Make a Red, White & Blue Decorative Garland
I was inspired by the Hallmark Think.Make.Share blog for the idea to make a garland, and what an adorable way to add some red, white, and blue cheer to your July 4th party!
One option is to use recycled paper tubes to create little rockets. Or for an even simpler idea, just tie bits of ribbon on a twine.
If you have ribbon or fabric scraps, even better! I picked up a few different bolts of ribbon at my local craft store, for about $3 each. Visit the Hallmark blog for complete instructions to make their ribbon garland!
Patriotic Pound Cake with Fresh Berries
I'm not a baker, so I feel like I've hit the jackpot when I can find a great store-bought option that tastes like homemade. Whole Foods has an amazing pound cake that I've served on more than one occasion. And The Fresh Market has really delicious cupcakes that taste just like my great grandmother's yellow cake. What is it about cake and fresh berries that just embodies summer in the south?
This July 4th, I'm serving a simple pound cake with some of nature's best bounty. There are so many ways to do this, but each is delicious and easy.
You could slice the cake into layers and create a whipped cream and berry filling. Or you could just slice and grill each piece, and serve with berries on the side.
Cheers to our Independence - A Red, White & Blue Mocktail
When entertaining, serving delicious treats is only part of it. A big part of your success in creating memorable experiences for your guests is with your presentation.
And a great way to up your presentation game is with layered drinks. The secret to getting the different colored layers of your cocktails or mocktails to stay separated is by paying attention to the sugar content.
Heaviest goes at the bottom, so make sure to put the beverage with the greatest amount of sugar in first. It also helps if you pack in some ice at this point. Then pour in other layers in decreasing order, with the lowest sugar content last.
I used a blood orange juice from Whole Foods for my red layer and some blue sports drink for the blue. Top it with some whipped cream and you've got a lovely drink for July 4th!
