That’s the big day Craveworthy Brands is giving hungry bargain hunters an opportunity to enjoy a FREE signature menu item at its 14 different restaurants — with more than 200 participating locations nationwide.
Photo: Deposit Photos
From pizza and cookies to cold brew, chicken tenders and falafel, customers can experience the menu items that have made brands like Big Chicken, Dirty Dough, Gregorys Coffee, Fresh Brothers and Taim Mediterranean Kitchen fan favorites.
Simply sign up for the chosen restaurant brand (or all of them!) at betonthebite.com, visit a nearby location on July 14, 2026 and show the confirmation e-mail to enjoy the FREE signature menu item.
It’s a fruit we treat like a vegetable, a nontoxic member of the nightshade family, born in South America but internationally famous. It’s the tomato, of course. And though it can be pricey in winter, in summer it’s indecently cheap at farm stands and markets. You can buy a whole basket for just a few bucks. Which is great, because this is when they’re ripe and lush. They’re one of the superfoods, rich in vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene, so they’re good for you as well.
We love cheap eats — and this time of year, tomatoes qualify. So do zucchini and corn.
They’re versatile, too. As kids, we used to pick them warm from the garden and eat them like apples. Sliced on a plate, with a touch of sea salt, they need no other adornment. But let’s give it a shot, anyway.
Fresh tomatoes dress up any salad, add pizzazz to soups, can be broiled as a side dish (top halves with a little cheese), and diced or sliced thinly for homemade pizza. And don’t forget to make homemade salsa, using fresh green chiles. It rocks.
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Here are some of our favorite ways to use fresh tomatoes:
Bruschetta with tomato and basil
Fresh garden tomatoes at the peak of ripeness is what makes this eminently simple dish a gourmet delight.
Classic Italian Bruschetta Recipe
In a bowl, put diced ripe tomatoes (at least one large per person), chopped fresh sweet basil, a touch of garlic, a dash of good olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes to marinate.
Meanwhile, toast some slices of leftover baguette or ciabatta bread. Top the toasted bread with the tomato mixture and add a few shavings of Parmesan cheese. We’ll bet you’re going to find it better than any you’ve ever had in a restaurant. Makes a great light lunch or a company appetizer.
Fresh tomato pasta
Photo by Malin Strandvall on Unsplash
Cook some of your favorite pasta — even tortellini or ravioli. While it’s cooking, pour a dab of olive oil into a skillet, add some garlic and cook gently for a few minutes. Add a couple of cups of diced fresh tomato per person and stir, heating through. Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce and serve with some fresh-grated Parmesan cheese. It makes a perfect light, vegetarian supper on its own, or a great side dish with grilled chicken or fish. If you like things spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes (with the garlic) to the “sauce” — or dress it up with a handful of chopped black olives. Add a little more olive oil to finish, if needed.
Fresh tomato soup
Once you eat fresh tomato soup, you’ll never go back to canned.
In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil). Add 1 large onion, chopped; one large carrot, chopped; and one stalk of celery, sliced. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat till carrot is tender. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of flour and stir well for about 30 seconds, to coat vegetables. Then add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and stir again. Now add 1 pound of fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped. Stir and then add 1 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable stock and stir again. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, a bay leaf (optional), a few sprigs of fresh parsley, a pinch of thyme and ½ teaspoon of paprika.
Stir all together well and bring to a low simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and – either with a stick immersion blender or a regular blender – puree till smooth. (Be careful when pureeing hot foods — don’t overload the blender and keep a kitchen towel handy in case it splatters.) Pour mixture back into the pot and add 2½ cups of milk. Heat but do not boil. Taste to correct seasoning (it may need salt and you may like to add some pepper). Serves 4.
This is a great way to use overripe tomatoes past their prime.
Fresh homemade tomato salsa
Photo: Jamie Coupaud on Unsplash
Dice up four or more fresh tomatoes straight from your garden and add chopped cilantro, onion, fresh jalapeño, and salt and pepper. This is the freshest, most delicious pico de gallo salsa we’ve ever tried! And with only four ingredients, plus salt and pepper, it’s also one of the easiest homemade salsas to whip up directly from your garden.
Summer tomato salad
You’ll find numerous versions of this tomato salad recipe on the web; what makes it so wonderful in the summertime is that you can easily find every ingredient at its freshest – maybe even from your own vegetable garden!
The basic ingredients of a light and delicious summer tomato salad include:
Tomatoes – either slicing tomatoes, roma, or even grape size
Onion – either red, green, or sweet Vidalia
Vinaigrette – use a prepared dressing or combine quality oil with a nice vinegar
Once you have your basic salad, you can make several variations depending on the other ingredients you have on hand. Toss in cool cucumber for the classic light summer dish, add an avocado for healthy fat, or add mozzarella to give your summer tomato salad an Italian flare.
For more great recipes using summer’s bounty of tomatoes, go online to Food Network Recipes or just Google “tomato recipes.” We’ve also got more suggestions for frugal summer meals:
There’s something about fresh, sweet, juicy corn on the cob that just screams summer. You bite into those pearl-like kernels and taste a burst of sweet juice. It doesn’t get better than this.
Except it does: Sweet corn, in season, is really cheap. It starts out at two for $1, then four, then … well who knows? At farmer’s markets, especially at the end of the day, sometimes you can get six or more for a buck. Such a deal.
Eat cheaply and well this summer with our favorite recipes for sweet corn.
How to cook corn on the cob
Boiled corn on the cob
Fresh sweet corn is great just as is, shucked and dropped into a pot of boiling water for about four to five minutes. (Don’t overcook it.) Slather on a little butter and sprinkle on some salt and you’re in heaven.
You can get fancy and make some flavored butter to go on your cob. Just soften a stick of butter and add a handful of your favorite chopped herb, such as chives, rosemary or cilantro. You can even infuse the butter with chipotle or other chilies. Mix well, then place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it up, twisting the ends, to make a tube of butter. Refrigerate till use. Spread the flavored butter on hot corn. Yum.
Give your corn a cheesy twist by sprinkling on finely grated cheese (we like Parmesan) while it’s hot. Or try a flavored salt.
Grilled corn on the cob
To get a smoky flavor, grill your corn. Follow these instructions from the Food Network to get perfectly grilled corn on the cob. It takes about 20 minutes. Add your favorite seasoning preference or flavored butter.
Roasted corn on the cob
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Shuck your corn and rinse the ears. One by one, spread each ear with softened butter and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven on a high-temp cookie sheet or sheet pan for 25 to 30 minutes, or until kernels are tender.
Photo: Randy Fath on Unsplash
Campfire corn on the cob
Soak your sweet corn ears (in the husk), fully submerged in the water, for about two hours. Place soaked sweet corn on grill grate above your campfire and turn often to avoid burning the husk. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the corn kernels are tender. Remove from fire and allow to cool slightly, then peel and enjoy with butter, salt, and pepper.
You can also cook corn on the cob in the embers or coals of a fire, wrapped in aluminum foil. Follow this recipe from Bon Appetit if you’ve got a charcoal fire.
Sweet corn recipes
If you prefer your corn off the cob, the possibilities are endless:
When the corn gets to the end of the season and becomes a little starchy or too tough, many of these applications work well. If you end up buying too much corn, you can always freeze it for future use.
Fresh sweet corn is good for you, too. It’s high in fiber and gluten-free. It contains some B-complex vitamins, such as thiamin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid. It also contains minerals such as zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese.
And the bonus: It also tastes soooooooo good.
Here are a few of our tried-and-true recipes.
Corn oysters recipe (corn fritters)
Photo: Deposit Photos
I like to make corn oysters as a side dish for a late summer or early fall dinner.
2 cups of fresh corn (cut off the cob)
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon milk
2 eggs, separated
Cooking oil
In a mixing bowl, combine corn, flour, and salt and pepper. Add milk and egg yolks and combine.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the corn mixture gently but thoroughly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet and drop corn mixture by heaping tablespoons onto hot oil, like you’re making pancakes. Cook a few minutes on each side, till golden. Remove to a paper-towel-lined platter and keep warm until all are cooked. Serve immediately.
This recipe makes about 20 “oysters.” Figure on three or four per person.
Southwestern corn salad
One of my favorite ways to use fresh corn (or frozen, in a pinch, off-season) is with this Southwestern corn salad.
In a large mixing bowl or plastic container, combine
3 cups corn
1 (15–ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 ripe tomatoes (cored, seeded and diced)
1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chilies (or jalapeños, if you prefer a spicier salad)
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic,
3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
5-6 scallions (green and white parts minced)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Let the mixture sit at least 3 hours, refrigerated, before serving, to meld flavors. Serves 10. It’s great for summer parties and tailgates because it doesn’t spoil easily. It also doubles as a salsa.
School Break. Spring Break. Summer Break. Fall Break. The terms excite students across the country but also can instill dread in the minds of the parents of school-age children everywhere. Days or weeks in a row with no school. What can you possibly do to prevent hearing “I’m bored” over and over again?
Use these fun ideas to get the kids active during the summer months! Creative activities and ideas for kids!
Search no more. Here are simple crafts, fun games and yummy recipes that your kiddos can do to have fun and keep busy over school vacation. (Depending on their age, some kids may need more grown-up help than others)
Craft Time
This Tie Dye Butterfly is cute and the kids will love seeing the colors blend to create beautiful wings.
I know my son would have a ball making (and throwing) many of these Paper Helicopters.
These Glitter Bracelets might require a quick trip to the hardware store, but I think it’d be worth it.
If the weather is nice where you live, you may want to try this Exploding Art Project. It’s a bit messy, yet can provide a lasting memory.
These Easy Birdseed Feeders may help bring some feathered friends to your yard as spring is beginning.
These Cosmic Sun Catchers are a pretty, simple, and not too time consuming. I can see us making several of these.
Game Time
This Frisbee Golf looks like a lot of fun for outdoors or if you have a good-size playroom.
I can already hear the laughing at the results of Tag Team Drawing.
Update that old Guess Who? game in the back of the closet. For younger kids, use family pictures. For older ones, try using pictures of famous historical figures and encourage questions based on their role in history, time period, etc.
What’s to Eat?
Making Ice Cream in a Bag is an activity and yummy treat all rolled into one. One tip: Use pot holders when making this to keep hands from freezing.
I’ve been wanting to make Homemade Poptarts for ages. Many can be made with as little as two ingredients — refrigerated pie dough and jam. Or go all out and make your own pie dough and a glaze. My mouth is watering with all the possible filling ideas: Nutella, lemon pie filling, pumpkin pie filling, and an assortment of jams or jellies.
Easy Pumpkin Muffins can be created with as little as two ingredients: cake mix and canned pumpkin. It’s your decision whether to add spices or not. Try with yellow, chocolate or spice cake mix. Yum.
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Now’s the time to have a little fun in the sun! And Lowe’s is the perfect place to pick up everything you need to keep your garden, lawn and patio looking their best for summer.
Even better, the popular home improvement store is hosting its MyLowe’s Money Day Giveaway on July 11 and 12.
Image: Lowe’s
On July 11 and 12, 2026, Lowe’s is giving the first 150 customers each day at every location an opportunity to select a one of many giveaways, including MyLowe’s Money — starting at 10 a.m.
The selection of gifts is available, while supplies last. Get there early for the best selection!
No purchase necessary.
Look for the giveaway station at each location — usually near the front of the store. If you can’t find it, ask an employee for assistance in locating it.
