4th of July Recap

I hope you had as amazing of a holiday weekend as I did! Living in America's Capitol, I pass the monuments every day and am still in awe of their beauty. But when I know the whole nation is feeling patriotic, and especially on the heels of another sojourn overseas, I feel an even greater sense of just how amazing this nation of ours is!

When it comes to celebrating America, we take the Jim Gaffigan approach. (See 2:10, but you should really watch the whole thing and laugh until your sides hurt.)



Layne grilled corn and steaks,  and he also made his roasted garlic mashed potatoes - because there is nothing more American than sweet yellow corn, a huge slab of meat, and some taters. I made some mixed berry scones for breakfast, and a cheesecake with more mixed berries for dessert. I essentially only wanted to eat sugary delights in red, white, and blue. #Murica

But, with our appetizers, we took a break from the All Americana, All The Time approach to the 4th.

Please don't shame us, but these apps were really good!!! The best part about all of these apps is how little effort they took to whip together. The figs required no heat or cooking, and all you have today is fry the bacon, toast the crostini, and call it a day!

Robiola Stuffed Figs with Pomegranate
I used brie instead of robiola since that's what I had on hand, but I'm a huge fan of both cheeses! I'd recommend a little less honey and a heavy hand with the pomegranate seeds. Not only do the soft cheese filling and luscious fig need the texture, but the burst of tartness is a perfect balance!

Fondi di Carciofi (Bacon-Wrapped Artichokes)
These were just - WOW. Certainly not diet friendly, but the salty, smoky bacon with the sour, juicy artichokes was amazing. We will be making these again.

Goat Cheese Crostini with Strawberry Bruschetta
I am a sucker for each of these ingredients individually, and they came together nicely. It didn't knock our socks off, but we are usually partial to savory crostinis. I'd use about half as much balsamic to macerate the strawberries, and don't be shy with that tangy goat cheese! 

What did you have for the 4th? I'm always looking for new recipes if you have a good one to try!