Guest Picks: Eating Cool on Hot Days
Getting outside is the perfect way to spend a summer evening, whether it’s in your backyard or off on a camping trip. And I love setting up the grill and making a real event out of it. I’m also excited to try out a new gadget or two, and I’ve found a few new tricks for old tools that I think are worth sharing. These products will make you feel like celebrating summer and keep you going all year long! — Mariko from The Little Foodie
Oh, the possibilities! Whether I make a homemade snow cone or slushie, I know my kids and I will love some less-synthetic, no-food-coloring icy treats.
This large-batch Cuisinart yogurt maker allows you to make a family-size portion without having to fuss with measurements in small cups.
I think these Ice Rounds would be lovely for a summer wedding. And for a punch bowl, any slow-melting design is genius.
Inexpensive and practical, a simple immersion blender is great for making cold soups, think strawberry for dessert and gazpacho for dinner.
Make your own professional-looking ice cream sandwiches. You can choose better ingredients, add your own sprinkles and pick original flavor combinations. I’m thinking about pink lemonade ice cream with a vanilla cookie.
This ice cream scoop from Belle-V is a darling Kickstarter project dream come true. If you’re serious about your ice cream, this useful and beautiful design is for you.
Maybe it seems strange to put a grill on your table, but if you want to do the least amount of prep and make the easiest dinner you’ve had lately, light up this yakitori-style grill and make a summer dinner an event.
The most amazing part of this small, portable grill is its ability to retain a great amount of heat with just a few coals. It’s efficient and well-designed, making your summer cooking simple.
Why does it seem like every summer hot dog is encased in a charcoal coating? Probably because they’re rolling everywhere before you can really flip them evenly. My kids would be thrilled to have this grill roller.
No kidding, I have actually been reading about how putty knives are the ideal tool for flipping fish on the grill. I’m starting to think I’d better try it on hamburgers too.
I’m not so good with cooking when I can’t control the temperature. With these, I can at least keep track of how my steak is doing on the inside, even if the outside is done.
Eating foods with more natural water, like vegetables, is important on hot days. And now your veggies won’t fall through the cracks when they’re on these grill mats. Plus, these mean you won’t need extra oils for cooking!
They may be very gimmicky, but their practicality is beyond the kitsch. These reusable ice sheets can wrap around your drink, your sandwich or whatever you need to take with you and keep it cool.
I recently discovered that strawberry hullers are also perfect for punching out those spikes left behind when you take off the first layer of a pineapple. Now I have to have one!
Using this tool is a really simple way to slice the curved skin from a melon. And because I plan to eat plenty of melon this month, I think it’s an essential.
Vegetable noodles are really taking off, and there have been many innovations in spiral slicing products. Now they are very compact and affordable, so making a light-on-the-stomach meal this summer will be easier than ever.
I already have a slow juicer that I love, but I admit that if I were in the market, a juicer that can take on a whole apple or other large pieces of vegetables is a major selling point.
My kids would go crazy for this! I like to make fresh juice pretty often, and I like it best when chilled. So why not chill my drink as I sip it through an ice straw? I’d like to see what happens when I make the ice straw out of juice too!
Takeya just took the “make ahead” step out of iced tea preparation. You can steep your tea in hot water and then cool it down quickly with an ice-filled insert and a quick shake in these pitchers. I think herbal fruit infusions sound especially refreshing.Next: 14 To-Dos to Make the Most of Summer
The blog Simple Green Smoothies just called this one of their favorite mid-priced single-serve blenders. A smoothie can go a long way to cooling you down and letting you feel like you’re indulging, making it a great summer snack.
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