Fourth of July picnics and parades are rounding the corner, but does the approaching holiday have you seeing stars and stripes? From serving up the tastiest fare to dressing up the kids with flair, consider this your go-to guide for star-spangled fun.
RECIPES
It’s barbecue season in Kansas City, and let’s face it—nobody does it better! If you are in need of a “John Hancock” signature side or drink, we’ve got you covered.
Fruity Flag Kabobs
To form the flag, layer halved strawberries, large white marshmallows and blueberries on bamboo skewers arranged, by columns, in the following order:
Columns 1-4, bottom to top: Strawberry, marshmallow, strawberry, marshmallow, five blueberries
Columns 5-8, bottom to top: Strawberry, marshmallow, strawberry, marshmallow, strawberry, marshmallow, strawberry
Bandito Baked Beans
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Pork Sausage, browned and drained of fat
15 oz. can green beans, drained
15 oz. can wax beans, drained
15 oz. can lima beans, drained
15 oz. can black beans, drained
2-14 oz. cans spicy chili beans, with liquid
8 oz. tomato sauce
½ c. brown sugar
½ c. barbecue sauce
1-3 jalapeno peppers
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low several hours until flavors commingle.
Firecracker Cream Corn
6 ears corn, husked
½ c. cream
3 T. butter
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced or diced
½ c. grated parmesan
2 scallions, thinly sliced
pepper
In a pot of salted water, boil corn until tender, approximately 15 minutes; cool and safely remove kernels from cobs. Set aside. In a saucepan, sauté jalapenos in butter two minutes over medium heat. Add cream and reduce slightly, stirring until thick. Add parmesan cheese and fold in corn. Garnish with scallions and season with pepper.
Fiesta Flag Dip
In a 9x13-inch pan, layer refried beans, sour cream mixed with taco seasoning, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. Top with rows of grape tomatoes (red stripes) and a rectangle of minced black olives in the upper left corner, forming an American flag. Serve with red, white and blue tortilla chips.
Boston Tea Party Punch
Fill a punch bowl with equal parts blue Kool-Aid and lemonade. Add several tea bags and float a toy ship in the punch, reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
Star-Spangled Ice
Fill star-shaped ice cube trays (we found ours at Hobby Lobby) with blueberries and water; freeze. Add to individual cups of strawberry lemonade or punch.
Dishing with Democracy
At your family potluck, create a ballot with dishes divided into “sweets” and “savories.” Create a voting station and, by secret ballot, have everyone vote on their favorite dish. Give a Presidential Prize to the winners—cookbooks, aprons or special plates to pass along and inaugurate new Cooks-in-Chief each July.
CRAFTS
Muffled Fireworks
To subdue the harmful banging of fireworks on little ears and make a loud fashion statement, embellish your child’s old earmuffs.
You’ll need: patriotic garland, earmuffs, hot glue
Glue end of garland to the middle of the left muff; continue to spiral outward, attaching with hot glue. When the first muff is covered, wrap garland around the headband and then attach with hot glue to the right muff, this time circling from the outer edge to the center.
Hometown K.C. Tee
You’ll need: cotton t-shirt, design cotton fabric and matching fabric paint, button, double stick iron-on fabric fusing web, print-out map outline of the United States
Trace the United States outline onto the paper side of fabric fusing web. Follow package directions to adhere design fabric to fusing web, cut out the traced map, and iron the fabric shape onto the t-shirt (grown-up job). Outline the design in fabric paint. Attach a button over Kansas City to show off your home in the heartland.
Paul Revere Lantern
You’ll need: plastic water bottle; patriotic stickers, ribbon and foil shred; pipe cleaner; glow stick
Remove the label from an empty water bottle and decorate the bottle with stickers. Where the label was, tie a ribbon around it to form a bow. Attach the pipe cleaner to opposite sides of the ribbon to form a handle. Stuff foil shred into the bottom of the bottle. Just before dark, add a glow stick to illuminate your way to your favorite fireworks display.
Firework Art Display
You’ll need: black construction paper, white cupcake liners, red and blue tempera paints, glitter, scissors, glue
Unfold cupcake liner until flat and paint it with red and blue criss-crossing lines. While the paint is still wet, dust it with glitter. Allow the paint and glitter to dry. Fold cupcake liner in half, then halve again; make little snips with scissors from edges to center, leaving ½ to 1 inch at the top. Open and flatten to reveal your firework. Glue several fireworks to black paper.
Wendy Connelly, Overland Park, and her family are grateful to our brave troops this Fourth of July.