People we wished we could have shared more experiences together. Which obviously leads into living in the present.  Shared experiences become cherished memories.  And if we are not present while this is happening, are we really benefiting from the experience? We need to focus on what is happening right in front of us, and what we are currently engaged in at all times.  That is all we have….we can't change what has happened or control what will happen.  Which leads to making the most of every moment.  Every moment is a gift and how do we know it won't be our last. 

So….why am I back in Winnipeg? Because destiny led me here and this is my home.  I couldn't imagine having accomplished what I have here without the love and support of the people I call my family and friends who have welcomed us back.  What is my purpose? To continue to do what I have always done and do so well.  Serve others through nurture, support and understanding.  It may look a little different now than it used to, but no less significant.  And finally, have I made this house a home for my children? The fact that my children understand I have an "open door policy" as they know that everybody is welcome, that their friends are here nearly every night of the week, and that I am known as "the nicest Mom with a candy counter and a stocked drink fridge!"  This all speaks for itself.

This may not be the largest or fanciest house in the neighbourhood, but the fact is that my kids and their friends like hanging out here…..and that's a good thing.

A very wise woman once said it is not about what you did, or what you said,  it is about how you made people feel.  I like to think that everyone who has walked through my front door feels something that makes them stay, feel welcome, accepted and comfortable.  And that is why they stay for as long as they do and then come back often.

So thank you, my friend, for reminding me what is truly important in life.