Memorial Day is just around the corner, so get ready - it is the kickoff to summer entertaining; but it can be challenging to keep one eye on your pocketbook and one eye on satisfying your friends and family.

So here are my tips (and tricks!) to cut costs and add more flavor to your Memorial Day BBQ Party and still celebrate in style.

Let's start with the drinks.

Cans and bottles of soda on hot summer days are pretty standard fare, but with more of us watching our wallets and our health, a great alternative is a pitcher of iced tea. It just costs pennies to make and can be sweetened to your own taste with real sugar or zero calorie sweeteners. My recommendation is to use stevia or agave. To make sure my iced tea is perfect, I make one pitcher ahead of time and use that one to make iced tea ice cubes so as they melt they don't water down the brew. I typically will brew three different teas (mint, black tea and chamomile) to offer my guests a choice.

For the kids, think Kool-Aid. But make it with less sugar than the instructions call for; big savings and much less sugar than most sodas. Just using these two alternatives instead of one can of soda for each of twenty guests can save you over $15.00!

While everyone seems addicted to bottled water, its expensive, bad for our environment and most are actually just from local municipal water supplies and are then filtered. Instead, use a Brita or Pur water filter or pitcher and add a few pieces of cucumber, celery, orange or lemon to make it extra special. You can save an astonishing $20 or more, and Mother Earth will thank you

Everyone loves to save money, and since the average American goes grocery shopping a little more than twice a week, there is no better place to start looking for those extra dollars.

You already know that you should have a list prepared before you head to the store (those shoppers save an estimated 25% on their shopping bill by eliminating impulse purchases) and bring those coupons (which now have an average face value of almost a dollar), but what you may not know is that WHERE in the store you shop may also make a difference.

Today every retailer seems to be selling groceries, and why not? We buy foodstuffs more often than any other category of goods and therefore so is the likelihood of us visiting a particular store more often. And when we are there...if the merchandising is doing its job, we will buy more items than we planned to and that leads to extra profits for the store. As a result, there is a battle going on between warehouse clubs, supercenters, drug chains and our traditional supermarkets to entice us to their stores and purchase our groceries at their check stand.

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Here are a few tips that can turn your next shopping trip into a windfall.

The fruits of autumn are pineapple, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, apples, Asian pears, some plums, and grapes. Because most are picked ripe, only refrigeration is necessary, but as with all produce, choosing well is the first step.

APPLES are picked ripe, so refrigerate them after purchase. Should be bruise-free and unblemished and firm to the touch.

ASIAN PEARS are picked just before maturity and ripen in storage. Delicate, often encased in a net of foam to prevent bruising, they should be firm to the touch and refrigerated. Eat promptly. The flesh is white, juicy, and with texture like a delicate apple with the perfume of pears.

PEARS are ripened best off the tree to avoid a gritty flesh, pears should be smooth and unblemished. A slight yield when the stem end is pressed indicates ripeness. To ripen further, leave in a bowl or a brown paper bag at room temperature. Check daily.

PERSIMMONS can ripen on the kitchen counter. Fuyu, a four sided pale yellow-orange to deep red persimmon has a firm flesh and is eaten like an apple. Hachiya is large, oblong and has a deep orange skin; it should be eaten when soft. Saijo is egg shaped and reddish orange and eaten soft. Hard fleshed persimmons should be very firm and rich in color; soft fleshed versions should yield but not be mushy.

PINEAPPLES are harvested when ripe and should be even in color (yellow), undamaged, and smell delicate at the stem. Heavy sweetness indicates age. Leaves should be deep green and fruit heavy for its size. Further ripening is rarely needed.

POMEGRANATES are harvested just before maturity, they have hard reddish shells that make a metallic sound when tapped. Can be refrigerated several weeks; edible seeds become juicier and more flavorful with age. Thirteen varieties of this Iranian native grow in California.

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Retailers are always asking me what's the next big trend, and in the produce department it is all about apples! Get ready as blueberries and pomegranates are challenged by what many consider the "old school fruit"; new research reports are pointing to the old standby to help ward off cancers, high blood pressure, heart disease...and even lose weight. And the reason that this fruit will be the next super fruit, is that is it inexpensive and is readily available.

There are about 2,500 varieties of apples grown here in the United States, but most shoppers are familiar with just a few - and that opens up a huge opportunity for our supermarkets to expand their selections and sample, sample, sample. (My favorite by the way is the Fuji apple which I get whenever available at our local Sunday Farmers Market). Remember, that conventionally grown apples, according to the Environmental Working Group are the second only to peaches when it comes to pesticide residue - so be sure to wash them, my recommendation for consumers is to use an all natural pesticide wash like FIT, or purchase organic apples.

All apples are rich in fiber and potassium, but the new research is showing a lot more benefits. The skin, or peel of the apple contains polyphenols which are cancer-fighting antioxidants which can help fight off colon cancer. Apples also contain quercetin, also found in onions, which is a flavonoid which has been proven to lower the risk of pancreatic cancer. And in April, scientists in France published findings that showed that consuming apples helped to prevent buildup of plaque in the arteries of animals.

Quite possibly the one piece of research that may have the biggest impact on apple consumption is all about our waistlines. A nationwide research study found that those who ate apples on a regular basis were 21 percent less likely to have a large waist. The study also found that these apple lovers were 27 percent less likely to be diagnosed with metobolic syndrome; which consists of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol levels and excess belly fat.

So get out those bushel baskets and start enjoying! The fall season produces some of the best tasting apples you can bite into. Remember apple juice is not a replacement for the whole fruit, it typically contains less fiber and in many cases has added sweeteners; and if you do your research carefully you'll find that much of the apple juice concentrate that is used in packaged juices is actually produced in China. Think local and think whole fruit.

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The season's bounty of vegetables reflects the seasonal foliage: pumpkin, yellow and orange gourds, forest green chards and kales and squashes, and deep burgundy beets, all with substantial vitamins C and A, folate, and potassium that add a rich underlying flavor to many recipes. Below, our Five Faves, but check out all the "new" seasonal foods.

BOK CHOY
This Asian favorite has dark green, glossy leaves and bright white stalks. Use the day you buy them or the next day for best flavor. Wash thoroughly to rid any lingering dirt, drain, then trim off the woody bottom. Cut stalks into pieces like you would celery, and serve raw in salads along with the leaves; add them to cooked grain or soups; steam the stalks briefly for about two minutes then the leaves for another two minutes and serve with a dash of soy sauce, grated ginger, and garlic.



JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES (Sunchokes)
These look like fresh ginger, are not from Jerusalem, and un-related to artichokes yet offer a crunchy and delicate taste when raw; sweeter flavor when cooked. Should be very firm with smooth skins; use within two-three days. Trim root edges and slice (no need to peel) to serve raw in salads, cook in stir fries, or boil or steam then mash into a soup thinned slightly with broth.



BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Best when still on the stalk, this small round cabbage relative should sport a clear green color and tightly enclosed leaves. Store them for a week to 10 days in the refrigerator. To prepare, trim the ends then cut an X in the stem for thorough cooking. Steam or sauté with seasoning for a soft texture or bake them sliced in half for a crispy texture.



PARSNIPS
This often neglected vegetable looks like a carrot but is pale beige-yellow. Avoid woody ones, and look for smooth skins. Can be refrigerated up to a week. These should be trimmed on both ends and washed thoroughly. Add to stews and soups, or roast and mash them to eat alone or with richer-tasting mashed potatoes.



WATERCRESS
This peppery delight adds piquancy to any salad and holds its own against a mélange of flavors from apples and nuts to blue cheeses and beets. These greens make a tangy salad spread whipped thoroughly with cream cheese or thick yogurt. Look for glossy, small dark green leaves; stems (deliciously edible) should be crisp, not wilted.



Related Content:

• More on the best seasonal foods.
• Get more info from TODAY on iVillage.