From the FIORASPHEREHappy Messy Food Season!

Be Chill When You Grill

Now that we’ve established that we’ll help you keep the party clean… WHO WANTS RIBS? Yep, we’re starting with the messiest first because enjoying them is easy when you’ve got plenty of rolls of paper towels around. Wet wipes are good, too, but do you know what works just as well if you don’t have those? Wet paper towels. (That’s our pro tip of the summer!) So fear not thy mess, invite your family and friends, and fire up that grill or smoker. Your favorite summer foods — hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, and ribs — are not going to eat themselves.

Pass the FIORA®

Whether you’re keeping things super casual or wanting to impress your neighbors, there’s just something so nice about serving and sharing meals outside. And since there are a million different ways to decorate a table (and we like to keep things clean), we’ll focus on a few different ways of making sure everyone has a paper towel or napkin handy.

1) Family Style. This one is easy and makes guests feel at ease. Simply place a roll of paper towels in the middle of the table — use a paper towel holder or don’t (like we said, this one’s real casual) — and let everyone grab their own.

2) Fun & Flirty Folds. Nothing says “welcome to the table” like a playful (or even fancy, if that’s your style) napkin arrangement. And, just like there are a million ways to set a table, there are a ton of fun ways to fold a paper napkin. So, for the sake of time, we’ll share a few of our favorites and then suggest heading over to Pinterest or Youtube for easy folding tutorials. ;)

FIORA® Favorites: Heart-shaped, the ice cream cone-shaped utensil-holding fold, the “rose” (if you’re feeling really elaborate), and, of course, the classic rollup with ribbon or twine tie.

3) The Simple Stack. It’s summertime and we know you want to relax and enjoy the party, so here’s another simple solution. Go buffet-style and let your guests serve themselves. Set out a cute container with a stack of napkins at the end of the food line. Done and done. Let’s eat!

Make it Pop!

Hot days call for cool treats, and we can’t think of anything cooler than frozen popsicles. And there’s no need to go out and buy them when they’re so much fun to make at home! Plus, you can make healthier versions that still look and taste great but have less sugar and let you get creative with real fruit.

You can freeze just about anything — fruits, juices, yogurt, and milk — so round up the kids (and adults), ask everyone to pick their favorite flavors, and get to mixing! You can slice fruit and freeze them in juice or a blend of yogurt and juice for super fruity “designed” popsicles or make a puree with fruits and juices for colorful creations that will taste as good as they look. Blending in yogurt or milk will add a little protein but also some creaminess for a smooth texture.

So you can see that you have lots of yummy options and something for everyone, no matter their taste. Some of our favorite (and most successful) frozen flavors are: strawberries, bananas, peaches, watermelon, mango, orange juice, and pretty much any flavor of yogurt. You’ll want to make sure you freeze them overnight to be on the safe side, and with the variety of popsicle holders that are available these days, you can play with all kinds of shapes and sizes!

And because we promised to help you keep things clean, here’s a great tip for preventing those melty, sticky drips. Take a FIORA® paper towel or napkin and cut a small slit to put the popsicle stick through. The paper towel or napkin will drape over little or big hands and catch the drips before they can make a mess. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! (Oh! That reminds us… lemon slices look and taste so refreshing in a homemade popsicle!)

Well, it looks like the moral of this blog story is that when it’s summertime and life hands you lemons, make lemon popsicles! And don’t let any fears of messy foods get in your way of good, clean summer fun! Just stock up on paper towels and napkins and enjoy!