Potatoes make satisfying side dishes in all seasons, summer included. What would a picnic be without potato salad? Opinions on which ingredients are essential to potato salad can vary (maybe your must-include is hard-cooked egg, or diced onion, or sweet pickle relish). Regardless, the starting point must be a basic recipe that promises a good outcome every time. My stripped-down method does just that -- all the salad needs are creative additions to make it your own.

You loved our cornbread hors d'oeuvres baked in mini-muffin tins, so we found a way to make them even more scrumptious. Mix in one of the sweet, savory, or spicy flavor combinations listed in the recipe below, or create your own. You'll have appetizers to feed an army, or at least a few dozen of your closest friends.

Get the Cornbread Bites Recipe

Transform a basic white platter (this one's from cb2.com) into a cheese board for your next party.

For the best balance and presentation, choose cheeses with a range of appearances, flavors, and textures. We added pistachios, fruit, and fig cake.

These crisp parchment paper wrappers give muffins and cupcakes a festive air -- and they keep the baked goods from sticking to the pan, too.

Muffin Wrappers How-To 

1. Cut 5-inch square pieces of parchment. 

2. Spray a muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray to hold parchment in place. 

3. Place 1 piece of parchment into 1 cup of the tin, pressing along folds to crease. Repeat with other cups and parchment pieces. 

4. Scoop batter into cups, and bake.

Classic mimosas get a fresh twist -- and a pretty, rosy hue -- when they're mixed with pink grapefruit juice instead of the usual orange juice. For each serving, pour equal parts of Champagne (or any other sparkling wine) and fruit juice (either store-bought or freshly squeezed). One bottle of Champagne will yield about eight cocktails.