I hope you all had a WONDERFUL, FUN, FANTASTIC holiday!
I spent my day parading around like this:
My German sis agreed to be an all-American woman for the day. She looks the part, yaaa?
When I saw these bandanas in the 75% off box at Walgreens Saturday, there was no question whether I would buy them. Donning a patriotic bandana presented a perfect opportunity to tap into my inner Gretchen Wilson. ;-p
Isn't she sassy?
I even wore the bandana on my last-minute-we-forgot-to-buy-tomatoes-for-the-burgers trip to the grocery store yesterday. Two bikers may or may not have hit on me while I was cruising through the aisles. (And by bikers I don't mean the Lance lookalikes…I'm talking about the leather-wearing, mullet loving Harley types!).
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SATURDAY
Before we dive any farther into 4th of July details, let's rewind! My weekend was BUSY, which forced me to put blogging on the back burner. The break was completely worth it though, because it allowed me to spend some much needed time with my family. 
My brother, Alec, and his girlfriend, Selina (the lovely photographer who snapped this pic), arrived Friday. It's been fun having them around the house!
Saturday evening we went to dinner at Bardenay downtown.
I ordered one of six varieties of satays:
Garlic, citrus, and ginger marinated chicken breast served with sesame soy dipping sauce
One of the disadvantages of cutting wheat out of my diet is that I can no longer eat soy sauce (aka no sesame soy dipping sauce! 
) The good news is that you can now buy gluten-free soy, however mini tupperware containers are necessary if you want to enjoy it at a restaurant!
Not to worry though, our kind waitress happily substituted chili dipping sauce for the sesame soy.
My brother thoroughly enjoyed his sweet potato chimichanga.
Oh, he's so silly.
My mom ordered a monstrous bowl of cabbage!
I kid…Underneath the greens was a delicious posole–a flavorful Mexican soup made of hominy, vegetables, pork loin, and a spicy broth. I had several bites and it was fantastic–probably the tastiest of all our entrees.
Nora ordered the panzanella salad, a traditional Italian combination of rustic bread, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and kalamata olives. She added grilled chicken for a little protein kick.
I stole a few of her olives because she doesn't like them. 
Selina ordered the meatball sandwich.
This was the best angle I could get from my seat, but according to Selina, the sammie was fantastic.
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***Sunday–4th of July!***
I woke up early so that I could get a head start making a patriotic dessert for our festivities later.
Of course, first I needed to fuel!
This was an omelet made with one egg + one egg white, a Laughing Cow french onion wedge, and 2 T. Monterey Jack. I also sauteed zucchini, mushrooms and red onions in a smidgen of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.
After breakfast I was ready to start baking!
In the interest of time (and my patience!) I'll just show you the final product:
I made Berry Tart with Walnut Crust. The filling with simply light cream cheese, light sour cream and pure maple syrup. I'll post the recipe soon!
After a 50-minute HIIT treadmill workout, I prepped an appetizer.
When I saw this recipe for Baked Stuffed Baby Bellas on Anne's blog last week, I knew I had to give it a try! The mushrooms were a big hit!
Around 6:00pm, people started arriving for dinner. I made a big pitcher of sangria for people to sip on while we waited for buffalo burgers to cook on the grill.
A fruity and refreshing cocktail! Definitely not a traditional Sangria, but taste is all that matters, right?
I also tried tried my hand at flipping bison burgers on the grill:
Let's just say that I need a little practice! The burgers were tasty, but a little crispy around the edges. 
Bison meat is very lean, so it dries out quickly (nothing a little ketchup and mustard can't fix though!).
My patriotic plate
We served the burgers with sweet potato fries and sesame slaw. I also ate an un-pictured ear of grilled corn on the cob–my favorite!
Dessert was the tart I made earlier that morning.
Everything was tasty!
Happy eaters!
Nora, Mom, me, Alec
After dinner, we headed downtown for a fireworks show. My friend Kyla joined us for the fun!
The show was amazing! There's nothing like lying on a blanket, watching colors explode in the dark sky! I had chills!
I wish fireworks shows were a more regular occurrence in my life. But if that were the case, I guess they wouldn't be so special.
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Before I wrap this up, a few more fun weekend pics:
Only in America is half a grocery store aisle devoted to peanut butter! (No complaints!!) Nora can't believe how large these containers of PB are!
Sub Zero ice cream!
I hope your week beings beautifully! There's no reason we should be living a sub-par life! We have the CHOICE to seize the day–to take advantage of, and truly appreciate, all of the opportunities and gifts we've been given!
I love and appreciate you all, and thank you for your endless inspiration. <3 <3
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent!
-Psalm 30:11-12
Questions:
Tell me about your weekend!
Are you good at grilling? Tips would be much appreciated!
What's your favorite peanut butter brand?
