I've always enjoyed the 4th of July weekend as it is usually a long weekend spent eating great food with wonderful friends. This 4th was no exception. My friend Lauren prepared the most amazing vegan food and had a picnic at her house before we all headed out for our much anticipated evening at the Hollywood Bowl (Hall & Oates were preforming). I was so excited for this day of food, friends and fun I couldn't wait.
I remember going to stay with my grandmother over the summer when my sister and I were little. We were there for the 4th of July and a HUGE party was thrown by a friend. They rented an ice cream truck and everything on it was free. All the ice cream and candy you could want. Heaven for the kids. This is how I felt at the picnic yesterday. It was an amazing spread of treats. Lauren outdid herself. Each bite better than the last.
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| Every surfas was used to hold food |
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| Staging area |
The croutons in this salad were AMAZING! My friend over at
I Dream of Greenie and I had to sample a few before the salad went out.
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Caesar Salad w/ Tempeh Bacon and Homemade Low-Fat Dressing and Homemade Croutons
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| Veggies prepped for the grill |
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Garlicy White Bean Dip
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| Srumptious homemade pretzels |
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| Start of the food coming out |
To die for cake. Even though I was full I had to have a taste.
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| Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake w/ Strawberry Glaze |
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| Apple & Cheddar scones |
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| Strawberry-Rhubarb-Peach Crisp |
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| Potato Salad w/ Chives and Vegenaise |
Game changing tart.
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| White chocolate raspberry tart |
Blurry but had to share.
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| batch of the crutons |
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| Caprese Salad w/ Aged Balsamic |
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| Guacamole |
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| BBQ "Chicken" Pizzas w/ BBQ Sauce, Cilantro, Red Onion, Tempeh Bacon and Sweet Corn |
Believe it or not this isn't even all of the food we had. OOO the gumbo was mouthwatering. I wish I had snapped a picture of that. Plus she made a few drinks for us
Homemade Lavender Guava Winecooler Punch and Strawberry-Mint Sweet Green Tea.
Our day continued when we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Hall & Oates. What a great way to wrap up our day. So many great songs and a fun crowd.
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| Enjoying Hall & Oates |
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| They arrive on stage |
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| Did I mention fireworks! |
I can't even begin to thank Lauren for making such a wonderful meal. And all of my friends for making this a great holiday weekend. Hope all of you are having a happy 4th.
How did you spend your 4th?
Love all of these pics. So glad that you and everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the day. People's enjoyment of the food means a lot to me, so nothing makes me happier than knowing people enjoyed it. :) Thank you again so much for coming and for the wonderful friendship.
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