HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOM

4TH OF JULY WATERMELON CHEESE FLAG

This a GREAT and FESTIVE idea for a cheese platter!  

cube your watermelon and alternate with cubes of FETA CHEESE

Add a bowl of blueberries for the added color and tartness

**to add a fresh dressing to this platter

mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste and add chopped fresh mint or basil to the oil/lemon and drizzle over the watermelon and cheese.  The flavor combination will amaze you and you will never eat watermelon without it ever again!

THE EASIEST FRUIT DESSERT EVER!

Use a STAR COOKIE CUTTER  to make the stars. 

 Combine in a bowl with Blueberries and top with whipped cream! 

 EASY RED, WHITE AND BLUE dessert/

FIRECRACKER CAKE (from Betty Crocker)

INGREDIENTS

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box

Red food color

Blue food color

1

container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting

• Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Pour 1 cup of the batter into small bowl; stir in red food color until well mixed. Pour another cup of the batter into separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed.
• Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. (Blue batter does not need to cover white batter completely; it looks better if it just forms a ring in the center of the white batter.)
• Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooling rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
• When cake is cool, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on High a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops blue food color until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering frosting back and forth. Repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and red food color, making sure red, white and blue frostings can be seen on cake. Let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.

EXPERT TIPS

When you add the batter to the pan, do not mix with a spoon. Just pour it in so the colors don’t mix but rather, just rest on top of each other in the pan.

Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Cake can be made a day or two in advance.

EASY 4TH OF JULY COCKTAILS

. Pour-and-Serve Cocktails + Patriotic Fruit: – Instead of spending a lot of time mixing & muddling at the party, keep things easy with a clear pour-and-serve cocktail like BACARDI Classic Cocktails Light (pictured above, available in Pina Colada and Mojito), then garnish with red, white and blue fruit such as strawberries, pears, blueberries, etc. Use a star-shaped cutter to cut watermelon, apples, or pears into star shapes.

Everyone knows hot dogs, hamburgers and ribs are classic BBQ foods for the holiday!
 I thought you would enjoy a few easy but delicious sweets to complete your celebration!

HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE THIS FABULOUS SUMMER HOLIDAY??
PLEASE SHARE YOUR RECIPES, GAMES AND EASY CRAFT IDEAS!!

Wedding Favors, Baby Shower Favors, Party favors