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The sun is shining, daffodils are blooming, shorts and sandals are standard attire – all sure signs that we’re on the verge of summer. My calendar’s already packed with block parties, baseball games and family get-togethers. But summer’s long so there’s still plenty of time for street fairs, picnics at the beach, lazy Sunday afternoons in the hammock and my all-time favorite - grilling. Ah Grilling! From the simple to the gourmet, it all goes on the grill at my house. Salmon, burgers, Usinger’s famous brats, roasted potatoes, vegetables, homemade pizza – yes pizza! But this summer will be different. For the first time, I’m doing dessert on the grill. Every week we’ll share another sweet treat from the grill complete with photos and instructions. Check in every week to follow us through our sweet summer odyssey. Got a great grill recipe? Write us at mail@ilovesweets.com, subject line “grilling.” We’ll publish our favorites throughout the summer.

	Grilled Bananas
	What you need:
	Bananas (for grilling)
	Vegetable Oil or Spray
	Ice Cream or Whipped Cream, seasonal fruit for garnish
	Peel banana. Spray very lightly with vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place banana on hot grill and cook for approx. 3 min/side. Turn. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Increase or decrease cooking time based on grill temp. Remove from heat and plate. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and seasonal fruit for garnish.
On a scale of 1-10, we rate this an 7. Grilled dessert is fast. Plate, top, garnish and eat! And let's not forget, fruit is a healthy way to enjoy dessert!
Riff: Garnish with a scoop of ice cream or drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

	Seasonal Grilled Fruit
	What you need:
	Pineapple, Honeydew, Cantaloupe (for grilling)
	Vegetable Oil or Spray
	4 T. Brown Sugar & 1 T. Cinnamon
	Seasonal Fruit for garnish
	Clean fruit. Slice melon into 1/2" sections. Remove seeds. Spray melon/pineapple very lightly with vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place melon and pineapple on hot grill and cook for approx. 3 min/side. Turn. Sprinkle with brown sugar & cinnamon). Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Increase or decrease cooking time based on grill temp. Remove from heat and plate. Serve with seasonal fruit for garnish.
On a scale of 1-10, we rate this an 8. It's fast, it's easy, clean-up is a breeze and it's a light, refreshing finish to a meal.
Riff: for added zing, swap the brown sugar & cinnamon for cayenne & lime. Before grilling, drizzle the fruit with lime juice and lightly sprinkle with cayenne. Top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.