10 Foodie Things to Do Before Summer Ends

Reader s Digest Magazine

1. Upgrade your water.Place fruit in a pitcher with coconut water instead of tap water-try combos like orange and blueberry or raspberries and lemon, or just lime or strawberries. Chill and serve with ice.

2. Make one-ingredient ice cream. Banana soft serve, you had us at hello. If you haven't tried this great idea yet, well, all you need are a few frozen bananas, a food processor, and you'll have ice cream! Get the recipe »

3. Serve magical layered drinks. Fun with science: Beverages with more sugar have a higher density, so they'll sink to the bottom of the glass; beverages with less sugar will float on top. By layering different densities , you can create art in your glass. Sweet drinks like Hawaiian Punch or Gatorade go on bottom. Then layer on fruit juice, sparkling water, soda, and alcohol as desired. 4. Have a breakfast pop. Skip the smoothie and cool down with these, especially when it's 90 degrees by 9am. Spread a little honey on top of frozen pops, then dip in granola for an all-in-one breakfast treat.
PLUS: Quiz: Can you name that classic candy bar?

5. Put strawberries on Bruschetta. We love tomatoes, but give strawberries a chance-they're fantastic tossed with a little balsamic vinegar and basil, then spooned on goat cheese-topped bread slices.
PLUS: 13 things you should never eat a restaurant >>

6. Grill your lettuce. Heads of romaine lettuce take to the heat just as well as juicy burgers-and the char adds a smoky, rich note. Here's how to make a grilled Caesar salad, plus six more foods you didn't know you could grill »

7. Freeze a root-beer float. Mix root beer, sweetened condensed milk, and milk in a cup, then stash in the freezer until ready. PLUS: Quiz: Are you a true chocoholic?

8. Swap zucchini in for pasta. Use a vegetable peeler to remove outer green coat, then peel long, thin strands of the flesh. Toss the strands with pesto, or with a mix of chopped tomatoes, salt, and olive oil for a light, fresh take on a bowl of pasta.

9. Get creative with tomatoes. Panzanella is a classic Italian salad that's long been the domain of juicy, ripe tomatoes-it's a mix of the red beauties, day-old bread, and olive oil, salt, and herbs. But paninihappy.com's Kathy Strahs made panzanella better, with firm grilled cheese cubes instead of bread. You can also add chunks of bacon and lettuce and call it a BLT salad.

10. Too many tomatoes? Try watermelon. Sweet, sweet watermelon shines with a little salt: Try watermelon gazpacho or a watermelon, olive, and feta salad. Or simply sprinkle a little sea salt on your next slice.

By Rachel Mount Hofstetter