What's the Best Food for the Hot Days of Summer?

Brace yourself. It's officially the first day of summer. Everyone loves summer! Sunny skies. Grilling on the BBQ. Icy frosty beverages. Lounging. Shade. Smiles. Swimming pools and backyard fun.

People call this the lazy days of summer. I guess it's called "lazy" because it's hard to get a body moving when it's 100 degrees outside. The weather, she does get hot, and the hot Texas temperatures bring cool food choices to the table. I mean, come on… who wants to eat a hot, oven-baked meal when the sidewalk passes for a red-hot griddle? A cool cold food is ripe for the menu. But what's the best food for the hot days of summer?

For most, summer is when you put out the welcome mat for ice cream, wear shorts and flops, and enjoy fruity snacks like watermelon.

My kids may remember that we'd homemake ice cream in this [old-fashioned] hand-operated crank ice cream maker.  We'd load ingredients in the canister, put the canister inside the ice cream container, then surround the canister with ice, sprinkle salt on top of the ice, and turn the crank… for an hour or more. They took turns, and boy oh boy, did they complain, but I think eating that soft slushy ice cream made it worth it. I finally got an electric one. But the best memories [for me anyway] are with the old hand-crank girl.

A favorite childhood memory [of mine] happened in the summertime when I was about 7 years old. Maybe 8. Anyway, we lived in what was called a "terrace." It's like a suburb. It's not incorporated and not annexed. It's like an undeveloped "city" with nice new homes. We had only lived there a few months, when some distance behind our house, I found this wild berry patch. I'd love to go there with my dad and pick blackberries. Great fun. I guess you could say I was a curious girl, eager to explore. It's a picture in my mind like it was yesterday. Good stuff.

What's the best food for the hot days of summer on your menu?

Being Grand is a blog about food and recipes, how to cut expenses, save money, live happy in retirement and be happy everyday. 

Have a smile-filled day!