Blue Ribbon Kitchen: Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!! Easy July 4th Food and Decor!

Blue Check Table Runner: Hester and Cook

Sources:

Drinking glasses on left, Cake Stand:

Target; Drinking glasses right: Ball Canning Jars;

Gingham Napkin: Pier 1; Paper Plates Stars: Wal-Mart;

Paper Fans, Flags: Michael's; Tins, Wicker Paper Plate

Holders; Vintage-thrift, antique store finds.

It's almost July 4th and I put together a collection of

my most popular July 4th foods and easy decor ideas!!

I hope you'll take a look...these are the easiest

dishes with the biggest wow-factor!!

There is still plenty of time to put together

a fabulous Fourth of July picnic...I promise.

Lets start with the food...

I always say dessert first...
--There is so much patriotic goodness to share
with you...
I can't wait!

Here are a few ideas
regarding dessert...all are simple enough to make...
It certainly depends on how much time you have.
Beautiful and all very doable desserts:

Dress up marshmallow treats with flags and sprinkles!!

Strawberry Shortcake Doughnuts... seriously-- delicious

and could not be easier. For a crowd, set up a dessert

station and let guests make their own...

All you need to do is slice strawberries!!

For more info in Strawberry Shortcake Doughnuts:

For the Recipe...Visit: Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut

Make or buy a cake with white icing... cover with fresh

strawberries and blueberries and add a bow if you are feeling extra fancy...

Easy!!

Cherry Sugar Cookie Cobbler: It's so good and perfect

for the Fourth and a great make-ahead dessert.

For the Recipe:Cherry Sugar Cookie Cobbler Recipe

Need something AMAZING to bring to a picnic??

Try your hand a July 4th inspired charcuterie board... it's simply

a fancied up red, white and blue fruit and cheese plate...

or a dessert plate.

You can be in and out of the grocery store in fifteen minutes

and have your AMAZING plate ready to go in a snap... it's

absolutely my favorite thing to bring to a party and I

love that it's loaded with small bites that I love to snack on!!

Everyone loves small-bites... Don't they??

--the colors and foods

on these plates are delectable.

Recipe:Red, White and Blue Cheese Plate and Dessert Plate

Blue Ribbon Kitchen, Karri Perry

Cheese Plate:

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of red, white and blue food items...please feel free to adjust the list and make your plate suit your personal tastes. No rules here... and the more creative the better!!

Red:

Peppers

Tomatoes

Greek olives

Red wrapped Cheese

Red grapes

Bing cherries

Honey Crisp Apple Slices

Pepperoni slices or other cured meats

White:

White cheeses: pepper jack, white cheddar, Swiss, (Any white cheeses will work)

Crackers

Effie’s Oat Cakes

Baguette slices

Flat bread

Popped popcorn

Blue:

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Blue (dark purple) grapes

Black Olives

Blackberries

Directions: Create a cheese plate by alternating red, white and then blue food choices in an attractive pattern. Be sure the board or plate is full (overflowing is good) with small-bite options. For Cheese Stars: Using a small star cookie cutter, cut white cheese into star-shapes for an extra festive pop for the Fourth of July. (I used Cracker Barrel Brand White Cheddar Cheese Slices to make easy work of the star shaped cheese)

Dessert Plate:

Red:

Red Licorice

Red Gummy Fish

Bing Cherries

Strawberries

White:

Yogurt Covered Cranberries

White-Fudge Oreo Minis

Mini White doughnuts or doughnut holes

Marshmallows

Blue:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Dark Purple Grapes

What about a berry pie??

How about a Star-Spangled Summer Berry Pie??

Recipe here: Berry Pie Recipe

Or a Lemon-Berry Trifle?

Recipe here:Lemon Berry Trifle Recipe

For Sides: I love a potato salad and this rosemary

red-skinned potato salad--it's a favorite.

Recipe here: Rosemary Potato Salad

A Cheesy Cheese Ball??
I have just the thing...and while you might think this
cheesy eagle if for advanced cheese ball maskers...
I can assure you it is very easy to make.
Lots of Blue Ribbon Kitchen followers posted their
cheese ball eagles during the super bowl
and it was fantastic!! So much creativity!!

I say go for it!

For the recipe visit: Patriotic Eagle Cheese Ball

A drink... We need a Patriotic Punch!!

Patriotic Layered Punch

Blue Ribbon Kitchen, Karri Perry

1 part: Cherry-Cranberry Juice (Red)

1 part: Non-Alcoholic Pina Colada Mix (White)

1 part: Low-Sugar Blue Gatorade (Blue)

The key to this drink is layering different juices of varying sugar content. The heaviest juice (red layer) or the juice with the most sugar goes in the bottom of the glass.

The middle juice should have sugar content between the highest and the lowest sugar juices. (white layer)

Finally, the last juice (blue layer) should have the least amount of sugar, allowing this juice to remain suspended above the other two layers.

Directions:

Mix ¼ cup of pina colada mix with ¾ cup of cold water. Set aside.

In a tall glass with ice, add the red juice.

Using a spoon, pour the pina colada mixture onto the spoon and into the glass. There may be some mixing of the colors…but if the sugar content is correct, the white layer will settle out and rest on top of the red layer.

Lastly, using a spoon to diffuse the pouring, add the blue juice, filling to the top of the glass.

Add fresh strawberries or a red licorice straw for garnish if desired. Enjoy