Summer is a time of traditions – people travel to the same resorts year after year, host annual barbeques, and go back time and time again to enjoy their favorite summer treats. It’s hard to think of summer without thinking of favorite food traditions – such as grandma’s strawberry pie or a s’more around a campfire.

Every now and again, it’s good to shake up food traditions a little bit. Updating some old-fashioned summer favorites takes a little creativity and ingenuity, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot in terms of money or time spent in the kitchen.

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Rain showers and blooming flowers aren’t the only things that will be kind to your sense of smell this spring. It’s also the time of year when you start to bake up homemade breads, cookies, and moist crumbly muffins.

This year, mix in some new recipes with some longtime family favorites. Here are some tips for making yummy treats that will have the entire neighborhood gathering outside your kitchen this spring:

* Bake quick breads in the center of the oven rack for best heat circulation.

* Use a spring-handled ice cream scoop (No. 20 or No. 24) to fill muffin cups … read more