There’s little else that makes it feel more like summer time than July 4th weekend, right?

I remember looking so forward to the 4th when I was growing up…spending the day at the lake, grilling burgers, eating watermelon, watching fireworks after dark. It seemed like that day was almost the quintessential summer day, and it was the best feeling to finally fall into bed at the end of it with sunburnt cheeks and scratchy eyes after a long, fun day with friends or family.

As with any holiday, such a big part of the celebration revolves around food and the conversations spent over a good meal. July 4th is no different, and I’m sure most of us automatically associate the smell of grilling hamburgers and potato salad and baked beans when you think of this weekend. I love a good burger, and we are definitely grilling some up this weekend!

Beyond having great hamburgers, you definitely need some tasty side dishes and great desserts to make your holiday weekend meals truly complete. Chips and veggies + dip are great, sure…but I’m hoping to try up some new dishes this weekend. Here are some fun recipes I have my eye on:

This bean salad looks super fresh and delicious.

…and this asian noodle one does too!

This avocado bruschetta would make a great appetizer.

…or if you’re feeling crafty, these cute caprese skewers would too.

Caramelized onions make the best burger topping!

Or make your own bbq sauce to slather on top.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional hamburger, these turkey-feta burgers are super yum, especially served with Greek aioli sauce.

And while we’re running with the Mediterranean theme, this Greek quinoa salad would make a great side dish.

Fruit pizza is a fun and colorful way to end any meal!

Ice creams bars are on my summer bucket list.

This mango-coconut ice cream pie is always a good idea.

Round out the meal with some peach iced tea, strawberry lemonade, or set up an Italian soda bar.

Have a great weekend, dears!

What about you: what foods and smells and feelings do you associate with this holiday weekend? What are you cooking up for your friends or family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

It’s no secret that I love my snacks.

Most days you’ll find me shoving food in my belly at least six times a day between meals and snacks…I have breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack (or two!), supper, bed-time snack, and more often than not these days, a middle of the night snack too. Snacks are where it’s at!

As much as I love to snack, sometimes I run out of ideas for good snacking. My go-to’s are often yogurt and granola/cereal bowls, smoothies, or fruit and nut butters…but sometimes I’m tired of the old standbys. And especially these days, since my snack hunger has kicked into full gear with all the nursing going on over here. I had heard about pregnancy hunger, but no one warned me about breastfeeding hunger! I feel like Ayla and I both eat all day, haha.

I’ve been making these little coconut bites for a while now, and they are the handiest things to have on hand for a quick snack. Full of good fats and just slightly sweet and a little salty…they seem to fill all the cravings you could have in one little bite. And I usually like to make them with protein powder and collagen hydrolysate (you can read about the benefits of this handy gelatin supplement here) for additional staying power and nutrition. I love having them in the fridge for an after-meal dessert or a quick midnight snack or anytime hunger strikes. It’s so handy to have something quick to grab when I don’t have time or energy to pull out yogurt or make a smoothie, or when I only have one hand to use for snacking when the other one is holding on to my baby. A few other favorite snacks are these fig oat bars, this chocolate cake, and muffins!

Coconut Snack Bites

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup protein powder
2 T. gelatin/collagen hydrolysate
3 T. almond flour
2 T. peanut butter or almond butter
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 tsp. salt
4 T. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place nut butter, coconut oil, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan, and gently heat over low heat. Whisk ingredient until melted together and well mixed.

Place shredded coconut, protein powder, gelatin, and almond flour in a medium bowl and mix together. Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and mix together well.

Place the mixture into the fridge for a few minutes so the oils will harden a bit and hold together when you shape the bites. When the mixture is hardened enough to hold together well, use your hands to shape into bite size balls (as big or small as you prefer). Store in refrigerator.

A few notes:

– You can easily make these without the protein and gelatin powders. Just replace with equal amounts almond flour or other flour of choice. You basically just need enough of some kind of powder/flour for the ingredients to bind together well. I like the nutty flavor that that almond flour gives, but any other kind should work just as well.

– If you prefer to make these bites sweeter, use sweetened shredded coconut or add additional maple syrup.

– Equal amounts of honey or agave can be used in place of the maple syrup.

– Alternately, you can make these into bars by pressing the mixture into a small pan.

Happy snacking!

What about you: what are some of your favorite snacks?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!