Scenes From The Fourth

I think I'm completely in the minority here, but I absolutely loved that this July 4th fell on a Wednesday.

Two days at work, a glorious day off, and then a mere two days back before the weekend?  YES.  I can handle that.  In fact, it even made me seriously consider whether I could ever ask to work longer days but have Wednesdays off.  That sounds pretty sweet, minus the part about working longer days.

After our big Tuesday night, we decided to celebrate Independence Day in a little more low-key way than we typically do.  We invited two couples over and grilled out ... easy, fun, relaxed.

I made deviled eggs, and they were gobbled up pretty quickly.  For the filling, I added a homemade relish to the yolk/dijon mustard/mayo combination.  In the small bowl of my food processor, I added dill pickle chips, capers, and jalapeños.  I just pulsed this mixture until it was the proper relish consistency.  The relish was delicious, and the salty capers and spicy jalas really added a unique flavor.

I served the deviled eggs on a milk glass platter that used to belong to my Nana, and I added some cornichons in a martini glass in the middle.

To accompany our grilled turkey dogs and brats, I picked up a few bun options.  In addition to the typical hot dog buns, I had salted pretzel rolls and hoagie rolls with poppyseeds and sesame seeds.

A few snips from my rosemary and apple mint plants were an easy but yummy addition to chilled water.  This dispenser from Pottery Barn is one of my favorites.

Ian played grillmaster while the rest of us chatted on the patio.

Earlier in the week, I'd spruced up our home with a few American flags.  Even my struggling miniature roses (thanks, heatwave) looked infinitely better with their patriotic accompaniments.

The spring wreaths on our front doors were retired, and these stars and stripes bows took their place.

The urns flanking our garage also got a red, white & blue makeover.

I hope you had a marvelous 4th!