Watermellon Lime Sorbet

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depending on personal preference and watermelon sweetness)
• 8 cups cubed fresh watermelon
• 1/3 cup lime juice

Directions:

1. Create a simple syrup: Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is completely dissolved to create a syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a food processor or blender, mix together watermelon cubes, syrup and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add to an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
3. Serve immediately as soft serve sorbet or freeze in an airtight container and remove a few minutes prior to serving to let soften for scooping.

Avacado Basil Pasta

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 8  oz dried bow tie and/or wagon wheel pasta
• 2  md avocados; seeded, peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 6  slices bacon; cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled
• 2/3  c chopped fresh basil
• 2  Tbs lemon juice
• 1  Tbs olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4  tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8  tsp salt
• 1/2  c finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine: avocado, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt.
3. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese.

Banana Breakfast Split

Prep: 5 min Serves: 4-8 Cost per serving: $1.50

Ingredients:

• 4 sm bananas
• 2 c low-fat yogurt
• 1 c granola or flake cereal
• 2 c washed & sliced/chopped fresh fruit or berries, such as: apple, kiwi, orange, or strawberries

Optional Toppings:

• spices: cinnamon or nutmeg
• chopped nuts
  

Directions:

1. Cut bananas in half lengthwise & place in a shallow bowl.
2. Top with yogurt, cereal, fruit, & any optional toppings.
3. Serve.
   

Summer Salad

Prep: 10 min Serves: 8, 1 c Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 7 c fresh cut vegetables, such as: broccoli, carrots, celery, green onion, radishes, or zucchini
• 1 fresh bell pepper, sliced
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2/3 c light dressing, not cream based

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare vegetables.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to coat.
3. Cover & refrigerate 1-3 hours to blend flavors.
4. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator up to 3 days (best if tomatoes were seeded to reduce juiciness).
   

Chicken Salad Sandwhiches

Prep: 15 min Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 c cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 c red seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 c celery, diced
• 1/4 c almond slivers
• 6 romaine leaves
• 6-12 tomato slices
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 6 pita pockets or bread for sandwiches
  

Directions:

1. In a med bowl combine mayo, yogurt, mustard & lemon juice; salt & pepper to taste.
2. Add in chicken, grapes, celery & almonds; toss to coat.
3. Place lettuce & tomato slices on bread & fill with chicken salad.
   

Fruit Kabobs & Dip

Prep: 15 min Serves: 8

Kabob Ingredients:

• 2 c fresh fruit chunks, such as: Apple, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Honeydew, Kiwi, Pineapple, Strawberries, Watermelon, etc.

Dip Ingredients:

• 1/2 c berry applesauce
• 1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1. Prepare dip: Blend applesauce & yogurt in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
2. Prepare Kabobs: Divide fruit chunks evenly & place on skewers to form kabobs. Optional: lightly grilling fruit can heighten the flavor of some fruits.
3. Cover & chill until ready to serve.
   

Picnic Spodie Boat

Prep:1 hour
(picture borrowed from indobase.com to show as an example)

Ingredients:

• 1 large seedless watermelon
  
• 1 honeydew melon
  
• 1 cantaloupe
  
• 1 lb strawberries
• 1 pineapple
  
• 1/2 to 1 c lemon juice, to taste
  
• 1, fifth, lemon vodka (suggestions: Absolut Citron Vodka, Stolichnaya Limonnaya Vodka, Smirnoff Lemon Vodka)

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 c blueberries, washed
  
• 1 lb grapes, washed
• quartered kiwi
• banana slices (I don't add banana because it gets mushy)
  
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• Sprite for non alcoholic Picnic Boat
  

Directions:

1. Using a knife cut a lid from the top of the watermelon in a shark teeth style circle, remove the lid.
2. Use a melon baller to ball out all the meat of the melon down to the core.
3. Place balls & juice into a large strainer over a large bowl & discard watermelon "scraps" (pieces that do not work as balls) into a separate bowl.
4. Scrape out the inside of the melon core so it is mostly smooth.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for both Honeydew & Cantaloupe.
6. Wash strawberries, remove leaves, stem & core; place berries into large bowl & scraps in garbage.
7. Cube pineapple into 1 in pieces placing in large bowl, discard rind & hard core in garbage.
8. Gently mix fruit in large bowl tossing with lemon juice.
9. Fill the Watermelon with fruit & and the bottle of lemon vodka.
10. Finish off the watermelon by filling the rest of the way with fruit juice.
11. Replace lid & chill overnight to allow fruit to absorb the alcohol.
12. Use remaining fruit to make a non alcoholic version in either a fruit bowl or in the cantaloupe & honeydew shells; use sprite rather than vodka & serve within 1 hour of adding sprite so it retains the carbonation.
    

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Prep: 30 minutes, Cook: 3-5 minutes, Serves: 10-15, Cost: under $15

Ingredients:

• 1, 20 oz, can pineapple chunks, in 100% pineapple juice
  
• 1, 15 oz, can mandarin oranges, in fruit juice
  
• 3 Tbs reserved, pineapple & orange juice
  
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 Tbs vinegar
• 3 Tbs sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 c heavy whipping cream
• 1 jar maraschino cherries, strained
  
• 2 c green grapes, stemmed & washed
  
• 1 large sweet apple
• 1 medium banana
  
• 1 medium, firm peach
• 1 large pear

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs vanilla flavoring
• 1 tsp cinnamon (&/or) 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 c miniature marshmallows
• 1 c shredded coconut
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Open the canned pineapples & mandarin oranges pouring the juice into a cup; reserve 3 Tbs juice.
2. In a small pot beat egg yolk, vinegar, juice & salt.
3. Heat egg mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick & foamy.
4. Remove from heat & allow to cool.
5. In a large bowl beat heavy whipping cream (vanilla & spices) until stiff peaks form, refrigerate.
   
6. Peel & cube: apple, banana, peach & pear.
7. Combine all fruit with whipped cream.
8. Gently fold in egg mixture and any other optional ingredients you desire.
9. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour before serving to allow fruit to chill.

Refrigerate leftovers & eat within 2 days.

Dessert Kabobs

Prep: 15 min-20 min

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Strawberries, stems & leaves removed & washed thoroughly
2. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted in a double broiler
3. Kabob skewers

Highly suggested, Optional Ingredients:

1. Fresh pineapple cubes
2. Other fresh fruit slices, such as: apple, peach, nectarine, orange, kiwi, etc.
3. Marshmallows, large size for skewering (DO NOT Grill a Kabob w/Marshmallows)
   
4. Shredded coconut, as a topping
   
5. Carmel syrup to drizzle over chocolate
6. Marshmallow Cream, as a topping
7. Nuts

Directions:

1. Skewer berries & any optional Ingredients of your choice.
2. (Optional) Grilling: If you skewer only fruits you can gently grill for a more enriched flavor, especially pineapple. However, over grilling will cause the fruits to soften & fall off the skewer.
3. After skewering, place on a paper plate and brush with chocolate.
4. Top the chocolate with any optional toppings you desire.
5. Serve immediately!
   

Naturally Sweet Strawberry Lemonade

Prep: 15min

Ingredients:

1. 3 lemons, juiced
2. 1 lemon, sliced into 8 wedges lengthwise
   
3. 20+ frozen strawberries
4. Cold water

Optional Ingredients:

1. 1/2 c sugar, if Original recipe is too tart for your tastes.
2. 1/2 c frozen raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries
   

Directions:

1. Combine lemon juice, wedges and frozen strawberries in a pitcher.
2. Fill the pitcher with cold water.
3. Stir.
4. Let stand 10-15 min while the strawberries release their juices into the liquid.