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"As soon as guests arrive for the Fourth, I want to hand them a drink and offer some snacks. It always feel more special to serve something homemade, but I&amp;#039;m often short on time the day of the party. Here   are 5 of my favorite quick snack solutions to summer parties: 1. Potato Chips with Sour Cream and Onion Dip: This classic is unbeatable, and homemade onion dip tastes so much better than the boxed stuff. I think this tastes even better after a few days in the fridge, so go ahead and make it now for your Fourth celebration! (Red and blue chips make it extra festive.) 2. Smoky Spiced Almonds: Get your guests ready for the BBQ by tossing roasted, salted almonds with a pinch of smoked paprika. I especially like the crunchy almonds from Whole Foods. 3. Sweet and Salty Snack Mix: When I&amp;#039;m really short on time, I toss a freshly opened bag of kettle corn with mini pretzels and cocktail peanuts. I get the giant bags of Angie&amp;#039;s kettle corn from Costco when I&amp;#039;m having lots of friends over.  4. Homemade Hummus with Celery: I like to get some veggies into the kids before they binge on burgers and ice cream. It takes only a few minutes to whip up this eggplant hummus in the food processor and celery&amp;#039;s the fastest crudite to cut. 5. DIY Tomato Mozzarella Skewers: I toss mini mozzarella balls with olive oil, torn fresh basil, and red chile flakes and put them in a bowl next to bowls of first-of-the-season grape, cherry, or pear tomatoes. I set some pretty little toothpicks or skewers in the middle and let the guests go at it. With these snacks out, I can finish up at the grill and know that everyone&amp;#039;s having a great time. What are your favorite appetizers for summer parties? Come check out our Test Kitchen on a free Good Housekeeping Research Institute Tour! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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