I love a good potluck, and the 4th of July is a great time to make one happen!
Listed below are some of our family’s favorite potluck recipes, my go-to recipes to share with a crowd. They are easy-to-make, aesthetically pleasing and appealing to all ages!
8 Crowd-Pleasing and Easy 4th of July Potluck Recipes
THE ONLY PASTA SALAD RECIPE YOU REALLY NEED
This Only Pasta Salad You Really Need is a great potluck crowd-pleaser, can be made ahead of time, and tastes even better after sitting a day. Makes a LOT and is easy to double for even larger crowds. Red wine vinegar is the secret ingredient that makes this salad taste super special!
CHOCOLATE BERRY 4TH OF JULY CUPCAKES
Blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate are 3 must-haves in our family for the 4th of July weekend, and these Chocolate Berry 4th Of July Cupcakes have all 3! Cupcakes are always a great thing to make to share with a crowd or display on a table at a potluck.
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE SAUCE HEAVEN
This 5 Minute Chocolate Sauce Heaven is a family recipe that we have been making for years. It is so much better than that stuff in the brown squeeze bottle!
It uses ingredients we usually have on hand and is a breeze to make. I am planning on bringing this and some fresh strawberries to top my Mother-in-Law’s homemade ice cream to our family 4th of July party.
I bought her an ice cream maker for Christmas, and we are all enjoying having her use that gift!
KALE AND LENTIL SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES & COCONUT BACON
It has gorgeous color from the cranberries & the kale itself. The texture is great with curly kale, chewy dried cranberries & crunchy coconut bacon. The cranberries are a nice sweet touch while the coconut bacon adds an amazing smokey & salty flavor. It is a crowd pleaser for sure, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike!
RASPBERRY LEMON LOAF
This Raspberry Lemon Loaf is made super moist and tasty with the addition of lemon yogurt. Lemon and raspberry are so fresh tasting and the perfect summer combination. Double the recipe for a large group, or to keep one for yourself to freeze.
CHEESECAKE STUFFED STRAWBERRIES
Do you know what July and February have in common? The 4th of July & Valentine’s day both give us an excuse to eat lots and lots of STRAWBERRIES! Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries are a super great way to celebrate a holiday. They are special, beautiful, and a nice change from chocolate-covered strawberries. Can’t give your Chocolate Covered Strawberries up? Then mix the 2 on a beautiful platter and get ready for the oooo’s & ahhhh’s!
HONEY LIME FRUIT SALAD
This Honey Lime Glaze is the perfect go-to recipe to make your fruit shine–literally! I love taking a fresh fruit salad to a potluck, and this glaze keeps it just sweet enough and moistened. It allows the fruit to show off its beautiful texture, color, and flavor.
CHOCOLATE MUDBALLS
These Chocolate Mudballs just hit the spot! They are great when you are wanting a bit of a chocolate treat, but use ingredients like wheat germ and oats to make them a treat that has some health benefits! You can whip them up in minutes, and they will please palates young and old.
Last week I wrote ‘5 Reasons to Eat SuperSeeds Every Day’, and today I am going to share some ideas on HOW to eat more seeds every day.
When it comes to getting into the rhythm of doing something every day, it helps to make it as accessible as possible and as easy as possible.
My superseed no recipe recipe below is the best way I have found to make everyday seed-eating most accessible and efficient. I eat them almost mindlessly and rarely skip a day.
The glass jar I keep them in is always front and center in my refrigerator. By making a mix, you avoid having to grab different individual bags of seeds each day, but still get all the amazing benefits of eating multiple types of seeds each day.
Let’s face it, those bags can get lost in the pantry and sit lonely and unused, and an empty jar waiting to be refilled can solve that problem.
A glass jar is key. You can see what is in it, and it is easy to grab and use while making breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
I use a mason jar, and have been eyeing this glass jar clip and spoon that fits around the lip of a wide mouth mason jar would be perfect for scooping seeds efficiently. It’s only $3.99!
It would eliminate that one more step of searching for a spoon, and it is cute to boot. I also keep my ground coffee in mason jars, so I may have to buy 2! I just put it on my Amazon Wish List.
Eat super seeds every day! They are a high nutrient food and they are packed with healthy goodness. Seeds contain all the starting materials needed to grow into a complex plant, and because of this, they are a very alive, nutritious food.
Keeping a jar of super seed mix in the refrigerator is an easy way to have these little superfoods on hand at all times.
PLANT PROTEIN
Many seeds (like pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds) are a complete protein source! Seeds have more protein and minerals than nuts and less saturated fat.
GOOD FATS FROM A WHOLE FOOD SOURCE
Seeds are rich in ALA Omega 3 fats which feed the brain and plays a key role in metabolism and energy production.
Having a good fat in your diet is important for the absorption of nutrients, including anti-cancer phytochemicals.
LIGNANS
Lignans are antioxidants that may help support the immune system and can help balance hormone levels in the body.
They also have anti-estrogenic effects and can prevent naturally occurring hormones from binding to estrogen receptors and exerting their negative effects.
I am especially interested in the lignans in seeds as I am a survivor of hormone-sensitive breast cancer.
DISEASE PROTECTIVE
Again, as a breast cancer survivor, I am very interested in all of the health benefits of seeds.
My husband has been pre-diabetic in the past, so he also makes sure to get his seeds in every day, too!
Plant foods, in general, can be very disease protective, and so eat your seeds!
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shopko. The opinions and text are all mine.
DIY Cold Brew Coffee
Are you a cold brew coffee fan but don’t like paying coffee shop prices? Do you love coffee but wish it were less acidic and easier on your tummy? Do you love iced toddy lattes with dreamy creamy toppings but don’t like the added processed sugar?
I don’t know about you but I can say yes to all of those questions. I also found a great solution for ALL of them with the help of the Primula 51 Ounce Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker from Shopko, and an amazing whipped cream recipe to top your cold brew!
I’ve dabbled in making my own cold brew for a few years now, and but never found a process that was streamlined and easy enough to keep doing it on the regular.
Cold Brew Coffee French Press System
My old way of doing it was with a french press but honestly, it was messy and I had to put too much thought into the measurements and the ratio of coffee to water for it to become an easy habit.
If you want to know how to make it in the french press, you simply stir 1/4 cup of coarse coffee grounds into 1 cup of cold water. Let sit out on the counter overnight. The next morning, add another cup of cold water. Then press the grounds and pour over ice. This makes 2 cups of coffee.
Cold Brew Coffee – Jar System
You could make this in a glass jar instead of a French press, but instead of pressing, strain through a coffee filter twice. Again, it is messy and a slow straining process–not my favorite–but if you are desperate for cold brew coffee and have a glass jar and coffee filters on hand, you can use this method.
Place 1/4 cup of coffee grounds in a jar with 1 cup of cold water. Let sit in the refrigerator on the counter overnight. The next morning, add another cup of cold water. Then strain the grounds and pour over ice. This makes 2 cups of coffee.
Primula Cold Brew Coffee Maker
What is my favorite way to make cold brew coffee? With the Primula Cold Brew Coffee Maker from Shopko. It takes all guesswork out of making cold brew coffee and streamlines the process, making it as simple as possible.
This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a BIG salad, and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 plant servings a day!
It is full of amazing nutrition, is easy to make, and had been well received by my family. It is one of those recipes that brings health and wellness, and I know I will make it for many years to come.
It’s been awhile since I have been THIS excited about a recipe. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when I discovered Chia Oats. A healthy, staple, ‘make-once-and-eat-for-days’ recipe.
Detox Salad = Lots of Nutrients
Not only are you getting your vegetable servings in, but they are ALL the colors which is so important. More colors mean more diverse nutrients! I’m always striving to eat the rainbow, and this detox salad is a great way to do it.
2 Secrets to the Success of Detox Salad
There are 2 secrets to the success of this salad:
All veggies are chopped fine with a food processor. So fine that you could eat it with a spoon– almost like a veggie couscous! Using a food processor keeps you from having to take the time to chop, chop, chop; and makes certain vegetables that can be tough and hard to chew a breeze to eat.
The dressing is so fresh and delicious and was the KEY to getting my family to eat this salad.
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Detox Salad Dressing
We have eaten this salad with store bought dressing when we were short on time and ran out of the homemade version, but I have to tell you, it is not the same!
The dressing in this recipe has such a beautiful fresh lemony taste.
There is something about mixing lemon with ginger and balancing the tang and zest with a bit of honey. Garlic and dijon round it out.
Did you notice that even the dressing contains super healthy ingredients? Lemon is full of vitamin c, ginger is cleansing is garlic and honey both have their own very specific health benefits.
I use avocado oil, as it is a healthy oil and will not harden when refrigerated, so I can make the dressing and store it separately from the salad for my family to help themselves to all week.
You can old use olive oil, but it is not great for refrigerating for later use because it will harden.
Take Your Salad To Go
My girls have been helping themselves to this salad, and even have been packing it up and taking to school in their lunches.
It is safe to say that we are addicted. There is so much flavor, so much texture and it is BEAUTIFUL served in a glass bowl.
This salad is great for sharing with a group. It is a show stopper to look at and tastes amazing. I took this to our large family Easter dinner gathering and it was well received, even by those who were a bit skeptical of that many veggies in one salad!
Micronutrients in Detox Salad
Detox salad is full of micronutrients. Todd and I are on a HUGE micronutrient kick, thanks to Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his amazing books we have been reading together. We love the idea of a high nutrient diet and are pursuing it actively.
From Dr. Joel Fuhrman:
What makes my dietary advice unique is that it is focused on quality, not quantity. It focuses on the type of foods you eat. Its most important nutritional concept is:
H=N/C Health = Nutrients/Calories
For excellent health and life expectancy, concentrate on consuming foods that contain a lot of micronutrients and fewer calories.
Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; they do not contain calories, but they have vital functions in the body. Calories come from fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
You want to take in the foods that contain the most micronutrients per calorie. You want to get the most nutrient bang for each caloric buck. When you eat this way, calorie-counting no longer matters.
High micronutrient foods come straight from nature; whole plant foods, such as vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and beans, should be the basis of a healthy, anti-cancer diet.
Without adequate micronutrients, food cravings, discomfort, and the demand to over-consume calories can be overwhelming and derail any effort to lose weight or eat healthfully.
It is nice to not be consumed with counting calories and focused on macronutrients like protein, fats, and carbs. I like just simply looking at my food and asking myself if it is nutrient dense food. A simple question and a simple way of eating.
As a 2-time cancer survivor, I want my body to function well and want to supply it with all of the micronutrients it needs. This salad is such an easy way to do that!
This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a big salad and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 veggie servings a day.
1/4cupoilI use avocado, can use extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Roughly chop all the veggies into bite-size pieces. This can be a fast process, let the food processor do most of the work for you!
Place each veggie into the food processor and pulse until you have chopped the veggies, fine and crumbly. Do this in batches. Finely chop the parsley as well.
Add the veggies into a big bowl, then add the almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.
Dressing
In a separate jar combine the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on and shake, or mix in a bowl and whisk until combined.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss everything together, or store separately if want the salad to last all week. It will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator with dressing added, 4-6 days in the refrigerator without. Ours has always lasted at least 6 days.
Serve and enjoy!
Makes 4-6 Servings
Tips:
Key for the salad to last all week? Don’t add the dressing until ready to eat. Use an oil that won’t harden in the refrigerator…olive oil and coconut oil both do, so my choice is avocado oil.
This salad will last 4-6 days without dressing, 2-3 days with.
A good food processor makes this quick work. I got the Breville Sou Chef for Christmas and it is a dream to use!
Add- in ideas:
This recipe is so good just how it is, that I’m hesitant to suggest any add-ins, but I must as it is such a versatile salad and can be used as a base for so many other add-in flavors.
Could roll up in a tortilla, rice paper, or raw collard green leaf and use dressing as a dip.
Garnish with feta.
Add olives or green onions, pepperoncini peppers, or artichoke hearts.
Pump up the fiber by adding bulger.
Make your leafy lettuce salad even more healthy, sprinkle on this detox salad (pre-dressing) as a chopped veggie topping.
Dinner suggestions:
Serve with a piece of grilled salmon or some shredded rotisserie chicken mixed in for a quick dinner salad.
Could chop less fine and keep on hand to use for quick stir-frys. I often have leftover cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots, so I chop them up while I have the food processor out, but make them less fine and use in stir-frys.
I’ve even justified a pizza dinner by serving this salad as a side. Ha!
What about you? Are you wanting to consume more nutrient-dense foods?
Do you think you and your family would like this salad?
Did you make this recipe? Snap a picture and tag @Amy_NewNostalgia on Instagram or share it using #amynewnostalgia –I LOVE seeing your NN creations!~
The first time I made this 30 Minute Balsamic Chicken recipe, it was late afternoon and my people (husband and 3 teen girls) would soon be coming home hungry. Inevitably, they would ask me the familiar question; “What’s for dinner?”
I had chicken breasts thawed but little inspiration as to what do with them. I was sitting in my car outside my local health food store and googled “quick dinner chicken.”
I scrolled a bit and came upon a recipe from AllRecipes for Balsamic Chicken. I remembered I had a good quality balsamic vinegar at home and saw that the recipe was quick and easy.
I went inside and bought a couple of onions, green peppers, and some canned tomatoes (on sale!) and headed home excited to try a new recipe and get my people fed in less than 30 minutes!
I love finding easy new cooking techniques for staple foods that everyone loves. That is exactly what I found in Oven Scrambled Eggs. These eggs cook up super light and fluffy and are the best-tasting eggs I’ve ever had!
Baking scrambled eggs in the oven makes sense if you have other things to do besides watching eggs cook. I have made them for our Christmas morning brunch the last 2 years and loved having them in the oven along with our Christmas morning traditional cinnamon rolls. I’ve read about others throwing bacon on a baking pan and baking it at the same time as the eggs.
