Here comes summer! Hold onto your hats because here it’s time for black flies, yellow pollen, and cars, trucks, buses, boats, and planes chock-a-block full of tourists. (And don’t forget the house guests that come for lunch and stay for three days.)

June can be a busy month for entertaining with graduation parties, bridal showers and weddings. This week’s column was inspired by a friend with a request for some ideas for a bridal shower.

I love entertaining with a brunch because the menu can be as diverse as you'd like. You can lean toward the breakfast-part of brunch with breakfast-y dishes or the lunch-part with luncheon type fare. Or why not choose the best of both and incorporate some of each? And yes, it is perfectly proper to serve an alcoholic beverage at brunch (do offer something non-alcoholic as well) and you can absolutely end the meal with a decadent dessert. Wait until you try my Cannoli Cake garnished with fresh strawberries! (And it starts with a cake mix — easy peasy!)

Sparkling Cosmopolitans

• 3 cups cranberry-pomegranate juice
• 1-1/2 cups lemon-flavored vodka or rum
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier)
• 2 cups Prosecco, well chilled
• Garnish: lime slices

Fill a large pitcher about half way with ice cubes; add cranberry-pomegranate juice, lime juice, and liqueur. Strain mixture into another pitcher and refrigerate. To serve, gently stir in Prosecco and serve at once, garnishing glass with a slice of lime. Yield: about 8 cups.

Mojito slushie

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 10 cups crushed ice
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
• 1 cup white rum
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

Combine sugar and water in a blender and process 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Add the crushed ice, lemon and lime juice, rum and mint leaves. Blend until icy-smooth. Yield: 8 cups.

• Sparkling ginger-raspberry lemonade
• 4 cups raspberry lemonade*, chilled
• 2 cups white grape juice, chilled
• 2 cups ginger ale, chilled
• Raspberry Ice Cubes (below)

Combine lemonade, grape juice and ginger ale in a large pitcher. Serve over raspberry ice cubes. Yield: 8 cups.

*I used Simply Lemonade with Raspberry

Raspberry ice cubes

In each well of an ice cube tray, place a fresh raspberry, and fill with white grape juice. Freeze overnight.

Arugula and orange salad with grapefruit and poppy seed dressing

• 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

For the salad:

• 1 bag (4 to 5 oz.) fresh baby arugula
• 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
• 1 orange, peeled and sectioned

To prepare the dressing: Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until blended and smooth.

To prepare the salad: Arrange arugula on each of 4 salad plates. Top with diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and grapefruit and orange sections. Drizzle with dressing and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings. (Recipe may be doubled or tripled.)

Blueberry sour cream muffins

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

For the muffins:

• 1-1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided use
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup frozen blueberries

To prepare the topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender (or clean fingers) blend butter into dry ingredients to form coarse crumbs. Refrigerate.

To prepare the muffins: Combine the 1-1/2 cups of flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg on medium speed of electric mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and melted butter and beat 1minute or until pale yellow. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest until blended. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until almost blended. In a bowl toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold the blueberries into the batter.

Fill 12 paper lined muffin cups three-fourths full of batter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from the pan; cool on a rack. Yield: 12 muffins. (May be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Crab quiche

• Pastry for a 9-inch single crust pie, purchased or homemade
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided use
• 1/2 cup diced sweet red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 6-8 oz. fresh crabmeat

Fit pastry into a 9 inch pie plate or quiche dish. Flute edges and do not prick. Line bottom of pastry shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil and add pie weights. Bake in preheated 450 F oven 5 minutes; remove foil and continue baking 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle 1/2 cup of Swiss cheese over bottom. Reduce oven temp to 375 F. Melt butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add bell pepper and green onions and cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

Combine eggs, half-and-half, salt and white pepper in a large bowl and whisk until well blended. Stir in crab, red pepper mixture and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Pour into crust and bake 30-35 minutes or until the tip of a sharp knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings

Cannoli cake

• 1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz.) French vanilla cake mix

For the filling

• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. rum extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the frosting:

• 16 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the garnish:

• 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 Tbsp. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Whole fresh strawberries (optional)

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

To prepare the filling: Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon and all 3 extracts in a large bowl and beat on low speed of electric mixer until smooth. Stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare the frosting: Combine mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, milk and both extracts in a large bowl and with electric mixer on low speed, beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

To assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup filling. Top with second cake layer and spread remaining filling over top of cake to within 1 inch of edges. Frost sides and top edge of cake with 2 cups of the frosting. Press almonds into sides of cake; pipe remaining frosting around edges. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Refrigerate. Cake is best if well chilled before serving. Slice and garnish plate with a whole strawberry. Yield: 12 servings.