Hi friends! Its another Tasty Tuesday and as we move into summer, I thought it would be great to bring back some tried and true recipes to share for summer barbecues and potlucks.

Now before I begin, I must thank my friend Maribeth Schmidt for her help on these fabulous pictures! She is so talented and I had the pleasure or working with her on these photos, I did the cooking and she did the photos, and it was a blast! She is truly a gifted photographer, and I learn something new every time we are together!

Barbecues, potlucks, holidays, reunions, graduations… summer is replete with opportunities for people to gather, and one of the best parts of gathering is sharing a meal! So I thought I would include some great sides that you can keep on file for the next time you want to host or bring a dish to something this summer!

I’m sharing a super versatile and always popular onion dip, a delicious way to cook corn on the cob, a hearty and fantastic pasta salad, and a bell ringer chocolate cake! So without further ado, lets begin!

First up, a crowed favorite: the easiest, the coolest and creamiest onion dip of all time! If you would like to see the recipe, click here: Onion Chip Dip.

You can serve it up with fresh veggies,

Or pretzels or chips…

It’s a real crowd pleaser and so easy to make!

For a decadently delicious pasta salad that will really satiate their hunger, click here:  Tortellini Pasta Salad.

With ingredients like these, how can you go wrong?

Ok, this salad is so good… I am drooling on the keyboard!

You will be a hit, I guarantee!

And if you want to take your corn to a whole new level, try this recipe for: Basil Oven Baked Corn on the Cob

This corn is so rich and savory, you really don’t want to miss it!

And finally, if you would like to see the recipe to one of the richest chocolate cakes you will ever taste, you can find it here: Hot Fudge Hokey Pokey Cake.

Yes, after the cake bakes, you poke holes in it and pour sweetened condensed milk and a jar of hot fudge over it… do you see the tunnels of fudge in the cake below? Mmmmm!

And then a nice cool topping over the top of the cake! Oh my word! Someone put the coffee on. My diet can wait till tomorrow!

I hope these 4 tasty additions will be helpful to you as you start making plans for the summer! I have been adding lots of new recipes in my repertoire and its just really fun to try something new!

Summer is such a perfect time for gathering with friends and family! I hope you will get lots of opportunities for that. Sometimes people are slow to plan things because maybe they are worried that people won’t come, or if they do come, what if they fail as an entertainer.

But the truth is, an invitation to your home is such a gift, such an intimate heart felt way to say “I treasure our friendship, and I am inviting you to the place I live so we can share a meal.” Its truly such a gift, such an honor. And you can be so much more relaxed in a home than in a restaurant! I guarantee you will bless people so much if you invite them over! Throw some hot dogs on the grill, grab some chips (I just included a great dip recipe above!) But people are longing for a feeling of friendship and human interaction. And in the summer when the weather is nice, there is a yearning to get out and be with other people. You can do it! Just the fact that you are asking them over is such an olive branch, such an act of true friendship. Let’s dazzle a few dear friends and family this summer, shall we?

I hope you have a fantastic week! I’ll be back Friday for another Fashion Friday!

Love Always,

Amy

What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest?   ~Aeschylus