How I made our porch a safe haven for friends during the pandemic.
How I made our porch a safe haven for friends during the pandemic.
Our house includes a 14 x 16 foot screened porch that holds a couch, an armchair, an 8’ table for sitting and a 3’ table for drinks or buffet.
Our porch has been host to many parties and celebrations over the years. When we built our home, we could not afford anything extra, so the porch was a planned addition. My husband had installed and flashed the ledgers and trim in preparation for building it and installed the mahogany french doors that would eventually lead to it that, if opened, led to a 10’drop to the ground at our walk-out basement. Therefore, the doors were safely sealed shut for the 6 years preceding screen porch construction.
When the time came to build the porch, we debated about the beauty of screened in porches versus a more practical and costly 3 season room.
We chose the screened in porch.
We have had birthday bashes, pig roasts, and winter solstice gatherings. We throw open the doors from the living room to the outdoors. Last year, I wanted to host a party and we decided to install heavy duty plastic to boat-style fittings to the sides of the porch, and while it was breezy, with a few bodies and the warmth from the house, it worked just fine.
When COVID hit and all socializing ended, we found the beach and a gathering around a campfire safe, but as the weather got cooler, I wondered how I would make it through the Fall.
We had our first guests on the porch in September and every couple of weeks after, we would invite friends over and it felt safe. When it seemed apparent that COVID was here for the winter and most likely longer, I debated my winter.
I come from a large family. I get anxious in quietude. Sitting around a meal with many minds is a Rx for my health. I was giving up our annual trip to California, my teaching gig at Rancho La Puerta and now I was looking at 3-4 months without friends over for dinner? I felt caged. What if we heated the porch like they do in outdoor cafes Europe and New York?
I began the research on heaters and I settled on an infrared heater.
My son and husband ran the wire from the electrical box to the farthest end of the house and the electrician and my husband drilled and made appropriate connections. And when we flipped on the switch I felt relieved and satisfied with the warmth of the radiant infrared heater.
So, how do we ensure safety?
We have an 8’ table and we each sit at one end.
Most of the dinners are plated or served family style, with each couple getting their own plate to share.
For example, a salad for two all tossed and ready with their own serving spoons for them to serve themselves.
And of course, plated hors d'oeuvres and dessert.
We sit end to end at our 8’ table and there is a light breeze that blows through, but the temperature was a balmy 74 the other night, though in the 60’s during colder evenings.
It’s one of the many of life’s adjustments that has made all the difference.
The heater on the porch has made my winter bearable.
Here is what I made on a snowy night in February with our good friends and neighbors and how I served it safely:
February Twelfth Winter Menu
Tequila splashed over a large cube
Stuffed Mushrooms- individual plates with a demitasse fork
Persian Beet Soup- Plated in a shallow bowl with creme fraiche and cilantro and pomegranates
Chilmark Pork Chops with Fig Glaze & Brussels Sprouts with Shredded Sweet Potatoes - plated
Chocolate Mousse with Berries - in individual stemmed wine glass