Choose desserts that hold up well. Aunt Edna's crumb cake will likely be just crumbs if it's toted very far, and gooey frosting can melt off a cake. Cookies, brownies or fruit are more stable.

For a simple but elegant-looking dessert, top slices of store-bought angel food cake with berries. Add dollops of whipped cream from an aerosol can. If you can't find reasonably priced fresh berries, use frozen ones.

Instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers for s'mores, place the melted marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. It's easier, and a $3 package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend more than that on chocolate bars alone.

Serving

Serve food in a shady area to keep it cooler.

If you're trying to feed a crowd on a budget, place the "buffet line" of food strategically, with the least expensive side dishes first, said Teresa Hunsaker of Weber County's USU Extension. "If you watch anyone who caters, that's exactly how they set it up, so people will fill their plate with the tossed salad first, then go on to the side dishes and the main dish last, because it's the most expensive."

Create eye appeal by placing the bowls or trays at varying heights atop sturdy blocks or empty containers. It's also a good way to squeeze in all the dishes in a limited space.

Leftovers often go to waste. Reserve some ice in the cooler to bring them home in edible condition. Get them in the cooler, or refrigerated, within two hours of the meal, and store them in small, shallow containers for convenience and quick chilling, advised Jacob Schmidt of the Utah Beef Council.

If you're planning to do a lot of picnicking this summer, keep your basket stocked with the basics. Then it's just a matter of adding the food and you're off.

QUICK FIVE BEAN SALAD

Prep time: 10 minutes

1 8-ounce bottle Italian salad dressing

1-2 teaspoons sugar

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 14-ounce cans cut green beans

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can yellow wax beans

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional