Sparkling Star Punch Recipe!

What you'll need

• 1 64-ounce bottle cold cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 24-ounce bottle cold sparkling cider
• 1 liter cold ginger ale
• 1 orange, washed
• 1 16-ounce bag frozen strawberries or cranberries(optional)
• 4 or 5 pieces star anise(optional)

How to make it

1. The Basic Punch: Pour the cranberry juice (reserving 1 1/2 cups), cider, and ginger ale into a punch bowl. Halve the orange, squeezing one half of the juice into the punch. Cut the other half into slices and float them in the punch.
2. Berry Ice Ring: Arrange the berries in a ring-style gelatin mold or bundt pan that can fit inside your punch bowl. Fill the mold with water, then freeze. Unmold the ring (warm the pan with water) and place it flat side down in the punch.
3. A Hint of Anise: In a small saucepan, bring the anise and reserved cranberry juice to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Pour into a small bowl and let cool. Refrigerate until cold, then stir into the punch.
   
   Source: http://spoonful.com/recipes/sparkling-star-punch

4th of July Martini Recipe!

 

Makes 1

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces vodka (I used Mezzaluna)
1/2 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce blue curacao
1/2 ounce prepared sweet-and-sour mix
1 dash grenadine (I used the liqueur not the syrup)

Directions:

1
Mix all ingredients except grenadine in shaker and chill.
2
Pour into martini glass.
3
Add grenadine and it will sink to bottom.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/4th-of-july-martini-176415

Red, White and Blue Parfait Recipe!

 

Makes 4 

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh strawberries (for about 1 C chopped)
1/4 cup sugar
4 ounces store-bought pecan sandies, see note (about 8 cookies, for 1 C crumbs)
1/2 cup Cool Whip Lite
4 teaspoons Cool Whip Lite (to garnish)
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
8 ounces about 1 c fresh blueberries

Directions:

1 Cap strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces and place them in small mixing bowl.
 

2 Sprinkle sugar over berries and stir. Use spoon to crush berries slightly so they will release juice. Set aside.
 

3 Place cookies in zipper-top plastic bag and use rolling pin to crush them finely. Set aside.
 

4 In small bowl or 2-cup measure, stir together 1/2 C of whipped topping and yogurt until well blended. Set aside.
 

5 Divide cookie crumbs evenly in bottom of 4 parfait glasses or other dessert dishes (that hold at least 1 cup).
 

6 Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over crumbs.
 

7 Spoon yogurt mixture evenly over strawberries.
 

8 Divide blueberries evenly, and scatter them over yogurt mixture in each dish.
 

9 The dishes may be served at once or covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to serve, up to 3 hours.
 

10 Just before serving, dollop 1 tsp of whipped topping on top of each dish as a garnish.
 

11 Note: Plain shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers or butter cookies may be substituted for the pecan sandies.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-parfait-211779

Patriot Shooter Recipe!

 

Makes 1 serving

 

Ingredients:

1/3 ounce vodka
1/3 ounce blue curacao
1/3 ounce grenadine

Directions:

1 Pour grenadine into a shot glass.
 

2 Slowly pour in blue Curacao to create a blue layer.
 

3 Then slowly add vodka to create clear top layer.
 

4 Serve.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/patriot-shooter-252241

Patriotic 4th of July Cupcake Recipe!

Makes 18 cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

18 1/4 ounces white cake mix
1 cup water (or as indicated on cake mix directions)
1/3 cup oil (or as indicated on cake mix directions)
3 eggs (or as indicated on cake mix directions)
1/2 teaspoon blue food coloring
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
1 (16 ounce) can vanilla frosting
red white and blue candy sprinkles

Directions:

1 Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
 

2 In a small bowl, combine 1 1/3 cups batter with blue food coloring. In another small bowl, combine red food coloring with 1 1/3 cups batter. Leave the remaining batter plain.
 

3 Fill paper-lined muffin tins with 2 tablespoons red batter, 2 tablespoons plain batter, and 2 tablespoons blue batter. Do not swirl batter, leave it layered.
 

4 Bake at 350ºF for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean.
 

5 Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
 

6 Frost with vanilla frosting and decorate with sprinkles.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/patriotic-4th-of-july-cupcakes-126930

Red, White and Blue Cheesecake With Chocolate Cookie Crust Recipe!

 

Ingredients:

For the crust

28 chocolate wafers, ground fine
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon orange zest, freshly grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:

1 Make the crust:.
 

2 In a bowl stir together the cookie crumbs and the butter until the mixture is combined well and pat the mixture onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a 9 1/2-inch spring form pan. Chill the crust for 30 minutes.
 

3 Make the filling:.
 

4 Preheat the oven to 325°F In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, add the sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until it is combined well. Beat in the flour, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the sour cream, the zests, the salt, and the vanilla, beating the filling until it is combined well.
 

5 Pour the filling into the crust and bake the cheesecake in a foil-lined shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (The cheesecake will not be completely set; it will set as it cools.) Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stand in the oven with the oven door propped open about 6 inches until it is cooled completely and remove the side of the pan.
 

6 Arrange the raspberries on top of the cheesecake in a star shape and arrange the blueberries around the star to cover the top of the cheesecake.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-cheesecake-with-chocolate-cookie-crust-214905

Red, White, and Blue Jello Recipe!

 

Makes 24 servings

 

Ingredients:

2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages berry blue gelatin mix
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package lemon Jell-O gelatin
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces whipped topping (Cool Whip)
2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages raspberry Jell-O gelatin (or and other red jello)

Directions:

1 Prepare berry blue jello according to directions on box. Pour into 13x9 baking dish and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill until firm, about 1 hour.
 

2 Prepare lemon flavored gelatin using 1 cup of boiling water. Beat cream cheese slightly and then add the lemon gelatin mixture. Beat gelatin and cream cheese until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
 

3 Once the cream cheese mixture has cooled, fold in the whipped topping until mixed thoroughly. Pour this mixture over the firmly set bottom layer. Return to the refrigerator and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
 

4 Prepare raspberry jello according to directions on box. Cool this mixture until room temperature and then pour over the middle cream cheese layer.
 

5 Return the 3 layers to the refrigerator and chill until top layer is firm.
 

6 Cut into squares to serve.
 

7 Top with a little whipped topping and a couple of blueberries, if desired.
 

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-jello-223263

Patriotic Drink (For Kids) Recipe!

 

Makes 1 drink

 

Ingredients:

3 ounces cranberry juice or 3 ounces fruit punch
3 ounces Gatorade sports drink (blue)
3 ounces sugar free 7-Up or 3 ounces Sprite
ice cube, fill glass to the top with cubes

Directions:

1 Place the ice cubes in the bottom 3rd of a tall 12 ounce clear glass. Pour the cranberry juice or fruit punch in to fill the bottom 3rd.
 

2 Place a few more cubes in to the middle and pour in the blue Gatorade to fill the glass 2/3 full.
 

3 Place the final 3rd of ice in the glass. Pour in the diet 7up or diet Sprite.
 

4 Serve and enjoy!

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/patriotic-drink-for-kids-175888

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes Recipe!

 

Makes 24 cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk

Filling

2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons sugar
3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 pinch salt
caramel topping, to taste
whipped cream, for topping

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 

2 Make the cupcake batter. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and baking powder.
 

3 Add the flour and milk in batches, starting with flour and ending with flour. Stir until the batter is smooth and silky.
 

4 Fill paper-lined muffin tins with the batter 3/4 full.
 

5 Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
 

6 While the cupcakes are cooling, make the apple pie filling. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Cook until the mixture begins to bubble, about 1 minute.
 

7 Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the apples and salt. Cook and stir occasionally until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
 

8 Assemble the cupcakes. Using a paring knife, cut out the middle of each cupcake using the coning method.
 

9 Spoon the apple mixture into each cupcake and drizzle caramel over all.
 

10 Top with whipped cream and decorate.
 

11 Enjoy!

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/caramel-apple-pie-cupcakes-481765

Frosty Fireworks (Flavored Ice) Recipe!

One way to make a splash this Fourth of July is by treating your kids to tall glasses of Patriot's Punch. Simply fill an ice cube tray with a red or blue fruit-flavored beverage (such as Powerade, Gatorade, or Kool-Aid) and let the cubes freeze solid. Then drop three or four colored cubes into each glass, pour in flavored seltzer water or clear soda, and watch the special effects. As the cubes melt, colored bubbles will swirl through the seltzer.

What you'll need

• Red or blue fruit-flavored beverage
• Seltzer (flavored or plain)

 

 Source: http://spoonful.com/recipes/frosty-fireworks-flavored-ice

Crock Pot Chili Dogs Recipe!

 

Makes 10 chili dogs

 

Ingredients:

10 hot dogs
2 (15 ounce) cans chili without beans
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
10 hot dog buns, split
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1 Place hot dogs in crock pot.
 

2 In a bowl, combine the chili and soup and pour over hot dogs.
 

3 Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
 

4 Serve hot dogs in buns. Top with chili mixture, onion and cheese.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chili-dogs-264190

Firecracker Foot-Longs Recipe!

 

Makes 4

 

Ingredients:

1 (5 ounce) bottle Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon oregano
4 hot dogs (footlong or bun length)
4 hot dog buns

Directions:

1 In a resealable bag, combine the Tabasco, onion, and oregano. Add the hot dogs and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
 

2 Drain the hot dogs, reserving the marinade. Grill the hot dogs over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning several times. Toast the buns during the last minute of grilling time.
 

3 While hot dogs are cooking, put the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
 

4 Serve hot dogs in buns, topped with some of the reserved marinade and onions or relish if desired.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/firecracker-foot-longs-439463

Red White and Blue Popsicles Recipe!

 

Makes 6 popsicles

 

Ingredients:

3 cups vanilla yogurt
red food coloring
white food coloring
blue food coloring
wax paper
6 sugar ice cream cones
6 wooden popsicle sticks

Directions:

1 To make a half dozen pops, tint 1/2 cup of the yogurt with red food coloring and 1 1/2 cups with blue food coloring. Leave the rest plain.
 

2 Make waxed paper cone liners by folding six 12-inch square sheets into triangles, wrapping each around a sugar cone, and using tape to hold the shape. Then place the paper cones inside the sugar cones.
 

3 Fill each cone with 1 tablespoon red yogurt, followed by 2 tablespoons white yogurt, then 3 tablespoons blue yogurt. Insert a Popsicle stick and freeze the pops until firm, about 4 hours, using the cone box with six circles cut out to keep them upright.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-popsicles-235908