OPEN POST: Summer Snacks

For many of us around here, it's hotter than Satan's taint in a wool jockstrap - and with that, we tend to prefer fare on the lighter side when it's time to stuff our empty maws. So Peckerdears, what are some of your favorite summer dishes that get the job done without giving you the meat sweats? I'll go first!

Macaroni Salad

While this one's a pretty standard recipe I like and found at Macaroni Salad - Sugar Spun Run, it does the trick when you want a little light, cold pasta to sate your hunger:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz macaroni noodles
• 1/2 cup diced sweet pickles
• 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 2 large hard boiled eggs, diced

Macaroni Salad Dressing:

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream (you could use nonfat plain greek yogurt if you wanna be low cal)
• 2 tbsp sweet pickle juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp stone-ground mustard (or dijon if you nasty)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (if you like a little kick)

Instructions:

1. Cook macaroni noodles. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water and then drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Stir noodles so they don't stick together.
2. In a large bowl, combine macaroni noodles, sweet pickles, red pepper, celery, red onion, and eggs. Stir until well-combined. Set aside and prepare the dressing.

For the dressing:

1. Combine mayo, sour cream, red wine vinegar, sweet pickle juice, sugar, stone-ground mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Whisk until ingredients are well-combined.
2. Pour dressing over your macaroni salad ingredients and toss until well-combined.
3. For best flavor cover the bowl and allow macaroni salad to chill for at least one hour.

And that's it! Pretty traditional but so damn yummy. What's your favorite summer dish and/or drink?