Menu Ideas for the Summer

Summer is my favorite time of year. I get winter time depression, so I really come to life in the summer. When so many people are feeling lazy, I am invigorated. But, when I really think about it, I wonder if my improved mood is due, atleast in part to my summer diet. In the winter, I cook warm food. I heat the house with the oven, so I bake a lot. The opposite is true in the summer. My oven is broken, and I barely notice it.

Summer food can be fun. I mean, is there anything that doesn't taste good grilled? Grilling is fun for picnics, but it is also the perfect way for me to cook while I'm gardening. I hate cooking when I've been pulling weeds all day. My mind has been focused on the outside of my house all day, until I'm suddenly thrust inside. The yard is saying, "Hey, you worked hard to make me pretty, and now you aren't even looking at me.".

When I grill dinner on those days, I sit on my porch while the food is cooking. I can enjoy the fruits of my labor, watching the butterflies reclaim their territory on the zinnias. The smell of the flowers is slowly overtaken by the aroma of the grill, and the table calls me in.

Another summer picnic favorite is baked beans. I made my own this year. Actually, I used a recipe I found online from Emeril. I put his ingredients in the slow cooker and cooked it on low all day (I checked on them every hour and added water when they soaked it all up). They turned out great, and they had no high fructose corn syrup. Since I put them in the slow cooker, they were ready when the grill was.

Macaroni and cheese is another classic, just make sure to use whole wheat pasta and low fat cheese. You can mix up the ingredients the night before, and just put it in the toaster oven half an hour before you want to eat.

A salad mixed up quickly while you set the table is always a good idea, and the vegetables are so much fresher this time of year. Don't forget to check out the local farmers markets and produce stands where you can enjoy locally grown, healthy alternatives to frozen or canned veggies. While you're at it, grab some berries to serve with ice cream for dessert.

So, when you plan your menu this week, don't forget to add in the picnic foods that are so much fun in the summer. Ironically, your family will probably remember the hamburgers on the grill more fondly than the four course dinners you work so hard on.