The 4th of July is upon us, and it's one of my favorite holidays! I love the laid back summertime feeling, the patriotism, the family get togethers! And a family get together in July- you know there's going to be corn on the cob! As if we needed more reasons to celebrate on Independence Day!

Really, it's kind of hard to mess up corn on the cob. It's natural sweetness makes it a treat of its own! But it is fun to try new things and experiment, and sometimes you just want a little something extra!

To start, make sure you're choosing a good ear of corn! If you gently press the husk, you should be able to feel firm kernels all the way to the top- no mushy corn for us! You also want to find corn that feels heavier, and has pale, silky silk- seems silly, but we're going for juicy, well-hydrated corn, right? With that said, you also want to avoid pulling back the husk of the corn; we see everyone do it, but that's actually going to make the corn dry out faster- which definitely doesn't make for delicious corn.

Now that you have found your perfect ears of corn, let's get cooking!

*Parmesan. An easy but tasty topping! You could get even more creative and add some fresh chopped basil or pesto spread for a more Italian take, but parmesan by itself certainly will be tasty! Although some fresh chopped garlic would definitely not be a bad thing!

*Mexican-style corn. Does anyone else think of Nacho Libre automatically when they think of mexican corn? :) Chili powder, cilantro and lime, cotija cheese, and mayo (or butter)- sounds like the perfect combination to me!

*Indian style. If we're sticking with a more ethnic theme, let's go for curry! Shredded coconut and curry powder will really give your corn a makeover- and in the best way possible!

*Wrap it in bacon. Corn is hard to make any better- but bacon just might be the only exception- because I'm pretty sure bacon just makes everything better! Drizzle it with honey or sprinkle it with brown sugar for a sweet bacon flavor.

*Barbecue. Stick with the barbecue theme and just drizzle the corn in a sweet barbecue sauce! You could add chopped onions or caramelized onions for an even more poignant pop of flavor!

*Honey mustard. One of my husband's favorite flavors. Honey mustard glaze would be the perfect pairing with an already sweet ear of corn!

*Honey butter. While we're talking about delicious honey, how about tasty honey butter?! Or any flavored butter, really- garlic butter, sriracha butter, cinnamon- all the butters!

*Guacamole. Because it's a delicious staple! Just smear it on there! Add a squeeze of lime or a dash of cilantro for some extra flavor!

*Seasoning packets. Taco, Ranch, Italian- if you want something super easy but packed with flavor, just sprinkle a dash of seasoning on your corn! You probably already have some in your pantry!

Do you prefer plain corn on the cob? Or does your family have a special way of preparing it? I'd love to hear!