Sweet and Sassy Summer Snacks

Sassy Sun Tea

If you read my sun tea post, you'll know how to make a tasty tea from your favorite fresh herbs using a little time and sunlight. One way to sweeten things up and create tea a party favorite is by adding equal parts apple juice to your steeped tea blend. Pineapple sage and apple mint work well for this. So do lemon balm, lavender and chamomile. Add a cinnamon stick or a lemon wedge and you have a thirst quencher with an herbal twist. It's just the thing for a parched herb gardener and friends.

Fried Squash Blossoms

While you're weeding your veggie patch, don't forget to harvest some of those large orange squash blossoms for a tasty fried appetizer. Now is the time. These quick fried flowers are a spring classic that'll be gone in a flash, so get 'em while they're big, bold and beautiful: How to Fry Zucchini Blossoms

Simple Peel and Eat Shrimp

Want to try a cool dinner when the temperatures hit the red zone. Make some peel-and-eat shrimp. It's easy, easy, easy to do. If you use beer and peppercorns, you'll get shrimp meat with loads of flavor and a tender texture. Shrimp is a tasty mouthful anytime, but when it's hot out, this "fruit of the sea" makes the perfect light meal: Peel and Eat Shrimp


Picnic Foods

Picnics are one of the delights of summertime, and whether you're enjoying the fresh air and a sandwich in the backyard, or laying out an impressive spread at an romantic outdoor retreat, a meal al fresco is an occasion to celebrate.  Check out my TLC.com article:  Top 10 Picnic Foods for  some  picnic ideas and recipes.