Entertaining for the 4th of July with Style

Entertaining with patriotic flair can be achieved easily with these 5 great recipes that are sure to be a big hit at your cookout or family gathering. I have included two of my own 4th of July recipes and a few of my favorites from other sites. These tasty and colorful recipes are sure to put a smile on the face of every guest at your party!

My delicious pound cake with homemade sweet cream and fresh berries is always a big hit with my friends and family. You can find my recipe by clicking here

This fun drink, which is also pictured at the beginning of this post is full of flavor and a great conversation piece. I created this delicious mocktail with a blend of sorbet, a carbonated drink and a pop rock rim. Perfect way to get your 4th of July popping...literally. You can find my recipe here

These delicious ice pops are great for those hot summer days and perfect  for celebrating the red, white and blue. 

Find the recipe here

These cheesecake stuffed strawberries are perfect for a light dessert, but taste indulgent enough to make you feel like you are not missing out on anything. Find the recipe here

This clever dessert is simple., but artfully displayed and delicious

Find the recipe here

Happy Fourth of July and Bon Appetit!

Mixed Berry Slush

On a hot scorching day, this refreshing berry slush is a great alternative to soda and hits the spot when you want something cold, fruity and a little fizzy. Sparkling water, fruit and sorbet. Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

1 pint of strawberry sorbet

1/2 cup of mixed berries

1/2 to 1 cup sparking water or club soda

Directions

Add the pint of sorbet to your blender along with the mixed berries and sparkling water or club soda. Start with 1/2 cup sparkling water or club soda and a few ice cubes. You can play around with the ingredients until you have your preferred consistency. This is easy to adjust by adding more liquid if the slush is too thick or adding a bit more fruit if you prefer a thicker consistency.

Cheers!

Blackberry Lemonade

 I love lemonade anytime, but especially in the scorching heat of summer. This lemonade has a great depth of flavor from fresh blackberries made into a simple Blackberry syrup.  This lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons is refreshing with just a hint of tartness and deep sweetness from the Blackberries. This is perfect for all of those summer barbecues:-)

Fresh berries make a great garnish for drinks

There is always such a big difference between lemonade with fresh lemons and those convenience products we all use. When you have time, make a batch of this to enjoy. You can also freeze the simple syrup into cubes and drop into your cocktails, drinks or anything you want to flavor with a burst of Blackberry

Ingredients

For Basic Lemonade

6 Lemons

6 cups water

1 cup white sugar

Juice your lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice. In a gallon size  pitcher, add lemon juice, water and sugar. Adjust to taste and chill.

For Blackberry Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 Cup water

1 Cup Blackberries

Combine sugar, water and Blackberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring occasionally. When mixture boils reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes while using spoon to crush Blackberries against side of pan.  Let sit for 20 minutes.

Strain Blackberry mixture through a  strainer to remove solids. Strain into a clean bowl and let cool.  

To make BlackBerry Lemonade 

Place an ounce or two of syrup into bottom of glass. Pour chilled lemonade and ice over Blackberry Simple Syrup. 

Cheers!

Lava Flow

My fist experience tasting a Lava Flow was in Hawaii under the sway of palm trees, blue sky and crystal clear blue water. The coconut and pineapple and strawberry swirl is the perfect summer libation. Truly delicious and you can make this drink sans alcohol if you prefer a mocktail.

Sweet, creamy and delicious

Ingredients

1 cup frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, defrosted
8 ounces Coco Lopez coconut cream (not milk)
8 ounces pineapple juice

Approximately 1 1/2 cup of ice (add more if not slushy enough)

Directions

Blend strawberries in a blender on high until smooth. Place 3 tablespoons strawberry puree in the bottom of 4  glasses. Rinse blender and return to motor base. Place remaining ingredients in blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour pina coladas into glasses on top of the strawberry puree. The puree will run up through the pina colada, making a lava flow effect. Use a spoon to swirl the strawberry puree through the pina colada mixture.

For an adult version of this drink. add few shots of malibu coconut rum and adjust ice.

Cheers!

Watermelon Strawberry Lemonade

 The warm months are always more enjoyable with a thirst quenching drink. This watermelon strawberry lemonade combines the best of both worlds. The juicy refreshing taste of fresh watermelon and the tangy thirst quenching taste of lemons balanced with the sweetness of strawberries and melon. 

Absolutely delicious on a hot day. You can adjust if too sweet by adding more lemon or water and for a touch of fizz, 7-up or sprite are perfect. If you are after an adult libation, a shot of vodka does the trick perfectly.

Ingredients 

4 cups cubed watermelon

1 cup fresh strawberries sliced in half

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup lime juice 

4 cups water

Directions

Place the watermelon and berries in blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve. Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in medium saucepan until sugar is completely dissolved about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly and then in a pitcher, pour the sugar water, remaining 3 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, lime juice, and watermelon berry mixture. Stir until well blended.

Adjust drink by adding more lemon and water as needed or your choice of 7up or sprite.

Cheers!

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

If you have never tried frozen hot chocolate, you are surely missing out.  This frozen confection will make your days taste a whole lot sweeter and cool you off in the heat of summer. Chocolate, lots of whipped cream and more chocolate. Whats not to love? This recipe is from the dessert shop Serendipity in New York and if you live in New York and haven't tried this treat, it is worth a visit. And for those of us on the West Coast, we can enjoy this decadent treat and watch palm trees sway in our neck of the woods:-)

Ingredients

• 6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings

 Directions

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. 

In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw. . . .or both! 

I love sweet treats and this delicious treat is a sweet escape. Welcome to my queendom:-)

 

Bon Appetit!

Tropical Mango Freeze

The summer months are the perfect time to enjoy a cold slushy tropical drink like this amazing mango freeze.  This drink is delicious and exotic and you don't need a passport to experience it. All you need is a blender and a few ingredients and you will  be sipping and smiling in no time:-)

This is a perfect drink for everyone to enjoy and starts off as a non-alcoholic mocktail. You can make this a delicious cocktail by adding a hint of rum or your favorite liquor.

Start with Fresh Mango

Ingredients

1-2  Mango

2 cups ice

1/2 cup passion fruit nectar

1/2  cup coco Lopez cream of coconut 

juice of 1 small lime
1/2 cup sparkling water 

1/3 cup sugar

Approximately 4 tablespoons Grenadine Syrup

Peel the Mango and cut the bright orange meat away from the pit. Chop the Mango and measure out 2 cups chopped Mango. Put the chopped Mango, ice, cream of coconut, passion fruit nectar, lime juice and sugar. Blend until smooth.  Add more ice if needed for a thicker slushier consistency.

Put two tablespoons Grenadine syrup in two high ball glasses and pour Mango mixture on top.

The perfect drink for a hot day

Bon Appetit!

Cherry Bomb

A fruity libation is always a perfect addition for summer entertaining. This drink is bursting with flavor and sizzles and POPs literally.  A bold cherry base and a rim of POP rocks make this an amazing drink for your July 4th celebrations.  I came up with the name "Cherry Bomb" because it is the perfect description for this drink. The flavor bursts in your mouth like a bomb!

This is a great mocktail that can be enjoyed by children and adults. You can also make this a very grown up drink by adding your favorite liquor and then you have a pretty amazing cocktail:-)

This drink was so well received at my 4th of July barbecue last year, that I thought the recipe should be reposted for those of you that may have missed it the first time around.

 Ingredients

Cherry Sorbet

Sprite or 7up

Pop Rocks 

You can serve this drink in any glass, but I thought the martini glass gave it some extra oomph:-) To make this drink, simply put a scoop of sorbet in a glass and pour sprite over it. Rim your glass with Cherry pop rocks and Voila! Cherry Bomb!

Cheers!

Refreshing Blackberry Sage Cooler

During this time of year, fresh delicious fruit are abundant.  Blackberries are an amazing addition to beverages and once you try this tingly sweet libation you will be convinced. I once had a blackberry margarita in a restaurant and my taste buds were forever changed.  I had never had a drink with blackberry and It was so deliciously different that I found myself fantasizing about all of the things I could create with fresh blackberries. And then this unique refreshing drink was created !

 Refreshing and effervescent. Perfect for sunny days outdoors or kicking your feet up and having a sip and a smile:-). This sweet fruity concoction will wake up your sleeping. taste buds A sweet blend of fresh blackberries, fresh sage and 7-up or ginger ale. This is absolutely amazing with sparkling water and a great alternative to soda.

             Blackberry Sage Cooler

             Ingredients

          

             10 Sage leaves

             4 tablespoons sugar

            1 cup water

            8 ounces of fresh blackberries

 Bring the water and sugar to a boil  until sugar dissolves. Crush sage leaves with the back of a spoon and add to mixture. Turn off heat and let sage infuse the mixture for 20 minutes. Puree the blackberries in a blender and then strain the blackberries through a strainer. I like to leave a tiny amount of unstrained blackberries for extra color and texture.

To serve, place a tablespoon or two of the blackberry puree into a glass and then place a tablespoon of the sage simple syrup and top off with 8 ounces of  your choice of 7-up, ginger ale or sparkling water. You can also make this a sophisticated adult drink by omitting the other options and adding Prosecco instead.

I can show you better than I can tell you how good this is. The sugared rim and frozen blackberries as ice cubes are the perfect touch

Cheers!

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake!

I have to tell you that this pumpkin pie milkshake is quite addictive! It is a little more mellow than the sweet potato pie milkshake recipe I posted earlier. You can see that recipe here.  This is smooth, creamy, rich and decadent with a hint of pumpkin and delicious spice, but this is not overpowering. The whipped cream really makes this even more delicious. I love serving these shakes in double shot glasses on a cute platter with mini pumpkins, or for another cute presentation, serve them with ginger snaps. Fabulously cute! The perfect unique Thanksgiving dessert!

 Doesn't this look creamy and delicious? It is!

Mini Pumpkins and orange straws add the perfect touch. the brown sugar rim is really tasty and for another twist, can rim the glass with graham cracker crumbs.

No, I don't play fair. Look at that sweet, sugary, yummy, delectable, brown sugar rim. Don't you want some?

Look at this scrumptious whipped cream....is your mouth watering yet?

BAM!

What are you waiting for? It's time to indulge!

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

3 cups vanilla ice cream

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix the sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and milk and then pour into blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth. Immediately serve with whipped cream.