Gift basket flower idea

Your best summer ever… - Editorial

1 BEAT-THE-HEAT PARTY

2 THE WELL-INFORMED GRILLER

3 PUTTING ON A SPREAD

4 BAN THE BRAIN FREEZE

5 PURE PUREE

6 SETTER HOMES AND GARDENS[R] READING CLUB

7 WINNING OPENERS: KIDS' GREAT SUMMER STORTY ONE-LINERS

8 THE GIFT BASKET: A TASTEFUL INDULGENCE

9 "MY FIRST FREE SUMMER" AN ESSAY BY JULIA ALVAREZ

1 BEAT-THE-HEAT PARTY

Generous bowls of classic summer favorites nestled amid hills of sparkling ice are the best of all August heat beaters and the ideal focus for your next dog days get-together. We suggest a chilled soup-and-salad buffet, which is easy on the hostess because much of what you'll serve can come from the deli or the supermarket. The only other thing you'll need is a wading pool or a sprinkler for little ones who want to cool down.

PARTY DECOR

In a shady spot in your backyard or a nearby park, arrange four big tubs or clean wheelbarrows filled with ice. (For a small party, one tub may be enough.) Set them out au naturel or decorate them with your choice of flowers, branches, or fabric. Perch them on picnic tables or benches. For maximum ease, serve foods on plastic and paper dishes.

WHAT TO SERVE

In the first tub, you'll want salads: some good choices are pasta salad, potato salad, and mixed-vegetable salad (make it by tossing chopped raw vegetables with a generous glug of your favorite dressing). Punch up purchased potato or pasta salad with chopped red onion, chopped red sweet pepper, or a handful of snipped fresh basil and tarragon. Any of these can be transformed into a main course by adding grilled chicken.

In tub two, serve up three favorite cold soups, such as gazpacho, vichyssoise, and iced tomato.

Desserts can be easiest of all: In the third tub, set out chunks of watermelon and other fruit, a bowl of berries, or your favorite icebox cookies.

The fourth and final destination on the buffet trail is the beverage tub: Stock the usual soft drink and wine favorites, but spice it up by including the unexpected as well. Fu Fu Berry soda, anyone?

2 THE WELL-INFORMED GRILLER

Most popular music to listen to while grilling: rock 'n' roll (67%), country (44%), classical (420%), and alternative rock (37%).

Most popular hamburger toppers: cheese (78%), onion (71%), ketchup (69%), lettuce (68%), and tomato (68%).

Average number of times Americans turn burgers during grilling: 3 or 4.

Percentage of people who wear aprons printed with funny sayings: 13%.

23% of barbecue enthusiasts host at least five backyard parties per summer.

Nonfamily member who grillers would most like to invite to their backyard: George W. Bush.

Top five grillables: hamburgers (61%), steak (51%), chicken (41%), hot dogs (34%), and ribs (9%).

--Weber Grillwatch Survey

3 PUTTING ON A SPREAD

Indian cotton bedspreads lend an exotic, ethnic edge outside the bedroom. A twin spread (approximately 66x96 inches) will nicely cover a 6-foot picnic table--punching up your outdoor entertaining. Or, a full-size spread makes a high-impact shower curtain. Trim and stitch the spread to the proper width (standard shower curtains are about 70 inches wide and 72 inches long). Sew a 3-inch hem along the top edge, and punch 12 grommets through the fabric, spacing them evenly. Add rings and a liner, and shower away. Choose from a variety of patterns, everything from solid colors to curtains that are practically works of art. We like the look of these bold 1970s-inspired graphics.

4 BAN THE BRAIN FREEZE

Summer means ice cream. And that means brain freeze--the dreaded stabbing pain between the eyes that turns ice cream into "I scream."

Recently, researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, made a key discovery about ice cream headaches: If you gobble your triple fudge sundae, you're more than twice as likely to be stricken with brain freeze. Your risk will decrease (and your pleasure increase) if you slowly take small bites of any icy confection.

Of course, even the most prudent among us may fall victim to the frosty throbs. If it happens to you, try pressing your thumb against the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth. That usually gives you immediate relief. No one knows why this works, because no one has ever really pinned down what causes ice cream headaches.

5 PURE PUREE

Fresh fruit and a blender are all you need to create the quickest-ever grilling sauce for chicken, shrimp, and pork or the freshest topping for ice cream and cake. Take three ripe nectarines, pit, then puree with 2 tablespoons kirsch or 2 tablespoons lemon juice. You can do the same trick with a pint of golden raspberries. If you make the sauce for a dessert, add sugar to taste.

6 BOOK PARTY BOOGIE

As kids grow older, it gets harder to find something in common with them. But if parents and children share a love of reading, there are plenty of books that appeal to both. So this month, try holding a Better Homes and Gardens[R] Reading Club for you, your friends--and the teen readers (what booksellers love to call "young adults") in your lives.

Many authors who are considered adult writers are producing books for people of all ages. These include novels by crime writer Carl Hiassen (Hoot), fantasy novelist Neil Gaiman (Coraline), and Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Chabon (Summerland), among others. These books create a bridge between older and younger readers.

Let your meeting adopt an air of fun sophistication. Sip from frothy coffee ice cream smoothies or alcohol-free cocktails and indulge in the salon atmosphere.

"With older children--young adults--the goal is to have a grand conversation, so set the scene accordingly," says Lawrence Sipe, a professor in the reading, writing, and literacy program at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "This isn't a classroom. This is for fun." Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Pick a leader. For each meeting, choose one person to be in charge and to start the discussion (it can be a different person each meeting). Often, the leader can be in charge of refreshments and hosting, but sometimes it's easier to split those duties. Do whatever works best for your group.

Get plenty of input beforehand. Kids want to feel involved, so make sure they're choosing the books. That way you'll be less likely to accidentally pick the wrong kinds of books. "Find books everyone actually wants to read, instead of doing ones that people feel they're supposed to read," says Carol Fitzgerald, president of Book Report Network, a series of Web sites that includes reading resources for teens (www.teenreads.com) as well as help in starting and running reading groups (www.readinggroupguides.com).

Communicate at the teen level. Sometimes older kids have their own agenda and may need a bit more reminding about their commitment to a reading club. You'll ensure their involvement if you operate at their speed. For example, Fitzgerald observes that most teens have e-mail. "Use it to schedule meetings, remind members the day before, and post some discussion questions in advance," she suggests.

Talk, don't ask. For many teens, the idea of meeting with adults to discuss books might seem suspect. They may see it as a pretense for you to get them in a room where you can ask prying questions under the guise of exploring a book's themes. If you're going to make comments about a book, make them in relation to your own perspective and experience. It's a valid way to come to grips with the text. And it'll keep you from getting in trouble with your teen.

Respond to what other kids are saying. When you're in the group setting, resist the urge to focus on your teen reader; this is intended to be a lighthearted group setting, and no one needs to feel self-conscious. Instead, try focusing on what other kids are saying and doing. "It's always most validating to have other adults besides our parents respond to what we say. It can be extremely satisfying and helps give children confidence in their viewpoint and in sharing with the group," says Sipe. This is not to say you should ignore your child, but bear in mind that you will have plenty of opportunities to talk with her or him about the book. So listen to the other kids and be prepared to respond. Hopefully, the other parents will follow your lead and respond to your child too.