July is National Grilling Month. Over 74 million Americans are planning on grilling on the Fourth of July. Over $7.5 billion will be spent on food for the holiday. The most popular grilled food is hot dogs. Over 150 million hot dogs will be consumed on the Fourth of July.
Red, white and blue foods are also on the menu. Think strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, white grapes, cherry tomatoes, watermelon and whipped cream. I love to buy the blue tortilla chips that are available this time of year. Red, white and blue M&M’s are perfect for homemade cookies to accompany those freezers full of freshly churned ice cream.
After you have planned all your holiday food and decorations for this extremely popular holiday, don’t forget about the music. Music sets the tone for a lot of what we do. Certain songs lend themselves to certain holidays and celebrations.
There are always the tried-and-true patriotic songs to enjoy. Add these summer favorites to pepper in for a perfect Fourth of July barbecue.
- “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen
- “America,” Simon & Garfunkel
- “Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus
- “American Woman,” Lenny Kravitz
- “American Soldier,” Toby Keith
- “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” John Mellencamp
- “American Pie,” Don McLean
- “America,” Neil Diamond
- “American Saturday Night,” Brad Paisley
- “God Bless the USA,” Lee Greenwood
- “American Girl,” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
- “Living in America,” James Brown
I hope you all have a great Fourth of July holiday. Remember those who have sacrificed for each of us — God Bless America. Thanks for reading.
BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE
1 boxed yellow cake mix
1 regular box vanilla pudding
4 eggs
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries, mixed with 2 tablespoons flour (to keep berries from sinking to bottom of cake.)
Mix all ingredients together. Fold in blueberries gently to keep from breaking. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.
Glaze (if desired):
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar.
Mix until desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.
FRESH PEACH POUND CAKE
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon rum extract
½ cup sour cream
1 (3-ounce) package peach Jell-O
3 cups plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups fresh chopped peaches
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a tube or bundt pan with baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, and beat well after each. Stir in vanilla and rum extracts. In a small bowl, mix Jell-O with sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add flour mixture and butter mixture, beating well to combine. Fold in sour cream mixture, and spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cover loosely with foil, and bake another 45 minutes. Check with toothpick for doneness. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 small package strawberry Jell-O
1 pound strawberries (cleaned, stemmed and left whole)
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, baked
Whipped cream topping
Blend, water, sugar and cornstarch in a medium boiler, and cook over medium heat until becomes thick, stirring occasionally. You will know it is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon, and glaze slowly comes off the spoon. Add strawberry gelatin, and stir to combine. Pour mixture over strawberries that have been piled high into the baked pie crust. Chill at least 3 to 4 hours before serving. Top slices with whipped topping.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
