10 Paleo Recipes for Summertime Celebrations

Summer has finally (and suddenly) arrived in Boston, so it's probably time to have a party.  Here are ten paleo recipes I recommend for meeting all manner of summer celebration needs, from "What can I do with all these flag toothpicks from my mother?" to "How can I sneak coffee and/or balsamic vinegar into recipes that don't normally call for them?"

Those are the kinds of dilemmas you're grappling with, right?

I am always on the lookout for more ideas, and hearing from you makes my day.  Share what you're planning to make (or just eat) in the comments, or let me know what kinds of recipes you'd like to see on A Calculated Whisk in July and August!

If you're looking a show-stopping drink that's delicious with or without alcohol, you will love the Blackberry Smash.

If you want an appetizer that can be served with adorable, fancy, or just plain regular toothpicks (and a flavorful sauce to dip it in), try Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Kale Marinara.

If you want to let your crockpot do most of the work so you can have more time for last-minute frantic housecleaning, I recommend Slow-Cooker Carnitas Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple & Avocado Salsa.

If you want to grill, love coffee, or have gotten your hands on some peaches, you should try Mocha Marinated Steak with Peach Salsa.  Fruit salsas are a necessity.

If you agree with me that brussels sprouts are an integral part of any special occasion, you might want to make Orange-Glazed Brussels Sprouts.  You could definitely grill these instead of roasting them, but you'd still need to make the sauce on the stove.

If you want a fruit salad with some heat that can be easily customized with your choice of fruit (or need another use for those toothpicks), try Pico de gallo de frutas.  Substituting blueberries for the kiwi would give you a very U.S. color scheme.

If you love secret ingredients, or want a refreshing ice cream in a classic flavor that also happens to be vegan, try this Strawberry Ice Cream.

If you want a miniature, sparkly dessert (and who doesn't?), make Sparkling Sandwich Cookies.  Kids love to help with these--Ben's nieces had a blast rolling and sandwiching the batch we made over the holidays.

If you like to have a bowl of nuts out for people to munch on, but also want to make sure there's enough chocolate involved in every stage of the festivities, you could make Chocolate-Covered Almonds.  They may not be the most beautiful snack on Earth, but they're one of the simplest and most satisfying.

If you want a deliciously moist paleo cake that you can bake the day before, go with Lemon Olive Oil Cake.  Bundt cakes are automatically beautiful, and this one was so good that its flavor and texture are constantly stuck in my head.

Happy July!