Few things beat the heat like well-chilled, frosty drinks. Iced water, juice, lemonade, and iced tea are fine, but they can get a bit boring after a while. Here are some ideas for some interesting, easy-to-make drinks to quench your thirst this summer.

Melon Slushy (4 servings)

2 cups chopped watermelon
1 cup chopped cantaloupe
1 cup chopped honeydew
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons (or to taste) sugar, honey, or other sweetener

Freeze the chopped fruit chunks on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. When frozen, place the frozen melon chunks in a blender along with the lemon juice, water, and sugar. Blend until smooth and pourable, adding more water if necessary. Serve over crushed ice. Continue reading →

Packing food for a picnic is an art. It needs to be portable, not too messy, durable (it can’t be something that melts, for instance), and, perhaps most important – delicious.

Ideally, picnic food should be healthy, too, especially if you are going to be expending energy playing games or hiking.

Here are some recipes and tips on what to pack for your next picnic:

Pita Bread Sandwiches

Pita bread is ideal for a picnic. It’s easy to pick up and tends to be less messy than bread. You can stuff pitas with all kinds of fillings. Some ideas are:

• Hummus, lettuce, cheese, and alfalfa sprouts
• Deli meats such as salami, turkey, roast beef, or pepperoni
• Raw or sautéed vegetables tossed in the dressing of your choice

Continue reading →