A trip to Ocracoke + the 4th of July

Last week was a lovely week on the island. We had some gorgeous weather and the sun was shining; it was a great break from all of the wind and rain from the week before. I had three days off in a row, which is very rare for this time of the year, and I loved every minute of it. On Tuesday evening, as it started to cool off a little, Chuck and I decided to have dinner in Ocracoke. We got in line for the ferry and were on our way without much of a wait at all; it was perfect timing.

It rained for just a few minutes and a rainbow quickly appeared. It was so beautiful in person.



Once we got to Ocracoke, we parked at the opposite end of the island and walked to Howard's Pub. We love the atmosphere there! We shared a pitcher of Blue Moon...



 

And we each got a house salad with different toppings so that we could share. We each ended up with half of a large grilled chicken breast and half of a nice size teriyaki tuna steak. Both tasted amazing. We're definitely going to need to get our hands on some fresh tuna so that we can grill it at home.

 

 

On the 4th, I taught a Zumba class bright and early and we headed to the beach in the early afternoon. We took a long beach walk to meet up with some friends and we played a game of beach volleyball, which was a lot of fun. After a few hours in the sun, we were ready to head home and shower. We even grilled some of our dinner: teriyaki chicken and corn.

 

That evening, we headed to hear some music and watch the local firework display. It was great to get out and enjoy ourselves.

The firework display was as gorgeous as usual. It is definitely something that I look forward to every year.

How did you spend your 4th of July?

Happy Birthday America!

While everyone else is saying Happy 4th of July and posting patriotic photos with flags and red, white, and blue, I'm saying "Happy Birthday America" and I'm sharing a photo of these sweet little birdie eggs that we found in a plant (that has seen better days) on the front porch. I can't wait until the mommy bird comes back so I can see what kind of birds will be hatching.

 

 

 

I did have good intentions with my 4th of July post... I was going to head to the beach early this morning, stick a flag in the sand, and take a patriotic photo, but teaching Zumba this morning wiped me out. My 8 am Zumba class was pretty packed (16 people for a fairly small room) and it was full of energy; I love those kinds of classes! We don't have any big plans for the day- we know we'll head to the beach at some point and we'll most likely grill our dinner (I have corn soaking now). We'll probably watch the local firework display this evening and listen to live music by the beach.

 

What are your plans for today?

Red, White, and Blue Pancakes

Hey, folks! Today I want to share a red, white, and blue recipe with you (being that tomorrow is the 4th of July and all). I made these festive pancakes for breakfast yesterday and they were pretty delicious. Because the pancakes have fresh blueberries and strawberry jam cooked inside of them, you don't even need to add syrup. However, I won't judge if you decide to add it anyway :)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 egg, beaten

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons oil (vegetable, extra virgin olive, canola, etc.)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Several tablespoons strawberry jam, microwaved for 20-30 seconds

 

Directions:

 

In a small bowl, combine the egg, flour, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, and salt with a whisk until well incorporated.

 

Portion the batter with a measuring spoon onto a preheated griddle (depending on the size of your pancakes, this recipe yields about 8 pancakes). 

 

Place blueberries onto the top of each pancake and drizzle melted jam over each pancake.

 

Once the pancake starts to bubble and the sides are no longer runny, flip the pancake over and cook the other side. 



What are your favorite red, white, and blue recipes?

Treat-filled Firecracker Craft

Hooray; it's Friday! Time seems to be flying by lately. I can't believe that July is just a few days away. Since July is approaching so soon, I wanted to share a super easy and inexpensive craft to honor the 4th of July. If you happen to have kids on summer break who are already bored and need something to do, this craft would be perfect for an easy afternoon activity. These treat-filled Firecrackers would also be great as party favors at Independence day cookouts.

 

Here's what you will need:

 

A paper towel tube cut in half, scissors, tape, scrapbook paper (red, white, and blue), ribbon, and candy or any other kind of filler.

 



 

 

Let's get started:

 

Begin by wrapping the tube in paper and covering one end of the tube with a circle cut from the scrapbook paper.

 

 

Next, fill your "firecracker" with whatever you choose. Candy always works well! Once the goodies are inside, cut another circle from scrapbook paper to cover the other end of the tube.

 

Cut three pieces of ribbon or cord and tie a knot at one end.

 

With the scissors, carefully punch a hole in the center of one end (make sure the hole is not too big- it needs to be a snug fit). Being careful not to rip the paper, feed the knot through the hole so that it is secure.



And now you have a treat-filled "firecracker"!

How do you usually celebrate the 4th of July?
My day is usually spent at the beach.