How to Throw a Fire-Cracking Fourth of July Party

Planning your 4th of July party? Here’s how to have a fire-cracking Fourth of July party wherever you are...

The Colors: On Fourth of July, throw yourself into a classic red, white & blue color scheme. Let the table sing the national anthem and recite the declaration of independence. It should be patriotic.
The Plates: Mix & match blue plates that you find at a thrift store. Chips have charm :)
The Tablecloths: Can be a long piece of denim fabric found at a fabric store.
The Centerpiece: This is literally the center of conversation. It does not have to be flowers; it can be an artwork, a newspaper article, a vase with goldfish (lol), book, candles, or gasp -- a cake! Get creative! Think about where it will take the conversation, and how it can enrich the conversation.
The Flowers (if you choose to do flowers): Pick something seasonal, either from your garden or from the florist. Seasonal flowers are always less expensive because they are grown in abundance! Here Chefanie used white hydrangeas from her garden
The Napkins: Chefanie embroiders napkins, and she can do them for you too! Here.

Printed menus double as place cards. Download Chefanie's 4th of July menu template here & scribble in what you serve and the names of your guests.
Food-wise, fire up the grill! Nothing is off limits: you can do veggies (anything seasonal), pizzas, and (cheese, salmon, turkey, chicken, veggie) burgers!
Chefanie's favorite summer salad is Zucchini Carpaccio.
This cacio e pepe with pink peppercorns on a blue plate totally fits in the color scheme!
For dessert we recommend a red, white, and blue cake! Here's our recipe. And of course, a corresponding Chefanie Sheet. This year, we are donating a percentage of all American Flag Chefanie Sheets to the families of Orlando victims. Order a Caprices Sheet and note that you want it to be a flag here.

Red, white, and blue sangria with white wine, strawberries, and blueberries is a low maintenance drink that is absolutely delicious. Plus, it can (and should) be made in advance to minimize your work on the day of the event.
Make sure to always have water on the table in a pitcher or pretty glass bottle.

We love any Spotify playlist that starts with Don McLean's American pie, but especially this one...