Party Plan: Memorial Day Chill-Out

After a super-busy week (sorry about the lack of posting) I am finally ready to embrace this long 3-day weekend!

Sure, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick-off to summer. But this year, rather than a big blow-out bash, I'd prefer a relaxed weekend full of quiet, delicious moments. Here is my Party Plan for a Memorial Day Chill-Out:

1. Drink: Sangria. Not just any sangria, Cava Sangria. A little fancy but this recipe from Bobby Flay piqued my interest. We drank Cava (a Spanish champagne) with friends on New Year's Eve this year and it was amazing!

Photo from FoodNetwork.com

2. Menu: Burgers. If you're hoping to not overindulge too much, try sliders instead. Make your burgers to the size of a meatball, flatten and throw them on the grill. Top them off with a bit of cheese, a pickle and place inside a dinner roll. Delicious.

3. Dessert: Whoopie Pies. Bake off a batch of devils food cake mix in the size of large cookies, then sandwich a generous helping of whipped topping in between two of them and chill for 15 minutes. Yum.

Photo from NYTimes.com

4. Decor: Keep it simple. Pick up packs of stars-and-stripes plates or buy solid paper goods in red, white and blue! Bonus: you can use any leftovers for Fourth of July!

Modern Stars and Stripes dinner plates, $5.50 for 8, from plumparty.com

5. Music: So glad you asked...I just created a "Summer Songs Playlist" over at Celebrations.com. I had a blast mixing tunes from Dave Matthews, Madonna, The Go-Go's and Lady Gaga. Let me know what you think!

Have a fabulous three-day weekend everyone!!