Fourth of July 2016 - Our First Pool Party!

It's the Fourth of July!

Poor Levi still isn't feeling very well from the pneumonia, but we had such a wonderful time visiting with family and hanging out in the pool...it was HOT! I still pinch myself that we have a pool to share with our friends and family. It was all in all a really fun, relaxing day. Maybe Levi will be more excited about next year's 4th, ha!

 When we got that striped dress for Isabelle in Florida, I was already thinking ahead to how cute it would look for the 4th of July, ha ha! Happiest Big Sis on the planet. :) And I ask you, is there anything more adorable than a baby boy in plaid overalls? I think not.

Levi was fussy so I brought him inside to rock him and feed him, but first I put him in his car seat so I could use the bathroom and he was o-u-t in thirty seconds flat. Poor baby.

Not even my wild party animal antics woke him. ha ha ha 

So nice to see relatives that we don't get to visit with very often! This is my Mom's brother and his daughter in law and granddaughter. His son, Mark, is my cousin, who happens to be a US Air Marshall and was flying to either Amsterdam or Germany- he isn't supposed to tell anyone, not even his wife!, because of safety reasons. Caleb really, really wants to visit with him to hear all his stories! We'll just have to have another party!

Daddy and his baby boy - yeah, little guy's still not feelin' it

Levi loooves the pool! This made him happier for a little while.

I think this picture of Isabelle and her little cousin, Abby, is the sweetest.

You've got to have yummy food! I've made lots more things for previous 4th parties, like this favorite treat, but this year, for obvious reasons, we kept it really simple. Everyone brought a bag of chips and a drink to share, and we grilled hot dogs and chicken, plus had a few sides like pasta salad and veggie trays. And watermelon, lots and lots of watermelon...so good on a hot day!

Hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July, too!

BERRY CRUMBLE PIE RECIPE

Hey Hey! Popping in to share this fabulous pie recipe with you. We are in full-on summer mode over here, living every hazy, hot moment to the fullest! Happy 4th of July tomorrow!

This Berry Crumble Pie could alternatively be named Impossible to Photograph Pie. The crumble topping is so, so good, but it doesn't cut through evenly, the berries roll all around, and well, it's just a mess. But worth it. It tastes fabulous! (It did retain its shape better after spending the night in the fridge.)

Yeah. Attempt #1 to get a good slice cut. HA

What You'll Need

Pie filling

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 - 3/4 cups fresh strawberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp flour 

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tsp cinnamon

6 Tbsp butter, cubed, room temperature

pastry crust (frozen premade one would work fine, but I did attempt my own for this)

What You'll Do

Prepare pie crust if needed

Preheat oven to 425 F degrees

 Place berries in medium bowl; add the sugar, cornstarch, and 1 Tbsp flour, tossing gently to coat berries. Pour berry mixture into pie crust.

Combine the next ingredients for the crumb topping, cutting in the butter with a fork (I used the same bowl). Sprinkle all over top.

Place a baking sheet on the bottom shelf of oven to catch spills/juices. Bake pie at 425 for 12-14 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for about 35-40 minutes.

 Cool slightly before serving, and garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Yum! (Or eat it straight from the fridge the next morning, plain and cold...it's got fruit in it, it counts as breakfast. Don't judge me.  ;) )

 Here are our other favorite festive desserts for celebrating the Fourth of July. Enjoy!

 Another variation Jonah made:

 

Jonah's Star-Spangled Fruit Cookie Tart

You can find the recipe for this cake in the link above.

MEMORIAL DAY MENU & THOUGHTS

Thank you to all our veterans, including my Dad and several other family members and friends, who have served and are currently serving our country- we are humbled by and grateful for your dedication and sacrifice. And thank you to your families, who have experienced sacrifice beyond what most of us can comprehend.

I have so many wonderful memories of family get-togethers, BBQ's, backyard parties and hours-long volleyball or badminton games with cousins...and fabulous food. We don't have big parties like that anymore, now that we've grown up and have our own families and in-laws, and I really miss them. I'll be honest here, there is some favoritism among grandchildren going on inside our family and it is the most excruciating thing I've had to deal with, and it's difficult to muster the desire to go party with the people who are hurting your babies (and us). I have one sibling, an older brother who has never much cared for me, and he ignores our parents for the most part as well, so that's that. Sorry. I feel like I should be apologizing- this was supposed to be a fun post on party food, that's all! I'm simply being brutally honest here. Life is such a beautiful gift but it is not without complications, that's for sure. Well, anyhoo. Whatever we do, we will think of those who have sacrificed, and there will be fun and laughter and sparklers and plenty of good eating.

We prepare traditional barbeque fare, steak tips to hot dogs and sausages and marinated chicken, and there's always potato salad or pasta salad. My mother always bring a huge dish of jello pretzel salad- yum!

Nothing says Bring on Summer! quite like a jello poke cake. Super easy and super yummy! Usually I make this for 4th of July, but I'm changing things up this year.

 Patriotic Poke Cake

I'm also making these...but with red, white and blue sprinkles. Sorry, no photo yet, but I'm sure you can imagine.  =)

 Homemade Whoopie Pies with Real Creme Filling

It's nice to have something light and green amid the heavier, richer foods. This salad is fabulous, and there's a recipe for homemade vinaigrette dressing, too.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

These are so good, so easy, and look so festive served up on a simple plate.

  Easy Summer Snacks

It's tradition for us to have this Overnight French Toast sometime during the (any!) holiday weekend. Yay for tradition! This is my favorite! You can add sliced strawberries and top with whipped cream to make it look really festive as well.

Overnight French Toast Bake with Blueberries

These last photos just make me happy to look at and remember.

 

Ach. I feel like an emotional wreck I have gotten so off track lately. I have the same twenty-four hours everyone else does, but lately mine feel stagnant and burdened rather than joyful and hopeful. I think it's priorities. And being in tuned with God's Word, which I haven't been. And the real kicker? I just can't seem to make myself. Does that sound awful? It's as simple, really, as opening up a book- The Book- and I can't will myself to do it on a regular basis. My prayer life has taken somewhat of a downward spiral as well, if I'm being honest, and believe me, these are the days when I need guidance and direction and just plain connection/communion with God more than ever. Life is messy, relationships are challenging, parenthood...do I even need to?

Well now you know that I'm just a mess. I may be a little sad or even discouraged, but I'm extremely thankful. For all of it, this. I posted something on IG the other day about life being short and intending to make the most of the days I'm given- the choice is mine, it really is. Have a wonderful weekend.

PS: There's a sale going on at Rose & Ruffle. Details in the shop. Feel free to spread the word...thank you!

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Sew Many Ways

Easy Patriotic Dessert: Star-Spangled Fruit Tart

I cannot believe that June is all over, and here we are knocking down the door to the 4th of July! So far, July has rung in the season with 90+ temps and enough humidity so that it and my expanding hair don't fit together in the same room. Yes, I promise you. It's that bad. ha ha

So onto dessert...I posted about this when my middle son, Jonah, first made it a couple of years ago, promising the recipe. And here it is! It's just fashionably late. =)

This fruit tart is so simple, your kids can make it...which is exactly what mine did. ;)

Here's What You Need:

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

8-oz brick cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)

2-3 Tbsp sugar

dash almond extract

strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.

tart pan or pie plate (or small pizza pan*)

Here's What You Do:

Preheat oven to 350F. Gently press sugar cookie dough onto ungreased pan, pushing dough up against the edge slightly. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown; cool on wire rack. *Crust will be thinner, so it cooks a little bit faster.

In a small bowl, blend together cream cheese, sugar and almond extract; carefully spread over baked cookie tart and decorate with fruit however you like. We thought about doing a flag design but wanted to try the star, and it came out so well! I looooove this patriotic tart! Tip: mark out your design using a toothpick.

That's it! So simple, and quite the crowd-pleaser! Serve promptly and store leftovers in fridge.

This recipe was adapted from the one found here.

And while we're on the subject of fun, festive desserts, here is another summer staple in our family. This poke cake makes its way to parties and get-togethers at least half a dozen times throughout July and August. I thought that everyone and their Aunt Nancy knew about poke cake, but recently several friends have looked at me with those big, don't-have-a-clue eyes when I mentioned it. Girlfriends, this is for you!

Prepare and bake a package of vanilla or white basic cake in a 9x13 ceramic pan, following directions on box; cool on wire rack. Next, let your kids poke it with straws. For reals. 

Add 1 cup boiling water to a 3-oz packet of raspberry, cherry, or whatever flavor Jell-O and stir to dissolve; add 1/4 cup cold water. Carefully pour gelatin over the entire surface of the cake. If you want to blow their minds, use a red gelatin for half the cake, and a blue for the other. Whoa. (Just reduce the water amounts by a little for each kind.)

Let chill in fridge for 2-3 hours; cover with whipped topping, and garnish with berries. So good!

Please note that this cake is cut and served in the pan, so use a pretty one.  =)

I hope you enjoy the recipes! Happy 4th of July!

sharing with:
the New Mrs. Adventures
Tip Junkie