The 4th of July has been my favorite holiday since I was a little girl. Spending the entire day outside from morning until night always made it feel like it lasted a little bit longer than other holidays. Playing, eating, celebrating – all outdoors in the fresh air – you can’t get much better than that! Splashing at the pool, grilling delicious all-American fare like bison burgers and corn on the cob, and then grabbing your blanket as dusk sets in so that you can watch fireworks as traditional American songs play from the car radio.

This year, the 4th of July is even more special for me – we’ll be celebrating my daughter’s first birthday! As I plan for her first birthday, I’d like to share with you some of the treats I’ll be serving to family and friends who will be joining us.

For breakfast, we’ll be enjoying American flag waffles! Super easy, super charming. You’ll need:
– Waffles (we recommend this recipe from The Pioneer Woman)
– Blueberries
– Raspberries
– Banana
– Fresh whipped cream (and syrup if you’d like)

Make the waffles per the instructions. Add four blueberries to the top left corner openings. From there, do a line of raspberries and a line of banana bits, alternating. Done!

On hot days, I like to keep my snacks and meals during the day a bit lighter. I found this adorable fruit and cheese tray idea on www.abettermom.com.

You’ll need:
– Blueberries
– Strawberries or Raspberries (or both!)
– White hard cheese, cut into one-inch cubes (I’m going to use a nice smoked gouda)
– Tray

Basically, you’ll use your ingredients to make the replicate the American flag. Place your blueberries in the upper left hand corner on the tray (you may want to put them in a small bowl). Starting at the top, to the right of the blueberries, layout a line of strawberries, creating a red ‘stripe’. Next, lay out a row of cheese cubes, creating a white ‘stripe’. Alternate the rows of strawberries and cheese until the tray is filled.

For dinner, our menu will be bison or veggie burgers, corn on the cob with cilantro-lime butter, fresh watermelon, and a nice, light pasta salad. I found this Stars & Stripes pasta at World Market that would be a wonderful way to add color and celebration to the meal. I’ll be using this recipe – Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad – from SouthernLiving.com. It’s filled with delicious cheese, artichoke hearts, hearty spinach, roasted peppers and chopped green chiles.

As dusk starts to settle in and we wait for the fireworks to begin, I’ll be pulling out a special treat to share with my family: Delysia’s Signature Collection. Featuring nine different flavors, this collection contains coffee, milk chocolate, hazelnut, honey, raspberry, caramel, dark chocolate, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Without a doubt, there is something for everyone in this incredible collection that will dazzle tastebuds! I hope you sit back, enjoy our truffles, watch the night sky light up and have an unforgettable 4th of July!