Patriotic Party Food

Did the month of July sneak up on you, too? Somehow June zoomed by and suddenly the 4th of July is tomorrow. Yikes! So, I thought I'd round up a few ideas in case you're on the hook to bring a dish to a BBQ. Or, perhaps you're hosting a BBQ that you only planned yesterday, and you're out of propane. No, just me? Sneaky, sneaky July 4.



A Hot Dog Bar - throw a bunch of hot dogs on the grill, and put out as many fixings as you can gather. Add a pickle bar if you're feeling fancy.

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Dry Rubbed Ribs - For a meat option with a bit more depth than a hot dog, these ribs look to-die-for.



Red, White & Blueberry Shortcake - I improvised this layered shortcake cake for a July 4th BBQ two years ago, and it was a total hit.



Strawberry Ice Cream Cake - Add blueberries or blackberries to this simple ice cream cake for some patriotic flair.



Mini Layer Cakes - Made in a tin can! Borrow Jordan's idea, but make it with white cake and vanilla frosting. Dye the frosting red & blue, or simply slip some red & blue berries in with the white frosting.



Triple Berry Pie - Simple & summery, just add some whipped cream for the requisite pop of white. 

Happy 4th!

Top image by Machiine

Picnic Ready

Wouldn't these cute spoons be perfect to have around for picnics? They're acrylic and washable, but not as clunky as taking real silverware to the park. Who's ready for spring picnics?!

Red, White, and Blueberry Shortcake

I was asked this weekend if it would be cheesy to wear a red dress to a 4th of July party. I was a little confused by the question because, for whatever reason, I think the 4th of July is the perfect holiday to embrace the theme—wear stripes, wave a flag, make a flag cake. Maybe because it's sort of big and loud, like our country, but I'd accept themed outfits and desserts more readily on the 4th of July than Valentine's Day or Christmas.



Or maybe, I'm accepting of it because the red and blue berries of summer are so easy to bake into a cake, it doesn't feel that theme-y or contrived. Either way, I carefully layered red strawberries, fluffy white whipped cream, and purple-y blue blueberries into a shortcake cake this weekend.



This cake combines the best parts of traditional shortcake into a towering cake. Not too sweet, it's the perfect palate for fresh summer berries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. So, even if it's a little cheesy to make a red, white and blue dessert for a 4th of July party, this cake will look (and taste) terrific with any kind or color of berry, for the rest of the summer.

(July 4th) Weekend in pictures

{chocolate chip/strawberry, brownie/mint, peanut butter/brownie/vanilla}

{tubing. instagram by bad ass photographer rick gershon}

{one banana pudding, five spoons}

{patriotic baking}

{brooklyn balcony blueberries}

{can't believe it held still long enough for me to snap this}

{mandatory fourth food}

{ditto}

{oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave}

This weekend was everything it should have been: long, lazy, fun, and full of good food and even better people. Dinner and ice cream sandwiches at The Meatball Shop (and some sneakily-consumed convenience store beer to pass the time during a nearly three hour long wait), hours of lazily floating down the Delaware River in an inner tube (with a tube set aside for our beer...I'm seeing a theme), a stop at Target (!!), patriotic baking (recipe tomorrow), and a family BBQ followed by a (sort of crazy) rooftop party in Brooklyn. Thanks for winning your independence, America. Freedom is sort of awesome.

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July, friends! Do you have fun plans for the weekend? I'm excited to float lazily in the Delaware River and watch fireworks from a friend's rooftop in Brooklyn. And maybe squeeze in a little red, white & blue baking.

Here's a few festive links to help you celebrate. Have a lovely, patriotic weekend!

Patriotic popsicles with greek yogurt.

DIY, kid-friendly sparklers made of paper.

A collection of potato salad and cole slaw recipes.

Two songs you'll definitely hear more than once this weekend.

image: Sparkles of Love by lbeauroom on etsy