Fun & Simple Summer Snacks for All Ages

Summer in the south is hot, hot, hot! This is why finding fun and simple summer snacks is key. It means you'll spend less time in the kitchen and the time you do spend will be cooler since you aren't heating the kitchen up with complicated recipes. 

Looking for some new recipes to try with your family this summer? I've got three that are tasty and quick to prepare! I hope this inspires you to think outside the box and treat yourself with delicious snacks during the summer and all year long. 

Italian Antipasto Salad Kabobs

In Italian cooking, antipasto refers to an appetizer made up of olives, anchovies, cheeses, and meats. I did a more kid-friendly take on this idea with some bite sized snacks which can be eaten on a skewer. I was inspired by this adorable blog. 

Not only can kids help with the prep of this snack, it's also fun to eat. This would pack up well into a cooler for a day at the pool or a picnic. 

Start with cherry tomatoes, add tortellini, olives, a pepperoni and a cheese cube and you're all set. This idea can be customized to your taste preferences for a truly delicious summer snack. 

Strawberry Lemonade Dessert Pizza 

There's nothing like the combination of strawberry and lemon to really capture the essence of summer. This sweet fruit pizza recipe lets you serve it up in a way that would please a large crowd or just a friend who happened to pop by. 

And if you want to make it in small batches, that's also possible. 

Basically, it's a sugar cookie base topped with a mixture of lemon curd and whipped cream, then finished off with strawberries and lemon zest. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Click here for the full recipe.

Frozen Yogurt Bites 

This recipe is so simple, I feel like even calling it a "recipe" is cheating. Basically, all you do is squeeze out little dollops of your favorite flavor of yogurt and freeze. It creates these easy to eat bites and once again, takes something simple and makes it more fun for all ages! 

This great blog has the full post. One thing to note....if you use yogurt with real fruit chunks, your bites might not be uniform. You might be better off mashing up fresh fruit and stirring it into plain yogurt. This also makes the quality of your snack better, as opposed to some yogurts which are high in sugar and other junk. 

Summer is here and it's not the time to lose your cool. Make your life easier this summer with these fun and simple summer snacks for all ages! 

Celebrate National Donut Day with a DIY Donut Station

Alright folks, that day of days is upon us. The first Friday in June. Also known as National Donut Day. This is an occasion to celebrate one of the purest, most simple forms of deliciousness we know. The humble donut.

Donuts have come a long way over the years. Plain cake and glaze has been elevated with toppings galore, flavors and all sorts of frosting options. But the best thing about donuts is that there's a flavor or topping combo for just about everyone.

What's your favorite? Are you a classic donut fan, maybe just a blueberry cake or chocolate frosted? Or perhaps you like to go out on a limb, enjoying concoctions with strange combinations like bacon and maple glaze.

On my recent trip to NYC, I tried donuts at Donut Plant, an awesome little eatery known for its incredible donut flavor offerings. My favorite was the Brooklyn Blackout, described as a chocolate cake doughnut, filled with chocolate pudding, dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate cake crumbs. Yes, please!

Have you caught donut fever? There's no shortage of great donuts  to be found in Knoxville, from Makers Donuts to Status Dough, to the most recently opened Pops Donuts.

Want to enjoy donuts at home? Why not set up a fun DIY donut station at your next party or event. All you need are a bunch of plain cake donuts and assorted frostings and toppings. Let your guests go to town creating their own one-of-a-kind donut creations.

I found a great recipe for donut glaze that only calls for three ingredients: milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Click here for details. 

Here are a few ideas below to inspire you!

Candied pineapple + Shredded Coconut on cream cheese frosting = Pina Colada Donut

Mini marshmallows + Graham crackers on chocolate frosting = S'Mores Donut

Assorted Breakfast Cereal on vanilla frosting = Eye Opener Donut 

Fresh strawberries + whipped topping = Strawberry shortcake Donut

Apple Pie filling + Caramel sauce on cream cheese frosting = Apple Pie Donut 

Donut disappoint your guests!