<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Whoo-hoo, got my first Fourth of July bbq invitation last night, from Rich&amp;#039;s sister. She throws the best cookouts: on Memorial Day, there were grilled clams and scallops, homemade bbq ribs, potato salad, tossed salad, and a taco salad with Doritos in it\u2014so you know I was all over that! Anyway, I look forward to these holiday weekends, whether I am hosting or not. Because there&amp;#039;s so much opportunity to make tasty food and celebrate with friends. Here are some of my favorite things to make and eat on the 4th (click on the links for recipes). Red Pepper Dip. Yes, hummus is delicious, and Lipton Onion dip is a classic. But this red pepper dip is easy, filled with good-for-you ingredients, and is incredibly festive! Make it a red-white-and-blue theme by serving it in a white bowl with blue corn or potato chips to dip. Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Snow Peas. A nice twist on that cookout classic, pasta salad. And it&amp;#039;s a way to use a fancy ingredient (shrimp, you big spender!) without blowing your budget. After all, pasta is nice and cheap\u2014and filling. I&amp;#039;d also suggest adding whatever veggies you want to this dish\u2014shredded carrots? mushrooms? Yumm. Grilled Zucchini and Mushrooms. I got a bottle of roasted garlic oil as a gift, and now I brush it on my veggies (slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, and choose large stuffing mushrooms and cook them whole) and add a dash of salt and pepper before popping them on the grill. So easy, so delicious. For a crowd, once the zucchini is cooked, slice the halves crosswise into large chunks. Mozzarella and Tomato Salad. My friend Laura brought this to my birthday bash one year. It was revolutionary because she used different sized small mozzarella balls\u2014some were really tiny, like gumballs, and then others were more gobstopper-size. I&amp;#039;ve since seen these different sizes at various supermarkets in my area, so I think they&amp;#039;re easily available. Mix them with an equal amount of small grape tomatoes, then toss with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper. I like to add a splash of white balsamic vinegar for a kick (regular balsamic would ruin the pretty color). TIP: Do not make this ahead and then refrigerate! Tomatoes taste best when they&amp;#039;ve never been refrigerated. If you want to make it ahead, just dress the tomatoes in a large bowl and leave on countertop; once you are ready to serve, take the cheese out of fridge and toss with tomato mixture. And I always make one of two bar cookies: either brownies from the King Arthur Flour Baking Book (my baking bible), or coconut blondies, which are Rich&amp;#039;s personal favorite. These two treats are true crowd-pleasers, so I always make sure to enjoy one by myself, in the kitchen, right after I&amp;#039;ve cut them out of the pan. Look for recipes for them in my next blog. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/food-recipes/entertaining/advice/a3699/july-fourth-party-ideas/>