Summertime Citrus Social

This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #SummerRefreshment #Publix #CollectiveBias

A sunny, summer afternoon is the perfect time to get friends together, and that's just what I did last weekend.  I used one of my favorite flavors, lemon, as inspiration for some delicious bites and refreshments.

Before guests arrived, I made a quick and easy DIY lemon stamp banner.  Who remembers doing fruit stamping when you were little?  Well, it's just as fun as an adult!  All you need to make your own banner are: a lemon, paint brush, yellow paint, cardstock, scissors, hole punch, and thick twine.

1. Cut the lemon in half and pat it dry so there is not any excess juice when you begin stamping.
2. Paint the lemon and stamp it on the cardstock.
3. Wait for the paint to dry and cut out each lemon.
4. Hole punch the lemon stamps and string them together.

As for the food, I love recipes that I can make ahead.  This lemon balsamic pasta salad is just that and is equally as colorful as it is delicious.

Ingredients:

- 1 box of bow tie pasta

- 1 pint grape tomatoes

- 1 cucumber

- 1 cup olive oil

- 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 1-2 lemons)

- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

- 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper

- 1 lemon

- 1/2 cup crumbled feta

- fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Cook pasta as directed, drain it, and rinse it.
2. While it's cooking, slice the grape tomatoes in half and slice the cucumber in half inch slices and then quarters.
3. Make your dressing by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Combine the cooked pasta, cucumber, and tomatoes.  Lightly dress the pasta salad to keep it from sticking together.
5. Refrigerate the pasta salad until party time.  When you're ready, toss the pasta salad with additional dressing and top it with crumbled feta, parsley, and sliced lemons.

I love unique takes on bruschetta.  Give me some delicious grilled bread and fresh toppings, and I am one happy lady.  I kept my citrus theme going in this Lemon Ricotta Basil Bruschetta.

Ingredients:

- 1 loaf French bread

- 1 cup whole milk ricotta

- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

- 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper

- 15-20 basil leaves

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Slice the French bread in half inch slices, and toast the bread for five minutes on each side in the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Combine ricotta, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Once the bread cools, spread one heaping teaspoon of the ricotta mixture on each slice.
4. Top each slice of bruschetta with a basil leaf, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of red pepper.

Last but not least, to round out my lemonade stand, I made Lemonade Poptails with Minute Maid® Lemonade and FUZE® tea.  I started this process the night before by freezing FUZE tea in popsicle molds.  Right before the party began, I placed each iced tea popsicle in a stemless glass and served it with a pitcher of lemonade.  

Now we were ready to party!  These beverages were fun refreshments for the summertime.  They’re perfect to buy when you’re getting together with friends and family and pair well with my summer recipes.

I purchased my ingredients, including all of the delicious fresh produce, bread, lemonade, iced tea, and even those beautiful flowers at my local Publix.  If you want to host your own party, you can save a $1 when you buy any two 2-liter bottles of Minute Maid or FUZE products with an in-store coupon. You can also use this Ibotta Offer and earn a $1 on 12-pack, 12oz cans!

I set up my tablescape just inside my porch so that guests could grab their desired drinks and eats, and take them outside to socialize.  It was a perfect afternoon, and I can't wait to do it again!