Don't know about you, but I always feel like dancing this time of year. August melting into September means finally the kids are heading back to school and the willy-nilly schedules of summer are thrown out the window for stricter routines of sports practice, homework and, after they've brushed their teeth and packed their knapsacks, the latest episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants" or "Degrassi."

No one can blame parents who are sending their little ones off to school for the first time for getting a little misty. I did, too. But the return to a more structured, more sane life is why I equate "back to school" with "time to party." And I'll bet some of you do, too. So why not borrow from an old State Department tradition and throw a "wheels up" party to celebrate the start of a new school year?

The practice was born, and is still running strong, at far-off posts in foreign lands. Whenever a difficult visitor or boss heads back home, the local staff waits until someone calls from the airport to verify the plane has taken off. At the words "wheels up!" the party begins.

And if you don't have kids, or really are sad to see the little ones head off to school? Labor Day is right around the corner. Why not celebrate the last weekend of summer with a bang, and invite friends over for a few cocktails, tasty eats and great conversation.

Bet after a long summer, you'll all have a few stories to share.

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PG tested

Horseradish and Tabasco give this summer drink a nice bite. Consider it a daily serving of veggies.

For the tomato juice

• 3 cups chopped red tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chopped onion, divided
• 3 cups chopped yellow or orange tomatoes
• 3 cups chopped green tomatoes

For the Bloody Mary mix

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 6 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 3 heaping teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet or mild paprika

For vegetable garnish

• 1 large cucumber
• 9 small celery ribs, leaves attached
• 9 thin slices red bell pepper

Prepare tomatoes juices by pureeing the red tomatoes with 1/4 cup chopped onion; pour into small pitcher. Repeat with yellow and green tomatoes, to make 3 separate pitchers of red, yellow and green tomato juice.

Prepare Bloody Mary mix by combining lemon and lime juices, Tabasco, horseradish, celery salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well, then pour about 1/3 of the mix into each pitcher and stir.

Prepare garnishes by removing 9 long, thin strips of cucumber peeled with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Cut 9 thin slices of cucumber lengthwise. To assemble, wrap a strip of cucumber peel around a cucumber slice, a celery rib and a red pepper slice to make a bundle, and fasten with a toothpick. Repeat, making 8 more vegetables bundles.

To serve, put several ice cubes in an 8-ounce glass and pour about 11/2 ounces of vodka over them, followed with about 5 ounces of red, yellow or green tomato juice. Stir and garnish each glass with a vegetable bundle.

Makes 9 cocktails.

>-- "Gather: Memorable Menus for Entertaining Throughout the Seasons" by Georgeanne Brennan (Sasquatch, $22.95)

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• 1/4 cup lemongrass, minced
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 6 chicken breasts
• Wooden skewers (about 32)

For dipping sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

For marinade, combine lemongrass, onion, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice; pulse in food processor or mix thoroughly. Cut chicken lengthwise into 2-inch strips. Pour marinade over chicken; let rest at least 1 and up to 10 hours in refrigerator. Soak skewers in water.

Preheat grill. Skewer chicken. Grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side over medium heat until cooked. To make dipping sauce, mix together peanut butter and coconut milk. Add remaining ingredients, and stir until combined. Serve chicken with dipping sauce on side.

Makes about 32 satays.

-- "The Frugal Goodie Cookbook" by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small (Adams Media, $14.95)

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• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 12 baby lamb chops, 3 to 4 ounces each
• Pepper
• 8-ounce log fresh goat cheese, cold for easier slicing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme and combine. Set aside.

Mix the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and garlic in bowl. Arrange lamb chops on a foil-lined baking dish with deep sides. Season lamb with pepper, then pour mixture over the meat.

Slice the goat cheese log into 12 rounds and place 1 round atop each lamb chop. Sprinkle herb mixture over cheese.

Roast the chops for approximately 15 minutes, then broil for a minute or two until cheese takes on a golden color. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 hors d'oeuvres

-- "Simple Stunning Parties at Home" by Karen Bussen (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $32.50)

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PG tested

By the end of August, most people's gardens are overrun with zucchini. These paper-thin chips are a great way to get rid of the vegetable.

• 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large or 2 medium zucchini
• Salt

Fill a 10- to 12-inch-deep heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, halfway with oil and heat over moderate heat until oil registers 360 degrees on a thermometer.

Meanwhile, put flour in a shallow bowl. Fill another bowl halfway with cold water. Set out 2 sieves. Cut zucchini into almost paper-thin rounds with mandolin or adjustable vegetable slicer and separate slices.

Put 12 zucchini slices in 1 sieve and dip into water, shaking off excess, then transfer to flour and dredge. Fry coated slices in oil, turning and separating them with a wire-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chips to paper towels to drain, then season lightly with salt. Coat and fry remaining slices in same manner. Serve warm. Chips can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

-- "Gourmet Today" edited by Ruth Reichl (Sept. 2009, Houghton Mifflin, $40)

• 4 limes wedges
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup gold tequila
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1 1/3 cups crushed ice

Using lime wedges, moisten rim of 4 glasses. Holding each glass upside down, dip rim into salt. Set aside.

In a pitcher, combine the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, lemon juice and sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Serve in prepared glasses over ice.

Makes 4 margaritas.

-- "The Taste of Home Cookbook" (Taste of Home Books, Sept. 2009, $29.95

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PG tested

This recipe is even better if you can use this season's garlic from a farmers market or your garden. The pesto can be made a few days in advance and kept, covered in plastic wrap, in the fridge. The shrimp can be grilled up to 8 hours ahead; just take them out of the fridge to warm up about 45 minutes before you plan to serve them.

-- China Millman

• 12 unshelled jumbo shrimp
• 6 peeled cloves garlic, divided
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 minced shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound linguine
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel and devein the shrimp. Marinate with 1 clove of minced garlic, olive oil, shallot, pepper flakes and ground pepper.

Make the pesto: Toast pine nuts in a small saute pan over medium heat. Transfer to a plate to cool. In a blender or a food processor, process the basil, olive oil, 5 cloves of crushed garlic and pine nuts until smooth. Season to taste.

Cook the linguine in plenty of salty boiling water until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, brush some of the garlic and red pepper off the shrimp before grilling over charcoal or on a cast iron grill pan. Cook shrimp about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once until they are cooked through and lightly browned.

Toss the pasta with the pesto and chopped tomatoes. Divide the pasta into bowls then top with the grilled shrimp.

Serves 6 as an appetizer.

-- Adapted from "Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook" by Alfred Portale with Andrew Friedman (Broadway, 2000)

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This easy dip is perfect for a late summer gathering. The trick is to grill the eggplant to death, so it's entirely black and soft. If you're like me and prefer a smoother dip, puree the ingredients in a food processor.

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup or grenadine
• Salt to taste

Preheat grill to high. Pierce whole eggplants all over with a fork. Grill for 40 minutes on indirect heat or until eggplants are charred black and soft all over, turning every 10 minutes. Remove from grill; place in bath of cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and as many seeds as possible without discarding too much eggplant. Place skinned eggplant in large bowl. Using a fork, shred flesh into small pieces. Stir in tahini, garlic, lemon juice and pomegranate syrup. Add salt to taste.

Serves 8.

-- "The Frugal Goodie Cookbook" by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small (Adams Media, $14.95)

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PG tested

These toasts are topped with a light sprinkling of minced garlic, fresh parsley and sharp pecorino Romano before being baked. As garlicky as they are salty, they are a great accompaniment to cocktails. The cheese mixture can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, covered.

• 24 1/3-inch-thick baguette slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely grated pecorino Romano, preferably imported
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and brush tops with 3 tablespoons oil.

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cheese, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle each slice with about 1 teaspoon cheese mixture, mounding it slightly.

Bake until topping just starts to melt, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and salt to taste. Serve warm.

Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres.

-- "Gourmet Today" edited by Ruth Reichl (Sept. 2009, Houghton Mifflin, $40)

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PG tested

Ciliegie means "cherries" in Italian. It refers to the size of the fresh mozzarella balls in this easy hors d'oeuvre. You can also cut fresh log mozzarella into bite-sized pieces.

• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 12 fresh basil leaves, cut into halves
• 6 ciliegie mozzarella balls, cut into halves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

Spear 1/2 of 1 cherry tomato on a toothpick. Next, spear 2 halves of a fresh basil leaf, followed by 1/2 of a mozzarella ball. Repeat for all 12 hors d'oeuvres, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a tray and serve with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the side for dipping. Add garlic to the olive oil for an extra layer of flavor.

Makes 12 hors d'oeuvres.

-- "Simple Stunning Parties at Home" by Karen Bussen (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $32.50)