Fourth of July Recipes: Make your cookout a patriotic one!

Fourth of July is nearly here, bringing one thing with it: cookouts! Here are a few simple, delicious, and celebratory treats to have at your next cookout.

 

 

Patriotic Rice Krispies

Ingredients:

6 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 Package baby Marshmallow

3 TB margarine or butter

Red and blue food coloring (or food dying gel, whichever you prefer)

1. Gather your supplies and divide them by 3 (Both marshmallow and Rice Krispies should have about 2 cups, and each marshmallow bowl should have 1 TB butter or margarine)
2. Microwave one bowl of marshmallows with 1 TB of butter for a few minutes, or until the marshmallows grow and almost touch the top of the microwave.
3. Take out the bowl and stir well. Add food coloring (as much as you wish, the more you add the brighter they will be) and continue stirring until it is mixed well.
4. Add the Rice Krispies, stirring until they are covered in marshmallow.
5. In a 9×9 pan, lay your first layer of Rice Krispie treat (blue) repeat the setps, skipping coloring, and lay your white layer, repeat the steps, and add the red layer. Push all layers down into the pan.
6. Let set, and in a few hours, you have beautifully layered Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats! You may serve them in squares, or use a star shaped cookie cutter to add a little extra flair.

[Source: http://lilluna.com/fouth-of-july-rice-krispies-treats/]

 

Red, White, and Blue Salsa

Five minutes to prep; makes about three cups of salsa.

Ingredients:

1 Cup fresh Blueberries

1 Cup diced Strawberries

1 Cup diced Jicama

1/3 Cup chopped Cilantro

¼ Cup finely diced Red Onion

2 Tablespoons finely diced jalapeños, stemmed and seeded

Juice of one large lime

Salt (to taste)

Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl, adding as much salt as you think necessary. The salsa may be served chilled or at room temperature over tortilla chips, pita chips, chicken, or fish.

[Source: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/blueberry-strawberry-jicama-salsa]

The Sparkler

With the addition of alcohol optional, this drink is great for children and adults to enjoy this Fourth!

Ingredients:

Lemon Lime Soda

Pop Rocks (red or blue)

Blueberry Vodka (Optional)

Fresh strawberries or raspberries

Fresh blueberries

Grenadine

1. Spread out the pop rocks on one plate, and a small amount of grenadine or simple syrup on another. Dip your cup in the grenadine or simple syrup, and then directly into the pop rocks, rimming the glass. Some Pop Rocks will pop, but most will still pop in your mouth.
2. Put a handful of your raspberries or strawberries in the bottom of your glass. Drizzle these with grenadine.
3. Pack the glass full of ice, leaving only a small amount at the top. (If you are making the drink alcoholic, pour a shot size amount of blueberry vodka into the glass now.)
4. Top the glass off with a handful of fresh blueberries.
5. Slowly fill the glass with your lemon lime soda. Do not pour too quickly or the grenadine and soda will mix, and the red, white, and blue will be less pronounced.

[Source: http://bbalacarte.com/2012/06/30/the-sparkler]

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Spend less time in the kitchen or over the grill this Fourth! With these fun and easy recipes, your cookout is bound to be a success and dressed to impress.