<p>We are invited to a gathering for the evening of the 4th. I want to bring a few things. I will probably bake cookies or brownies. I also want to bring something healthy and low carb.
Considering a greek salad but I am always looking for new ideas.</p>
<p><a href=“Kale Pasta Salad”>http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/07/kale-pasta-salad/</a></p>
<p>This kale pasta salad looks pretty good and is something a little different from the usual fare. I’m planning to try it for the 4th.</p>
<p>socalmom23 suggested a Mexican fruit salad. She describes it in the link below. We’re whipping this up this year along with some other things. </p>
<p><a href=“Fourth of July Festivities - Parent Cafe - College Confidential Forums”>Fourth of July Festivities - Parent Cafe - College Confidential Forums;
<p>We’re doing reduced carbs these days, but I won’t claim that our plans for the 4th are terribly healthy. Dh wants to grill bacon wrapped hot dogs and bacon wrapped jumbo shrimp. We’ll smoke some baby back ribs, too. I used to include brown sugar in the rub and mopped on a molasses based BBQ sauce, but no longer. Happily, dh still likes them. There will be a big tossed salad, deviled eggs, grilled zucchini, plus whatever looks appealing when I do grocery shopping on Thursday. </p>
<p>We’re invited to a friend’s cookout on Sunday and plan to take salad-on-a-stick (probably three or four varieties.) The little skewers are easy to handle at a party and the feedback on them has been great.</p>
<p>Caprese skewers are a great idea- also, broccoli salad or 7 layer salad would be low-carb</p>
<p>We are having 30 people to our lake house for our annual July 4 bash- DH’s frat brothers and families, and our kids’ friends. We have our house and our neighbor is renting us her place. Others are staying at a nearby lodge. Guests begin arriving late Thursday night. Friday breakfast will be breakfast tacos and fruit, lunch on a party barge with slide, restroom, and grill will be hamburgers/dogs/chicken and chips, Friday dinner will be Fajitas and fixings, Saturday breakfast is French toast, lunch is deli sandwiches, Saturday dinner is ribs and brisket smoked all day on a huge smoker. Sunday breakfast is called leftovers or get something on the road as you head back home. Sunday afternoon DH and I completely collapse. 
Dinner is more leftovers or an omelet. Bedtime probably 9:00 pm as we relish the quiet house again.</p>
<p>Some of our guests bring boats; we have our boat and some jet skis. It is a fabulous time, culminating in a spectacular fireworks show over the lake Saturday night, which we can see from our house on the cliff. DH drives our kids and their friends all over the lake while they ski and tube, while I tend to man the kitchen. We love doing it, but for me it does tend to become a blur of meals and cleanup. </p>
<p>This year I am making a really good hot (as in warm) crab dip I found online and tried out last week. It’s probably fairly low carb, though not necessarily low calorie or particularly healthy.</p>
<p>You guys all have a great time!</p>
<p>Vegetable skewers marinated in a vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh herbs is always yummy. I also like Molly Katzen’s black bean salad: <a href=“http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/southwest_salad.html”>http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/southwest_salad.html</a></p>
<p>We are supposed to go to a pool party - hope the weather cooperates. They have pretty basic fare - hotdogs, hamburgers and maybe store bought marinated chicken breasts. Some salad, lots of chips and dips and too many desserts. My husband is making his famous baklava.</p>
<p>One box of freedom donuts and a 20 oz soda. </p>
<p>Freedom donuts are those like freedom fries?</p>
<p>Nrds, if I bring watermelon and Shiner Bock, can we come? (Not really, DH had surgery last week and isn’t ready for climbing in and out of boats…best we can hope for is floating in out pool)
I’m grilling bison burgers, making a salad and the aforementioned watermelon. Nothing fancy but tasty.<br>
I’m guessing your lake has water now?</p>
<p>I’m grilling steaks, making a green salad, and for dessert, we are having cherries and a tiny bit of tiramisu cake, all washed down with plenty of Pelegrino and Mumm Champaigne. </p>
<p>If I had to bring a dish to a potluck, I would usually bring a large bowl of cherries. It is a good finger food dessert that is also healthy. :)</p>
<p>Hmmmm, pork chops on the grill along with some potato wedges and a green salad with some fruit, maybe some nuts…whatever I can find for salad one night and grilled fresh King salmon (caught this week) and an orzo salad one night. Gin and tonics…and if my mint looks good…mojitos. Tomorrow night I’ll order pizza and Sunday night it’s fend for yourself with whatever is left in the cupboards. The cherries are late this year, so probably no cherries for us yet, although normally they are ready to go on the 4th so maybe I’ll be surprised when I go check the trees.</p>
<p>A bowl full of cherries is a great idea.
I am trying to decide on a quinoa salad. Parking will be crazy where we are going and I need to be prepared to walk a good 30 minutes with whatever I bring. Don’t actually have to bring anything but I don’t like to show up empty handed.</p>
<p>Since we had severe thunderstorms this evening we will have the Porterhouse steaks meant for tonight.</p>
<p>I think I will be grilling steaks also and having ice cream with cherry compote. I had a lot of fish in Hawaii so I don’t feel guilty eating steaks now. And lots of corns, they are on sale 6 for $1.</p>
<p>I’m gonna blow up the smoker on Saturday and do three things:</p>
<p>1) Beef Short ribs from the local butcher</p>
<p>2) Baby back pork ribs</p>
<p>3) Cochinita Pibil (Yucatin pork) – a braised dish that I’ll do in a big foil dish on the smoker)</p>
<p>I bought 2 legs of lamb (boneless), smoked salmon (appetizer), green salad materials, chocolate haupia pie and mocha ice cream. My sister is making German potato salad and fruit; my brother is making rice, fish or chicken and providing the house and paper goods. My other sister is bringing something else–maybe another chicken dish? We are SO excited–both our kids are flying in tonight and will be with us nearly a week!</p>
<p>mom60, I’m with you on the trying-to-choose-a-quinoa-salad-recipe challenge! </p>
<p>I recently had the following and thought it was really good. However, there were far fewer chickpeas (one can, max), no sunflower seeds, and no feta in the version I enjoyed. I’m not even sure there was spinach. And there was much more quinoa, with quinoa appearing to be the main ingredient of the salad; it was probably tripled. The yams, barely tender and peppery, and the dressing, made the dish.</p>
<p><a href=“http://wealthofhealth.ca/2012/12/09/quinoa-chickpea-and-roasted-yam-salad/”>wealthofhealth.ca;
<p>Today I tried to replicate a salad I had for lunch while on a get-away last week. If you’re looking for something healthful, light and easy, this is nice and fresh option. I’ve found that the key to cooking quinoa is reducing the amount of water used and reducing the cooking time compared to many recipes. This is what I did:</p>
<p>Rinse 2 cups of quinoa very well.
Place in a saucepan with 3 cups water.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook on low for 12 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Remove lid, fluff with a fork and let cool.</p>
<p>Chop up one-half each of a small red, orange and yellow bell pepper; some green onions or a few thin slices of red onion; and one-half of a bunch of kale (plus anything else you like).</p>
<p>Mix equal parts fresh lemon juice with olive oil. I used the juice of one large and juicy lemon plus equal part olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss it all together. </p>
<p>t’s not going to be the star of the show but it’s a nice side dish and would probably stay looking and tasting good for quite a while.</p>
<p>Happy 4th!</p>
<p>I am so jealous of you all. I will be on the road this holiday since my band is headlining at the “True North Radio Network concert” in Alpena, Michigan. The 8 hour drive will no doubt be punctuated by a fast food stop or two, followed by sound check, some time to wash up and dress, and finally time to play. </p>
<p>Any Northern Michigan CC’ers who are fans of Bruce Springsteen and interested in VIP treatment and Tshirts just invite us to your BBQ 
</p>
<p>dragonmom,</p>
<p>Yeah, come on out, the more the merrier. :)</p>
<p>Our lake is probably 13-15 feet down still. Fortunately for us, we are in very deep water, probably 70 feet even with the drought, so we can still get our boat out. We did have to pay to have 6 steps added in order to lower our gangway to the boathouse. Even so, it’s slightly steep as you walk down it toward the boathouse, but no longer a hazard and tough climb back up. Praying for El Nino.</p>