4th of july Archives | with a Side of Sneakers

Patriotic Parties: Refreshing Firework Smoothie

{Note: This is the first in a series of posts about celebrating summer sponsored by Bacardi.}

Nothing screams you’re getting close to the beach for 4th of July weekend after a long monotonous drive through back roads and chicken farms like a roadside fruit stand packed with juicy, mouthwatering peaches.

Every year growing up we’d get up at the crack of dawn one mid-summer Saturday, pack the car to the brim with boogie boards and beach chairs, and start the day-long drive from MD to the beaches of NC. Just as we approached the Outer Banks {really approached the Outer Banks, not just drove past the sign that tricks you into thinking you’re almost there}, the peach stands would start popping up.

First there’d be one sketchy shack by the side of the road. Then another. And another. Eventually you just HAD to stop. You could almost smell the sweet nectar of peaches seeping through the car vents on top of the slightly salty smell of the near-beach air.

When we finally got to the beach, we’d begrudgingly unload the overstuffed car, then happily stack the kitchen counter full of freshly picked peaches. When we tired of having sticky juice run down our chins as we bit into the ripe peaches, we’d turn to the blender. {Ok, no one gets tired of juicy peaches. But they still make good smoothies.}

For the rest of the week we’d blend up cold afternoon treats of peaches, bananas, and our secret tropical ingredient: Tang. You know, the sugary, powdered orange drink mix? Yeah, that’s the stuff.

It’s been years since I’ve been to the Outer Banks, but now that I live in NC, the husband and I take an annual trip {or two} to the closer beaches of NC and SC. It’s become a tradition to celebrate 4^th of July weekend {better known as the husband’s birthday around here} at the beach with friends. We just got back from a trip at the beach and I learned a thing or two about keeping this breastfeeding momma hydrated in this inferno of a summer heat wave the whole country seems to be suffocating in. Remembering my peach-Tang-smoothie beach concoctions from childhood, I once again turned to the blender to help hydrate and beat the heat.

These ingredients are definitely a must for Independence Day beach bash birthday trip that’s just around the corner.

Firework Smoothie

by with a Side of Sneakers

Ingredients (2 smoothies)

3 oz coconut water
12 oz coconut-almond milk
3 cups ice
½ cup strawberries
½ cup blueberries

Instructions

Mix coconut water, coconut-almond milk, and ice in blender. Pulse and blend on high speed until ice is fully crushed. Divide into 3 parts.

Return 1 part of coconut mix to blender. Add strawberries and blend to combine. Pour into separate container.

Add another serving of the plain coconut mix to blender. Add blueberries and blend.

Fill glass by alternating smoothie layers so you end up with white, red, and blue stripes.

*Feel free to sub another kind of milk or fruit as desired.

It’s the perfect smoothie to go along with your Fourth of July celebration fare. Serve alongside or as an appetizer to some of these fabulous Independence Day cookout recipes:

1. Crispy Blackened Tofu from Daily Garnish

2. Grilled Guacamole from Two Peas & Their Pod

3. Corn Pudding from Duchess of Fork

4. Chocolate Dipped Pretzels Sticks from Cupcakes & Cashmere

Source

What are your favorite 4th of July cookout staples & cocktails?Share your go-to’s in a chat with Foodie tonight at 4pm PST for a chance to win a $250 gift card from Sur La Table. Join in with #BacardiCocktails!

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Bacardi via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Bacardi.

The One in Which the Wake Wins

Fun

Only a mere week of re-declaring wakeboarding my favorite form of exercise, it goes and retaliates against me.

Apparently 4th of July weekend is just a little bit popular at the lake. As in, probably the most popular weekend of the entire year. That translates to boats.everywhere.

Wakeboarding requires a little bit of spaces, and smooth waters. Neither of those existed this holiday weekend, but of course we wakeboarded anyways.

But not for long.

Three runs in and I found myself flat on my face, tearing the board off my feet, and getting pulled back into the boat yelling things about a broken ankle and hating wakes.

Of course I didn’t break my ankle, but I did sprain it. The culprit? Crappy bindings that didn’t fit. My foot slid out of the bindings and proceeded to get stuck upright in the ankle part of the boot; I was then crushed by a serious of other boats’ wakes which sent my board into a spiral with my feet attached in all the wrong places.

Add that to this:

And you have disaster.

Oy vey.

Phoebe’s Grandma’s Super Secret Cookie Recipe

Recipe

Happy 4th of July!!

And more importantly in our house, Happy Birthday Husband!!

While 4th of July is a perfect excuse for a creative red, white, and blue themed dessert, sometimes you just need to go with a classic.

It’s not altered, it’s not made healthy, it’s just what the bag says. What bag? The infamous Tollhouse chocolate chip bag.

{Ok I lied, I used Earth Balance because that’s all I had- but still. Close enough.}

When the birthday boy requests cookie cake for his birthday, the birthday boy gets cookie cake. Which of course makes me love him even more, since cookie cake is what I requested for my birthday for years since I hated cake.

Have you ever seen the Friends episode where Monica works tirelessly to uncover the secret of Phoebe’s grandma’s cookie recipe? Spoiler alert: turn over the bag of Tollhouse chocolate chips.

{Or use store brand chocolate chips like me and follow the recipe online for the Original Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookie, but don’t tell Tollhouse you cheated.}

I wish I could blame this decorating job on a child, but unfortunately, I claim full responsibility.

Don’t worry, I took care of “cleaning” the bowl. And by cleaning, I do in fact mean licking.

This is the first year we’ve celebrated the 4th of July and the husband’s birthday at home in maybe 4 years, so we’re off to go find out where the fireworks happen!