A Tasteful Fourth of July

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue! And for freedom, food, fun and fireworks. In that order. Yes, it’s an election year, and despite the misgivings we all have about where that is headed (you can take that any way you want) we are still citizens of the good old United States of America…and we haven’t given up on liberty or justice for all. If you get discouraged, just consider how far we have come in a few very short (comparatively) years. Think about it; just 150 years ago we were in a civil war over slavery; women have been voting for less than 100 years; around 55 years ago we still had segregated water fountains. There have been a few (considerable) bumps in the road, but we are still heading in the right direction – and that is something to celebrate.

And speaking of celebrating…how are you going to celebrate this fabulous 4^th? Back away from that package of hot dogs! There are tons of fun…and easy…and delicious ways to give this July 4^th the respect is deserves.

Let’s start with a patriotic cocktail (prohibition was repealed just 83 years ago). And what could be more American than a red, white and blue popsicle…with vodka!

Ka-Boom Boom-Sicle 

Ingredients

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c water

RED LAYER

1 1/3 c strawberries

1 1/2 t vodka

WHITE LAYER

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp

1 T vodka

BLUE LAYER

1 1/3 c blueberries

1 1/2 T vodka

Directions

Stir together sugar and water in a small pan over med heat until sugar is dissolved; about 3 mins. Cool to room temperature. This syrup will be divided and used in each layer.

RED LAYER: Blend strawberries, 1 1/2 t syrup, and 1 1/2 T vodka together. Pour into 6 ice pop molds (you can also use paper cups and popsicle sticks); freeze until firm, about an hour.

WHITE LAYER: Whisk cream cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup together until smooth; add 1 tablespoon vodka. Pour white mixture into ice pop molds on top of red layer; freeze until white layer is firm, about an hour.

BLUE LAYER: Blend blueberries, 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup, and 1 1/2 tablespoons vodka together. Pour blue mixture on top of white layer; freeze at least 8 hours.

 

Add an appetizer or two…

Doubly Devilish Eggs

You will need:

A dozen eggs, hard-boiled and cooled

1/2 c mayonnaise

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled 

2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

Peel the hard-eggs, and halve. Remove the yolks and put in a small bowl. Mash the yolks together with the mayo, bacon and cheese. Stir in the mustard. Fill egg white halves with this mixture and refrigerate until serving.

 

Firecracker Guacamole

Ingredients

3 peeled, pitted, and mashed avocados

Juice from one lime

1 t salt

1/2 c diced onion

 2-3 T chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 diced roma tomatoes

1 t minced garlic

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Mash avocados, lime juice, and salt together. Add onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne. Refrigerate 1 hour and serve with tortilla chips.

 

An interesting entrée…

Firecracker Shrimp

2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

1 T coarse sea salt

1 t paprika

1/2 t cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Lemon slices for garnish

Directions

Lightly oil grill grate and preheat to medium.

Crush the clove of garlic with the salt in a small bowl. Add cayenne pepper and paprika. Stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. Toss shrimp with garlic paste. Cook shrimp until opaque, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Garnish with lemon slices.

And last, but never least – dessert.

 "May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!" — Daniel Webster

 

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