Goodbye to Summer

Cooler temperatures are finally here.  Now begins that special schizophrenic time of year, where the day time highs can still reach the 90's and the night time lows make you wish you had a sweater!  But before summer comes to an official end on September 23rd, you still have time for one more big BBQ blowout.  Now, we all know the staples for a great grilling experience, hamburgers and hotdogs.  But if you want to take advantage of the last few long days, you have to spice it up and stretch it out. 

A great recipe for getting it started is a delicious BLT dip that I found in Taste of Home's August issue.  It is really simple and so darn good.  All you need are 6 little ingredients!
1 cup (8 oz) of sour cream
1 cup of your favorite Mayo
4 oz shredded cheese (I love sharp cheddar)
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (too hot to stand over a stove still?  Try precooked bacon, zap them in the microwave a little longer than recommended to get them nice and crispy)
1 Tablespoon green onions
Mix this all together and enjoy on crackers or chips.

Since this dip whips up in a single bowl, mix it in your pretty crockery to take it from fridge to table with as few dishes as possible!

We know all that hard work making that dip (no one has to know it took less than 10 minutes) will make you thirsty.  Now, a beer is great with brauts, but sometimes it isn't appropriate.  So we found a recipe that gives that summer time staple, Lemonade, a taste-lift with the iconic flavor of watermelon!

Watermelon Lemonade
6 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 large lemons), 4 squeezed lemons reserved
4 cups chopped watermelon

Bring the water, salt and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pan from heat, add reserved lemons, cover and let stand for 10 minutes (this is your syrup).  While that is sitting, puree the chopped melon in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of water.  Pour syrup and watermelon puree through a strainer into a pitcher.  Stir in lemon juice. This lemonade can be made up to one day ahead.

Don't forget to decorate for your party.    Never underestimate the value and versatility of a terracotta pot!  Paint them or leave them natural and you can use them to hold utensils.  Line them with parchment and you can use them as serving bowls (new ones only please, and give them a good wash just in case they come in contact with the food).  Large ones filled with sand can be used to hold tiki torches (tacky I know, but we love them anyway) or citronella garden candles.

You can even use them to hold wine glass and wine bottle stakes, like this one (left) from giftedgrape.com.

Galvanized buckets and tin pails are great for BBQ's too.  A large bucket (like a #10 washtub) can be filled with ice for use as a cooler.  Smaller pails can be used like the terracotta pots above.  You can buy painted or plain metal ones.  Dress them up with a bandana folded into a triangle and then tied around the pail "bandito" style.  Fill them with flowers, candles or anything else that strikes your fancy. 

Most of all have fun, summer only comes (and goes) once a year.  Try to remember the feeling you had as a kid, the excitement of summer and the promise of fall.  Of course, you aren't a kid anymore, so don't forget the sun block.  Saddle bag skin is so last year, people (http://www.skincancer.org/Go-With-Your-Own-Glow/).