4th of July Party Hacks

We all have our favorite 4th of July party staples. Burgers, hot dogs and potato salad come to mind, but these fan favorites can be time consuming and aren’t very memorable. Let’s spice things up a bit with some festive party hacks that will save you time and also leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Hack 1: Fancy Lemonade

Homemade lemonade is delicious, but it takes a lot of lemons and elbow grease. With this simple hack, no one will know you didn’t spend hours juicing lemons and dissolving sugar. For the adults, serve over ice with vodka! Yum!

Ingredients

• Store bought lemonade
• 2 cups of frozen berries

Directions

1. Pour lemonade into a pretty pitcher. (Try our Aurora Crystal Cut Pitcher!)
2. Add frozen berries.

Hack 2: Bacon Jam

Burgers on the grill are pretty fantastic as they are, but year after year they can get very boring. Give your guests a little something extra with this bacon jam recipe that will take burgers from good to great!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bacon, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup  brown sugar
• ¼  cup maple syrup
• ⅓  cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan, cook bacon until crispy.
2. Drain bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and shallots to the pan and cook until the onions are caramelized. Stir often.
4. Add in garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, chili powder and drained bacon.
5. Bring mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened and the onions are soft and jam-like.
6. Let cool and serve in our Ruffle Dip Bowl!

Hack 3: Dress Up Dessert

This hack is so easy it’s truly something to celebrate. It’s also great year-round for different themed holidays and a fun activity for kids!

Ingredients

• Store bought ice cream sandwiches
• Red, white and blue sprinkles

Directions

1. Pour sprinkles onto a large plate.
2. Unwrap ice cream sandwiches.
3. Dip the sides of the sandwiches into the sprinkles until they are covered.
4. Serve on a festive platter! Try our Talavera Platter in Azul!

Hack 4: Cooler Corn on the Cob

This hack makes perfectly cooked corn on the cob with minimal effort. Whip up a little butter mixed with salt and cayenne and you have the most delicious spicy and sweet corn that your guests will rave about.

Ingredients

• Corn on the cob, shucked
• Boiling water (enough to cover the corn)
• A clean cooler

Directions

1. Place ears of corn into the cooler.
2. Cover with boiling water.
3. Place lid on the cooler for 30 minutes.
4. Remove cooked corn, slather in butter and salt and serve! Try serving it piled up on our Ruffle Turkey Platter!