Decorating: The Fourth of July

I love, love, love the Fourth of July. That said, I usually decorate the house on the Fourth. But not this year. I am pulling out all my Fourth of July early. Why do I wait?


Besides, I decorate for Christmas in Nov.

So from now on.... I am rethinking when I get my flag on!!!



When are you decorating for the Fourth?

Paper Crafts: Fourth of July Invitations

The Fourth of July is my second favorite holiday, second only to Christmas. I love the fireworks, pies, ice cream, hamburgers, sparklers, flags and the patriotic songs. So to honor the holiday, we are having a big party with the whole neighborhood on the Fourth of July.

I wanted to make some wonderful invitations for the friends and neighbors to come to our house....

So I found everything scrap of red, white and blue I could find.



Stamped the inside of some white stationary:


Glued, stickered, stamped, cut out and sparkled my way through the invitations.



I use to think that every invitation had to be the same but no one will compare invites so why not make each one a little special.



Here are a few samples:



I have a couple of much older lady friends and included a note for them to bring their bathing suits or birthday suits....


All addressed and ready to mail.



This blog post is for all my wonderful blog friends to come and party at my house and remember to bring a bathing suit.... but if you must, you can bring your birthday suit.

Cooking: Menu Planning Week ending July 4th

Oh my goodness, I have a busy week this week. As we are having 50 people for the Fourth of July and several house guests... I need a fantastically tasty and simple menu. Plus hubby will be home and needs some home cooked meals and my daughter's boyfriend is getting off his Navy ship for the first time in a month.... so Ladies, the pressure is on.

This week's menu plan:

Sunday: Shrimp and Grits
Monday: Nachos
Tuesday: Pasta Salad
Wednesday: Roasted Chicken Breasts with Rosemary New Potatoes
Thursday: Sausage with Peppers and Rice
Friday: Lobster Rolls
Saturday: Cinnamon Rolls
Hamburgers, Hot dogs and Bratwurst
Potato Salad

Grocery List Necessary:

Corn Tortilla chips
Cherry tomatoes
Broccoli
New potatoes
Lobster tails
Fancy hot dog rolls
Chuck Roast
Sirloin Steak
Hamburger Rolls
Hot dog Rolls
Carrots
Celery
Spaghetti noodles


Already have:

Grits
Velveeta cheese
Shrimp
Salami
Mozzarella Cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cheddar Cheese
Chicken Breasts
Olive oil
Rosemary
Sausage
Pepper
Rice
Potatoes

Pasta Salad

1 pound of cooked penne pasta, you can use any type of pasta
16 oz. mozzarella cubed
1 box of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of broccoli
16 oz. salami, quartered
Balsamic vinagrette

This pasta salad is light and refreshing. It is also a great way to empty out the fridge. We are having a ton of cucumbers and a couple of zucchini. I will add those in as well. My favorite way to think of this salad is like an antipasta salad.

Gardening: Blueberry and Blackberry picking

In the South, it is time to pick blueberries and blackberries. So we loaded up the bug spray, camera, lunch, a portable stool, and water then headed out to the most wonderful farm. On this small farm they grow peaches, apples, grapes, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.


Standing in the blueberries, you can see the view of the goats and grapes.




Look at the gorgeous view. This is why I love East Tennessee. The views, the climate, the soil and the change of seasons.



We are going to pick this row of blueberry bushes clean, wish us luck.



Look at these gorgeous berries.


The bushes were full of berries.



We picked and picked and picked. My daughter was determined to pick every ripe berry, even those at the top of the bush.




Here is some of our bounty.



On the way to the blackberries, we stopped to visit the goats. They believed we had some goodies, so they came running.



And this little guy stayed close to us, hopeful, we would give him some of our lunch.




We found the grapes almost ready for harvest.



Next we headed to the blackberry rows.



The blackberries were absolutely gorgeous and ginormous.


The multitude of blackberries covered the bushes.


Flowers for new blackberries.


Part of our blackberry bounty.



Okay, don't eat the blackberries.




We are going to bake, make jam and freeze the berries, stay tuned.

Cooking: A Low Country Boil

We were invited to a birthday party for this guy. He was turning three.

The invitation said, Low Country Boil. I thought what an interesting idea. This menu may be my new favorite way to entertain.

First, it is very easy to prepare. Second, it looks fantastic on the table. Third, clean up is easy. Fourth, no utensils except something to crack the crab legs.

They also had hot dogs, hamburgers and chips. But who needed it!!!

The lovely hostess handing out pina coladas... Yum

The chef

I made my hamburger cupcakes for this party but I wasn't done. I also made some sugar cookie french fries. I simply took refrigerator sugar cookie dough, rolled it out and cut into fries. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Don't they look like fries.

Low Country Boil

4 pounds small red potatoes

5 quarts water

1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning

4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces

6 ears of corn, halved

4 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined optional

4 pounds crab legs

Cocktail sauce

Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes. Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add shrimp and crab legs to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 12.

Gardening: Flower Photo

Continuing my photo notecards from my garden. Here is my earlier picture. I took some pictures of a petunia in the garden. One in particular met the criteria of the note card I am looking for. I am still trying to make it look nicer with Photoshop and especially with the Pioneer Woman's Actions. Her actions are awesome and free!!!!


Straight out of the Camera




Colorized Action



Lovely and Ethereal Action


Soft and Faded


Heartland Action


Black and White Action




PW Black and White



Sepia Tone


Giving gifts from the heart, I believe is the best gift to the people you love. It means that you have thought carefully about the person receiving the gift. In the fall, after I have 12 pictures or so, I am going to print them and add them to special stationary. Package them and give them to my friends for Christmas.

I think my favorite is the colorized picture. What do you think?

Baking: Hamburger cupcakes

Recently, Bakerella made these cupcakes. I want to make them for our Fourth of July party and thought I would practice and take them to a lake party we were invited to this weekend.

First start with a brownie mix and spread very thin. The brownies baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, due to the thinness of the mixture. Cut with a 2 inch round cutter.





I baked yellow cake cupcakes and cut them horizontally.

Flipped the top upside down

And cut with the same cutter I used on the brownies.

Look here is the brownie with the cupcake. I found it amazing that the brownie looked so much like a hamburger.


Next, we mixed food coloring in the icing.


Note, always wear gloves when mixing food coloring.


Get the hamburgers ready for the condiments.

First ketchup and mustard.....


Next add the lettuce.

Put the top on.


Don't they look like hamburgers?


Everyone seemed to enjoy them.


This fabulous lady is my new model.


And how cute is this little girl.


Since they were so successful for the Lake party, we are going to remake them for the Fourth. They did not take very long to make but everyone loved them. Next, I will show you the fries we made to go with the hamburgers.