Celebrating Summer with Hormel Foods

Summer marks the beginning a season full of fun with family and friends. How do you celebrate graduations and/or the end of the school year? Do you host a party? Bring a favorite dish to a family pot luck?

For us, summer starts in Texas sometime around May and doesn't quite end till October. During that time, we move out to the pool for most of the days and enjoy plenty of time hanging out in the yard & playing in the sun. F&B both love to swim and they could be outside all day, every day. Of course, I'm always looking for quick, easy ways to eat that don't involve turning on the oven in the Texas summer heat. This might be cold dinners, it might be the crockpot or it might be the grill, with the grill (and someone else doing the grilling) being the preferred scenario.

I've been jotting down a few of the new recipes we can't wait to try, including BBQ Blue Sandwiches and Applewood Bacon Spinach Salad.

BBQ Blue Sandwiches:

• 1 (12-ounce) package Lloyd's Woodfire Barbeque™ Beef Brisket
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted
• 4 leaves lettuce
• 8 slices Hormel® Black Label® Fully Cooked Bacon, heated and slices cut in half
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Barbecue sauce

-Prepare brisket according to package directions.
-Spread mayonnaise on cut sides of each roll. Place 1 leaf lettuce on bottom half of each roll; top with brisket, bacon and cheese. Drizzle each sandwich with barbecue sauce.

Would both of these be perfect after a long day enjoying the outdoors and swimming in the pool? I think they'd be awesome with a side of fruit or some homemade popsicles, then a little more night swimming.

Any other great suggestions for yummy summer food ideas?

Disclosure: I have received product and information from Hormel Foods in exchange for being a Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger. All opinions expressed within the post are my own.