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A Salute To The Fourth
By Arleen M. Kaptur
Fourth of July celebrations - bands playing, flagswaving, firework displays, and a lot of parades andfun!
There are games, and outdoor sports, military displays,music, pageants and contests. Family picnics andbarbecues are the choice of the day. Homes andbackyards are decorated with flags, streamers, and allsorts of fun items that are red/white/blue. However,you decide to celebrate - have fun with family andfriends. Enjoy the great outdoors and let MotherNature help in your entertaining plans.Here are some ideas for Fourth of July entertaining:
Firecracker Punch
For Adults Only!
2-1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, icy cold 1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, that isthawed but not diluted 1/2 cup sweet vermouth, chilled 3/4 cup ice water
Combine all ingredients. Serve with red or bluestraws and lemon slices
Fruity Favorite Cookies
Need a fast dessert - but one that will impress yourguests - try this -
Using sugar cookies, cut them in half. Using vanillafrosting divide the frosting into two bowls. Color onewith red food coloring for a "pretty watermelon pink/red" and the other with green food coloring.Cut each cookie in half and frost with the pink frosting.Pipe the green food coloring around the edges for the"rind". Then using chocolate chips, give your water-melon cookies some "seeds."Place on a pretty plate and dazzle your guests! Yourwatermelon cookies will be the hit of the barbecue!
Or try cutting your favorite cookie dough with star-shaped cutters. Then sprinkle the cookies withcolored sugars - some red, some blue, and some white.Place in a basket with a colorful napkin and your "stars"will shine!
Use fresh fruit to bring out the colors of the fourth -On a large platter, lined with lettuce leaves, place a bowlof creamy fruit dip in the center - 1 pkg. (8 ozs.) cream cheese, softened, 1 jar (7 ozs.)marshmallow cream, 1 tbs. milkIn a bowl, combine all the ingredients until smooth.Around the bowl of dip, place strawberries, uncut,washed, with stems intact for easier handling, and tinyskewers with tiny white marshmallows and juicyblueberries. All the colors and delights of the day!
Paper plates, napkins, cups and plastic utensils canvary - some red, some white, and some blue. Tie abasket with a colorful ribbon and place your utensilsor napkins inside. Colorful straw hats, make-believefirecrackers from construction paper and gold trimwill give your table all the beauty of the Holiday!
Having children at your doing? Make a treat theycan't resist - Serve home-made popsicles that arelayered with three flavors of kool-aid. Strawberryor raspberry for the bottom, icy white lemonadeor other flavor for the middle, and cool, blueraspberry for the top. Place a tiny piece of redlicorice string in the bottom layer of the pop, rightby the stick, before freezing.There is your "wick" for your firecracker pops.
Grand Finale Dessert
Using a frozen pound cake, cut into ten slices. Placeon bottom of a clear glass baking pan. Place acombination of cut-up strawberries, and blueberrieson top of the cake slices. Frost the entire cake withCool Whip or any dairy topping. In the upper left-hand corner, place whole blueberries for the stateson our flag. Then line strawberries that have been cutin half lengthwise for the "stripes." Refrigerate untilserving time. Cut along the cake slices and each guestwill have a beautiful, colorful treat.
Menu Ideas
Grilled chicken legs, corn on the cob, macaroni salad,and grand finale dessert ** Barbecued spareribs, tomato/lettuce/cucumber salad,creamy cole slaw, corn on the cob, peas and onions,ice cream sundaes with blueberries, strawberries andraspberries ** Barbecued chicken, buttermilk biscuits, coleslaw,watermelon slices ** Lemonade, grilled steak, grilled potato wedges, tossedsalad, and dessert ** Burgers and franks on buns, baked beans, corn on thecob, red/white/blue fruit plate with dip, and watermeloncookies
About the author Arleen Kaptur has written numerous books and articles onsimple, rustic living and enjoying each and every day.You may visit her at her website Arleen's Site andsign up for her free newsletters.
Sheila "I am a Christian Woman, a stay home homemaker and a Mom.
My interests: I love to knit, crochet, sew, embrodiery, and quilt. I play the piano, read music, I write Chrisitan poems and writings. I collect teddy bears, angels, hearts and butterflies."
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