By Andrea Meyers of Andrea’s Recipes

Ever since I was a little girl, the Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite U.S. holidays, and my memories of July 4th include playing outdoors all day, gatherings with family and friends, picnics and cookouts, and sparklers and fireworks. For me the big event has always been the fireworks, watching the colors explode in the night sky, but the food runs a close second. Now I get to share the fun of Fourth of July celebrations with our sons, taking them to see fireworks and parades and making good picnic and cookout foods for them to enjoy. To help plan your Fourth of July celebration, I’ve put together some menu ideas from some of my favorite bloggers.

Cool Beverages

Nothing beats a cold refreshing glass of lemonade or iced tea on a hot summer day. Layla shows how to create a limonada by running whole lemons or limes through the blender and straining out the rind. If you like flavored lemonades, try the basil lemonade from Trini Gourmet. For the iced tea lovers, Appetite for China shows how to make a fruity black cherry iced tea and Savory Sweet Life makes a jasmine mint green tea. If you want to nip a cocktail while watching the fireworks, you’ll find Alanna reminiscing about small town Fourth of July celebrations over gin & tonic with cucumber stirs.

The Barbecue

For many, Fourth of July cookouts and picnics are all about the barbecue, and pork ribs are a perennial favorite. If you like to use soft drinks in barbecue sauce, Kim of A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen made some luscious sticky Coca-Cola glazed baby back ribs and Lisa of Homesick Texan shared her recipe for Dr. Pepper ribs. For ribs with a variety of flavors, try the addictive Korean cut short ribs (kalbi) from White on Rice Couple, the Argentian short ribs with chimmichurri from Rebecca at From Argentina Wth Love, or the spicy sweet Aleppo Chili Pork Ribs with Peach and Lime at The Hungry Mouse. If you crave chicken on the grill, there’s the harissa-marinated grilled chicken from Alice Q. Foodie or some beer and garlic marinated chicken and sausage kebabs from Cafe Lynnylu. For seafood lovers serve Kalyn’s Herb-Encrusted Grilled Salmon or Canary’s Girl’s garlic and cayenne marinated shrimp skewers.

Salads

A picnic or cookout wouldn’t be the same without a variety of salads to go along with the barbecue. Potato salad is one of my favorites for ribs, and you can make any number of variations with vinegar based dressings or a more traditional creamy dressing, use sweet potatoes, or add spices and other savory flavors. Alanna’s Warm Sweet Potato Salad is flavored with a chile garlic vinaigrette and Deb adds horseradish to a colorful potato salad. Slaws are also a favorite salad for barbecues, and there is a plethora to choose from. Hugging the Coast has a trio of gourmet slaws, including a spicy pineapple ginger leek slaw, South Carolina mustard bbq slaw, and a tarragon buffalo wing slaw. Susan’s Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw with a mix of two kinds of cabbage with beans, corn, peppers and a creamy tomato dressing will also keep your tastebuds happy. For another summer favorite, have some fresh corn in Sunday Nite Dinner’s colorful Spicy Fresh Corn Salad.

Sides

Baked beans are a classic side dish for a picnic or cookout, and you can use a variety of beans and spices to flavor them. Sara created an Italian version of her favorite barbecued baked beans with borlotti, cannellini, and butter beans, and Gretchen used white panamito beans and panela in her Peruvian inspired Fourth of July Baked Beans. Cathy combined Asian and Mexican flavors in her Hoisin Chipotle Baked Beans. For other flavorful sides, try Kelly’s firecrackers (spicy pickled carrots), Lydia’s deviled eggs, and Elise’s grilled corn on the cob.

Desserts

Red, white, and blue desserts remain popular year after year, whether it’s a flag cake or any other dessert calling for red and blue fruits. Maki of Just Hungry made a pretty Red, White and Blue dessert based on an English dessert known as Eton mess, with balsamic marinated strawberries, meringues, and mailander cookies. For more red, white, and blue desserts, take a look at Jen’s pavlovas, Susan’s Fruit Terrine, Stef’s All American BBQ Cupcakes (yes, with liquid smoke in the chocolate cupcakes), and Cathy’s Firecracker Cupcakes.

If you need help planning your menu for a Fourth of July celebration, Natanya at The Everyday Foodie shows you how it’s done with her meal plan for ribs, corn, fruit crisp, and fresh bread, even sharing her detailed timetable for completing each step of the menu. Now that’s what I call organized!

Looking for more ideas for your Fourth of July picnic or cookout? You can find plenty with the FoodieView Recipe Search or in FoodieView’s Fourth of July category.

Andrea Meyers writes about cooking, gardening, and her four hungry guys at Andrea’s Recipes. She’ll be visiting family on the Fourth of July and will probably have barbecued ribs, salt potatoes, and rhubarb pie.

by Meeta Khurana from What’s For Lunch, Honey?

Summer’s here! Finally! On my part, I have been waiting for it for what seems like forever and while I admit it’s not what I would call the perfect summer yet, I am all in the mood for delicious summer drinks.

Whether you are lounging around the pool, chilling with friends at a barbecue or relaxing at home in a hammock shale up your drinking options with an exciting twist. Step away from the usual lemonade or iced tea, instead enjoy an ounce of chilled prosecco, a splash of grenadine or a twist of lime juice with your refreshing summer drinks.

To make it easier to find your delicious summer elixir I decided to search the blogs for the perfect drink. The summer months is just the perfect time to experiment with and sample liquors, exotic fruits and new flavors. So do not be scared of ingredients you have never heard of before go ahead and try it you might just find a new concoction you will love. It’s not just cocktails; drinks like wine, spritzers, milkshakes, smoothies and fruit juices can also quench your thirst on a sweltering summer day.

To help you get started here are some great ideas for lip smacking refreshing drinks!

I straight away fell in love with this rhubarb rosemary daiquiri created by Aimée, who splashes rhubarb syrup over crushed ice and rum and adds a hint of rosemary to make a summer hit drink of 2009. Soma over at e-curry makes a pomegranate cooler served both with and without alcohol, which makes it an irresistible drink any time of the day! I love the decadence Carol’s Pomosa offers, a trickling of pomegranate juice and a splash of champagne makes this a delicious way to spend sultry summer evenings on the porch - why share this . Des’ fruity sparkling strawberry lemonade uses tart lemons, sweet strawberries and sparkling water to make a refreshingly different lemonade.

It’s tea time and this spiked peach tea offers an innovative take on the classic. Spiked with peach vodka it definitely gives tea time a whole new meaning! One Particular Kitchen makes a different type of tea based drink called Lilly tea, combining sweet tea, orange juice and a splash of lemon juice this promises to be a big hit at family barbecues.

Milkshakes, smoothies and fruit milks can be enjoyed in creative varieties at this time of year. Fruit and berries are available in surplus amounts and provide healthy option to start your day. Au Naturel’s peach papaya and mint smoothie caught my eye as it offers a great combination of summer, exotic and minty freshness. My own passion fruit and orange kefir shake will leave you tingling and feeling rejuvenated almost like you did a mega workout! Catch the seasons last mangoes and enjoy this thick creamy mango coconut smoothie by Veggie Wedgie. With fresh Thai mangoes and coconut milk this smoothie is perfect for an afternoon in the hammock! A really groovy way to get things going in the morning is this lusciously thick and creamy mango banana smoothie, made with honey-flavored yogurt! Noobcook makes a super easy blueberry milkshake with thick vanilla ice-cream and serves it with marshmallows and fresh blueberries. Kathy offers a vegan thrist quencher using hemp milk in her Fresh Peach Hemp Milk Protein Smoothie, which looks so bright that it’s surely a great sunny way to start the day!

Spontaneous summer parties and hanging out with friends go hand in hand when summertime is here. It’s always great to have refreshing party drinks around to satisfy a thirsty crowd! Melissa has a great recipe for pomegranate sangria will definitely be a crowd pleaser. The caipirinha is probably the most intoxicating export from Brazil (after Christiano Ronaldo that is) and bloomacious offers glasses of The Evergreen Caipirinha - an exciting twist on the classic! Talking of intoxicating, this recipe for Grand Dukes Nectar is going to be the next party hit for sure. My favorite however has got to be Andrea’s rhubarb margarita - perfect for an evening with the girls!

If you want more cocktails, milkshakes, smoothies or coolers, you’ll find a flavor for each liking over at the FoodieView Search Engine.     

Meeta is a passionate food writer, cook and photographer. She experiments in her kitchen and presents her flavor combinations in exciting new dishes. Her blog What’s For Lunch, Honey? was selected as one of the Top 50 Best Food Blogs by Times Online UK and offers over 500 recipes all peppered with a good dose of life.

By Anne-Marie Nichols of My Readable Feast

There’s nothing that says summer like walking into your grocery store’s produce section and finding a display of gorgeous, seasonal berries that you can actually afford. Nothing makes me happier than when strawberries at $1.50 a pound!

Besides being affordable this time of year, berries are good for you. According to the Driscoll’s website, berries are a terrific source of vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. They’re even heart healthy since they contain flavonoids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. They’re low in calories and a delicious way to get in the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. Even fussy kids who won’t look twice at a piece of broccoli will gobble up bowls of berries.

You can eat berries plain, add a sprinkling of sugar or a bit of whipped topping. Some people even like to pour balsamic vinegar over sliced strawberries. But if you enjoy cooking, you probably like to use berries in everything from pancakes to cocktails. Here’s some berry good inspiration for your summer time recipe planning.

Mixed berry recipes

Bridgett at La Bella Cook uses mixed berries in her Classic Berry Tart. Even though it looks like you need to be a professional to make it, you can cut corners by using a store bought crust. I promise not to tell.

You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy Kathy at Healthy, Happy, Life’s Chai-Berry Short-Cup Dessert Smoothie. Fruit and chai? Why not! Plus, between the bananas and strawberries, you get a bunch of good-for-you fiber to boot.

If you prefer a plain cup of chai, maybe you’d like a few mixed berry baked goods to go along with it. You could try Jessica at What’s Cooking in the Orange Kitchen’s Double Berry Muffins. These would be terrific to pack in a lunch box or take on a picnic. Or maybe State of Gracie’s Berry Buttermilk Cake is more to your liking. This super simple recipe uses fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or peach slices - or you can mix and match.

But as my children say, “Everyone loves pie!” So bake up Skip to My Lou’s Very Berry Pie. Cindy’s a practical woman and uses premade crusts - anything to get out of the kitchen faster on a hot summer day.

Blueberry baked goods

When choosing blueberries, look for berries that are dry, plump, round and free of bruises. Blueberries should have a soft, hazy white coating (this is called “bloom”) which protects them from the harsh rays of the sun. Blueberries taste best when kept chilled and will stay good for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Start your day off with some blueberry scones. You can bake up a batch of Blueberry Sour Cream Scones from Hun…what’s for dinner? Or try Blueberry Scones with Lemony Glaze by Chef David Lawrence, featured at Laura’s Best Recipes blog. This recipe is from his cookbook, Boy Eats World!: A Private Chef Cooks Simple Gourmet. You can check out more of David’s recipes at his blog, Forking Delicious.

Another breakfast blueberry treat comes from Jenn at J’adore These Stores, Indulgent Breakfast: Best Blueberry Muffins. Or you could end your meal with Delementals’ Blueberry Rhubarb Buckle. Don’t know if blueberries are an excuse to eat rhubarb - or vice versa. All I know is that this recipe literally makes my mouth water.

Raspberry treats

Raspberries are probably the most fragile of all the berries, good for only a couple of days in the refrigerator. Keep them dry and rinse only before eating or cooking with them.

Combine your raspberries with a little lime juice as Linda does at Weekend Cook in her Lime-Raspberry Bread. Or maybe you’d like to use them with pears in a salad like in this recipe for Mixed Greens with Raspberries and Pears from For the Love of Cooking.

Since raspberries are so special, I think they should mostly be used in decadent desserts, don’t you? Steph’s narrowly averted baking disaster turned Raspberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake at Obsessed with Baking is one example.

Then there’s Allen at Eating Out Loud’s Raspberry Souffle I love how he sprinkled pomegranate seeds to provide some tartness to this sweet dessert. If you look closely at the recipe, except for the sugar, it’s fairly healthy since it’s mostly fruit and egg whites. So don’t feel too guilty if you make up a batch.

Strawberry goodness

Rounding out our berry culinary trip are all American favorites, strawberries. When you buy them, make sure they are clean, dry, and have unwilted caps. Avoid ones with seedy tips or white (unripe) shoulders. Store them in their original container in the refrigerator and rinse them in cool water when you are ready to use them. Remove the stems after washing in cool water, too.

Alice at Savory Sweet Life uses hers in a salad in her Strawberries and Spinach Salad Recipe. But strawberries are best in dessert, don’t you think?

There’s Tofu and Cupcakes’ Strawberry Cupcakes. Along with the berries, this recipe uses strawberry herbal tea to make infused milk. The result is cute pink cupcakes. Yum!

Strawberries and rhubarb is a classic cobbler combination. Phoo-D makes a Strawberry Rhubarb Cobblerand combines it with homemade strawberry buttermilk ice cream. Double strawberry goodness - what a treat!

Finally, Jan and Lori at What’s Cooking? make a simple Strawberry Sorbet in an ice cream maker. So good even their cat wants a taste.

Hope these recipes have inspired you to have a berry delicious summer!

You can also find a plethora of yummy berry dishes on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

When Anne-Marie isn’t harvesting blackberries and raspberries from the massive bushes in her Colorado backyard, you can find her at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet or This Mama Cooks! Reviews.

by Jules Clancy

Sunday brunch. It has to be up there as one of the best meals of the week. A time for big generous tables. A time for sharing with loved ones. A time for relaxing and chatting over the papers. A time for not having to be anywhere else. A time for multiple cups of tea or coffee. A time for indulgence. I’ve pulled together a few Sunday brunch suggestions that have been on high rotation in our house. Bring on the weekend.

i. the big breakfast

If you’re going to be talking brunch. A fry up should definitely be on the cards every now and then. Think fried egg, think bacon, think mushrooms, think sausages at the very least. For the more adventurous pork lovers theres black pudding and even white pudding or you could go for more veg with some slow roasted tomato or get your vegetable intake though some home made chilli jam.

ii ricotta and basil frittata

For a more healthy vegetarian brunch, it’s hard to go past a simple omelette or frittata. With a little help from ricotta and basil it ticks all the boxes for the perfect start to the day. Quick, fresh and only four ingredients, a sure winner.

iii. fake baked beans

Cooking baked beans from scratch involves a serious amount of preparation – soaking beans, cooking beans, baking with sauce. Then just opening a can of commercially prepared beans probably isn’t going to wow your guests. But these little beauties are a happy medium. Using canned beans to save time but your own sauce making skills to maximize flavour – you’re guests will never know that you weren’t up at the crack of dawn.

iv. things on toast

Toast is such a standard breakfast item, I know it can seem a little too simple to serve as a brunch. But add some avocado and slow roasted tomatoes and even some baked ricotta that you prepared in advance and your sourdough will suddenly seem well up to scratch.

v. poached eggs & bacon with a bloody mary

If there’s even the remotest possibility that there may have been some bad behaviour the night before leading to some sore heads, a stock of bloody mary ingredients will do you in good stead. Toss in some delicately poached eggs with spinach on toast with a wicked side of bacon and you’re talking a well balanced brunch.

vi. banana bread with chocolate and hazelnuts

If you’re more of a sweet tooth in the morning, banana bread is a great bet. Make it the day before and then lightly toast to refresh and warm it up so your butter melts in that oh-so-satisfying way.

vii. baby pancakes

A brunch collection wouldn’t be complete without pancakes. I tend to shy away from making them for more than two people - a little too labour intensive but it’s up to you really.

viii. savoury French toast with mushrooms

If you love the texture of French toast, it’s really worth while trying out a savoury take on the whole thing. Add in some meaty mushrooms and it’s all good.

ix. asparagus with poached egg and prosciutto

If you’re lucky enough for it to be Springtime in your neck of the woods, make haste and get yourself a bunch or two of asparagus while they’re still in season. Fresh and green and just bursting with flavour, you’ll be tempted to serve this at any time of the day.

x. chorizo and eggs with cannellini beans

If the fake baked beans are a little bit too vegetarian for you - I’m thinking that the combo of chorizo and eggs in a tomatoey sauce will be just the thing. Guaranteed to cure any hangover at any time of the day, well almost.

Still hungry for more mouthwatering brunch ideas? You can find over 63,000 of them on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Stonesoup follows the culinary adventures of Sydney-based food and wine-lover, Jules Clancy.

By Jules Clancy of The Stone Soup

As I sat down to write this piece about pizza and blogging, I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going to start. So I did the only logical thing and googled pizza and blog and a whopping 16.5 million hits were before my eye. It was a little overwhelming. So I decided to keep it simple and share what I already know of the world of blogging and pizza.

i. You don’t need a wood fired oven to make great homemade pizza

My first attempts at pizza making were with a baking tray preheated in the oven on the top shelf. I remember being pretty pleased with the results. And so is Michael Rhulman.

I then took a leaf from Jamie Oliver’s book and invested in a terracotta paving tile. Unfortunately it didn’t even fit in my oven. It was Heston Blumenthal that rescued the tile from the scrap heap when I saw him cooking his pizza on the base of a cast iron frying pan under a very hot grill. Fortunately my tile did fit in the grill section if I took everything out. So now we have our own ‘pizza oven’ at the ready whenever needed.

ii. Cooking with yeast isn’t that tricky

If you’re not familiar with yeast, I can imagine that it might seem a little scary to be actually encouraging a microbe to grow in your kitchen. But trust me, all those bakers can’t be wrong. As long as you steer clear of extreme temperatures and follow the directions on the pack, yeast is a pretty forgiving beast.

iii. Simple, traditional toppings are far more likely to work

The biggest thing I noticed when I had my first pizza in Napoli was how understated the toppings were. Nothing like the pizza I had grown up with in Australia where every available surface was covered with something, anything. It wasn’t until I tasted the restrained Italian style that I began to fall in ‘amore’ with the humble pizza pie.

While the margarita is a staple in our house, I must admit that it often goes hand in hand with the incredibly economical potato pizza - just thinly sliced potatoes that cook at the same time as the dough, rosemary and olive oil. Bliss.

Then there is the grandly named ‘salamino‘ - a simple combo of sliced salami and ricotta. Another favourite is sausage and broccoli - mozerella, crumbled fresh Italian pork sausage with the tips of broccoli scattered over the top. The heat of the oven cooks the sausage and broccoli in the time it takes for the cheese to melt. Proscuitto and rocket is also a winner. I’m keen to try out the idea of a breakfast pizza from Michael Rhulman, although I’ probably simplify things and give the asparagus a miss.

iv. Pizza sauce with onion and lots of butter is the best

I’ve been hooked on Marcella Hazan’s recipe for tomato sauce since I first came across it on my favourite food blog, Orangette. It seems too simple to just have tomato and onion and a healthy dose of butter, but I love how the onion adds a subtle earthiness to the tomatoes while the butter tempers the acidity. I’ve converted it to metric here if you’re that way inclined.

v. Some people go to great lengths for the perfect pizza

I first had Heston in mind for this point but back at Orangette, Molly and her husband have gone to the extreme. They have decided to open their own pizza restauarant, complete with wood fired oven. You don’t have to go as far as opening an eating establishment. If space isn’t an issue you could consider building your own outdoor oven - if only I didn’t live in an apartment.

For more delicious homemade pizza recipes try the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Stonesoup follows the culinary adventures of Sydney-based food and wine-lover, Jules Clancy.

by Meeta Khurana from What’s For Lunch, Honey?

As the temperatures begin to rise and the weather rolls on over into warmth of Summer we all tend to crave for lighter and fresher foods. Salads take up the main focus at mealtimes as they offer a cooler and lighter way to enjoy lunch or dinner. In the past it seems the poor salad acquired a bad reputation of being something one ate when one needed to loose weight or as a shady side dressed with wilted lettuce and oily dressing.

Things have luckily changed. There is such a large variety of salads to suit everyone’s taste and a salad creation is only limited to your imagination. Salads are versatile and can be served as a side, snack or as a main. One can add meat, poultry, seafood or other vegetables to the salad, sprinkle it with nuts, seeds or croutons and dress it up in a variety of flavorful dressings. In this roundup I hope to find a salad for every palate.

Vegetarian Salads

A very intriguing salad to me was Sea Salt with Food’s Fiddlehead Fern and Edamame Salad topped with crumbled feta cheese. Fiddlehead Ferns are part of the large family of ferns which are harvested during spring and offer a delicious and wild flavor somewhere between green beans and artichokes! I’ll need to keep my eyes open for the fiddlehead ferns. Sara of Sara’s Kitchen brings a kaleidoscope of color into her spinach and shaved vegetable salad. Spinach, baby carrots, yellow beets are just some of the fresh vegetables she uses to create a lovely colorful salad. Rita is getting ready for the summer and indulges in a lovely looking Mediterranean Summer Salad with zucchini, yellow squash and pasta. Veggiebelly creates a gorgeously colorful potato salad using three different colored potatoes in her Peruvian Causa. Katie of goodLife eats ponders on the fact if salad is summer food while she creates a Spinach and Clementine Salad with Vanilla Sugar Almonds and although clementines are not really summer fruit the salad is a great way to enjoy summer. Mango and tomato combines fruit strawberries with the slightly bitter arugula and smooth mozzarella to serve a lovely strawaberry, arugula, mozzarella and almond salad. Another simply delectable way to enjoy the flavors of fruit and vegetables paired together in a summer salad is my peaches, tomato and mozzarella salad. It’s a perfect mingling of intense flavors. With asparagus season just beginning this shaved asparagus salad from Hungry Cravings offers a perfect way to enjoy the delicate vegetable all summer long.

Coleslaws

One of the most popular salads to enjoy while barbecuing with friends. There’ll be plenty of grilling going on this summer and here are a few great varieties for this all time favorite. Margot provides us with a great healthier version of the classic coleslaw. Konosur shares a delightful apple and raisin coleslaw prepared in 3 minutes and is almost healthy. My creamy red peppercorn coleslaw uses sour cream and natural yogurt to give a lighter and tangy flavor and crushed red peppercorns for a sweet fiery aroma. eating Club Vancouver uses Savoy cabbage to make a low maintenence slaw which is big in flavor.  The Thorngrove Table also uses Savoy cabbage and serves it with a creamy thick avocado cream. Decadent!

Seafood salads

I really enjoy salads with shrimp or other seafood so Jenn’s scrumptious Meditarranean shrimp salad is so good with couscous, mint, cranberries and almonds that this would be a perfect main instead of a side. I also like Foodista’s innovative idea of wrapping salad and shrimp in her coconut and shrimp salad rolls. Over at Taste Buddies the Moroccan shrimp salad lures us with flavors of sumac, harissa and Hungarian paprika. Kevin, known for unique and creative creations offers us a maple and miso scallop salad as a mouthwatering delicacy. Little Bear’s Kitchen gives the tuna salad a nice spin by adding a handful of raisins, perfect for sandwiches.

Chicken Salads

Another fantastic classic, which can be used as a filling or simply enjoyed with a nice piece of bread. Living Tastefully gives a fruity touch to her chicken salad by adding a few grapes. Kate of The Parsley thief makes a irresistible grilled chicken salad with tarragon pesto - how divine! Cranberries and walnuts adorn the chicken salad created by Bella Eats - a harmony of juicy tangy fruit and crunchy nuts. Greedy Gourmet does not make just any old chicken salad - no she makes an incredible General Tso’d chicken salad!

Salads with a Twist

These are salads that are different than the usual types using lettuce and greens. Salads with a twist have something special to them. They can be exotic, incorporate a special ingredient or have just a slightly different flavor, which all give such salads a special elegance. Anegla’s Food Love make a really spectacular and full of flavor Italian roasted bell pepper salad. Yes - it uses very simple ingredients but the result is an outrageously scrumptious salad. Jackie of Pham Fatale makes a lovely combination of Israeli couscous, roasted bell peppers and lentils in her stunning Israeli Couscous and Lentil Salad with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Gelee. Corn, tomatoes with a twist of lime and coriander make this corn coriander salad a great side to not only fish dishes but perfect for grilled meats too.  Food 4 Wibowo uses wheat berry and black eyed peas in a very good looking wheat berry and black eyed peas salad, in which garlic, spearmint leaves and cumin seeds round it off perfectly. I use the distinct flavor of Serrano ham and roasted pumpkin for my roasted pumpkin and mushroom salad with Serrano ham. Kathy’s Super Rouge Salad is striking with pomegranate seeds, strawberries, tomatoes and pears making it full of powerful red antioxidants. A touch of the Middle East offers the warm vegetable salad using aubergines, yellow squash and cumin.

But that’s not all - the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine offers a huge serving of great salad ideas. Do browse through and enjoy the full glory of summer produce in wonderful, fresh salads.

Meeta is a passionate food writer, cook and photographer. She experiments in her kitchen and presents her flavor combinations in exciting new dishes. Her blog Whatís For Lunch, Honey? was recently selected as one of the Top 50 Best Food Blogs by Times Online UK and offers over 500 recipes all peppered with a good dose of life.

By Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime

To me, warm weather means one thing: picnics! Or if not an actual, sit on the ground on a blanket picnic, at the very least a cook out or a meal served outside on a picnic table. Not only is a great change from from the months of eating in doors during the winter months, it is a great excuse to make 2 perennial favorites, deviled eggs and dips. I know on my own food blog, deviled egg recipes are some of the most popular recipes out of the 900 or so I’ve posted over the years. I think it is because even though they are simple to make, deviled eggs seem festive. Not to mention bite-sized. Who wants to share at a picnic?

My personal favorite is the spinach deviled egg or at least it was my favorite before seeing all of these other clever deviled eggs. Nami-Nami has these Estonian deviled eggs which sounds both a bit exotic and tasty-they call for butter and red currants! Kalyn has these chipotle-lime deviled eggs that combine two of my favorite ingredients in a fresh, new way. Going along the citrus theme, these lemon, horseradish-mustard bacon deviled eggs sound both sinus-clearing and yummy. The very devilish sounding Diabolically Deviled Eggs from Gluten-free Cooking School are made with Southern favorite pimento cheese spread. Rookie-Cookie has some avocado-cilantro deviled eggs that look so good, I almost forgot my general aversion to cilantro. Last but not least, check out these mushroom deviled eggs from Yulinka Cooks, which, since they don’t have mustard aren’t technically deviled eggs but looked so tasty, I had to include them.

Moving off of deviled eggs, dips and spreads are another food that screams warm weather to me. Perfect for outdoor parties they can go from upscale like this crostini with artichoke spread to the more down home but equally tasty French Onion Dip. Bean dips are also popular, you can find everything from cannelloni dip to Tuscan “Hummus” to fava bean dip if you are looking for a heart-healthy alternative to some of the creamier dips.

Speaking of creamy- Jalapeno Popper Dip is creamy and spicy. Or maybe this creamy Mexican Cheese dip (made without Velveeta) is more your style. Personally, like many a Baltimorean, a party just isn’t a party without a crab dip made with lots of Old Bay.

Dips aren’t just for chips, try this pineapple-habanero dip with coconut shrimp for a sweet & spicy appetizer.

Looking for more picnic-perfect deviled egg or dip recipes? You can find plenty of them on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Rachel Rappaport is a food writer and recipe creator who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. You can check out over 600 of her original recipes at her award winning food blog, Coconut & Lime.

By Andrea Meyers of Andrea’s Recipes

Whether your mother lives close by or far away, Mother’s Day is a wonderful reason to bring family together and honor someone you love with good food. Some families enjoy celebrating Mother’s Day at a nice restaurant, while others choose to create a beautiful meal at home. No matter which you choose, you can’t go wrong by serving a delicious Mother’s Day breakfast and dessert to help Mom feel extra special.

To get her day started right, make her favorite coffee, tea, or some fresh-squeezed fruit juice and serve up breakfast in bed or even outdoors if weather permits. Waffles make a tasty breakfast, especially when topped with fresh fruit and cream or maple syrup. You can make your own real Belgian waffles at home with Nicole’s recipe from Baking Bites, Heidi’s hearty Power Waffles with buckwheat flour and rolled oats from 101 Cookbooks, or savory gluten-free waffles from Karina of Karina’s Kitchen.

Muffins are always a favorite breakfast treat, and you can take advantage of strawberry season and make Strawberry Banana Muffins from Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict, or try Peabody’s Snickerdoodle Muffins at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. If it’s doughnuts your mom craves, try the unique Nutmeg Doughnut Muffins from Molly of Orangette.

If Mom prefers things on the savory side, quiches and frittatas are a tasty way to start the day. Karina of Karina’s Kitchen shows how she uses leftover roasted vegetable in her gluten-free cheddar quiche. Bea’s beautiful mini quiches with leeks, tomato, and blue cheese from La Tartine Gourmand would make anyone feel special. Amy’s Mushroom, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Fritatta from Eggs on Sunday is flexible enough to work with any seasonal greens or cheeses that strike your fancy.

For dessert, you can choose from desserts that feature seasonal fruits such as strawberries or you can choose other popular flavors such as chocolate or lemon. Angel food cake and vanilla pastry cream come together to make Helen’s beautiful Strawberry Charlottes from Tartlette. For other ways to enjoy fresh strawberries, try the Strawberry Tart with Pierre Herme’s pate sable from La Tartine Gourmand or the Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse from Simply Recipes. For light lemony flavor try the Triple Layer Lemon Cake from Jen of Use Real Butter or the Lemon Curd Cake from Mary of Alpineberry. If chocolate is on Mom’s mind, offer a slice of David Lebovitz’s German Chocolate Cake or Flourless Chocolate Cake from Karina’s Kitchen.

To find more tasty ways to treat Mom on Mother’s Day, try the FoodieView Recipe Search.

Andrea Meyers is the author, cook, photographer and head dishwasher of the blog Andrea’s Recipes. She would make a strawberry cream tart if she could see her mom on Mother’s Day.

by Meeta Khurana from What’s For Lunch, Honey?

Many of us already know that seafood is not only healthy for us, but it is also convenient, versatile and not to mention tastes great. I envy those who live near the ocean where they have access to a large variety of fresh fish and shellfish year round. However, one does not have to live near the ocean to enjoy a great seafood dish. Nowadays it is possible to get good quality frozen fish and shellfish in the supermarkets, which makes a good alternative for those of us who want to enjoy favorite fish dishes more often.

Seafood is an important part of a healthy diet and becoming the food of choice for the health-conscious. Itís brain food, packed with nutritional goodness. One of the most valuable goodness is that fish is a great natural source of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. It is also low is cholesterol and while shellfish and crustaceans like prawns do contain cholesterol, only a small amount is usually absorbed.

I know there are many fish lovers out there and I am sure you will enjoy this roundup. I hope that it provides you with a few great new ideas to enjoy your favorite fish or shellfish.

Asian flavors work extremely well with all kinds of fish and White on Rice Couple present a delicious tamarind shrimp served with a tangy sweet tamarind sauce. Rasa Malaysia always provides me with great Asian delicacies for my fish and her Sate Lilit Bali is my all time favorite and definitely will be a hit this grill season. Ground shrimp perfectly spiced with flavors of ginger, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric and coriander seeds. One of my favorite fish is tilapia as it is wonderfully mellow in flavor and can be used in a variety of ways,  like this Asian-style tilapia. Served simply with ground cashews, chilies, and garlic itís a elegant way to enjoy the simple Asian flavors.

A quiche filled prawn, crab, mussel and scallop is a dream quiche and Fresh from the Oven makes this delicious dream come true in her amazing Seafood Quiche. Perfect finger food for the next party are these seafood pockets. Spring roll wrappers, filled with shrimp, crab, ricotta and vegetables. This is such a party pleaser.

Pasta and seafood are the best of friends and you’ll find several great recipes. Some I find deliciously creative are Soy and Pepperís lemon pepper seafood linguine, fresh prawns sautÈed in basil, garlic and chili flakes served on a bed linguine. I also love Swirl and Scrambleís geranium and lemon infused shrimps, which is served together with spinach tagliatelle and a drizzle of lemon cream. My own fettucini/spaghetti with shrimps and rucola are an all time favorite at our home ñ no surprises as it is extremely easy to whip up.

Being so versatile, fish pairs very easily with rice as well. Learn how to make a delicious classic paella, then make variations like this shrimp and scallop paella or this scallop, mussel and prawn paella, or maybe even these lovely paella mixta from the grill. Risotto is another great way to enjoy the plethora of fish and my pumpkin risotto with shrimps offers robust flavors of coriander seeds and garlic for a aromatic risotto. Nook and Pantry serves a delicate leek risotto with pan-seared scallops for a fantastic meal, while Vanilla Basil serves a taste of the sea in her seafood risotto, with blue mussels.

The wonderful herby flavors of herbes de Provence, livens up this fried fish Provencal style to the maximum. I serve it with a Aioli to add more flavor pep to the dish. Elegant Sufficiency truly serves this Red Mullet with Potatoes and Black Olives with elegance and style. A few simple flavors adorn this simply sautÈed tilapia ñ just jalapenos and lemon, while black sesame seeds, red peppercorns, cumin and garlic add powerful flavor to my spicy black sesame sea bream.

Enjoy this great smoked salmon with dill cream cheese for a unique way to enjoy salmon. Mellow flavors of fennel seed highlight Lydia’s potato and swordfish tortino. Both salmon and swordfish are certainly two very versatile fish and very much in my own top 5 of fish favorites. Mike’s grilled swordfish with tomatillo corn relish is perfect for this year’s barbecue season, as is this incredible mango barbecued swordfish. If salmon is your favorite fish you will enjoy this innovating and piquant wasabi salmon egg roll ñ a great idea for brunch. Something more hearty paired classically with lemon and dill is Passion Eater’s oven-baked salmon wilth dill and lemon.

I read somewhere that eating sushi once a week is one of the most healthiest things you can do for your body. If one looks beyond the rice, which is full of complex carbohydrates, the fish in suhsi rolls and sashimi is full of protein and calcium. Jen has a great recipe for salmon avocado eel sushi roll and Beachlover Kitchen shares an exotically exquisite mango and salmon maki. Margot’s salmon, ginger and avocado maki sushi is perfectly flavored and looks simply delicious.

If Iíve got you craving seafood now, then I am sure you will find the perfect recipe in this roundup to satisfy your tastebuds. The FoodieView Recipe Search Engine offers you a huge variety of seafood and fish recipes to suit every craving you might be having.

Meeta is a passionate food writer, cook and photographer. She experiments in her kitchen and presents her flavor combinations in exciting new dishes. Her blog What’s For Lunch, Honey? was recently selected as one of the Top 50 Best Food Blogs by Times Online UK and offers over 400 recipes all peppered with a good dose of life.