By Sybille C. Denninger

Hello, hello, dear Readers of Sybille's Blog :-)

Next Saturday is Independence Day, the highlight of our summer season, and of course we have to celebrate the big day with the three B's: BBQ, Booze and Boats hahaha, just kidding..... BBQ really is a 4th of July tradition for most proud Americans though, and some lucky devils are always getting invited rather than flipping hamburgers and hot dogs themselves (that includes me, thanks to my lovely friend Kendra).

Since I am spending every year at my friend's house, it's not always easy to come up with something I can bring to the feast. I don't want to be known as the potato-salad-woman or the deviled-egg-girl. On the other hand, I'm not gonna lie, Martha Stewart I am not.

Here are two cute and super easy ideas for you. One merely needs a photo, no instructions necessary:

 Just marinade the banana slices in some freshly squeezed lemon juice before you start assembling the skewers so they retain their fresh color. Serve with Greek Yogurt or real whipped cream (uh! ah!) for dipping on the side. This was a big hit at the party :-)

The other is so simple, you might laugh, but believe me, people can't stop eating. These are addictive!

Buy two or three packages of cream horns, usually found at the bakery-or pastry section in the supermarket (at Market Basket they are in front of the customer service booth). Slice them with a serrated knife into about 1 inch thick slices. You can even use the grooves in the cream horns for guidance. Be careful not to press down as they easily crumble and you will end up eating too many bits. Trust me, I know! Once sliced, arrange them on a platter and top with one slice of strawberry each. Since we are celebrating the Red, White and Blue, top off the creation with a bold blueberry, simply attached with American flag tooth picks (pst, can you spot the Bavarian flag I cleverly added?). It looks amazing, it tastes delicious, and best of all, you can relax and leave a clean kitchen behind when you go to the party. It's also fun to do with kids :-)

 Happy 4th of July from your favorite REALTORS Fintan & Sybille!!!!!