Wow, y’all!

There was such a positive response to the 4th of July Porch Party that I posted yesterday, that I thought I’d share some more fun details with you today.  

By the way, if you happened to miss yesterday’s post (gasp!), you can check it out here, 

and remember to enter to win $50 from Shindigz.com while you’re there!  🙂

A 4th of July Porch Party is the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day without a lot of fuss, and in a really casual, comfortable way.

Simply throw some pillows on your porch rockers,

drape some tablecloths on your porch tables (or just set up a card table and add a nice covering),

and throw together a few patriotic snacks.

That’s all there is to it!

In addition to the ice cream/milkshake station that I showed you yesterday,

here are a few other goodies that I threw together.

Take the recommended shortcuts below and this whole celebration will be SO easy!

Mini Strawberry Pies

These little pies are absolutely gorgeous, and couldn’t be easier to throw together!

Shortcut Secret:

Simply cut up your strawberries, mix them with some store-bought strawberry pie glaze,

and spoon them into mini pre-made pie shells.

Star-Spangled Brownies

Shortcut Secret:

Bake your favorite brownie mix (or even use pre-made brownies from the grocery store), 

drizzle them with some canned white frosting, and top with red, white, and blue sprinkles.

Summer-Fresh Fruit

Shortcut Secret:

Take advantage of the fresh fruit of summer, no work required!

Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are perfect choices.

Serving them in festive partyware like these little party cups adds a festive flair.

Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salsa

Ok, so this is the one treat I served that requires a little bit of work.

Mix fresh blueberries, chopped strawberries, and chopped apples, then toss them with a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of your favorite fruit preserves.

That part’s easy.

The work came in when I decided that I wanted cinnamon-sugar star-shaped chips to go along with it.

Not hard, but a little time consuming.

Use a star cookie cutter to cut flour tortillas into star shapes.

Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes.

Shortcut Secret:

Buy pre-made cinnamon-sugar pita chips, or still make your own, but just cut the flour tortillas

into triangles and omit the cookie cutter step.

A quick note about this salsa:  

I made this the night before the party.  The “white” apples turned pink,

and the strawberries didn’t look very pretty anymore.

When I make this again, I’ll make it just a few hours before I plan on serving it.

Here’s what it looks like shortly after it’s made:

And just because I like them,

here are a few random shots from our Porch Party.

Sprinkles are for more than just decorating desserts, and I was dying to get some neat shots 

of our sweet model’s Converse sneaks!

Notice my work buddy in the background…

Hope you’ve been inspired to create some 4th of July fun of your own!

And once again, don’t forget to enter our Shindigz.com giveaway going on here.

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