PATRIOTIC CHEESE BALLS
Soften three large packages of cream cheese in three separate bowls. Add 1 cup white shredded cheese to each package cream cheese. Add a bit of milk if needed. You can add any herbs or spices you like to each cheese bowl to make three different flavors, such as taco seasoning, dillweed, onions, garlic, chopped almonds, or sun-dried tomatoes. Add some red food coloring to one bowl and some blue food coloring to another bowl. Leave the last bowl white. Place the mixtures in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours. Then using a melon baller, scoop out balls of each mixture and roll in crushed almonds (which can also be tinted), parsley, dillweed, paprika, or red or blue candy sprinkles. Arrange the red, white, and blue cheese balls on a large platter, stick a miniature flag in each one and serve as appetizers.
PATRIOTIC DRINKS
Make two different pitchers of Kool-Aid in clear glass pitchers, one in a red color and one in a blue color according to package directions. You can use two packs of Kool-Aid and 1 cup sugar to make a drink more like a non-carbonated soft drink. Make a third clear glass pitcher of limeade or lemonade or a combination of the two flavors for the white color. Add ice and set all three pitchers in an area where your guests can help themselves to red, white, and blue plastic cups and extra crushed ice.
FAUX PERUVIAN MASHED POTATOES
Peel 8 potatoes and dice them. Wash and place them in a pot and boil them in water for 15 minutes. Drain off water. Add 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 10 drops of blue food coloring, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Serve warm.
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE SALAD
In a large bowl, whisk together 4 Tablespoons each olive oil and balsamic vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon each salt, black pepper, and tabasco sauce. Add 1 package cherry tomatoes, 1 cup sliced radishes, 1 cup diced white onions, 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 cup fresh blueberries, 2 cans each rinsed black beans, red kidney beans, and white kidney beans or Canellini beans. Mix well. Serve on a platter on top of one package pre-washed baby spinach leaves. Garnish with Oscar Meyer Bacon Bits and some crumbled-up Blue Cheese.
PLATTER OF PATRIOTIC VEGGIES OR FRUITS
On serving platters, place fresh clean vegetables or fruits cut in bite-sized pieces. Use cherry tomatoes, radishes, red onion slices, strawberries, raspberries, cauliflower florets, jicama sticks, bananas dipped in lemon juice, eggplant, blueberries, blackberries, red or blue grapes, or any other red, white, or blue fruits or vegetables you can think of to use. Stick a flag toothpick into each one to serve. Have small bowls of Ranch Dressing, Tomato Dressing, and Blue Cheese Dressing in the same area for dipping sauces for the vegetables and bowls of strawberry marshmallow fluff, whipped cream, and blueberry yogurt for the fruits dipping sauces.
BARBEQUED RIBS
Schwan's sells Country Boneless Pork Ribs and BBQ Pulled Pork that are fully cooked, and will deliver them to your home. This frees up a lot of valuable time you can be enjoying the festivities instead of cooking over a hot stove or grill. It just would not be the Fourth of July without some good barbeque. So fire up the grill and cook several slabs of pork ribs for all your guests to enjoy. Rub them with any good dry barbeque rub. You can cook them in your home oven until done then just throw them on the grill to add the finishing touches.
PATRIOTIC CAKE
Buy a box of Red Velvet Cake Mix and bake four equal round layers out of it instead of two, mixed according to the package directions and baking instructions. Over every cooled layer frost with Cool Whip French Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting, leaving the sides unfrosted. Decorate the top layer with a layer of sliced fresh strawberries and blueberries placed in circles over the frosting. Put a flag in the center. Keep chilled until time to serve.
This cake could also be baked in a rectangular sheetcake pan to make a Flag Cake and when cooled, frosted with cream cheese frosting or the Cool Whip. Add strawberry halves to make red stripes and blueberries to make the stars.
PATRIOTIC PARFAITS
Make some red Jello and some blue Jello. Schwan's sells Blue Raspberry Drink that you can use to make a bright blue gelatin by mixing it with unflavored gelatin instead of water. In parfait glasses chill the blue Jello on the bottom layer until firm. Then add a layer of Cool Whip over the firm blue Jello. Next add the partially chilled red jello and chill until firm. You want three equal layers in red, white, and blue to make your parfait glass full. Just before serving, add a dollop of Cool Whip to the top and a miniature flag.
PATRIOTIC FRUIT SALAD
Slice some bananas and dip them in lemon or lime juice so they won't turn dark. Add some whole blueberries, and some sliced strawberries or raspberries and toss together with some Cool Whip in a bowl. Cover and keep chilled until served.
RED SOUP
4 cups chicken broth
1 large can tomato sauce
1 diced shallot
1 can diced tomatoes
1 diced red bell pepper
1 jar diced pimentoes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
Place all ingredients in a pot and heat through. Serve.
WHITE SOUP
4 cups chicken broth
16 oz. package Vigo Potato Gnocchi
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Vidalia onion, diced
2 cups diced potatoes
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp. Croydon House chicken soup powder
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can white creamed corn
1/4 cup milk
Plain Rice Krispies
In a large pot, place the chicken broth and the package of Gnocchi. Bring to a boil until the Gnocchi floats to the top. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes and carefully add to the boiling broth. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the milk and Rice Krispies, stirring well. Cook soup until the chicken, onions, and potatoes are done. Stir often to avoid sticking on the bottom. Use low heat. It should be nice and thick. Stir in the milk and serve in bowls. Serve the Plain Rice Krispies along with the soup to use as crackers. They will make a sizzling sound when you add them to the hot soup. Delicious!
You could use any white canned beans, parsnips, or cauliflower florets for additional texture if desired.
BLUE SOUP
1 diced eggplant
2 cups diced potatoes, tinted blue with food coloring gel
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blue seedless grapes
4 cups vegetable broth
blue food coloring
Place everything in a pot and heat through. Add the blue food coloring to tint it the shade of blue you want. Serve in bowls.
Or try these Southern American picnic favorites any time:
potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, and fried chicken with apple pie for dessert, you either prepare or purchase at the grocery store deli or KFC and you can still have a great Fourth of July picnic. Schwan's also sells great Fourth of July foods that are quick and easy to fix and enjoy, and they will deliver them to your home.
Don't forget the red, white, and blue accessories and to fly flags as party decorations. You can buy disposable cups, silverware, and plates in red, white and blue colors at your supermarket. WalMart sells a great 100% cotton red and white checked tablecloth or a white and blue checked tablecloth. It's perfect in the large rectangular size for a picnic table. You can also purchase matching fabric napkins. Or buy navy blue, red, or white napkins if you can't find them. Stores are carrying a lot of Fourth of July supplies this year. Please be careful if you shoot off fireworks as so many areas are so dry now from drought that fires can happen easily from them, even from sparklers. Make sure fireworks are not illegal in your area, or you could be arrested by your local police.