Fourth of July

Fourth of July Cake

Fourth of July Cake This recipe is actually Ina Garten's recipe for her 4th of July Flag cake. It is one of the BEST tasting cakes and frostings out there.

It was my intention to make this into a flag cake but at the last minute could not find my large star tip for my pastry bag to make the stripes and stars so I improvised and just decorated the cake as is. It turned out beautiful.

If you are having a large gathering this summer make this amazing cake, you can decorate it with anything you like and it feeds an army.

All my fruit came from local farm stands so it was extra delicious. Happy summer entertaining!

Red, White and Blue Sangria

From the DallasNews.com

Traditional sangrias are luscious, bold blends of fruits, wine and spirits, often served in pitchers or punch bowls. But this wonderfully refreshing summer drink from Spain and Portugal leaves plenty of room for improvisation.

Beverage consultant Kim Haasarud offers dozens of riffs on sangria in her recent "101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks," including a New Zealand Kiwi Sangria, which combines sauvignon blanc, melon liqueur, kiwis and pineapple.

In her book, Haasarud also offers tips for speeding up sangria, which tastes best when allowed to infuse at least several hours. If you're short on time, she suggests lightly mashing some of the fruit, which releases the juices.

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Independence Day Cocktails

CAMPFIRE MARTINI

3 parts Three Olives S'mores Vodka
Crushed graham crackers
Chocolate syrup
Marshmallows

Dip the rim of martini glass in chocolate syrup and coat with crushed graham crackers.

Pour Three Olives S'mores into martini shaker filled with ice.

Shake and strain into martini glass.

Garnish with a skewer of three toasted marshmallows!

ROMAN CANDLE

3 oz. Three Olives Berry Vodka
1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
Dash of Grenadine
1⁄2 oz. Blue Curacao

Shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice.

Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Pour blue curacao gently down the side of the glass so it settles on the bottom.

Garnish with a lemon twist.

- Recipes courtesy of Three Olives Vodka and Maestro Dobel Tequila

101 20-Minute Dishes for Inspired Picnics

From the New York Times

There is something both innocent and exciting about a picnic, even if you are only packing a few things at the last minute and heading down the street to the park. It may be nothing fancier than bologna or tuna salad on white bread, but you’re still likely to have a good time, which is probably why many of us remain devoted to the same picnic foods we’ve eaten all our lives.

But at some point, you may get the urge to vary the menu a bit. With that in mind, I’d like to make a few — or, actually, 101 — suggestions, ranging from snacks to dessert. With a little shopping, a little effort, and 20 minutes or less for assembly, you can create the kind of carry-out food that will put the local prepared food shops to shame while saving you a small fortune. No matter how faithful you are to your old favorites, I’ll bet you will find something intriguing here.

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