Throw a Fourth of July Bash (Without Bashing Your Budget)

This article has been graciously contributed by one of our favorite websites, LearnVest.com.

Have you seen that commercial yet?

You know, the one with the cute family standing around the grill beaming, kids laughing and the family dog running circles around them all, hoping for a hot dog of his own? It's officially Fourth of July season!

We're not immune to the star-spangled advertising around America's most patriotic holiday, but putting together a bash worth remembering doesn't mean falling prey to the expensive grill/snacks/clothes championed by the ads.

Instead, we've put together a low-cost, high-creativity guide to assembling your own Fourth of July party this year, with the (1) food, (2) drinks and (3) decorations that will make your guests go "ooh" ... and that's before the fireworks even begin.

Food: Arugula Pesto Potato Salad

Potato salad is a summer classic, especially on this holiday all about cookouts, family and sun. We've got a fun twist on this simple side dish, adding extra and unexpected flavor with arugula pesto. 

Makes 2-3 cups 

Ingredients

2 pounds small waxy potatoes
2 tablespoons toasted almonds
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1/2 cup arugula
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard
6 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil

Up to two days in advance, make the potatoes: Submerge them in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let boil, uncovered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. Depending on size and freshness, this can be anywhere from 4-20 minutes once boiling. 

Remove the potatoes from the pan and cool until they're easy to handle. 

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and set them in a large bowl. 

To make the dressing, put the almonds, raisins and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the food processor. Grind until the almond has turned into a meal, and the raisins are chopped. Add the arugula and process until ground. 

Now add the egg yolk, vinegar and mustard and process to combine. Wipe down the sides of the processor with a spatula. 

Add the olive oil a few teaspoons at a time, processing in between. The dressing will begin to thicken. 

When you've added all of the olive oil, taste for salt and add up to 1/4 teaspoon more. If you'd like your dressing a little more tart, add a few more teaspoons of vinegar. 

Toss the dressing with the potatoes and cherry tomatoes, taste again for salt, top with ground pepper and serve. 

This recipe originally appeared here.

Food: Turkey Sliders

If ever we were going to recommend a recipe for the grill, it would be on the 4th of July. Turkey is a healthy, lighter alternative to the usual beef, but when you bite into these sliders, "healthy" will take a back seat to "delicious." 

If you're new to the grill, we have a whole guide to help you grill like a pro. If you're looking for a meat entree that doesn't require a grill, try this summer grilled chicken. 

Makes 8-10 Servings 

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
About 20 slider buns

In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Form the turkey mixture into about 20 sliders. Each one should use about 2–3 tablespoons of meat. 

Heat the grill to medium and cook the sliders for about 5 minutes per side, or until the slider is completely cooked through. There should be no pink left inside. 

Place the burgers on buns, top with desired toppings like cheese and/or tomato and serve! 

This recipe originally appeared here.

Food: Avocado Quesadillas

For the vegetarians in the group (okay, for anyone who loves avocado), these quesadillas leave traditional cookout fare in the dust. You can give this a shot on the grill if that's the order of the day, but otherwise this recipe is great for the stovetop. 

Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients

2 avocados
4 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons butter
4 tortillas
1 cup grated white cheddar

Mash the avocados with the lemon or lime juice and the salt. 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Lay the tortilla down and sprinkle the cheddar across the surface. Cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortilla is deeply golden. Quickly spread 1/4 of the avocado mixture across one half of the tortilla. Turn off the heat and fold the tortilla in half, pressing down so the melted cheese glues it together. Repeat for other tortillas. 

Cut into wedges and serve immediately. 

Another cheese to try is mozzarella, whose stretchiness when melted is a great counterpoint to the creamy avocado. It’s on our list to try! 

This recipe originally appeared here.

Food: Miso-Roasted Asparagus

Working green vegetables into our feast is more fun than chore when roasting asparagus with miso, white wine and sesame oil. You can try this recipe on the grill if you're already grilling, but it works just as well in the oven! 

Makes 4-6 servings 

Ingredients

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
1 garlic clove minced with salt
4 teaspoons white miso
4 teaspoons white wine
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the minced garlic, miso, white wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of salt and mix well. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment. The marinade usually burns a bit in the oven, so this will save your pan. Place the asparagus on the parchment and drizzle the marinade across. Toss to coat all the spears. 

Note: To trim asparagus, bend with two hands and let them snap at their natural breaking point. 

Roast the asparagus on the parchment and drizzle the marinade across. Toss to coat all the spears. 

Roast the asparagus for about 35 minutes, tossing once, until they are tender and browned. Serve immediately or at room temperature. 

This recipe originally appeared here.

Food: Strawberry Sorbet

You'll really impress your guests when you tell them you made this healthy, delicious sorbet from scratch. No need to share quite how easy it was. 

Makes 3-5 servings 

Ingredients

1 pound frozen strawberries or other fruit
1/2 cup yogurt, crème fraîche or silken tofu
1/4 cup sugar, more or less

Put all the ingredients in a food processor, and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Process until it’s puréed and creamy, but don’t overdo it, because then it will turn into a smoothie. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the container, and if the fruit stays in frozen chunks, add a tablespoon or more water at a time through the feed tube. 

It’s best served immediately, but you can also freeze it for later. Just make sure to leave it at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften.

This recipe originally appeared here.

Drink: Ginger-Spiked Lemonade

Your guests will love this refreshing lemonade ... for grown-ups. 

4 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
6 large lemons, seeded and juiced
8 ounces vodka
1 cup and 4 cups water, separated

First, make ginger simple syrup: Bring the sugar, ginger and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves completely. Cool. Strain ginger. 

Stir the ginger syrup, lemon juice and 4 cups of cold water together in a large pitcher. Add the vodka. Mix well. Chill. Serve over ice. This recipe originally appeared here.

Drink: The Perfect Mojito

This mojito is the perfect opportunity to make the most of your herb garden (or, um, the supermarket) and your afternoon. 

4 or 5 sprigs of mint
3 lime wedges 
Sugar, to taste 
Rum, to taste 

Put the leaves in a glass with three lime wedges and add some sugar. Crush the mint and lime with the sugar and fill with rum and club soda. Add another mint sprig and lime wedge for garnish and enjoy! 

Transform it into an old-fashioned mint julep by substituting bourbon for the rum! This recipe originally appeared here.

Drink: Pineapple Champagne Cocktail

Celebrate the summer with a champagne toast, citrus-style. 

Champagne 
Pineapple juice 
Grapefruit juice 

Combine 3 parts champagne, 1 part pineapple juice and 1 part grapefruit juice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve. This recipe originally appeared here.

Drink: Raspberry-Lime Twist

When else will you get to use raspberry liqueur? (Which you can generally buy inexpensively, for around $12 a bottle.) 

1 ounce raspberry liqueur
1 ounce vodka
4 ounce club soda
Fat wedge of lime, yielding 1 teaspoon of juice 

Mix the liqueur and vodka together. Top with soda, squeeze lime juice into the drink, and mix well. Ring the flesh side of the lime around the glass, so you’ll taste the flavor of lime with each sip. This recipe originally appeared here.

Drink: Sweet Sangria

A summer favorite, sangria is always a crowd-pleaser (plus, it’s easy to make large quantities). 

Wine, red or white 
Ginger ale 
Orange juice 
Fruit, seasonal or frozen 
Brown sugar 

There’s no shame in using really cheap wine, since it's only one ingredient out of many. Mix it with one part ginger ale and one part orange juice. Toss in seasonal or frozen fruit—we’re thinking oranges, mango, berries—and let it sit. The longer you wait, the better the flavors will combine. If you’re working with a sweet tooth, add some brown sugar for good measure. This recipe originally appeared here.

Fun: The Coolest Coolers

Looking to keep your summer drinks chilled? These easy-to-make coolers are a patriotic take on the classic cooler. You might even have all the supplies lying around the house. 

You'll Need:

A sand pail or ice bucket
Paint 
Construction paper 
Scissors 
Glue 

Paint the sand pails the color you would like, and as the paint dries, use your scissors to cut stars and other fun shapes out of the construction paper. 

When the paint is dry, attach the paper cut-outs to the pails with your glue. Fill with ice, and you’re all set for a great (and thirst-quenching) afternoon. 

Image Credit: allyou.com

Fun: S'more Kits

No 4th of July is complete without a batch of gooey s'mores. These s’more packs are an easy and organized way to provide your guests with all the s’more ingredients, and they can serve as a cute party gift, too. 

You'll Need:

S’more ingredients for each bag (chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers)
Small plastic baggies 
8x11 construction paper 
Markers
A stapler 

Cut each piece of construction paper in half, and allow your kids (or friends!) to draw and design the paper labels in any way they choose. 

(If you want to get really fancy, like the examples pictured at left, you'll need to print your labels from the computer, using printables like these.) 

Then, have your helpers stuff each baggie with the s’more goods while you trim their creative labels to fit each bag. When the bags are stuffed, staple the labels over the top of the bags to seal them. Hand out to guests for a surprising treat! 

Image Credit: Hostess With the Mostess

Fun: Patriotic Pinwheels

These festive pinwheels can be fashioned into garlands, popped into vases or strewn across the table as festive accents. 

You'll Need:

Red, white and blue paper 
Scissors 
Pencil
Ruler 
Stapler
String 

Cut paper to about 6 by 11 inches. Fold the paper in half, then, fold it in half twice more. Open the folded paper, and use the creases as guides to accordion fold the paper to resemble a fan. 

With the paper still folded, staple the center. Make a mark about an inch from each end and trim both ends of the paper on an angle, starting from the 1-inch marks and cutting to the paper's edges. 

Fan out the paper to form a star, and staple the ends together. 

Directions modified from Martha Stewart

Image Credit: Martha Stewart

Fun: Unique Utensil Holders

If you’re planning to host a big group barbecue, then you’ll love these fun utensil holders. 

You'll Need:

Small flower pots
Paint and paint brushes 
Stencils from your nearest craft store (optional)
Newspaper (for the mess) 
Paint the pots in the pattern of your choice—we love the stripes, stars and polka dot designs in the photo example! 

Then, use the stencils—or a steady hand—to spell out “Spoons,” “Forks” and “Knives,” on the rims of the pots. If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can even make pots for your napkins and straws. 

Image Credit: Michael's

Fun: Festive Dessert Flags

They're simple, cute, and yet another use for any spare ribbon. (You can find other creative ways to use extra ribbon here.)

You'll Need:

Straws
Fabric ribbon
Scissors 

Tie multiple ribbons around the tip of the straw and cut the ribbon short. Stick the straws into your dessert for a “sparkler”-type effect. Note: Shortcake not included! 

Image Credit: Style Me Pretty

This article originally appeard on LearnVest.com.