Too hot to cook? Too hot to even prepare drinks that require shaking? I can relate, it's hot here. (Seriously, it was 103 in Seattle yesterday. Nobody in Seattle has air conditioning. Temperatures over 90 get old really fast.) The only thing to do is buy a bag of ice and some grapefruit juice, make some Salty Dogs and sit in front of a fan.

Salty Dog
• salt the rim of a glass
• fill glass with ice
• one part gin (or vodka), three parts grapefruit juice
• retreat to cool area

If you're not a salted rim sort you can skip it, that is called a Greyhound. There are conflicting reports on whether gin or vodka is the proper spirit to use but, let's face it, it's too hot to give a damn.

I made the Peach White-Wine Sangria from Gourmet twice last weekend and found it a bit sweeter than I like, so I changed the recipe a bit the second time around, and I doubled it. Because, you know, when it comes to Fourth of July parties more is better.

Here's what you'll need:

• gallon jug
• four cans peach nectar (11.5 ounces each for 46 ounces total)
• two bottles of dry white wine (I used Hogue Fume Blanc)
• zest from one lemon
• juice of two lemons (or 1/2 cup)
• 2 cups of basil leaves
• 15 to 20 basil sprigs
• two peaches, diced or wedged (depending on how lazy you feel and if you want the fruit to end up in the drinks)

Combine the basil leaves, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and bruise the leaves with a spoon. (You can also add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar now if you'd like.) Add two cans of peach nectar and heat until it's just reached a simmer. Pour through strainer and into a heatproof pitcher (I use an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup at this point) and allow to cool for a while. Discard the basil leaves and lemon zest. Then pour into the gallon pitcher, something that seals if you're on your way to a picnic (I used the larger version of this Rubbermaid one and it didn't spill when it fell over in the trunk of my car), something pretty if you're entertaining at home. Add the peaches, basil sprigs, final two cans of peach nectar and bottles of wine. Chill for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

The mixture will be thick, so serve it over a glass filled with ice, or if you find yourself at a party with no ice (say your friends have owned the house for only a few hours so the party is all bare-bones style) it tastes pretty good mixed with a bit of cold ginger ale. (Thanks to Maggi for that discovery!)

I'll buy no kits before it's time. | Ask Metafilter. Home brewing without buying a kit. At Ask Metafilter.

Cave B Estate Winery. Found via Seattle Tall Poppy's Twitter stream, full of great food info.

How to Make Your Own Irish Cream Liqueur | The Hungry Mouse. Found on Edible Crafts.

Tasty crops for a gin garden? | Ask Metafilter. Now, I could get into this sort of edible gardening.

Margarita etiquette | Ask Metafilter. Is there an accepted way to get to enjoy the salt?

Peach White-Wine Sangria Recipe at Epicurious.com. I'm going to have to find a reason to make this sangria sometime soon.