Easy Ideas to Elevate Home Entertaining

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MySouthernBakery #CollectiveBias

In this post, you will learn how to elevate your home entertaining in just 3 simple steps. Keep scrolling for more photo inspiration and our how-to for creating stunning infused water and ice cubes.

Living in the South, showing hospitality toward friends, family and neighbors is a way of life. It’s what we do. I grew up in a home with an economics teacher as a mother. We not only made delicious food, but we shared it as often as we could with those we loved. Some of my fondest memories both as a child, and an adult, centered around food. Today, I hope to instill some of that same love for not only creating, but sharing food with others in each of my children.

During warmer months in Houston, I love to offer guests flavored water choices alongside a delicious baked good. Not all presentations need to require hours of preparation of complicated ingredients. Today, we are sharing a few tips for creating a DIY flavored water bar to wash down delicious Dewey’s Bakery Soft Baked Cookies. These soft, chewy cookies capture the magic of a traditional Southern treat. But, since I can simply pick them up off the shelf at Walmart, I get to spend more time celebrating life, and enjoying precious moments with those that I love. Keep scrolling for our infused water bar flavor combinations, fun ice cube how-to, and simple tips for welcoming guests in your home.

How to Create Flavor Infused Water

While I love a cold, refreshing glass of ice water….adding some vibrant flavors and colors into the mix just makes the presentation more fun!! And, I am ALL about the fun! Freshly cut fruits, vegetables and herbs not only offer vibrant aromatics, but they are visually stunning. To create an infused water bar at home, I recommend offering 3-5 flavor options for guests to choose from.

Some of my favorite infused water flavor combinations include:

Cucumber & Mint
Pineapple, Coconut Flakes & Lime
Strawberry & Kiwi
Lemon and Blueberry
Strawberry, Basil & Lemon

And, then simple, single flavor profiles such as oranges, lemons, limes, or cucumbers. To create an infused flavor bar at home, select your flavor choices, prepare the fruit, vegetables or herbs by chopping and/or dicing, then add them to pitchers of ice-cold water. It’s that simple!

How to Create Flavored Ice Cubes

In addition to a stunning infused water bar, have some fun creating flavored ice cubes. They are not only stunning, but super easy to create. With any of these flavor combinations, your guests are sure to be impressed!

Some of our favorite flavored ice cube options include:

Raspberry
Lemon
Lime
Cucumber
Blackberry
Mint
Rosemary
Kiwi
Strawberry
Blueberry
Orange

To create flavored ice cubes, you simply add diced fruit, vegetables or herbs into clean ice cube trays. Then, add filtered water into each tray and freeze for 2-4 hours, or as needed. If you are creating more than one batch of flavored ice cubes, store the frozen ones in a container or bowl in the freezer until they are ready to use.

Create a Welcoming Atmosphere for Guests

There is something truly wonderful about feeling welcomed whenever in someone’s home. The notion that someone prepared for your arrival, and thought of your needs is heartwarming. If you are planning to host guests in your home, take a few moments to prepare. Those moments will make a world of positive difference.

Here are some of my favorite tips:

First, consider what your guests might need to feel comfortable upon arrival. On a warm day, be sure to offer chilled beverages. If the visit is not during meal times, offer a simple, comforting snack.
Choose an area of your home to visit. Take a moment to tidy up the space.
Set out a simple snack like Dewey’s Bakery Soft Baked Cookies, arranged neatly on crisp white platters. To appeal to a wide variety of palettes, serve more than one cookie option. For example, both Dewey’s Bakery Lemon Bar Soft Baked Cookies and Dewey’s Bakery Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Soft Baked Cookies. These cookies can be heated, offering right-out-of-the-oven homemade taste, that is too good not to share!
Offer a chilled beverage selection. Set out cocktail napkins, glassware and straws nearby for easy serving. To show your guests that you thought of them in advance, serve flavor infused water and/ ice cubes using our tips above.
Add a soft touch with fresh flowers.

Simple, thoughtful gestures go a long way. Cheers to simple, inviting entertaining!

To pick up delicious Dewey’s Bakery Soft Baked Cookies, head to your local Walmart, Wegman’s of Giant Retailers. Text “DEWEYS” to 79495 to get your second bag of Dewey’s Bakery Soft Baked Cookies for FREE upon purchase of one bag at Walmart, Wegman’s or Giant retailers! Valid 9/17-11/16/19. That’s a sweet deal!