I’m not 100 percent sure what happened, but we went from 35 degrees and raining to 90 degrees and sweltering. Summer has smacked us in Minnesota like the heat mass that hits you when you open the door of a hot oven. Or when you go to Vegas in July.

Take full advantage of summer. Get out there and grill, read a book in the shade, play badminton in your backyard with your friends and neighbors. When you get hot, cool off with versatile basil limeade.

Basil Limeade

Normally we do not have frozen from-concentrate juice on hand, but we have some leftover in the freezer from a successful experiment in “beergaritas.” If you’re ambitious, make your own limeade (fresh lime juice and sugar). Mix up your limeade, chiffonade (cut into small, thin ribbons) some fresh basil, mix the two together and you’ve got basil limeade. The basil tempers the sweet and tart limeade and gives it an interesting, deep flavor. For grown-ups, this is also fantastic with vodka or gin. Add a basil leaf into each compartment of an ice cube tray, pour some limeade on top and freeze and you’ve got basil limeade cubes to keep your basil limeade icy cold.

Now get out there and enjoy summer with a frosty beverage in hand!