Gainesville, Ga Modern Family and Senior Photographer

Happy 4th of July!

The 4th of July is filled with many memories and special meaning to me and my family!

The 4th of July is my Nanny’s bday…throughout my childhood and on into my adulthood, we have celebrated this beautiful woman’s legacy, life and love.  I have memories of driving with my Parents to my Aunt’s house MANY years ago, swimming, grilling and enjoying each other’s company…rain or shine.  We have since moved this celebration to my parents house, the lakehouse, my house and now onto my Aunt and Uncle’s house, where we hang out in their Antique dripped home, comfortable welcome, and true southern hospitality!  This day is so iconic in our family for this reason and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate it, than my sweet Nanny’s day of birth!

 

The 4th of July is special to my husband and I because 18 years ago we started dating and he asked me to marry him 9 years ago on this day!  He is the BEST thing that has ever happened to me, and I am grateful for him each and every day!

The Proposal

Husband and Wife

Now here we are 8 years married, two beautiful kids and an incredibly blessed life!

I wanted to share some really cute and easy recipes that you can share with you family and loved ones on our Country’s Birthday!

3 tablespoons of butter

1 10-ounce bag of mini-marshmallows

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

6 cups of puffed rice (“Rice Krispies”) cereal

Strawberries (one per sparkler)

Blueberries (3-4 per sparkler)

Star shaped cookie cutter

Food skewers or lollipop sticks

Ribbon (optional)

In a heavy duty saucepan (I use a large stockpot to give myself plenty of room for stirring in the cereal), melt the butter over low heat.

When completely melted, add the marshmallows and stir continuously until melted.

Stir in the vanilla.

Remove from heat and add in the cereal, stirring until completely coated and mixed in.

Pour coated cereal onto wax paper or buttered foil and spread out to the thickness of your cookie cutter. As you spread it out, keep the mixture compact — don’t allow any “holes” to form as the cereal moves under the pressure of your spatula (or wax paper if using that to shape the cereal mixture).

Once completely flat and thin enough for your cookie cutter to go through, allow the cereal mixture to cool and firm up. (Note: if you live in a high-humidity area like I do, this may take as much as 30 minutes)

Once cooled, press your cookie cutter into the hardened mixture, remove the cut out treat from the cutter and set aside. Repeat.

Starting with the strawberries, skewer the washed and trimmed fruit onto the wooden food skewers or lollipop sticks.

Carefully add one Rice Krispies treat on to the top of each skewer.

You can tie a ribbon to the stick/skewer, just below the strawberry for more festive color (and it helps support the heavy strawberry).

Serve and enjoy!

If you want a “stars and stripes” motif, cut half of the Rice Krispies treats into bars.

The vanilla is completely optional but I love the added depth it gives to this classic childhood treat.

5 minutes for Mom

Stars and Stripes Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon(s) bakingpowder

1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

1 cup(s) granulated sugar

1 1/2 stick(s)   (12 tablespoons)  butter or  margarine, softened

1 lemon

3 large eggs

1 cup(s) low-fat  buttermilk

Frosting:

8 ounce(s) reduced-fat cream cheese(Neufchatel), softened

1 cup(s) confectioner’s sugar

1/2 pint(s) blueberries

 pint(s) raspberries

Good Housekeeping 

 

POP ROCK RIMMED COCKTAILS

1. Simply dampen the edges of your glass with lemon juice. If you have trouble with the pop rocks clumping or sticking, you can try dipping them in a thin layer of caramel (but only use a small amount). 2. Then dip the rims into a plate filled with the pop rocks of choice.We love the Tropical Blue color for a patriotic blue color that is perfect when paired with a cranberry cocktail for the 4th of July!

You can also simply drop the POP ROCKS into your cocktail for a festive FIZZLE!

POP ROCKS ON THE BEACH

1/2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur

1/2 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur

3 splashs Pineapple juice

Drop Watermelon Pop Rocks on top

STRAWBERRY POPPER ROCKER

1 shot Strawberry Schnapps

Fill with 7-Up Drop Strawberry Pop Rocks on top

MALIBU POP ROCKS

1 oz Malibu rum

1 oz Blue Curacao

1 splash Pineapple juice

1 splash Cranberry juice

Drop Fruit Punch Pop Rocks on top

Food Network

I hope you have a fantastic, tasty, fun-filled 4th of July!!

Cheers!

Steph