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Spring time is finally here and people are looking for ways to spend time outdoors after a long winter. Even though many will wait until Labor Day to begin cooking out, some will begin grilling quite a while before that. When you’re planning a cookout or any outdoor activity, you may want to include spring drinks for a refreshing change.

Some people think about alcoholic beverages but there are many non-alcoholic spring drinks you can also enjoy. Here are a few to consider:

Lemonade is a great spring or summer time drink that everyone in the family can enjoy. Gather lemons, water and sugar and you can make a wonderful, refreshing beverage. Add a sprig of mint to finish it off and then enjoy.

Watermelon Agua Fresca is often served during the summer, but there’s no reason you can’t prepare it earlier in the year if you can find ripe watermelon. You’ll need eight cups of watermelon, water, sugar, lime juice and club soda. Puree the watermelon, water and sugar. Stir in the lime juice. Refrigerate for at least four hours and then add the club soda. If you’ve never tried this drink, you may want to give it a try this year.

Spring Fever mocktail. This drink is made with a variety of fresh juices – apple, lemon, blood orange and mango syrup. Try blending these amounts; 3/4 oz of lemon juice and mango syrup with 1 ½ oz of apple juice and 2 oz of orange juice. Delicious!

Hibiscus-Pomegranate Iced Tea not only tastes great but is good for you, too. Ingredients include herbal hibiscus tea, boiling water, pomegranate juice and cold water. Steep the tea in boiling water for about 5 minutes, pour it into a large pitcher and add the pomegranate juice and cold water. Refrigerate until it is thoroughly chilled. Serve over ice and add lemon wedges and mint.

Blueberry Ginger Bellini is a spring time drink which is made with sparkling wine, but you could also use sparkling grape juice if you don’t want the alcohol. Mash ½ cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon sugar, juice of ½ of a lemon. Add 2 cups blueberry juice and allow this to steep for five minutes before you strain it. Divide the juice into four glasses and then pour ½ cup sparkling wine or grape juice over it.

You can often find spring drink recipes in women’s and cooking magazines. Try something new this spring when you have a cookout or simply need something refreshing to enjoy on a warm spring afternoon. You can use one of these ideas or come up with ideas of your own.

Cooks know that as the temperatures outside increase, the desire to cook decreases. This isn’t due to lack of wanting to cook, but instead, the need to keep the home as cool as possible. This is why baking is done mostly in the winter months and cool dishes are served during the summer.

Keeping cool in the kitchen doesn’t mean eating a cold sandwich and fresh fruit every day. With the wide variety of cooking appliances to choose from today, you can serve wonderful meals for your family without heating the home. Here are just a few to choose from.

Crockpot – They aren’t just for soups and stews. Slow cooker, or Crockpot, are great for recipes which typically take a long time to prepare. You can cook anything from lasagna to a small turkey in a crockpot.

Microwave – If getting in and out of the kitchen quickly is important to you, there’s nothing quite like the microwave. You can cook nearly anything in a microwave in much less time than conventional cooking.

Electric skillet – This appliance is often much larger than your typical skillet. You can usually prepare several servings of a food at one time which will mean you won’t add to the heat in the kitchen, and you can be finished in no time.

Wok – Oriental cooking is prepared at high temperatures in the wok but the foods cook quickly. If you don’t have a wok, you can make similar meals using a normal skillet.

Pressure cooker – The pressure cooker was once a staple in every country kitchen. They aren’t used quite as often any longer but they can still be used to cook a meal in less time, and therefore less heat, than other methods.

Another way you can keep the kitchen cool this summer is to begin preparing meals earlier in the day. Plan the major part of your cooking early in the day while it is still cool. Once the cooked items are prepared, you can allow them to cool and place them in the refrigerator to add other items to when it’s time to get the meal on the table.

Offer your family plenty of cold foods when the temperatures soar. Cold fruit salads, tossed green salads, vegetable trays and homemade ice cream are sure to keep the kitchen and your family cool when it is hot outside.

Finally, if you want to keep your kitchen cool but aren’t afraid of a little heat, strike a match and get to grilling! You don’t have to stand in front of the grill while the food is cooking and the taste will be out of this world. And, best of all, you will see keeping cool in the kitchen when it is hot outside is not only possible, it can also be delicious!

Cold Food Ideas

What do you do when you’re sick of plain sandwiches or green salads during the summer months? What else can you make? Consider some of the following cold food idea when you need to prepare a nutritious and delicious meal to your family.

Get your inspiration from south of the border. Flour tortillas can be used for so many different types of cuisines. Spread a savory cream cheese spread over the tortilla, add fresh from the garden vegetables, a slice of cheese or two and you have a wonderful cold roll-up the family will love.

Fresh fruit salads are another option to consider. Go to the local farmer’s market or fruit stand to purchase fruits in season. These will be juicy and full of flavor. Slice the fruit, place it in a large bowl and refrigerate until time to enjoy it.

Three-bean salad is something you may want to prepare. If you’ve never prepared a three-bean salad, you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to make: Drain and rinse one 15 ounce can of green beans, one 15 ounce can of kidney beans, and one pound of wax beans. Mix these together with one sliced onion, 3/4 cup white sugar, 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Once the salad is thoroughly combined, allow it to set in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. That’s it! Serve and enjoy.

If your family enjoys macaroni and cheese during the colder months, they’ll likely enjoy cold pasta salads during the spring and summer. There are a variety of recipes to choose from when making pasta salad or you can create one of your own using your favorite pasta, veggies, cheese and dressing.

Potato salad is another great food choice when the temperatures climb. Nearly every family has a recipe that has been passed down from mother to daughter. For an extra creamy twist to your potato salad, simply add eight ounces of sour cream to the recipe. You won’t believe how delicious your potato salad will be with that one extra ingredient.

Purchase some pre-cooked bacon (or turkey bacon) and make BLTs. The crispiness of the bacon against the softness of the bread is a delight. Add lettuce, onions and fresh from the garden tomatoes to create a taste sensation you will surely enjoy.
If you haven’t tried cold summer soups, now is the perfect time! Gazpacho is a wonderful summer soup which is served cold. It is made with onion, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato juice and oregano leaves. Blend all of the ingredients except the tomato juice until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and then add the tomato juice. Cover it for at least six hours prior to serving.

These are but a few cold food ideas you may want to try this summer. Preparing a healthful meal doesn’t mean spending hours slaving over a hot stove. Use one of these ideas or take time to search this site for more cold food ideas. Your family will appreciate the delicious meal and remain cool when the temperatures start to rise.

Beating the Heat

Summer time temperatures can often reach 90 degrees or hotter depending upon where you live. The heat index can make it seem as if the temperatures are even higher. If you’re trying to beat the heat, these ideas may help.

Choose cool foods such as salads during the summer months. Of course, if you have a picnic or outdoor gathering, you will want to keep the foods cool to avoid the formation of bacteria which can make you and your family sick. Remember that any food is at risk if it is kept outdoors at 90 degrees for an hour or more.

Obviously, if you are at home you can keep foods cool by leaving them in the refrigerator. If you are having a picnic or family reunion where refrigeration is not available, you can use some of these other options:

* Electric coolers are a great option if you are away from home. These are coolers which can plug into the electric outlet in newer vehicles. The cooler enables food to remain in the ‘safe zone’ of under 40 degrees while it is in use. You can often purchase electric coolers at camping supply and discount stores.
* Chest-style coolers are also helpful for keeping foods cool as long as they are filled properly and kept closed until the food is needed. It is best to pack your cooler in the opposite way you expect to need the food. This will enable you to find what you need when you need it and then close the cooler. You can also pour some ice on the bottom of the cooler, place the food on top of the ice, and then pour more ice around the food. This creates a pillow of cold air to keep the food safe.
* Make sure the food is pre-chilled or frozen before placing it in the cooler. Having the food already cold will lengthen the amount of time the food will remain safe for everyone to eat it.
* Transport packed coolers inside the car where it is air-conditioned rather than in the trunk. The air around the cooler can affect how quickly the ice will melt. If the cooler is placed in a hot trunk, the ice will melt and the food may be affected.
* Put your beverages in a separate cooler rather than putting them in the same cooler as the food. People can drink several beverages in a short period of time. If each person gets two drinks in an hour the cooler could be opened dozens of time which might affect the quality of the food in the cooler.
* Use two serving bowls, one larger than the other. Put ice in the largest bowl and then nestle the smaller bowl into the ice. This will keep cold foods cold much longer.

* Plan to have the meal at a specific time rather than having a buffet-style meal where the food is left out for hours. If you think the food has been out too long and may not be safe, go ahead and throw it out. Don’t take any chances; it is much better to be safe than sorry.

Beating the heat and keeping foods safe is easier to do than you might think. Use the above ideas and you will be sure to enjoy your Independence Day as well as avoid getting sick from food that was not kept cool enough.

The summer months can be exceptionally hot depending upon where you live. Perhaps you don’t want to give your kids ice cream when they ask for something sweet and cool. Try these cool snacks for kids this year.

1. Peel and freeze bananas. These can be used as a treat by themselves or added to fruit smoothies.
2. Homemade sorbet is easy to make. For instance, if you love strawberries, you can puree the strawberries; add some water, a little bit of sugar, lemon juice and a package of unflavored gelatin. Use an ice cream maker to complete the recipe.
3. Freeze whole grapes and serve those to your children. Remember, however, not to give these to small children as they can be a choking hazard.
4. Homemade popsicles can be made with 100% fruit juice. You can also make them using powdered drink mixes.
5. A fruit juice spritzer is a good alternative to serving your kids a full glass of soft drink. Add 100% juice, whatever kind you like best, to ginger ale or other clear soft drink. Add ice to cool the drink down. You can also put the mixture in the blender and create a slushy with it.
6. Brown cows, or ice cream floats, are also a cool snack you might want to give your children. Fill a glass three quarters of the way with your child’s favorite soft drink. Then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
7. Buy a large container of yogurt in your favorite flavor. Spoon the yogurt into an ice cube tray and then cover it with plastic wrap. Poke a popsicle stick or tooth pick into the plastic. Place these in the freezer and allow them to freeze. You can add pieces of chopped up fruit if you want to add a special treat.
8. Cut up a variety of melons and keep them in the refrigerator for a quick cool snack at any time. To make the snack more appealing, allow the children to use cookie cutters to make shapes out of them.
9. Make a batch of cookies. When they have cooled entirely, place a scoop of softened ice cream onto one cookie and then place another on top. This will make a wonderful ice cream sandwich.
10. Orange and vanilla is a wonderful combination. Add orange juice to a blender and then place a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You’ll have made a liquid dreamsicle that is much healthier than the traditional version.

Prepare these ten “cool” snacks for your kids the next time they ask for a snack this summer. These snacks will help them cool down and be enjoyable at the same time.