July 4th Picnic Treats

Spring through fall is great for picnicking but the parks seem to really fill up during the holidays. July 4th is the fav for some of my grand kids so I am always looking for fun and different treats for them. 

Take a look at this fun drink container.  It is not only cuts as can be but functional, disposable and delicious.   

Pink lemonade is perfect for the drink but if you want to keep with a theme of the holiday, you could add a little blue food coloring to regular lemonade.  You could also use a blue colored juice (blueberry or a mix), mix about half and half with sparkling flavored water at the time of serving, and you have a refreshing drink.  Think about using strawberries and blueberries for the trim, just for the color.

Now for the adults - perfect serving container for that strawberry daiquiri, margarita or berry drink. Don't forget the salt or sugar for the rim. 

Keeping it simple for the picnic is so important so you have time for friends, family and the volleyball court.   The kabob is the perfect way to do just that.  You can even make these goodies the night before and marinate, if you desire.  Obviously you can put anything together on these skewers - this combination just looks fun to me.  Also - the bamboo skewers are nice because they are disposable, but I prefer the metal ones, if I am entertaining at home.

Since you never want the crowd to suffer the growling belly, a few snacks are great to have.  This is one of my favorites.  Heirloom tomatoes are in season and going strong all summer long so they are perfect; not to mention  the beauty and the flavor.  My fav is the little cherry tomato size.  But be prepared - they are super simple to just pop in the mouth.  They will go fast.  

Fill with anything you desire.  I like to combine goat cheese, finely chopped spinach and green onion, and a dash of garlic salt; then fill, using a frosting tube.  Lightly sprinkle with paprika or top with chives, and you are done.  These are sure to be a hit. 

Last but not least, dessert!  I personally believe in starting with the dessert since I don't want to be too full to enjoy or over eat just because I want to indulge in the sweet stuff.  Here again is a simple item that anyone can grab and go with.  A couple of great points here is that there is no need for plates and flatware and - HEALTHY!  Not to mention that they carry the theme. 

So - there's just a few ideas for your July 4th picnic or back yard celebrations, that would work for any time of the year with just a bit of variation for in season produce.