Whew! It’s been quite a weekend! If you’re like me, Independence Day equals family gatherings galore. There’s an abundance of food, amateur fireworks and the dreaded questions from distant relatives of what you’re going to do with your life. I’m not complaining though–potluck food is the best!

I made this Blueberry, Strawberry and Jicama Salsa, paired with homemade cinnamon sugar whole wheat chips, for two different family functions. It went over well–very well actually. I hardly had any salsa or chips left over at the end of both days. I like to try recipes with uncommon ingredients, like jicama.

Jicama is a Mexican root vegetable. I found it in the fruit section (strange since it is a vegetable) at Walmart. You don’t eat the outer skin, obviously, but the inner section is slightly sweet and a little nutty. The consistency is similar to an apple. Jicama is added to this recipe mainly as a crunch element.

This red, white and blue salsa is great to use around Independence Day, or any summer party. Pairing it with cinnamon sugar chips is absolutely delicious. I could eat either by themselves, but they taste even better together!

Blueberry, Strawberry & Jicama Salsa Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 cups diced strawberries
• 2 cups diced jicama
• 2/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 4 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
• juice of 2 limes
• salt, to taste

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients well.
• Season, to taste, with salt.
• Serve room temperature or chilled.
• NOTE: The salsa looks and tastes the best if eaten soon after making.

These chips are SUPER easy to make. I made mostly triangles, but threw in a couple star shapes just for fun.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Soft Taco Shells
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degree.
• Using a knife or cookie cutter (depending on what shape you would like) cut soft taco shells.
• Lay chips onto parchment paper on top of baking sheet.
• Using a brush, coat each chip with a thin layer of water.
• Using a shaker, sprinkle a mixture of equal parts cinnamon and sugar to each chip.
• Place chips in oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brownie and crunchy.
• Cool and serve with salsa!