COOL recipes for a HOT summer!

Whether you have a great garden of your own,or the local farmer's market is calling your name, veggies are a great way to stay trim, hydrated and FIT, especially during those hot summer months! But when the old crudite plate seems so boring, they are a ton of recipes out there where VEGGIES are the STAR of the SHOW! One of our favorites is GAZPACHO! Chilled soup for a hot day, what could be better? So filling, refreshing, and sooooooo goooood for you! It's a winner and will make you slimmer, too!

Gazpacho (courtesy of simply recipes)

Don't let this laundry list of ingredients make you nervous, you throw it all into a blender and GO! :)

• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 purple onion, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
• 4 cups tomato juice

Method

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.OR EAT RIGHT AWAY~YUM!