photo, phillyburbs.com
Search Results for: 4th of july
4th of july diys
I am traveling to Massachusetts for 4th of July festivities this year. I saw these posts on diy 4th of July projects and just had to share. If you are hosting; Twig & Thistle’s sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags are festive and fabulous, and if you are a guest like me; why not bring your host a gift that carries Erin Vale’s clever and holiday appropriate thank you.
Twig & Thistle, printable PDF and instructions twigandthistle.com
Erin Vale Design, Holiday thank you tag, erinvaledesign.com
fare for the fourth
Whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to a barbecue this fourth, there are plenty of ways to get patriotic in presentation.
All images spotted via pinterest.com, 1. 2. recipe 3. womansday.com, 4. template 5. marthastewart.com, 7. eny my cooking, recipe here
See more 4th of July fun here
flags, food, fireworks . . .
and fun! Bring on the barbeques, pinics, and sit down soirees. A little red, white and blue can go a long way this holiday. Loving the below window-scape of blue bottles, red poppies and flag, crafty letters spelling out one’s pride, my fav red summertime beverage – watermelon lemonade with a few added patriotic accents, and a berry pie. Pick up a country theme replacing the table setting stripes for bandana squares and using the bandana food flags, which could also be made out of actual bandana fabric cut into small triangles. It’s time to celebrate…happy 4th everyone!
1. poppies in blue vases, Better Homes & Gardens, 2. USA letters, Better Homes & Gardens, 3. drink parasoles how-to, marthastewart.com, 4. flag cake stand, marthastewart.com, 5. celebratory setting, marthastewart.com, 6. food flags how-to, marthastewart.com, 7. pie photo by Susan Sugarman, artistrepinc.com
Watermelon Lemonade, recipe adapted from marthastewart.com
Ingredients:
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 medium seedless watermelon (about 9 pounds), rind removed, flesh cut into chunks
- 1 cup vodka (optional)
Directions:
Squeeze lemons into a large pitcher; add squeezed lemon quarters. Add sugar; mash with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth; pour through a fine-mesh sieve into pitcher (you should have about 8 cups of juice). Stir to combine. (Refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days.) Add vodka, if using; serve over ice.
Like this… see more July 4th fun here
bastille dinner
In honor of the French national holiday, Bastille Day, celebrated on July 14th, my roommate decided we should host a bastille dinner this past weekend. The menu included brie, baguettes, a mixed green salad tossed with goat cheese, and avocado in a champagne vinegarette, steamed mussels, haricot vert beans with toasted almonds, roasted brussels sprouts and roasted potato with rosemary. Everything was so delicious, but my favorites of the evening were the mussels and champagne dressing. I have included these recipes below…Bon appetit!
Tyler Florence Steamed Mussels with Leeks, Garlic, Thyme, White Wine, and Butter
Ingredients, serves 6:
- 3.5 pounds mussels
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables cook down to a pulp, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and give everything a good toss. Add the white wine. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the mussels open. Stir occasionally so that all the mussels are in contact with the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a drizzle of olive oil to the sauce remaining in the pot and swirl to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
Original recipe, foodnetwork.com
Champagne Vinegarette, adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe
Ingredients, serves 6:
- 2 tablespoons good white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons good Champagne vinegar
- Pinch sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 extra-large egg yolk
- 1 cup good olive oil
- mixed salad greens
Directions:
For the dressing, place the vinegars, sugar, salt, pepper, mustard and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube until the vinaigrette is thickened. Season, to taste.
Toss the salad greens with enough dressing to moisten.
Original recipe, foodnetwork.com