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Let’s get festive!

There is no denying it, I love getting festive with foods I am prepping for holidays. And these festive 4th of July side dishes are quick and easy dishes to take to any festivity. But if you aren’t planning on doing anything, still make these at home and enjoy a festive spread with the family.

Fruit salad ingredients:

  1. Watermelon
  2. Mint
  3. Strawberries
  4. Blueberries
  5. Jicama
  6. Optional: juice of a lime, Manuka honey drizzle, sea salt

How to prepare fruit salad:

What I love about this fruit salad is that it can be prepared ahead of time or easily day of. And I first start by cutting up my watermelon into bite size bites and add to a bowl. Then I add my blueberries and sliced strawberries. And for the jicama, I peel the jicama, cut into thin slices, and with a star cookie cutter, form the jicama stars. But if you can’t find jicama in the store you could use banana or pears. And then add to the bowl along with fresh chopped mint, assemble, and if adding the optional add ins add on top.

Storing:

But if  prepping this salad ahead of time, make sure to leave out the optional add ins. And add all the chopped fruit to an airtight Tupperware, and store in the refrigerator. And the day I plan on serving, I add it to my serving bowl, assemble it all, and top with the optional add ins.

Other ways to get festive:

The possibilities are endless when it comes to getting festive with appetizers for the 4th of July. And here are some other delicious options to bring to your festivities or enjoy in the comforts of your home.

Watermelon flags:

Since you’ll have watermelon left over from the fruit salad, why not make some festive watermelon flags! And plus making these are simple. First, slice your watermelon, dip into the raw melted coconut butter, and let harden up in the refrigerator. And once it has hardened, dip into the blue coconut butter (I used Pearl Butter) and let it harden in the refrigerator. But if you don’t have access to these coconut butters feel free to use whit chocolate to make these too. And also feel free to add some festive sprinkles because who doesn’t love sprinkles?

Fruit Firecrackers:

And these fruit firecrackers are sure to be a crowd pleaser with the kiddos. But I also found some adults sneaking them too. And they are a fun activity to do with your kiddos if you want them to help you put them together with you.

What you’ll need:

  1. Mini watermelon
  2. Mini marshmallows
  3. Blueberries
  4. Skewers
  5. Star cookie cutter

How to prepare:

First, cut your mini watermelon, and with the star cookie cutter, cut out the watermelon star toppers. And then take your skewer, add the blueberries, mini marshmallows, and top with the star watermelon.

Breakfast ideas:

Here are some fun ways to get festive with breakfast options. Because why not kick off the holiday weekend with fun, delicious breakfast options? And if you are making the grain-free banana waffles, grab some strawberries, blueberries, and shredded coconut to keep it with the red, white, and blue theme. And another option, is to top waffles with coconut yogurt, diced strawberries, and blueberries.

Vanilla Macadamia Chia + Hemp Seed Pudding

Grain-Free Banana Waffles

Salads:

I always have to take a salad to any festivities I get invited to, because I love my greens. And these two salad combination are one of my summer time favorites. Plus they are super easy to make it look festive for the 4th of July.

Ingredients you will need:

  1. Supergreens
  2. Strawberries
  3. Blackberries or blueberries
  4. Feta cheese or goat cheese
  5. Candied pecans
  6. Avocado
  7. Diced rotisserie chicken

How to prepare:

And simply throw it all in a bowl, mix, and add your favorite dressing to it (I like balsamic and vinegar dressing).

Ingredients for massaged kale salad:

  1. Kale
  2. Olive oil
  3. Lemon juice
  4. Manuka honey
  5. Salt + pepper to taste
  6. Candied pecans
  7. Strawberries
  8. Blueberries
  9. Blueberry goat cheese or any type of cheese you like

How to prepare massaged kale salad:

The key to making this salad is massaging the kale. And the way to do this, is add the chopped kale to a large bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt + pepper, Manuka honey, and with your hands massage the kale for a couple minutes. And once the kale is a darker green and softer in texture you are ready to add all the toppings.

Potato salad:

Grab some red, white, and blue potatoes and prep this easy delicious Instant pot potato salad. And this dish is a great prep ahead dish to help save you some time.

Guacamole:

And there is something about dips that everyone loves right? And one of my favorites is homemade guacamole. I like to keep mine simple, avocado, lime juice, salt + pepper, cilantro, and garlic powder. And get extra festive with some red, white, and blue potato chips.

Charcuterie Board:

But let’s be honest, what’s a party without a charcuterie board? This is one of my favorites to prepare because I can add a variety of items and it’s something all guest will enjoy. And if you don’t know how to start, check out my how to build a charcuterie board here.

Main dishes:

And if you want some easy main dishes these are a few of my must haves on a hot summer day. But there are so many other options you can search on my blog if these aren’t your jam.

How to Make Crispy Air Fried Chicken Wings

Wild Caught Cod Ceviche

Hot Dogs On Sweet Potato Buns

Desserts:

Now we can’t forget about dessert right? And these are some easy options you can meal prep ahead of time.

Strawberry shortcakes:

Strawberry shortcakes scream summer desserts! And my grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free version is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It can meal prepped ahead of time too, so it is one less thing you have to prep the day of. And did I mention it is super delicious?

Cookies:

Most people love a good cookie and these grain-free strawberry white chocolate chip cookies are a yummy summer combo. Because there is something so delicious about the combination of white chocolate chips and strawberries.

Stone fruit crisp:

And this stone fruit crisp is always a crowd pleaser. And what I like about it, is that it can be meal prepped ahead of time. The day I plan I enjoying, I bake, let cool, and top with dairy-free ice cream or gelato.

Cake:

And if you want a really simple dessert, try this festive cake with homemade dairy free frosting. Simply get your favorite yellow cake mix and cook according to package. And while the cake is baking, prepare the homemade dairy free frosting and store in refrigerator until the cake is completely cooled. But you could also buy your favorite store brought frosting too. And then have fun decorating the cake with strawberries and blueberries.

I hope this guide helps makes your 4th of July extra festive and delicious. And I can’t wait to see all your creations over on Instagram. Happy 4th of July friends!

4th of July Fruit Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups watermelon
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
  • 1/3 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1 small Jicama
  • Optional: Drizzle of honey juice of 1/2 lime, pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  • Instructions
  • Chop your watermelon into cubes
  • Add to a bowl
  • Add blueberries
  • Add in chopped strawberries
  • With a small star cookie cutter make stars with jicama
  • Add to bowl and if using optional add ins add on top