Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Bring on Independence Day!


Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a huge holiday here in the states commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Cannot wait for this awesome day, I love fireworks!

If you are planning a party for this special occasion, here are some great ideas!

Fun
I found this really cool idea for kids (or big kids). This would have been a hit with me as a kid and these days it's tempting to wear these around as I'm only 5'2" tall! You can find instructions on how to make these stilts here! I might even make these as we're spending the holiday in Las Vegas and I will definitely not be able to see over the crowds on Las Vegas Boulevard!

Decorating
This decorating set from one of my favourite blogsters, "Twig and Thistle", will make your 4th of July table very festive! Their downloadable PDF includes sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags, awesome and simple, as always!

And OMG, these "Bald eagle Tissue Paper Lanterns" are hilarious, I am definitely making these :)

Food
Ok, so there are a million recipes on the web for "American" food, but nothing speaks "America" to me more than Cherry Cola, so I love this recipe for "Cherry Cola Cake"

Ingredients
  • 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix(you can make your own chocolate cake if you wish)
  • Cherry cola
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
  • 1 recipe Celebration Icing
  • 10 to 12 dark sweet cherries with stems

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions except substitute cherry cola for the liquid called for and add ground ginger and lime peel. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

2. Use a serrated knife to cut top of cake level. Trim edges of cake. Discard trimmed pieces. Cut cake in half lengthwise into two 13x4-1/2-inch rectangles. Place one rectangle on a serving platter. Spread with tinted icing. Top with second rectangle. Spread with white icing. Refrigerate cake for 1 hour or until icing is set. Wrap cake in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours before serving. Top each slice with a cherry. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Celebration Icing: This recipe is based a 1-lb. box (about 41/2 cups) of powdered sugar. In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Divide the mixture in half.


Happy 4th July America!

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