Since we are heading into barbeque/party/patio season I was wondering how everyone is planning on coping with the multitude of parties, summer food and the urge to sit on a patio and drink ice cold beer, margaritas, etc.

If you have any thoughts or ideas on this please share.

Thanks!

Fill up on the veggies first, BEFORE choosing from whatever else is available.

And summer fruits! Don't forget to eat lots of these!

Stick with nonalcoholic drinks in hot weather whenever possible, or at least altenate between beer/wine/whatever and iced water--you'll avoid dehydration that way.

As I'v said in another thread. I'm in the planning stage. I drink a big cup of water first and I won't snack while cooking. I don't drink anyway so thats not going to be a problem. But staying away from the summer sweets is a problem for me. So I plan (so I can get my suger rush) to eat lots of fruit. And I go to Walmart and buy these Sam's Choice soda (very good) there's no sodium in the like diet soda. Ohh and I won't drink my calories (but I will have coffee). I save them for food. There is this web site called doithome com. You can download this program that helps you keep track of what your eating no matter what program you follow. You guys should check it out

Gazpacho makes a great summer buffet thing. Easy to make, fills you up, not many calories. I make it with V-8, that seems to add a lot of depth to it. Dry rubs on skinless chicken. Also fresh-caught fish and shellfish. I have to go easy on the garlic bread and pesto, that type of thing really piles on the calories.

I'm getting to the point where I just can't drink more than 2 glasses of wine or a couple of beers, must be middle age. I'd love to find a recipe for a "virgin" drink that's festive-looking and possibly not sweet, but not alcoholic, either. The only thing I can think of is a Virgin Mary.

HMMMM SITC. i'll put on my thinking cap for that one..

i saw a recipe on the food network that i'm going to make at some point. fresh fruit sno-cones!!!!

tyler florence took a whole bunch of ice, and tossed it intot he food processor [i think it was about 3 cups of ice]. and then he cut up a mango and a few strawberries and tossed that in as well.

no sugar. no sweetener. just a squeeze of lime juice just before serving.

and he said that you could use any kind of fruit... doesn't this sound FABULOUS????

Yes, indeed! How do you get the ice particles to come out really small, like in a real sno-cone? When I put ice in a blender, it doesn't "shave" properly, it's like gravel.

oh dear. i hope someone wiser comes along!!!! i have no idea!!! all i really know is that tyler used a food processor...

Oh, I've got one of those. I'll have to make some ice cubes and try it out. Food processor sno-cones. V-8 flavored. Or not.

I am going to make sure that the freezer is stocked with fat free fudgesicles and no sugar added popsicles and I will stock up on Crystal Light mixes. It gets really humid here and I know I will need these things to beat the heat.

DH and I bought a small BBQ on the weekend which means he will be taking over a lot of the cooking (what is it with men, fire and hunks of meat? Must be a caveman thing! ) so the kitchen won't get heated up and the cooking will be low fat

I also make a lot of fresh fruit salad to take in my lunch and to have for dessert.

Looking forward to the fresh fruit of summer This week we bought raspberrries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries and I am really enjoying them,

Mauvais, i got a mango last week that was simply divine. ;

There were divine fresh figs at the grocery today. I bought two pints, have already eaten three of them.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Three figs, i mean.

quinn, i was hoping that was what you meant. was wondering if my math was wrong, bought two pints, ate 3 pints. hmm

mmmm....I really like mangos

Summer makes it SOOOOO much easier, I think, to get in more fruits and veggies ans eat more things in their simplest form. I make and eat WAY more salads (greens kind, not macaroni kind) even for a meal, at this time of year. One of hubby and I favorite dinners is to have a salad greens with some pecans and a bit of bleu cheese, and maybe some apple cut in cubes, all with a honey lemon dressing. When it's really hot, that is enough for us.

In the winter, when it is freezing , I always want warm, hearty, sometimes cheesy stews, casseroles, and creamy soups which are decidedly more fattening. No wonder I gain a bit back every winter.