Healthy Snack: Sugar Snap Peas + Beets Hummus Combo

Here’s an appetizer that plays off the red white and blue themes!  Try serving beet hummus and traditional hummus at your party! Add in the color blue with blue corn chips. 

You can always swap traditional foods for a healthier version! For this recipe, my go to is these sugar snap peas from Mann Packing.  First of all, these peas are so sweet and they are stringless! So you can always skip the chip and still get the crunch!

Themed Decor: Fancy Party Plates

Let’s say you want to have a sophisticated outdoor bash - and something a little bit more grown up than a paper plate.  These new plates from Thomas Fuchs are perfect These are from the Creative Summer Collection, called ½ and ½. They are indoor outdoor melamine and are perfect for poolside and picnic use! 

They are available at Walmart.com!

Making the Outside Beautiful: Pretty Plants

Don’t forget plants add a pop of color to any setting and that includes the backyard! Try using Hibiscus and Mandavilla from Costa Farms. These are sun loving, vibrant and bloom all summer.  Even easier is that you can order these at Amazon.com so no need to go the store and haul them home - they can ship right to your door!   

Pool Floats

These pool floats can be used as DECOR and so much more!  These floats from Big Mouth can be used to relax on in the pool or used as a fun way to spruce up serving your guest!

Celebrate with a Drink: Four Roses Bourbon 

This is America’s Birthday and why not drink a truly American Spirit. Make this Four Roses Bourbon Lemonade! In this lemonade, I am using Four Roses Bourbon - which incidentally is celebrating it’s 130th Anniversary this year.  What’s nice about this cocktail is that you can make a batch and pour on demand. The mint is refreshing and it’s all American without being Red White and Blue! 

Four Roses Bourbon Lemonade

• 1 oz. Four Roses Bourbon
• ½ oz. simple syrup
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• ½ oz. orange juice
• Splash club soda
• Fresh mint

Combine Bourbon, lemon juice and orange juice. Muddle handful of mint and add to batch. Stir. Top off each glass with a splash of club soda and enjoy!