I’ve been racking my brain the past 36 hours on what to post about. Don’t get me wrong. I have recipes on the back burner, but it’s almost the 4th of July and I thought my recipes should be picnic or BBQ appropriate. I had a recipe made…it was ice cream. Then I took it out of the freezer and lifted it out of its cute little container only to find that the ice cream was not firm yet and flooded my kitchen counter top when I pulled it out. Then I realized my showstopper of an ice cream cake was in a practically warm freezer. I have now turned my freezer down to -2 degrees in hopes that my 90 degree weather won’t influence my freezer temp. How else can you explain ice cream being harder in an ice cream maker than in the freezer!?
I thought about posting all the hot mess pics, but I will reserve that for an end of the year post. Instead! I thought maybe you’d like some insight as to what blogs I read and what is going on around the blogging globe. There are always great recipes on the web. So much so that I rarely read a hardcopy of a cookbook anymore. How easy is it to go to the store with a recipe instead of a shopping list!? SO EASY! All you have to do is take the recipe on your phone and go to the store. Life will never be the same.
So here are My Top 10 Recipes to Make For 4th of July. All of them are made without anything processed! 🙂 Stay tuned for the bottom of the post for my favorite things to grill!
1. American Flag Fruit Skewers – Eat.Cleaner Everyday
WIN! I normally don’t go for the cutesy stuff, but Mareya makes this feel pretty sophisticated for such a simple dish. I actually had to do a double take to realize those were bananas, not marshmallows.
What’s awesome about this is I’d feel just as comfortable serving this on a wood platter in the backyard as I would on a silver platter on a yacht. Yes, I may want to go out on the ocean for my fireworks, is it that obvious? Just put this fruit on a skewer and a festive platter and you’re set!
2. Blueberry Hazelnut Crumb Bars – The Healthy Maven
I thought we should start with dessert, don’t you? I know that 3 cups of hazelnut flour sounds like a lot of nuts, but if you are sharing, it’s a perfectly decadent treat without any processed ingredients.
3. Lentil Taco Lettuce Wraps – Foodscape
I know, it’s one of my posts, but I really do love this recipe. I’ve made it a couple times now and it actually gets better every time I make it because it is so versatile. I love finding new toppings that I like with it. Like the sauce from this next post with this taco…amazing!! Seriously, ask Brandi how much I rave about her Mexican Tahini sauce below! The answer: A LOT.
4. Â Fat-Free Baked Mexican Black Bean Burgers – The Vegan 8
Black bean burgers are so meaty! Nuff said.
5. Avocado Citrus Dressing – Sharing Every Bite
I think it’s the presentation of the pineapple and the cucumbers and the julienned carrots that make this avocado citrus dressing to die for. Perfect for a summer party. I have avocado on my mind because this heat is making me so dry! I can’t seem to get enough water, moisture, etc., in my body without some healthy fat and oil. If you have humid weather, I imagine you don’t have that problem! *grumble*
6. Russian Potato Salad – ifoodreal
Umm, can you say healthy AND delicious? I’ve kinda really totally obsessively been craving vinegar lately. I think it’s a trace mineral thing. Did you know that vinegar helps you replenish those trace minerals? Perfect for those of us in the desert dry heat.
7. Creamy Coleslaw (Dairy-Free) – Detoxinista
Cashews instead of mayonnaise is still pretty creamy with some extra protein and healthy fats.
8. Grilled Watermelon Salad – Hungry Gopher
Simple, refreshing, and would taste just as amazing not grilled as it would grilled…I’m adding cucumbers and basil to mine!
9. Raw Red White And Blue Dream Cake –  Fragrant Vanilla Cake
Amy’s desserts are so good! She recently references this cake in her post and I just had to include it.
10. Double Stuffed Jalapeno Skins – Foodscape
And lastly…welcome to one of my first ever recipes on this blog. It is also one of my most requested recipes so it deserves a place on this list. When I’ve made this at people’s houses, I prep everything but the oven time and give my host a call to see if I can pop them in when I get there. That way they’re super fresh.
MY TOP FAVS FOR THE BARBIE:
1. Grilled fruit (peaches, pineapple, etc.)
2. Grilled smokey corn – once off the grill I squeeze fresh lime juice & chili pepper on mine
3. Grilled portobello burgers
4. Grilled avocados with salt – with lime squeezed on it (of course)
5. Grilled red, yellow & orange bell peppers with salt and freshly cracked pepper in avocado oil
I can’t wait to go watch the fireworks guys! My favorite way to watch the fireworks has always been over the water. If you’ve never seen fireworks that way, it’s pretty awesome. It looks like double fireworks with the reflection.
Recipes you may have missed for the 4th: Watermelon Bombe, Gluten-Free Tabouli, raw lemon bars, Sweet Corn and Berry Ice Cream Sandwiches, The Best No Noodle Pad Thai, Brownie Cake Pops
