Tag Archives: fourth of july
It’s a Party in the USA!
“Got my hands up, they’re playing my song
They know I’m gonna be okay
Yeah, it’s a party in the USA!”
—Miley Cyrus, “Party in the USA”
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
15 Easy, Breezy Summer Cocktails
Whether you’re planning for the 4th of July or just a family BBQ, nothing gets the party started like a cold, refreshing cocktail.
But when you have friends coming over, you don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen mixing drinks…thankfully there are tons of tasty beverages you can whip up in no time…and most of these can even be made virgin for young kids or those who don’t want the booze.
From frozen adult slushies to tasty, fruity gin drinks, these easy, breezy summer cocktails are sure to get your party off to a great start!
15 Easy, Breezy Summer Cocktails
- Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria
- Grape Frose Rose
- Guava Watermelon Martini
- Bourbon Blackberry Smash
- Pineapple Slushie
- Basil Pineapple Moscato Sangria
- Prosecco Party Cocktails
- Red, White, and Blue Sangria
- Raspberry Gin Fizz
- Lemonade Slushies
- Watermelon Mojito
- Frozen Cantaloupe Margaritas
- The Best White Sangria
- Cherry Agua Fresca
- Summer Lemonade Cocktail
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under drink recipes
10 Awesome DIY Projects for 4th of July
The 4th of July is right around the corner…which means it’s time for hotdogs, yard games, fireworks, and all the red, white, and blue attire you can handle.
If you’re hosting a 4th of July celebration this year, there’s no need to stress about patriotic decor. with these 10 fun 4th of July ideas, you can create a patriotic play zone that is worthy of a firework celebration!
Pinterest Top 10:
10 Awesome DIY Projects for 4th of July
Tie Dye Tee
American Flag Photo Backdrop
American Flag Light Jars
Bandana Tablecloth
Burlap Banner
Backyard Bean Bag Toss
Tic-Tac-Toe Game
Backyard Bowling
Patriotic Balloons
Boozin’ Tank
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under party ideas
9 Clever Ways to Keep Your Food Cold in the Summer
HAPPY 4th OF JULY!
If you’re a citizen of ‘MURICA, chances are you’re donning your red, white, and blue attire and heading to your local firework display or BBQ cookout, picnic basket in hand. And if you’re traveling with fruit, deli salads, meats, cheeses, desserts, or the like, you’re probably wondering how to keep your food cold, despite boiling July temperatures. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re just trying to keep your edibles cold in transit or you need them cold for outdoor entertaining, these picnic and entertaining hacks will help you keep your cool and refreshing treats, well, cool and refreshing.
Summertime Hacks!
How to Keep Your Food Cold
Place bottles of water in the freezer and use them to keep food cold when traveling. If frozen at least a week in advance, the bottles could stay frozen for up to a day, much more economical than that gas station ice that lasts about 2 seconds.
Keep drinks cold by placing them in a mixture of water and ice. Using just ice won’t distribute the cold as evenly as water will, so placing your drinks in an ice bath will keep them colder longer.
Full coolers tend to stay cold longer, so if your cooler has empty space, fill it with ice.
If traveling by car, keep your food/cooler in the passenger area. The temperature is usually cooler inside the car than it is in the trunk.
Create an ice bowl by putting a medium-sized bowl inside a larger bowl, then fill the larger bowl with water and freeze. Serve your salad or fruit in the insulated bowls.
If possible, freeze part of your dish. If you’re serving a fruit salad, mix in frozen blueberries before you head out the door. They should defrost in about 30 minutes.
Fill small water balloons with water and pop them in the freezer. Use them around your food to keep your table cold and decorative!
Side note, add some food coloring to the water before you freeze it. Peel the balloon off the frozen water for an amazing winter (or summer) decoration.
If you’re traveling a long distance, consider waiting to assemble your dish until you arrive at your destination. Mayonnaise, for example, can be kept at room temperature until the container is opened. It might also allow for easier travel if you don’t have to worry about your bowl tipping over. Just cut and package everything and assemble when ready.
Like your fridge, a cooler will stay colder if the lid stays closed. Avoid opening and closing the lid of your food cooler by keeping drinks and food in separate coolers, if possible.
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under clever uses
Patriotic Sangria
A refreshing, fizzy, light, and delicious drink is the perfect way to cool down and relax this Memorial Day (or 4th of July!). Made with dry white wine, champagne, and fresh fruit, this sparkling Patriotic Sangria is just as delicious as it is beautiful!
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle chardonnay
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 bottle champagne
- 3 Granny Smith apples
- Ice
Directions:
- Stir together chardonnay, blueberries, raspberries, apple juice, and strawberries together in a pitcher. Cover and chill for 2 to 4 hours.
- When you’re ready to serve, slice Granny Smith apples and cut out stars using a small star cutter. Add champagne, apple stars, and ice to pitcher. Serve immediately.
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under drink recipes
Strawberry Shortcake Mini Doughnut Sandwiches
Nothing quite says summer like strawberry shortcake. Layers of cake, whipped cream, and strawberries combine to make a light and delicious dessert that’s great for any warm and toasty summer day.
Quite a few of the strawberry shortcake recipes out there are made with Sarah Lee pound cake. Now, let me just say something for the record…homemade pound cake—YES. Frozen processed pound cake—NO. Frankly, I think Sarah Lee pound cake is gross…but you know what isn’t gross? DOUGHNUTS!
Let’s just ignore the fact that I’m blasting processed pound cake for processed doughnuts for a second and admire how yummy these little mini sandwiches look! They taste quite delicious, too…despite the fact that they’re a mess to eat.
Made with Hostess mini doughnuts, these little sandwiches are great for your summer party. I made mine with Cool Whip, which tended to melt pretty quickly, but you can use canned or homemade whipped cream, too.
To make these little sandwiches, all you have to do is slice those little suckers in half and fill them with your whipped cream of choice and top that with sliced strawberries. Easy as pie. I went with traditional glazed doughnuts to mirror the pound cake, but then thought I may as well try it with chocolate doughnuts, too…because…chocolate.
But like I said, these will melt all over the place and quickly turn into a sloppy mess if not eaten fast enough, so keep that in mind if making these for a party. You could set up a decorating bar and have guests make their own, or prep everything but wait until you’re ready to serve to actually assemble these little sandwiches.
I hope you all enjoy these little tasty bites! Looking for a 4th of July dessert idea? Add blueberries to the mix and you have a red, white, and blue dessert worthy of a firework-filled celebration!
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under dessert recipes
Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream Bowls
So today’s craft is a food craft…and I wanted to get it out there before this Fourth of July weekend. It’s a breeze to make and a great way to get your kids involved in the kitchen. It can also be adapted for any holiday or occasion. The only problem is that it obviously doesn’t travel well, being ice cream and all, but no worries…I have a way around that, too!
PS—Your best bet is to make these one day in advance
What You Need:
Vanilla ice cream
Dried cranberries, chopped
Blue candy sugar or sprinkles
Coconut
Waffle bowls
Baker’s white chocolate squares
Clear candy sugar
3 plastic bags
1 microwavable bowl
1 cookie sheet
Wax paper
PREPPING THE TOPPING:
Place the coconut, cranberries, and blue sugar in the three separate bags (one topping in each bag). Leave open and set aside.
MAKING THE ICE CREAM BALLS:
The easiest way to make these little ice cream balls is to make sure your ice cream has been sitting in your freezer for at least 24 hours…so it’s not soft. Cover your cookie sheet with wax paper and place it in the freezer. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop (or even a melon baller would work), scoop as many ice cream balls as you need. You could even roll them in your hands if they’re not round enough for you. Once you have one ice cream ball, drop it in one of the bags containing coconut, cranberries, or blue sugar. Shake it around until it’s coated and place it on the cookie sheet in the freezer. Repeat and let those little guys sit for at least 2 hours.
Let them chill in the freezer!
DECORATING THE WAFFLE BOWLS:
Do this step 15-30 minutes before serving…because the waffle bowls will be hard to store once they’re decorated. If you have to do it ahead of time, stack them carefully and place them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.
When your little guys are refreezing in the freezer, place 2-3 Bakers White chocolate squares in your microwaveable bowl and follow the directions to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Be careful to watch it because every microwave is different. Also, make sure your bowl is wide enough that you can dip the waffle bowl tops into it.
Place your candy sugar in a wide bowl and set aside. Again, make sure your waffle bowl can fit inside.
Once your chocolate is melted, give it a stir and dip your waffle bowl, top down, into the chocolate…and then into the candy sprinkles. Set aside. Repeat as necessary.
Decorated waffle bowls. You can use any topping you’d like.
ASSEMBLY:
Once your bowls are ready and your ice cream is ready, simply arrange three to four ice cream balls in your waffle bowls and serve. Like I said, you can change the toppings to whatever you’d like and make it workable for any holiday.
IF YOU CANNOT USE ICE CREAM BECAUSE YOU’RE TRAVELING:
Not to worry! The same effect can be had by using marshmallows. Simply pick your toppings and follow the directions for prepping…but use bowls or cups instead of bags.
Up your white chocolate count to 6-8 squares and make chocolate covered marshmallows, dipping them in the chocolate and then the topping of your choice. MAKE SURE TO LET YOUR CHOCOLATE COME TO ROOM TEMPERATURE OR YOU’LL MELT YOUR MARSHMALLOWS!
Use shish kabob sticks to dip your marshmallows into the chocolate and then the topping. Once they’ve been topped, place it on a wax covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.
You could also use fruit for this, too. Dip and decorate orange slices, grapes, strawberries, or starfruit for a healthy and satisfying dessert!
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under ice cream recipes
The Hob-bee Hive 