Summertime and the livin’s easy with our selection of fresh and light seasonal cocktails. Unlike some served at bars and restaurants, these refreshing drinks aren’t loaded with calories and ingredients you’ve never heard of. They’re essentially guilt-free (or so we’re telling ourselves)! So round up your grateful friends, gather around the patio, pool, or rooftop, and toast to the rest of a carefree summer!

The Bicicletta Cocktail (from Bon Appétit):

Ingredients: Ice cubes, 2 ounces Campari, 1 ½ ounces dry white wine, ½ ounce club soda, Lemon slice.

Directions: Fill wine glass with ice. Add Campari, wine and soda; stir to mix. Garnish with lemon slice, if desired.

Berry-filled Sangria (from The Domestic Goddess):

Ingredients: 1 cup sliced strawberries, ½ cup bluberries, ½ cup rasberries, juice of ½ lemon, ¼ bottle dry white wine, ¼ bottle dry champagne, 1 bottle rose zinfandel, ¼ fruit infused vodka, 2 cups white cranberry juice, 1 ½ cups soda water.

Directions: Put ice cubes in bottom of pitcher, toss in fruit on top of ice along with lemon juice. Add wine, champagne and vodka and stir.

The Flirtini (from Marie Claire and created at Whiskey Blue at the W Hotel in LA and Westwood):

Ingredients: 1 ½ oz. Grey Goose L’Orange, 1 oz. pineapple juice, splash of Champagne

Directions: Serve in martini glasses and pour the Champagne last.

Citrus White Wine Spritzer (from the Food Network):

Ingredients: 2 (1/4 inch) slices of lemon, 2 (1/4 inch) slices of lime, 4 oz. Pinot Grigio (or other white wine), 2 oz. lemon-lime flavored seltzer water, ice cubes.

Directions: Arrange slices of lemons and limes between ice cubes in large stem glasses. Pour 4 ounces of white wine (1/2 cup), and 2 ounces of sparkling lemon lime seltzer water (1/4 cup), down over fruit and ice. Stir, serve and enjoy!

The Ginger Drop (from Marie Claire and created at Megu in NYC):

Ingredients: 1 ½ oz. Bacardi Limón, 1 oz. Lillet, Champagne, Fresh Ginger

Directions: Muddle fresh ginger with the Bacardi Limón and Lillet. Then pour into a champagne glass. Next, top with Champagne and garnish each glass with a piece of crystallized ginger for the pièce de résistance

And remember, it’s 5:00 p.m. somewhere!  Cheers and enjoy!

xoxo Lauren

Before we tell you what we made, here is a quick background on NoTakeOut.com: It was created by three sets of parents living in New York and Paris to provide simple dinner plans for busy people. Their mantra “Cook. Eat. Laugh. Great meals made easy.” explains why their recipes work so well. Before you begin cooking they provide a list of what you will need by category: “Shopping List, Pantry Items, and Tools”. Then each recipe is presented as a “Game Plan” and broken down into 3 steps: “1. When you walk in the door”, “2. Prep”, and “3. Start Cooking”, making it simple even for the most culinary challenged novice. For the most part the recipes originate from the three creators (occasionally they borrow from a master like Mario Batali), are healthy and wholesome and can be made in less than one hour.

Lauren’s first recipe of choice was the Pasta di Stromboli (also known as the Pasta of the Sun). Here she tells us how it went:  It was quick, easy and light (i.e. perfect for my hassle-free summer night). The dish boasted an olive oil, basil and garlic sauce with a plethora of tart cherry tomatoes. I made a few adjustments to it, such as replacing the spaghetti with healthier whole-wheat angel hair pasta, and substituting regular cherry tomatoes with local organic ones that vary in color. I also quadrupled the amount of garlic the recipe called for (as an Armenian this is standard practice when cooking). So as to allow my guests some portion control, I served the ricotta cheese in a side bowl so that everyone could “plop” their desired amount. I paired the pasta with a chilled bottle of Rose, and side dishes of prosciutto and melon and whole steamed artichokes. The meal was a success (if I do say so myself) and was molto delizioso!

I’ve eaten Lauren’s cooking before and can tell you she is no slouch in the kitchen, having been raised by a great cook – her mom and my Aunt Andy. For my first recipe I made Crisp Parmigiano Fish with Spinach and Onions. This was a knockout! Full of flavor from the Parmigiano coating on the fish and the hefty topping of sautéed onions that at first worried me would overwhelm the dish but instead pulled all the ingredients together for an outstanding first bite. At my husband’s request, I’ve made this dish twice now and used Tilapia the first time and a gorgeous red snapper the next. Both types of fish work well with the dish, but as long as you use a very light white fish cut into small filets you will be fine. I also doubled the amount of spinach the dish called for because once sautéed it reduces down to almost nothing. If this is the only green you are serving, I recommend doing the same.

I did not stop with the fish. I, like Lauren, love, love, love pasta. So when No Take Out posted a recipe for Greek Style Penne, I knew I had to try it. I am not only a fan of Greek cuisine, I am half Greek on my Father’s side and have traveled to the Greek Islands twice now with my husband. The first trip was our honeymoon and while staying on the gorgeous island of Crete, we had the most delicious pasta dish that I’ve never, until now, been able to recreate. The No Take Out version is simple yet flavorful with just the right amount of sautéed peppers, tomatoes, oregano, parsley, and garlic to create a beautiful base sauce for the mounds of feta cheese and pasta. I also used a whole-wheat penne and increased the amount of garlic called for. But in general this dish was very tasty and light – the perfect twist on a traditional Italian pasta salad and could be used as a side dish for a larger gathering or BBQ. I paired the pasta with a crisp white wine and a salad of fresh Romaine with shallot vinaigrette.

Lauren and I love how these recipes make the cook feel as though they should be enjoying themselves. Each one includes playful instructions like “Open the wine, pour yourself a glass and have some fun with this!” and “Get someone to set the table – you’re the cook and you’ll be busy!” With daily new recipes that are emailed to you once you subscribe, you will never be left wondering what to make for dinner tonight.

xoxo Melina & Lauren

I always thought that my friends not only had good taste—but good taste buds as well. My close friend, Carrie, certainly did not disappoint when she recommended BakedByMelissa.com.

The site is dedicated to owner Melissa Bushell’s most ingenious creation in the entire world: stuffed bite-sized cupcakes. The concept is perfect for someone like me, who is horrifically indecisive and takes hours to order at a restaurant because I want to have a small sample of everything on the menu.

With flavors like Cookie Dough (!!!), S’mores, Cookies & Cream as well as the timeless PB&J;, all jam-packed in a quarter-sized morsel—you can sample everything on the menu!

Unfortunately, there is a minimum for online delivery orders but for the lucky few who live in the “City that Never Sleeps” (and always wants to eat), you can stop by their store in SoHo and put Carrie’s (and your own!) taste buds to the test.

Each cupcake costs less than one dollar, and ten dollars for a dozen, so you definitely won’t feel the need to discriminate. With recession-proof, confectionery treats like these; I dare you to just have one.

Back in college, the days when it was difficult to wake up before noon on a Saturday, I would roll out of bed (quite literally), take a couple of aspirin, and make my way to the center of town.

When the snow started to slowly melt and students began to remember what green grass looked like, there would be a farmers’ market in the town square. Local farmers, bakers, and artisans loyally stood by their tents every week as students, faculty and locals all came together to celebrate their wares. The thought of fresh, organic, and locally grown food, enticed all walks of life, and was one of the only times that everyone came together to support the small community.

After graduation when I returned to the big city, I began to miss that small-town feeling, where one knew exactly where their food was from, and what family it supported. I’m not a strictly-organic gal at all, but I do like knowing that my food is fresh and after spending a semester living on a farm in high school, I can say that there are definite health benefits, not to mention a big boost in taste.

So, tired of paying an arm and a leg at Whole Foods I found www.LocalHarvest.org- a website devoted to finding farmers’ markets, restaurants and grocery stores that use local produce, closest to you. Just log-on and type in your zip-code and you’re halfway there. Each market, restaurant, etc is reviewed by other users and provides all the necessary information (address, days and times etc).

FarmersMarket.com is a similar site that can also help you in your search for freshness. So get out there and start reaping the delicious rewards from those who’ve toiled in the soil!

As testament to my love of food, I almost always watch the Food Network while working out on my elliptical machine. A strange combination, I admit, but I truly become entranced by these chefs. Their ease in the kitchen, their skill with food, their corresponding tools and the mouth-watering dishes they create transport me from the reality of my grueling 30-minute cardio routine and helps me forget the energy I have to expend to be able to eat the foods I like.

What drew me to Giada was how different she was than most other chef’s I’d seen. First of all, she is thin, attractive, fashionable and approachable. She is how I would like to imagine myself to be if I were a chef. Her recipes follow the same formula: simple ingredients and easy-to-follow directions that create accessible and delicious dishes. Healthy and simultaneously satisfying, some of my favorite Giada recipes are her Turkey Meatballs, Simple Bolognese and Chicken Saltimbocca.

A hard working girl, Giada’s show “Everyday Italian” airs twelve times a week at both 11am and 4:30pm on Food Network. She has a cookbook with the same name and has authored two other books, “Giada’s Family Dinners” and “Everyday Pasta.” I own them all and have used them extensively.

Now here’s the good news: you don’t need to buy a book to get access to Giada’s recipes – most are available on the Food Network’s website. It can’t get much easier or taste much better, so there is really no excuse not to try out a Giada recipe and get over your fear of the kitchen! I promise you will not be disappointed and you definitely won’t be hungry.