Fourth of July Fun

Yesterday was, of course, the Fourth of July, otherwise known as Independence Day! It’s a day full of patriotism, colors arrayed with red, white, and blue, and tons of fireworks. I had such a fun 4th of July this year because my mom and aunt came to visit me in Baltimore.

We walked around the city shopping, talking, and eating. Eventually, we ended up in Fell’s Point for lunch where we dined at Barcocina on the water. To start, we ordered an appetizer of crab guacamole and it was delicious. For our meals, we decided to order 3 different types of tacos (Korean Beef, Charred Lemon Fish, and Lamb Gyro) to split, because each taco order came with 3 tiny tacos, and we also split the Green Mango Quinoa Salad which I loved because of how refreshing it tasted on a 95 degree day.

By the time we made it back to the apartment, we were hot and ready to rest. But I got to work finishing up my patriotic dessert surprise: a yellow cake filled with spots of strawberry flavor and topped with cream cheese frosting and fruit. It’s an incredibly easy recipe, and I’ll be writing a post on how to make it if you want to try it out. It will be up on Sunday, so be sure to come back and check it out. It’s festive for the Fourth, but it’s good for just about any occasion.

By the time it was dark outside, we were rested and well fed. All that we were waiting for was the fireworks to go on at 9:30 over the Harbor. (What’s better than fireworks on the Fourth of July?) So we played some American jams while we were waiting on the balcony (Springsteen’s Born in the USA , Martina McBride’s Independence Day, and then the classics like the Star Spangled Banner etc.).

Finally we started to hear the thundering and crackling of fireworks, and we sprinted down near the lighthouse with everyone else to get a prime viewing spot. There’s something magical about a fireworks display because it’s as if nobody can be unhappy in the 15-20 minutes they’re bursting. It’s as if time stands still and that moment is an explosion of color and admiration. It was a great Fourth of July, and I want to share it with you all. Enjoy!