I love the 4^th of July. It’s actually one of my favorite holidays (behind Christmas of course;) ). I love spending time with family, the BBQ’s, the parades, the fireworks- all the partying is just my kind of thing:). But even more than that- I love what Independence Day stands for and represents. I love living in this country and feel so privileged to have the freedom that I am able to enjoy here. We are definitely a blessed people. As you celebrate the 4^th with your family and friends, I hope you take a little time to reflect on all the sacrifices that were made to allow us to live where we do in the way that we do. Freedom is definitely not free.

Of course, with all celebrations in America, there is the matter of food;). And especially in the summertime, food seems to accompany activities so nicely! So how about a few fun food ideas to accompany your 4^th of July celebrations? And while I’m all about pigging out, I thought I would focus on some healthier options to accompany your party dishes;).

Red, White and Blue Deviled Eggs- I don’t know why but deviled eggs are just one of the perfect BBQ foods in my book. You may have to dig out the Easter Egg kits, but how fun are these colored deviled eggs!? They are almost too pretty to eat;).

Fruit Salad- red, white and blue style of course;). If you have a star shaped cookie cutter, slice some watermelon and make a bunch of melon stars! Throw in some strawberries and blueberries and you have a very festive and healthy addition to the party! (I guess you could throw in some marshmallows if you didn’t care about eating healthy and wanted to add the white;) ). If you don’t have a star shaped cutter, simply cut the watermelon into strips and lay them on a plate with space in between to create the stripes- a pile of blueberries in the left corner and you have a cute edible flag!

Berry Ice Cubes- throw some blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries into ice cube trays filled with water and freeze; what a simple way to brighten up your holiday drinks!

Festive Spaghetti- Pasta can feed a lot of people, and to make it both effective and festive, dye 1/3 of the noodles red and 1/3 of the noodles blue and mix them all together for a filling and fun festive dish! I love these bright colors!

Yogurt Pretzel Platter- Create the stripes of the flag with yogurt-covered pretzels and sliced strawberries and add a bowl of blueberries for the finishing touch. This would be a great table decoration for the few seconds it would last before everyone dug in! You could also use bananas instead of pretzels or raspberries or cherries instead of strawberries.

Fruit Salad- But with Flair! I don’t know that I could make a watermelon ever look this pretty, but how darling is this?? The white stars are cut from jicama, which would be a fun and unique addition! This would definitely be the star of the show!

Fruit Skewers- If you’re wanting the patriotic colors without digging into an actual watermelon, try making a skewer instead- alternate strawberries, bananas, and blueberries on one skewer, or arrange them in a way that when they are all lined up on a platter they make a fruitful flag;).

I seriously love patriotic food, and I would love to hear your ideas! Wherever this Independence Day finds you, may you and your family have a wonderful time celebrating this great country and the freedom we enjoy!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com

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