15 4th of July Drinks, Desserts, and Breakfasts

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Whether you love getting festive for the fourth of July, or you're still feeling the USA love after watching Tim Howard defend the union last night, here are 15 delicious and healthy recipes you can make to celebrate your Red, White, and Blue!

Cocktails and Drinks

1. Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria

2. Blueberry & Chambord Patriotic Cocktail

3. Strong & Skinny Strawberry Daiquiri

4. Victoria's Secret Model's Red Detox Juice
For those of you who are trying to keep away from the alcohol, there's no reason not to indulge in something patriotic and red, white, or blue!

Desserts and Sweets

5. 100 Calorie Cake Balls
These aren't red, white, or blue, but you could easily make them more patriotic. Try using natural food coloring mixed in with white almond bark for the hard shell exterior. You can make them any color you want!

6. Gluten-Free Upside-Down Apple Pie

7. Blueberry Cheesecake In A Jar

8. Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Berries

9. 4th of July Red, White, and Blue Suckers

Mains

10. Berry Balsamic Crumble

11. Whole Wheat Fiber Waffles

12. Paleo Grilled Carrots

13. Spicy Corn & Black Bean Salsa

14. Pork, Caulirice, and Feta Stuffed Peppers

15. Grilled Eggplant with Sharp Cheddar and Vine Ripened Tomatoes

Pork, Caulirice, and Feta Stuffed Red Peppers

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I consider myself a celebratory person. The proof is in the pudding:

• It's Derby Day and we don't live anywhere near the Derby, nor are we watching it? We're making Mint Juleps!
  
• It's your birthday and you're over 30 and thus not a child anymore? Screw it, I'm putting up streamers.
  
• We're eating lunch on a Monday? We're getting Mimosas!

For some reason, stuffed peppers feel celebratory to me. Maybe it's just the effort required to prepare them - you know that someone put time and thought into your meal. There is something special about a meal that takes just a smidge longer, something that can't be prepared in 5 minutes and thrown in the oven. Something that takes deliberate cuts, intentional ricing, and lots of love.

So maybe the proof isn't in the pudding. Maybe it's in the stuffed peppers.

It was a total stroke of luck that these babies were ready to be popped in the oven on Cinco de Mayo.

A week ago, I prepped these - cooked the sausage, riced the cauliflower, stirred in the feta, and prepped and stuffed the peppers. But then dinner plans came up, so despite being thrilled about my new creation, I popped it in its dish and placed it in the freezer.

Which ended up being the best way it could have happened. 

Because Cinco came around and I had totally forgotten. I was texting my husband saying we had to at least have some margs, and then I realized: I have stuffed peppers. That counts, right?

I have long been a proponent of being prepared. Prepping meals on a Sunday before a busy week. Having some bacon in the freezer (read: ALWAYS <--that should have been on my life lessons...).

And these as a freezer meal did not disappoint. So God knows they would be fabulous fresh.

Sausage, Caulirice, and Feta Stuffed Red Peppers

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground sausage (You can use any kind here. If you can handle it, opt for something with a bit of kick! I used a combo of ground italian pork sausage and ground breakfast pork sausage.)
• 4 red peppers
• 1/2 cauliflower head (you can also purchase cauliflower florets, you will need about 2-3 cups of those)
• 1/2 cup feta
• Shredded cheese (for topping)
• Cilantro (for topping)
• 1/2 avocado (for topping)
• Tomatillo salsa (for topping - I used Herdez)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Brown sausage in a pan. You will want to cook it all the way through.
3. While sausage is cooking, cut the tops off of red peppers and remove the seeds. Place them upright in a pan that is small enough to contain them without them tipping over.
4. Use a cheese grater to "rice" the cauliflower. Simply run it over the grater like cheese, and it will produce small rice-like flakes.
5. When the sausage is almost finished cooking (about 15 minutes), add cauliflower and feta to the pan and toss/stir until well combined.
6. Remove from heat. Use a spatula or large spoon to transfer into the red peppers, distributing evenly. Top with shredded cheese.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Top with cilantro, avocado, and salsa.

Juicing Like a Victoria's Secret Model

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I don't typically watch the Victoria's Secret fashion shows, but this year, I noticed that a lot of my friends did. After watching the show, a lot of people felt inspired to make good choices, because let's be real, watching a parade of super fit and beautiful women prancing down a runway can have that effect on you.

That said, it's important that that inspiration lead us to make healthy choices instead of just skipping a meal or depriving ourselves. I follow one of my favorite Victoria's Secret models, Izabel Goulart, on Instagram because she is upbeat and honest about her regimen, and tries to share healthy secrets and recipes with her followers. She also frequently posts videos of her workouts on Instagram (like this video of a TRX workout move), or uploads pictures of her morning juices. Also, she does hilarious stuff like jump into a pool with shoes on, so she's got that going for her.

(Photo screen-shotted from Iza's Instagram)

Having recently gotten really into juicing, I was excited when she posted the recipe to her red juice this week. I immediately took a screen shot and made it the next day, because I happened to have everything on hand besides collard greens, which I picked up (seriously... does anyone have collard greens on hand? teach me your ways...).

The juice ended up being very good. It is significantly milder than the red juice I have been making lately, which I think is partially due to the fact that adding so much coconut water dilutes the strong flavor of the beets and ginger. I think it depends on the person, here... I actually like beets, so I wouldn't mind it being a bit stronger, but I may be in the minority here. 

So, if you're looking for a milder taste, either because that's your preference or because you're just getting into juicing, this recipe will be great for you. If you're a beet fan like me, this juicing recipe might even help you reign it in (if you have ever juiced too many beets, you might understand why this is necessary... it tends to dye you red on the inside if you have too much). 

Please excuse the ridiculous that is my hair.

Here's the recipe!

Izabel Goulart's Red Detox Juice

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• Half cucumber
• 1 beet
• A bunch of mint
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 2 leafs collard greens
• Juice from 1/2 lemon (don't put the entire lemon in there, just add the juice after)
• 1 cup coconut water

Directions:

1. Put the first 5 ingredients (not lemon juice and coconut water) in a juicer and go, baby, go! Add coconut water and lemon to the juice, stir, and serve. 

Notes:

• If you do not have a juicer, combine all ingredients in a high powered blender (don't forget to juice the lemon first instead of adding the whole thing) and blend well. The coconut water and lemon juice will add enough liquid for blending. Then, strain the finished product through a cheese cloth or very tight strainer to end up with just the juice. Or, if you'd prefer to drink it as a smoothie, feel free to drink as is.
• Don't put lemon rind in your juicer or blender! It will not end well for either party. ;-)

So, now you know how to make the juice, but you might be a little curious about her workouts since I have already blabbed about it. Want to check out some new workout moves? I have no idea what these moves are really called (she does not name them), so here are some super basic descriptions.

• Iza's TRX V Ups (Elevated plank and down dog)
• Iza's TRX Air Lunges (Lunges without tapping your foot, plus a knee up)
• Iza's Half Burpee Plank Push-Ups (Like doing a plank at your knees with a push up, except you send yourself into the air for a second. Kind of like clapping push ups)
• Go box!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Do you follow any celebrity recipes or juicing plans?

Have you tried any celebrity workouts? What about Megan Fox's Butt workout?

Hello Moto - Part 3, The Wines

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Happy Friday! It's official; we made it to the weekend. Breathe a sigh of relief in 3...2...1...

Friday might actually be one of my favorite days of the week, even though Saturday involves the most free time. There's so much potential for Fridays.

Especially on a day like today, when I have no plans. After a long and busy week, I'm pretty thrilled to be able to relax, clean my apartment, and watch a movie with my honeyboo. Yes, I said that.

Now that it's been a week since our Moto Excursion (you can read part one, about the general experience, here... or read part two, the juicy details on the food, here), I'm finally ready to share the rest of the info. Writing about bridesmaids dress shopping, proposing to my bridesmaids, and working out apparently took precedence over wine.  What. A. Travesty.

Let me just start by saying... yum. Most of the wine selections were perfectly paired with the food, so we were thoroughly enjoying them.

EMANUELE SCAMMACCA DEL MURGO, SANTA VENERIA, ITALY, BRUT ROSE, 2009

We started with a yummy rose champagne. I typically am not into roses, but it was actually much less sweet than I expected. Thumbs up.

FORLORN HOPE, QUE SAUDADE, VERDELHO, CALIFORNIA, USA, 2011

The next wine was a white wine from California. My favorite thing about this wine was the story behind the name. Apparently, a forlorn hope is "a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high." Apparently, this vineyard in California tends to go against the grain and grow grapes that most people think are not suited to the region. People told them they were crazy and that the risk for error was high. Hence the title "Forlorn Hope."

That said, the wine, itself, was... decent. Not mind blowing. I'm a sucker for marketing, though, so the story tugged at my heart strings a bit.

DOMAINE GUIBERTEAU, CLOS DE GUICHAUX, CHENIN BLANC, SAUMUR, FRANCE 2008

This was a drier wine that was pretty tasty. Other than that, I don't remember much. Except that I liked it a bit more than Forlorn Hope.

DOMENICO CLERICO, PAJANA, BAROLO, ITALY 2008

Justin and I tend to prefer red wines to whites, so we were excited when the pairings shifted into the darker realm. We kicked off the reds with this wine, which I continued to affectionately refer to as "The Pajamas." Justin really enjoyed it, and kept comparing the other reds to it, so I started asking, "Babe, do you like this one as much as your pajamas?"

This sh*t is PAJAMAS! P-A-J-A-M-A-S! Yeah, this just went from a classy wine post to a trashy parody of Gwen Stefani. I'll move on now.

For some reason, between the pajamas and the next wine (which was my favorite), I stopped taking pictures. Or maybe I took some but I lost them. Either way, my bad. Here's what we tried:

AVELEDA, FOLLIES, TOURINGA NACIONAL/CABERNET SAUVIGNON, BEIRAS, PORTUGAL, 2010

and
BEATRICE ET PASCAL LAMBERT, LES TERRASSES, CHINON, FRANCE 2011

SPRING VALLEY VINEYARD, URIAH, MERLOT/CABERNET FRANC/PETITE VERDOT/MALBEC, WALLA WALLA, USA, 2009

Now, how about this blurry wine picture? Starting to wonder if this was my favorite because it was delicious, or if we were just deep enough in wine that everything was amazing. Either way, I loved it. The bottle featured a picture of Uriah, who is the patriarch of the family that owns the vineyard.

BARRA OF MENDOCINO, BELLA DOLCE, PETITE SIRAH, MENDOCINO, CALIFORNIA, 2008

The final glass of wine was a perfect example of why sommeliers are geniuses. It was a petite sirah, and came in a tiny little glass. When we first sipped it, we both looked at each other with an odd look. It was so sweet. Like, thick and syrupy. Then, they brought our dessert - red velvet cake pieces that burst in your mouth into a sweet, drippy amazingness. And then, when we sipped our wine again, there was more eye contact. Oh. Now I get it. The wine was suddenly delicious and even extended the flavors of the dessert - a perfect pairing.

Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria

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You might have to double or triple this recipe, because your guests are going to be fighting over it! Refreshing cold white wine, combined with fruits, sparkling juices, and citrus flavors will keep you hydrated while making you feel like summer just began with your first sip!

HAPPY FRIDAY! YOU MADE IT! (And that means so did I!)

Okay, I got a little crazy with this one. I was even in the kitchen cutting star shapes out of pineapples. You see, the first time I made this was the Fourth of July. That meant I had red strawberries, blue blueberries, and... well, pineapple. It's not white, but it's darn close. And if you carve it into a star, people will go wild. You can feel free to be a little less ambitious and go with pineapple chunks, apple slices, or get lovey and cut the pineapple into hearts! (Send me a picture if you come up with something fancy!)

Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Sliced Strawberries and Blueberries, mixed
• 1/2 cup of Pineapple cubes or fancy pineapple carvings (See below for the how-to)
• 2 bottles White Wine (I used a Chardonnay)
• 1/2 cup Cointreau Liqueur
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1-2 tablespoons Truvia or Sugar, to taste

Directions:

1. Place fruits in the bottom of a large pitcher.
2. Add liquid ingredients and stir.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is best!

Ah, and were you wondering how I managed to cut the pineapple and carve it into stars?

How To Cut Pineapple Shapes:

Rip (or cut) the top off of the pineapple. If you don't have a strong mom like I do, you may have to cut it, but ripping/tearing is safer!

Cut the pineapple in half, slicing it down the core.

Print out shapes (I used stars) and then cut those out of the paper. Lay the paper shapes on top of the pineapple, trying to use as much of the core as possible, as it holds the best shape (the sides get a bit fibrous and mushy).

Use a knife to cut out the shape.

And voila!

I'm seeing stars!

4th of July Red White and Blue Jolly Rancher Suckers

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These suckers are Red, White, and Blue... and they taste a heck of a lot like Jolly Ranchers (because they're made of them!).

When I made these, it was sort of an experiment. Obviously, Jolly Ranchers would melt at a certain temperature -- after all, how else would they have molded each candy into that brick-like shape? The question was how high to turn up the heat.

As it turned out, keeping the heat fairly low (250 degrees) works perfectly, and you only need to bake them for about 5-8 minutes! 

Red White and Blue Jolly Rancher Suckers

Ingredients Per Sucker:

• 1 blue Jolly Rancher
• 1 red Jolly Rancher
• 1 sucker stick
• Aluminum Foil 
• Pam/Oil
• Optional: Coconut Flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Line a cooking pan with aluminum foil (parchment paper will also work). Spray the foil with cooking spray or wipe with vegetable oil.
3. Line up one blue jolly rancher and one red jolly rancher next to each other, leaving room for each set to spread out without melting into another set, and also leaving room for adding the sticks without getting the sticks in other suckers. I did 2 rows with about 5 sets per row, and staggered them so that the sticks would not be in the same place once I put them in.
4. Bake for approximately 5-8 minutes, or until the Jolly Ranchers melt and spread out. 
5. Remove from the oven and carefully place each stick into each sucker, twisting the stick in the still melted candy in order to ensure that it is fully inside the sucker once it dries.
6. To add the white coconut flakes, press small handfulls of flakes onto each sucker before the candy hardens. You only have a few minutes to do this, so work fast!
7. Enjoy!