Happy Fourth! We are celebrating this glorious day doing a little cook-out but first we went to Smart & Final for all of our Fourth Of July cook-out needs.  July 2nd through the July 4th weekend, Smart & Final are more busy than ever that even Smart & Final CEO, Dave Hirz—a former bag boy himself—will be taking part in the fun by stocking shelves, ringing up customers, and even gathering all the carts in the parking lot!

We attended one of Smart & Final’s engagement days in Moreno Valley. Smart & Final newest store, was fully stocked, associates were very helpful, as they prepare for their busiest day in the year. We were able to see how Smart & Final  partnered with Feeding America to package and donate food and everyday staples for families in Antioch, Whittier and Moreno Valley.

As soon as I entered Smart & Final in Moreno Valley, my eyes drew to the delicious looking corn. I knew right away I wanted to include our Mexican corn in our 4th of July cook-out. We grabbed some cucumbers, limes, cilantro,  cotija cheese,  butter to do a little recipe involving one of our favorite Mexican treats.

Grilled Mexican Street Corn

Ingredients:
– White corn
– Butter
– Kosher Salt
– Queso Cotija, shreeded
– Chili powder like Tajin
– Cilantro for garnish

Grill the corn with the husk on, on medium to high temperature. Turning the corn after 10 minutes until the husk starts to brown off. Using some tongs, open the husks, and let corn grill for another 10 -15 minutes turning corn continuously. Once the corn is tender, remove all husks, leave corn on the grill to brown off a bit.

Rub the corn with butter, sprinkle salt, sprinkle cotija cheese, chili powder if desired, and garnish with some cilantro.

Cucumber Agua Fresca

– 1 Medium size cucumber; peeled and diced
– 1 lime
– 1/4 cup of sugar or to taste

In  blender, blend a cucumber with 3 cups of water. Using a mesh strainer, strain the cucumber mix in a pitcher. Add sugar, mix well and taste.  If it’s too sweet, add more water.

Serve over ice and garnish with a slice of cucumber. Refrigerate left overs.

Smart & Final is one of my favorites stores to buy bulk items, and general groceries too! We love Smart & Final’s Queso sauce, frozen Ramona’s burritos & tamales. As a busy family of four, we often tend to buy plastic plates and forks for a quick easy clean up, so we tend to buy them in bulk at Smart & Final!

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