Sweet taste of summer

So summer is upon us, beating down with a vengence.  But don't let that heat keep you from entertaining.  With a little planning you can still have a wonderful get together, without over heating.  One of my favorite ways to keep cool is with a tall frosted glass of Sangria.  And the best place to find delicious recipes for Sangria is at http://www.easysangriarecipes.com/.  My favorite is their Cherry Cherry Sangria. 

To whip up this easy drink all you need is the following:
1 Orange
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Medium all purpose apple, pared, cored and sliced
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
3/4 cup brandy
1 (750 milliliter) bottle of dry red wine
1 (12 oz) can lemon-lime soda (to taste)
1 cup orange juice (to taste)
Slice the fruit into thin rounds. Place the citrus in a pitcher with the apples, cherries and pineapple.  Pour in the brandy and refridgerate for 2 hours.  During this time, chill the bottle of wine, the soda and the orange juice.  Gently crush the marinate fruits with a spoon, then stir in the wine, soda and juice.  Add additional brandy or orange juice to taste.

And of course, you will need an appetizer, but who wants to heat up the kitchen?  With this delicious recipe from the October 2007 issue of Southern Living you can have a finger food that will taste like it took hours.

Marinated Mozzarella
3 8oz blocks of mozzarella
1 8.5 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes, drained and halved
1/2 c olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
garnish: flat-leaf parsley or fresh rosemary stems

Cut the blocks of cheese into 1 inch cubes.  Arrange cubes and tomato halves in an 8-inch baking dish.
Whisk together the olive oil, chopped parsley adn the next 6 ingredients.  Pour evenly over cheese cubes.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Transfer mixture to a serving plate.  Garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, or spear tomato halves and cheese cubes with short rosemary stems, if desired.  Drizzle with marinade if desired.  Serve these with wheat crackers or thin slices of french bread.

Now you have a few ideas, so get out there and party to beat the heat.  But remember to encourage your guests to drink responsibly.