These are some of the best moments of summer and certainly bring a ton of fun without a lot of effort!  Get togethers with family & friends – grilled hot dogs, sausages, chicken, or hamburgers – kiddie pools and popsicles – fireflies and fireworks – all leading up to The Grand Finale:

DESSERT!

Here’s a list of enticing desserts and sweet summer treats that you should consider for your next family reunion, picnic, or backyard barbecue:

• Chilled Fresh fruit.  Sweet summer fruit can add fantastic, fresh
  flavor without extra calories or sugar.  For anyone watching their waistline (and who doesn’t during summer?) icy cold watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew chunks, mixed with cherries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries is a great ending to a hot summer day. Topped with whipped cream or served on a skewer – it’s a great treat! And besides – you can have a watermelon seed spitting contest afterwards!
• Fruity Grilled Chocolate Kabobs.  If you want a grown up version of fresh fruit – check this recipe out.  How good does THAT sound?
• Rice Krispie Treats. This marshmallow delight pleases kids and adults alike. You can add your favorite M&M candies or festive sprinkles for a punch of color (and more chocolate!  Or you can try these: Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars with Chocolate Butterscotch Topping.  This is a summer classic - all grown up!   You could make your regular rice krispie treats or you can try these…  Such a dilemna!
• Brownies.  Whether you frost and decorate, or just serve and eat – brownies make for easy cleanup and nobody pays attention to how many you eat!  These Brainy Brownies contain a surprise ingredient that some might refuse on its own, but adds nutritional benefits and may surprise you with their great flavor.
• Flag-Inspired Cake.  Whether you’re celebrating July 4th with family or friends – this is a timeless addition to your dessert lineup!
  Simple and fresh it’s a sweet treat that anyone can enjoy. Or you can try this Marshmallow Caramel Boooom Cake! For a light version, you  can cut an angelfood cake into bite size chunks and layer into plastic cups with berries, fat-free / sugar-free pudding, and whipped topoping for individual “trifles”.
• Dirt Pudding!  What a FUN summer dessert! (I love this Wiggle Worm Dirt Pudding!) It can be prepared in individual servings and is very kid-friendly!  With the wide variety of chocolate sandwich cookie flavors, you can find a way to please nearly everyone!
• Homemade Ice Cream.  One of the best summer flavors I can remember tasting was fresh, homemade vanilla ice cream.  Whether you Kick the can, take turns at the hand crank, rely on an electric machine, trays in your freezer – OR even make it in a bag, homemade
  ice cream can make for special memories with friends and family!
• Cookies!  Easy to make, travel ready, and endless variety – the difficulty is deciding which ones to make!  Classic chocolate chip, No bake, Peanut butter, Snickerdoodle, Sugar – the choice is yours!  Try this version of a Girl Scout Samoa!
• “Over 21″ desserts.  So the kiddos have had their dirt pudding, but you want something more grown up for the adults.  Why not make this Kahlua Bowl Cake or these Bourbon Balls?  A really easy trick is to poke holes into a baked cake with a fork, and brush with about 1/2 cup of your favorite rum, brandy or liqueur (Amaretto, Kahlua, raspberry, etc.) and “frost” with whipped topping.  Keep chilled until ready to serve.  If you want the flavor without the buzz, try this  Frozen Strawberry Margarita dessert…
• S’mores. Whether you enjoy the classic toasted marshmallow-chocolate bar-graham cracker variety or you want to try something new, S’mores just taste of summer!   For some variety, try this collection of S’mores dessert recipes!  I won’t tell you how many S’mores I can eat in one sitting, but I will tell you that I’ll be enjoying S’mores one summer night very soon!

photo credit: wharman, photo credit: mmatins, photo credit: thebittenword.com

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I cook every meal. Except BBQ.  That is his domain. So, when we BBQ, I make sure we get a BUNCH of meals out of it.

Here’s what we typically make:

4-6 chicken breasts
4-6 hamburgers
8 hot dogs

I prep all of the food, so all he has to do is cook.  Which means, by the time dinner rolls around, all I have to do is EAT.

For the burgers, I make my own special concoction.  I combine any BBQ sauce (about 1/2 a bottle) with 2 tablespoons of honey, a tsp of minced onion and a few shakes of garlic powder.

Coat the bottom of a pan with the special sauce, place a burger in the pan, cover the burger with the sauce, place the next burger on top, etc. Then the burgers chill until he is ready to get cooking!

For the chicken – I place the breasts in a Ziploc bag with ANY marinade.  My favorites are the Lawrys – the Teriyaki, the Lemon Herb and the Garlic marinades are fantastic.  I dump 3/4 of the bottle in the bag, seal it and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours.

Hot dogs – well, I don’t do anything extra special with them.

The food we make typically lasts at least 3 nights and often fills in for a few lunches too. That’s the bonus – multiple nights – no cooking!

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