Living Green While Entertaining

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4th of July is filled with celebrations and I’m so excited to share my living green tips as a part of the Progressively Perfect Virtual Dinner Party Blog Hop.

Living green during the 4th of July is easier than you think. Several of the recipes in this hop have local and seasonal ingredients, and I am here to help you with the logistics of entertaining. So, without further ado, here are my top three tips to living green while entertaining for the 4th of July.

1. Use reusable plates, silverware and glassware.

Image courtesy of Slim and Sage

If you are hosting your party at home or even at a local park, it’s easy to use reusable plates and silverware if you pack them just right. Plates like these patriotically colored ones from Slim and Sage are a great themed set to bring to your picnic or barbeque. They are designed to help you split your portions too in order to ensure that you eat more veggies (another lower impact way to eat this holiday).

Photo courtesy of S’well

Sturdy stainless steel cups and canisters can help you with living green since they are BPA free and lightweight to pack. S’well has some great red, white and blue ones to offer.

If you want to spice up the party, have folks bring their own plates, ones that have a family history. Once dinner is served, you can have people stand and share how their families came to the U.S. and celebrate our nation’s history.

2. Keep meats and veggies separate on different colored plates so that you don’t have to waste food if it gets cross contaminated.

The USDA is encouraging people to be especially mindful of food poisoning and cross contamination in the hot summer months. So, avoid contact and waste by being organized. Take those cute plates from above and designate the veggies to the blue and the meats to red ones before cooking. Make sure that you clean all of the dishes with soapy water when the party is over too so that you are safe for the next meal. More tips for staying safe can be found on the Food Safety website.

3. Cloth napkins are a great way to add a pop of color and save the planet.

Cloth napkins are a great investment to make for your party planning. They let you express your creative side in the fun colors that you choose and you are not putting more trash into the landfill. Choosing white napkins like the ones above are perfect for living green on the 4th of July. They also let you match any other holiday entertaining needs you may have.

I hope my tips help you with your quest to “go green” for the holiday. Enjoy exploring all of the other entertaining posts in the Progressively Perfect Virtual Dinner Party blog hop!

  To get the full Progressively Perfect Virtual Dinner Party blog hop experience, click the links below in order:

 Appetizers

• Diapered Daze and Knights- Tuna Salad Rolls
• The Fabulous Food Fairy- Roasted Tomato Caprice in Garlic Bread Bowls
• Worthington Lower- Chili Layered Dip
• Chockababy- Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings

Salad

• Life at the BAT Cave- Chipotle Shrimp Salad
• Life Without Pink- Homemade Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad 
• Look What Mom Found- Dad Too!- Veggie and Pasta Summer Salad 

Drinks

• Real: The Kitchen and Beyond- Blackberry Melon Lemonade
• Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps- Moscow Mule Beer Cocktails

Entrees

• The Vintage Mom- Kale & Zucchini Meatloaf
• Souffle Bombay- Lettuce Wraps
• the whole-y grail- Family Friendly Grilled Pizza 5 Ways
• Whatever Works- Spicy Sausage & Arugula Pasta

Coffee, Tea & Dessert

• An Opera Singer in the Kitchen- Dark Chocolate Cream Pie with Berries
• Will’s World- S’mores Frozen Coffee

• A Grande Life- No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
• The Naughty Mommy- Key Lime Pie
• Legos and Lattes- Vanilla Spiced Chai Lattes

Late Night

• The Turnip Farmer- Vodka Gummi Bears

Decorations, Outfits and Music

• Crafty Garden Mama- Eco Friendly Entertaining
• Finnegan and the Hughes- Dressing the Kiddos
• Honey Badger Mom- Progressive Party Playlist, Playa!

Hope you have as much fun reading through the party as we did planning it!