(Originally published 5-23-2003)The unofficial kick off of summer - Memorial Day - will be here soon. Besides taking some time to remember all those who gave their lives in the cause of keeping our country free - which we all should do - Memorial Day calls for a picnic or backyard barbeque. In addition to the tasty line-up you'd normally provide, how about adding some extra taste excitement in the form of - root beer? Besides providing frosty mugs of this good stuff you can treat the kids (and maybe some adults, too) to one (or both) of these goodies:

Root Beer Popsicles:

You'll need: 1 can of root beer, vanilla ice cream, &frac; cup of milk, 1 ice cube tray or similar container.

Combine the root beer, milk and several scoops of ice cream into a blender and blend until creamy. Pour the mix into the ice cube tray and freeze. As the mixture hardens insert Popsicle sticks into each cube. Once frozen, separate the cubes with a butter knife and remove from container.

Root Beer Sno-cones:

Try this variation on the old favorite, the sno-cone. You can adjust the amounts as needed, to make more or less.

• 2 cups
• 2 cups of crushed/shaved ice
• 1 can root beer

Just divide the crushed ice between the cups and add root beer.

With friends or family, a good picnic spot, your great cooking and a couple of great root beer treats added, you'll have all the ingredients for a perfect day. (And let's hope it doesn't rain!)

By Laura Quarantiello

About The Author: © Tiare Publications Group - Laura Quarantiello is the author of "The Root Beer Book - A Celebration of America's Favorite Soft Drink." - filled with root beer recipes, how to make your own, root beer history, brands, collectibles and much more. More info at: http://www.tiare.com

Related: Homemade Popsicle Recipes

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