We love to celebrate the holidays here at ExperCARE so we had our team submit a few of their most favorite quick and easy recipes for Independence Day. Check out 3 of our favorites below! From a fun cocktail to a dessert you won’t want to skip this year, we hope you enjoy these submissions from our team! Happy Independence Day!

Beverage: Firecracker Spritzer

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Grenadine
• 1 ½ oz Lemon-lime soda
• 1 oz citrus vodka (optional)
• ½ oz blue curacao (optional)
• Blue Tropical punch (if making non-alcoholic)
• Pop rocks (optional)

Directions:

1. Dampen rim of glass with lemon juice
2. Dip rim into the Pop Rocks candies on a plate
3. Pour grenadine into glass
4. Fill the glass with ice
5. pour in lemon-lime soda
6. **if making a kid friendly drink, add blue Tropical Punch for layered effect
7. In a shaker, a ice, citrus vodka and blue curacao (optional)
8. Shake and slowly strain into the glass

{source: Spritzer Recipe}

Appetizer: Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:

• 8 oz can of refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 14 oz package of cocktail-sized smoked sausages, patted dry
• 1 large egg
• Everything bagel seasoning (optional)
• Maple-Dijon dipping sauce:
  • ¾ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup genuine maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Unroll crescent dough sheet on lightly floured surface and separate perforated dough into 8 triangles. Cut each dough triangle into 3 equal triangles
3. Place 1 cocktail sausage on wide base of skinny triangle. Roll sausage toward the pointed end of the triangle, allowing the dough to overlap and wrap around the sausage. Place rolled sausage on parchment-lined baking sheet, point-side down. Repeat with remaining dough triangles and sausages
4. Whisk together egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl until smooth. Brush egg wash over the dough and sprinkle with the everything bagel seasoning, if desired
5. Bake until dough is puffed and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes
6. Make the dipping sauce (optional) stir together the mustard and syrup until smooth

{source: Pigs in a Blanket Recipe}

 

Dessert: Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (20 oz each) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 4 oz cool whip, softened

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Press dough into either a circle shaped pizza stone or 9 x 12 cookie sheet (depends on desired shape). Make sure to grease pan first!
3. Bake approximately 20 minutes until golden-brown on top
4. Cool completely!
5. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cool whip until smooth
6. Spread this mixture over the cookie
7. Add favorite fruit