Canada Day Food - Appetizers, Snacks, Desserts, and Drinks

Canada Day is on it's way!  It's not necessary to have a formal dinner when celebrating any particular event.  Money and time spent, not to mention the stress of it all is not worth it.  So just do up some appetizers, snacks, some desserts, and drinks, and get the party under way!  Scroll below and prepare these for your Canada Day party.

APPETIZERS

At my Canada Day party last year, I cut up some red bell peppers, arranged some of the peppers in the shape of a maple leaf in the middle of the platter, and thick solid  lines on either side to create the Canada flag.  Serve with ranch dipping sauce or Greek yogurt.  This was a healthy appetizer that everyone loved and still talk about to this day!!

Below are little sandwiches I made for the party.  I happened to find some maple leaf-shaped cookie cutters in my kitchen drawer from a bridal shower gift one year.  I knew they would come in handy!  Just use white Wonder Bread and fill the sandwiches with Philadelphia Cream Cheese (original - whipped) and strawberry jam.  So good!  I'm craving it right now!!!

SNACKS

Red pistachios and jordan almonds can be served as snacks.  And don't forget the ketchup chips!

FRUIT

Serve red and white fruits: raspberries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, dragon fruit, and pineberries (strawberries that taste like pineapples).

DESSERT

Make these patriotic desserts, you'll have everyone singing, "Oh Canada!" 

Start off with something simple.  Dip strawberries in white chocolate, and then dip into red sprinkles.

savvy mom

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

·         Homemade or store-bought graham crackers

·         1 tub non-dairy cream cheese (or regular if you prefer)

·         1/2 cup- 3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s)

·         2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

·         1 pint strawberries, hulled and diced

·         Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Make your homemade graham crackers in advance or simply purchase graham crackers from the store.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add the icing sugar to taste. Add in a couple scraped vanilla beans and maple extract or a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice if you prefer. Store in fridge. You can also make this in advance!

3. Hull a pint of strawberries and dice.

4. Lay your graham crackers onto a large serving plate and spread with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle on diced strawberries and sugar.

Notes: The homemade graham cracker recipe made about 13-15 maple leafs, so you may want to double the batch. I had leftover cream cheese frosting, so 1 tub should cover about 25 maple leafs depending on how much you use.

Be sure to bake your graham crackers a couple minutes longer (I think I baked mine for 17-18 minutes) so they were extra crispy once cooled. That ensures that the cream cheese frosting won’t make the cracker get soggy (it will get a bit soft after 20-30 minutes, but not too much).

DRINK

Cosmopolitan Slushy

Susan Quick, Real Simple

Ingredients:

·         10 ounce (1 1/4 cups) citrus-flavored vodka

·         1/2 cup Rose's lime juice

·         2 cups cranberry juice 

·         4 ice cube trays

 

Preparation:

1.      Combine vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice in a pitcher with 2 cups water and stir to blend. Divide between ice cube trays and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight (the drink cubes will freeze only partially). Just before serving, empty trays into a large bowl and using a fork, break up cubes to loosen ice crystals (the ice will be slushlike). Spoon slush into tall stemmed glasses and serve immediately.