Face the Heat with Treats
Summer is officially here! Though I assume you didn’t need us to tell you that, what with the soaring temperatures we’ve been experiencing across the UK and Europe.
Like moths to a flame, the sun draws us outside. Beaches get crammed, parks get full, and our gardens suddenly become a hub of activity, with lots of fun and laughter the whole street can hear.
Being the good hosts that we are, we are likely to offer our guests a range of drinks and snacks. But how about we go the extra mile with the snacks this year? What if we offer our guests snacks that encourage them to experiment in the kitchen? (Like what you might be doing after you’ve read this post…)
We’re talking about easy-to-make summer snacks that are unbelievably tasty and nutritious.
Get yourself into a shady place, and let’s go through a few recipes (before your guests arrive)…
Tomato, Watermelon, and Basil Skewers
This could be the most refreshing thing you and your guests have ever had on a skewer. Anyone who’s anyone can slip cubes of watermelon, tomato halves, and leaves of basil onto a skewer.
But what takes this super simple summery snack to the next level, is the sugary balsamic syrup that’s drizzled over it.
That’s a lot of Ss.
Enjoy.
Ants on a Log
Before you drop to your hands and knees and go foraging for an ants’ nest, and for a log to put them on, this snack isn’t what it seems.
Fill the long groove of a celery stick with peanut butter (there’s the log), and push several raisins into it (and they’re the ants).
Though due to the peanut butter, please be aware of any allergies.
Why not get the kids involved and have fun coming up with different varieties? The celery can be swapped for a banana, a cucumber, or an apple; and the peanut butter can be substituted for a range of things, like hummus, cream cheese, or mashed avocado.
Fun to make and highly wholesome.
The Classic Fruit Salad
What could be more summery than a bowl of vibrant colours?! If you’ve made this dish before, great. If you haven’t, then you’re in for a treat and I’m excited for you.
Chop up everyone’s favourite fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, pears, mangoes, oranges, etc) into bitesize chunks, mix it all up in a large bowl, and you’ve got yourself a fool-proof fruit salad.
You can also add a tin of canned fruit, such as peaches or pineapple rings, but just be aware of the sugar content found in the syrup.
Serve with ice cream, custard, or cream, or simply by itself. (TIP: You could even offer your guests a dusting of cinnamon powder, if you’re feeling fancy.)
This post wouldn’t be complete without giving you a refreshing drink to make, so here goes…
Champagne Punch
Now’s the time to crack open that bottle of champagne that’s been in your wine cooler for far too long, and treat your guests (and yourself) to a bubbly, fruity punch.
Until next time…