4th of July eats

Do you need to make something last-minute for a barbecue or picnic tomorrow? I’ve got you covered: here are a few ideas perfect for picky eaters–and even more adventurous taste buds.

Watermelon limeade. Forget the lemonade and go green. I like to mix whatever other fruit I have on hand–whether it’s strawberries, raspberries, or watermelon to sweeten the limeade so I don’t have to use quite as much sugar.

Pink lemonade cupcakes. Speaking of lemonade, what about putting the pink lemonade concentrate into your cupcake batter instead of a pitcher like this idea from Putting It All on the Table?

Homemade sno cone syrups. Try this idea for DIY cherry and lemon-lime syrups to stir into crushed ice–or into your sno cone machine, if you’re lucky enough to have one like Casey Barber at Good.Food.Stories.

Blueberry salsa. Mix a burst of sweet fruit into pico de gallo for a tasty chip dip.

Strawberry frisee salad. Add some Thai flare (and strawberries) to make this colorful salad from Garlic Girl.

Perfect potato salad. Everyone has there favorite potato salad recipe, here’s mine. (The secret is to whisk the hard-boiled egg yolk into your sauce.)

Shrimp skewers. Break out the bamboo sticks for these skewers that you can put together quickly. At Cafe Johnsonia, she made her skewers on the stovetop, but you can throw yours onto the grill.

Portobello burgers. Looking for beefier flavor in your burgers? Then skip the meat counter and head right to the produce section. Brushing the portobello with olive oil as it cooks will help it get slightly crisped on the outside and tender on the inside.