Oh so perfect for summer! It's quick. It's easy. It's make-now or make-ahead. It's good hot or cold. It's good as is and atop a salad and tucked into a sandwich. What is it? Baked chicken breasts in a light Parmesan crust. ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ The Second Busiest Food Holiday for Supermarkets In thousands of hometowns this Independence Day, Americans will place hands over hearts as legions of dignified if aging veterans and their fresh-faced comrades convey our flag along tree-lined main streets. And as day draws to a close, we’ll gather again on blankets and some times in boats to “oooh” and “aaah” as mid-summer night skies unfold a pageant of artistry and spectacle. Between the parades and the pyrotechnics will be family reunions, neighborhood potlucks, church picnics, riverside barbecues and community fairs – all laden with summer bounty! It’s no wonder that food-wise, the Fourth of July is the second-busiest holiday for supermarkets.

Three recipes for easy homemade salad dressings. First up, Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing (pictured below) but there's also My Favorite Salad Dressing that's never the same twice except delicious, it's a classic vinaigrette, the one I make nearly every day. Finally, there's a Traditional Balsamic Dressing. For anyone who's set a goal to eat more salads, start with learning how how to make homemade salad dressing, it makes all the difference! Ah, summer salads. What’s not to love about a plate piled high with fresh greens, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower? Throw chicken breasts on the grill and the meal is complete. BUTTERMILK BALSAMIC DRESSING is a stock item to keep ready in the fridge nearly year-round. It’s terrific on salads but also works as a pick-me-up for steamed vegetables and grilled meats. You’ll want to use fresh buttermilk and a good balsamic vinegar. And look at the calories – it’s practically a “free” food! TRADIT

Who says upside-down cakes must be pineapple?! Here, the upside-down fruit is fresh rhubarb made slightly unusual with just a kiss of anise. COMPLIMENTS! "... it tasted great." ~ Nat "Nice light, soft, moist cake without being too gooey heavy or sweet." ~ Kari Battling the bunnies. It’s an endless fight this time of year. A particularly persistent little guy is tearing up new impatiens in the shade garden. Every night he digs up a dozen plants, every morning I carefully restore them to the dirt. Something’s nibbling at the hostas as well. And the shasta daisies. And ... The other day, my neighbor Mr. McGregor (okay, that’s not his real name) was perplexed to see dirt flying out of a grassy rise behind the house. He approached cautiously to find the muscular hind legs of a bunny digging to China the long way, sideways. Ah, the joys of summer. One of summer’s true treasures is rhubarb. This year’s crop is abundant and seems particularly sweet