Make the most of the Labor Day with the best summer recipes for a long weekend!

It is the last big hurrah of the summer. Three days to feast, play, gather with friends and enjoy the last bit of summer before autumn.  While a record number of people plan to travel, plenty are hitting the outdoor or gathering with friends….and food is definitely part of the plan. Up your game the best summer recipes for a long weekend and delight your friends.

Fresh and spicy dishes are perfect for this occasion, including simple ones that take just a few minutes to make and are delicious. They are also great things to take to a outdoor concert, picnic or group get together.

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Spicy Hummus



Hummus is a great dip for large crowds and each one of these four styles lends itself to different occasions. A classic spicy hummus dip takes almost no time to prepare, while a more elaborate Italian hummus demands more ingredients, time and effort. And the benefit is when you eat something spicy, you might feel hot at first but those spices cause people to perspire and then the perspiration evaporates and cools the body.

Chicken skewers are perfect for all sorts of cookouts, offering a new dimension to the otherwise predictable tasting chicken. The charred flavor that can only come from a grill provides a meal that’s easy and fun to eat. Who needs cutlery during a barbecue?

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Marrying the delicate flavors of apple butter, chicken, and (not so delicate) bacon, these skewers are a game changer. Check out the full recipe here.

Texas Mary Drink

Few drinks are better suited for a cookout than a Bloody Mary. A cool drink loaded with veggies is just what you need when you’re standing out in the sun for hours. This simple recipe asks for a Bloody Mary Mix that you’ll spice up according to your own heat preference.

Ingredients:

• Bloody Mary Mix 1 cup
• Texas Pete Hot sauce 2 tsps
• Ice ¼ cup
• Vodka 1 ½ oz
• Texas Pete Dust/tajin Spice mix 50/50 Dusting
• Shrimp Skewer, optional
• Celery Stick, optional

Create:

• Mix in cocktail shaker first 4 ingredients and shake
• Rim glass with lime juice or water and dip in dust mixture
• Pour drink in glass and garnish

Lemony Green Bean Pasta Salad

This filling and fresh salad works as a side or a meal. While this recipe is very simple, it’s also flavorful, packing a bunch of different layers that perfectly blend together. The recipe includes almonds, feta cheese, and whole wheat pasta, which is also healthy and won’t leave you feeling too heavy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta (or pasta of choice)
• 2 –3 cups trimmed green beans
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced thin
• 2 oz crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup Fisher Walnut Halves & Pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse lemon pepper seasoning
• juice from 1 lemon, 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup oil
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Create

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside to cool
2. Steam green beans until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes
3. Lemon pepper seasoned walnuts: in a small bowl combine walnuts with oil, lemon pepper seasoning and a pinch of coarse salt. Add to a preheated dry skillet over medium heat. Warm walnuts in pan for about 3 minutes, stirring every so often, until fragrant and toasted
4. Vinaigrette: in a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard and oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine in a large mixing bowl cooled pasta with green beans and toss. Add red onion, walnuts and feta along with dressing and stir until combined
6. Taste for salt and pepper, add if needed

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Fresh Peach Cake

Dessert tends to be forgotten during barbecues, but this easy peach cake is something else, especially during the summer when the peaches are in season.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperatur
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Create

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined
5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon
6. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans
7. Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
8. Serve warm or at room temperature with our without ice cream

Hope these best summer recipes for a long weekend give you stomach and taste buds a Labor Day treat!

Treat yourself to a nostalgic breakfast favorite with a little something extra! 

Breakfast has changed significantly in the past 30 years. The classics cereals have somewhat fallen out of flavor and smoothies, protein bombs, and Starbuck sugary drinks have taken over. Whether on the go or a lazy morning lounging in bed, the stomach needs something.  For a special mornings, try these marijuana Pop Tarts for the perfect weekend wake and bake.

While there are recipes for cannabis smoothies and others…why not really treat yourself with a childhood favorite? Additionally, depending the strain, marijuana has the benefit either chilling or energizing, so it can fit the mood of the day. These treats have a smear of cannabutter included inside of each and every pastry, topped with a favorite filling. Dressed up with icing and sprinkles, these potent pastries are bound to make you feel all warm and fuzzy, and not just because of the nostalgia factor.

This recipe is dosed with 1 teaspoon of cannabutter per serving. The strength of the pop tart multiple things, including the type of marijuana used and how cannabutter is made. For more tips on proper dosage, here are 5 ways to figure out your cannabutter’s potency.

Cannabis Pop Tarts

Makes 4 (recipe can be doubled)

For the pastries:

• 1 portion unbaked pie dough (the same amount you’d use for a single-crust pie)
• 4 tsp cannabutter (I like to use either a standard cannabutter or a vegan coconut oil cannabutter)
• 4 heaping tsp filling of your choice (chocolate chips, thick caramel or chocolate topping, jam, etc.)

Egg wash: 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

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To top:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tbsp milk or cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• Sprinkles, for garnish (I used a mix of green tinted edible glitter and rainbow nonpareil sprinkles)

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, approximately 8 inches by 12 inches. Cut the dough into 4×3-inch portions (basically, divide the dough into 8 equal-sized rectangles).

3. Place four of the rectangles on your baking sheet. Smear the center of each one with a teaspoon of cannabutter.

4. Directly on top of the cannabutter, spoon your desired filling, leaving blank space along the perimeter of each pastry. Avoid fillings that are too thin, or they may leak out of your pastries. I used fairly thick caramel sauce, which was probably about the thinnest consistency that would work for these pastries.

5. Brush the “naked” portions of the pastry with your egg wash.

6. Place the second batch of pastry rectangles on top of each topped pastry portion. Press down on the edges to ensure that the egg wash helps form a seal. Gently press the tines of a fork into the edges of each pastry to further ensure a seal. Poke the top of each one once or twice with the tines of a fork to let steam out. If desired, you can use the remaining egg wash to brush the tops of the pastries.

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7. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until golden. Remove, and let cool briefly on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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8. Make the icing. In a large bowl, use a fork or whisk to whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk or cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix until no lumps remain and it’s a thick but still pourable icing. Spoon some on top of each pastry; directly after icing, apply sprinkles (they will stick best while it’s still wet and slightly sticky). Let the icing set, and enjoy!

Store leftovers in a single layer, well wrapped, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

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