Cold Treatment

Combine chopped watermelon, kalamata olives, crumbled Feta, lemon juice, and chopped mint leaves.
Dushka Zapata
Montara, California

Popsicles, of course!
Stephanie Morgan
Greenville, South Carolina

I love to serve raspberry sherbet with fresh berries and sometimes a little whipped cream on top. My husband and I don’t have air-conditioning, so we started doing this on those midsummer evenings when it’s just too hot and sticky to cook.
Jodi Walsh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Any Way Out

1. Pick up phone.
2. Dial for pizza.
Melanie Kuo
San Jose, California

KFC. As a child, my single mom didn’t want to stress over planning a picnic on her own, so we would grab KFC on the way to the park. There were a few times when utensils and napkins were forgotten, sending us back to the car for anything we could use (like mug lids and other odd things) to scoop up those famous potatoes and the coleslaw. Now, with my own family, I have picked up the tradition and welcome this simple picnic solution. Although I always make sure we have our utensils.
Carissa Maher
Salt Lake City, Utah

Anything I can eat on the beach.
Beth Portice
Stevensville, Michigan

I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, so any meal outside is easy. It may be peanut butter and jelly or barbecue, but if we say “picnic in the backyard,” the children get excited, the cleanup is a snap, and the dog loves the buffet.
Jennifer Burris
Litchfield Park, Arizona