I had, hands down, the best guacamole this past weekend. It was the Fourth of July, and my friend was throwing a soiree on his deck in Manhattan Beach. There was really no better way to add pizazz to the ordinary fare of burgers and dogs.

We used a recipe from Alton Brown , who so famously uses science to perfect his dishes and this was a standout!

Ingredients

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

I like the authenticity of using a traditional Molcajete , which is shown in the image above, but we used a regular serving bowl and it still tasted great. We smeared the good stuff on our burgers and hot dogs and scooped up a good amount on our chips, too.

Want to make a fun drink to serve your friends at your July 4th party?  I’ve got just the thing.  My nickname for this drink is “Punch of Freedom” although I think that applies more to the alcoholic version which will no doubt make you feel free if you drink enough!

Here is the way I make it, and then I’ll provide you with some alternatives:

-1 gallon fruit punch
-1 gallon lemonade
-1 bottle champagne
-1 dozen strawberries, sliced
-2 peaches, sliced
-1 package blueberries
-1 pint berry sorbet

For the two gallons of juice, you can substitute strawberry lemonade, orange juice, or cranberry juice, but I would recommend mixing at least 2 of those instead of just one base.  Whatever you mix, try to target an overall pink/red color for the punch (to fit the 4th of July theme).

For the fruits you can use pretty much whatever you like, I find the peaches and strawberries have a nice flavor and soak up the champagne or other alcohol nicely so they are tasty to eat at the end of the drink.  The blueberries are mostly just to have a little blue for the red/white/blue theme.

Instead of champagne you could use ginger-ale or tonic water for a non-alcoholic version.  If you want it to be alcoholic but are looking for something stronger, you could also substitute vodka, but be careful not to add too much!

I like the sorbet because it adds extra fun; you could also substitute sherbet or even vanilla ice cream.  However, if your party is outdoors and you don’t have enough ice, you will definitely end up with a soupy drink when the frozen part melts.

Whatever way you personalize this drink, there’s little you can do that will truly mess it up, so it should end up fun and festive!

Tools & Decorations:
-Punch bowl
-Punch Ladle
-American Flag Drink Napkins
-American Flag Cups

Are you having a fourth of July party and don’t have a menu planned yet?  I’ve got some great ideas for you that are quick, easy and fun.

If you are having an outdoor party you need to carefully consider the menu since it is harder to keep food cold in the heat.  My best tip for this is one I saw on HGTV .  A party planner recommended taking a baby’s inflatable tub or small pool raft and filling it with ice.  Then you can put all your food in that to keep it cold and prevent leakage when the ice melts.

For an easy menu, I’d go with hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, chips and salad.  For that all you’ll need is a grill to prepare the meat and the rest can be bought from your local supermarket.

But if you want something a little more fun, I’d recommend trying a theme.  You could go southwestern and add chips, salsa and guacamole.  For the burgers, you could mix chorizo or bison in with the beef for a really awesome kick of flavor.  You could serve black beans instead of potato salad and have grilled peppers instead of a salad.

Or you could try a more polish/german theme with sausages or bratwurst instead of hot dogs, and make a german potato salad recipe .

For a middle eastern feel you could barbeque lamb and then grill some eggplant.  Serve that with pita or pita chips and hummus and babaganoush.

You might think its strange to recommend ethnic food for a holiday that celebrates America, but I kind of think that’s what America is all about, the blending together of different cultures.

If you want to serve festive drinks, I recommend my fun "Freedom Punch ".  To make it more festive, serve it in this light up party fountain.

Whatever you do, the key thing is just not to stress!  Parties are supposed to be fun, so make sure you enjoy yourself.