Okay, by this time I’m sure you’ve checked out our collection of 4th of July Recipes and planned out every part of your menu for the big day. But let me remind you, you’re going to be celebrating this holiday from Thursday night until Sunday night, and this will require a lot of festive food. Red, white and blue should not be attempted in the main course category…I don’t even want to know how you were planning on making a blue sauce for your grilled chicken. Don’t stretch it, but use what you have! Here are some tips to making this weekend truly festive and delicious:
- Sweat the small stuff: Garnishes are key. They can turn your meal from boring to patriotic and fabulous. Try making turkey burgers with onions, blue cheese and roasted red peppers. This garnish will help make your dish unique and isn’t too much of a stretch to get all the colors into one dish.
- Use those decorations: If you just want to make an ordinary meal without the standard color scheme, try some decorations. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on them either. Put tooth pics out for appetizers with mini flags on top that you can make yourself. You can use some of these decorations year after year to save yourself money. Click here for more 4th of July craft ideas.
- Take advice from the experts: Don’t freak out if you’re all out of ideas. Check out recipe sites and food blogs for inspiration. Like these 4th of July cupcakes that I found on the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog. You can easily make your own with colored frosting and a homemade recipe. Try our recipe for Buttermilk Cupcakes with White Frosting. Yum!
- When in doubt, do dessert: If you really want to be festive, dessert is the easiest way to go. Berries are great in the summer, and a combination of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries go perfectly together. You can use fresh or frozen, although if you want to try a seasonal berry tart then fresh will taste and look best. Try these delicious Red, White and Blueberry Dessert Squares for a simple ending to your holiday.
What are you most excited about making or eating this holiday? I’d love to hear about your holiday! Just don’t forget-if you are making a tart or cake with fresh berries, it will spoil quickly. So either give the leftovers to your guests or just suck it up and eat it all. Happy 4th!
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