It’s finally time to gather and celebrate with family and friends again. One of the best ways to bring an extra-special touch to Christmas? Extend the kitchen and living room outside and host an outdoor Christmas dinner to remember.
PREP IN ADVANCE
Leading up to Christmas and New Year, make sure you always have extra. If you have a gas-powered grill or fire pit, stock up on a backup liquid propane tank, and make sure to have extra firewood and fire-starter on hand if you plan to entertain with a wood-burning fire pit. If you have an outdoor kitchen, you’ll also want to make sure any outdoor appliances are clean and working. Once or twice a year, make sure you are cleaning and inspecting your outdoor appliances. Sometimes people don’t use them a whole lot in the winter, and then all of a sudden they find out that their refrigerator stops working.
PLAN YOUR MENU OF CHRISTMAS DINNER
The piece de resistance of Christmas is, of course, the meal. Plan your menu of Christmas dinner a few days ahead to give yourself plenty of time to prep. Prepare anything you can ahead of time, and set a schedule for Christmas Day that details what will be cooking when—and where. To free up precious kitchen space (and put a fresh spin on a classic dish), consider cooking outside on a charcoal or gas grill.
LIVING ROOMS OUTSIDE.
The trick to making an outdoor Christmas gathering a success is to make the outdoors just as comfortable as the indoors. Choose a larger dining table or an extending table. Extending tables are great because they can be used in a smaller setting when it’s just the immediate family, but then when you’re having friends and extended family over, you can extend the table to accommodate them. Thoughtfully choose your outdoor furniture. A lot of people creating outdoor living rooms. Maybe choose deep seating like sofa and a couple of chairs or a sectional nearby.
ADD LIGHTING & WARMTH
Good lighting is important—to ensure guests can see long after sunset and set a comfortable mood during the Christmas dinner time. When you’re under the stars and enjoying yourself, you don’t want harsh lights. Depending on the atmosphere you want to create, outdoor lanterns, torches, candles, or string lights are all great options. Keep an outdoor Christmas comfortable even in cold climates by outfitting your space with patio heaters, which are available as freestanding or mounted units.
