Favorite 4th of July Recipes

Happy almost 4th!

Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite recipes to make for Independence Day. (Yay!)

Last year I made two desserts: protein cookies with Greek yogurt icing and these:

I bet you can guess which dessert was more popular. Hehe. These are just white cake cupcakes with some red, white, and blue decorations. I think my protein cookies were not sweet enough so maybe I'll work on that for this year's treats.

Here are some other great recipes-

From my favorite fitness girls at Tone It Up:

3 Ingredient Cookies: These are so quick and easy to make. You could add some red or blue food coloring to make them a bit more festive too!
http://toneitup.com/2013/09/we-love-food-friday-your-3-ingredient-cookie/

Cucumber Rafts: I am making these this year for a BBQ. They are light, delicious, and 100% guilt-free.
http://toneitup.com/2014/06/ahoy-summery-boat-snacks/

Honey Grilled Peaches: If you are looking for something sweet and juicy this 4th of July these simple treats are perfect. If you don't have a grill you can just use your oven or frying pan.
http://toneitup.com/2013/07/honey-grilled-peaches/

Sweet Potato Fries: Ditch the Lay's potato chips and try these!
http://toneitup.com/2013/04/toneitup-homemade-sweet-potato-fries/

Quinoa and Veggie Burgers: I will be honest. These are a bit tricky to make at first but once you get them to stick together they are delicious.
http://toneitup.com/2013/08/veggie-quinoa-protein-patties/

From the always-addicting Pinterest:

Red, White, and Blue Rice Crispies: These treats bring back the best childhood memories.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/405605510160726006/

American Flag Fruit Platter: Another simple classic. You could also put the fruit on skewers for easy sharing.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/265149496784361156/

Patriotic Popcorn: Yes. Oh, yes.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/241998179949865114/

Star Spangled Tart: If you are feeling creative this recipe might be for you. Personally I think it would be easier to add the fruit design on top of a pre-made pie/cake. I would go with an angel food cake for a lighter option but that's just me.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/404338872768579846/


As you can tell I chose recipes that are mostly quick and easy to make. From personal experience Independence Day is a holiday where people like simple foods they can munch on. Since most BBQs and meals for this holiday are not sit-down style people might not appreciate your elaborate foods as much as with another holiday. So my advice is to keep it fresh, simple, and tasty. 

I would love to hear which recipes you are trying this holiday. You can leave me a comment below or tweet me @imperfectperla. Also you can follow me on my personal Instagram @cbwright to see which treats I end up making for tomorrow and this weekend. 

Have a great 4th of July!

Courtney

Date & Coconut Treats

Aloha!

Today I have a quick treat recipe to share. I was inspired to make these after I saw some delicious looking coconut macaroons in the bakery case of a local coffee shop. These are my version of those macaroons.


What You Need:

• A food chopper or processor
• 3 Dates with the seed removed
• 2 Tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 Tsp of sweetened coconut. Alternatively you could add in 1tsp more of unsweetened coconut along with a little sugar or stevia.
• Spoon

Directions:

• Add in ingredients 
• Pulse the food chopper in slow bursts at first to break up the dates and then let it blend until you reach a consistency that looks like this:

•   Then spoon out a little of the mixture and roll it into a ball or form into a cookie shape, depending on what you prefer. 
•  Place the finished treats into cupcake liners and enjoy immediately or place in the fridge to enjoy later. 

Here are what my finished treats look like:

Close up:

These are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it. They are vegan, gluten-free, and all natural. You can't get much better than that!


Have a date day...I mean great day! :)