Happy Independence Day!!!! Are you a hot dog or hamburger griller or do you prefer anything other than these two choices?
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July 8, 2011
Happy Independence Day everyone! And Happy Belated Canada Day to our friends up north!
I’ll admit this is my second favorite holiday of the year, the first being Christmas. Not only is it a great time where most everyone celebrates regardless of their beliefs in the world’s politics, it is also the perfect time to reevaluate a person’s goals. I’m working on that over the next couple of days and will post my evaluation next week.
Today, I’m going to enjoy the day off from work and spend some quality time with my family. Hubby bought a new grill and we’ve decided to go all out and grill ribs and shrimp this year. Every other year we grill both hot dogs and hamburgers, usually buying the “good” ones because of the holiday. Ball Park plumping dogs, some with cheese and some with jalapeño peppers. Bubba burgers packed with onions and spices that smell heavenly even before they’re cooking. With a large family it’s always easier to do both because inevitably someone doesn’t like one or the other.
This year, we have a smaller gathering (us, the in-laws who flew in from Wyoming for the weekend and an aunt and uncle from up north). So we decided to step out on a limb and try some of the “other” choices. Hubby is baking two racks of ribs for up to six hours in the oven, then will grill them for a period of time on the grill. He’s also marinating some shrimp in a mixture of spices he’s perfected over the years and will plop the skewers on the grill right before the others are done. I’m putting together the macaroni salad (can’t have a 4th of July celebration without that!), cucumber/tomato salad, Busch’s baked beans (my favorite), and I’ll also bake a caramel apple cake. Yummy!
With these changes, we won’t have to discuss who likes ketchup vs mayonnaise, whether relish is better with or without mustard or the age old question of who likes hamburgers better than hot dogs. Ahhh, good times…
We plan to make our day as memorable as those in the past. How about you? Any big plans? What are you making today? Anything different than what I mentioned above???
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
8 Comments
Hi Tami! Happy Independence Day to you as well!
Hubby and I don’t have a big food celebration since it is just the two of us, but we did pick up a nice big juicy watermelon and some huge strawberries!
Tonight we’ll be on Sarasota Bay, watching the fireworks from a boat {that’s also a floating chapel – long story, check out the post on my blog today after 2pm}. Fingers crossed we don’t get rained out!!
♥ Peach
I love a good grilled burger or chicken.
Hubby and I like both hot dogs and hamburgers. This year we went with a Brat-dog and hamburgers with a black bean pasta salad and chipotle sweet potato fries, just to mix things up a bit. It was all very yummy (tomatoes and peppers from our garden!)
I love a good braught….not sure how to spell it…but they sure are yummy!
Hi Everyone!!! Sorry so late in replying. Took the in-laws to the airport. Loved having them here.
Peach, that sounds like a ton of fun. Have not been to Sarasota Bay. Love the idea of watching the fireworks from a boat. Will definitely add that to my bucket list… 😉
Hi June! I forgot about chicken. Wow, not sure how I could do that…grin… I think we did chicken a few years ago. Making me hungry…grin… Thanks for stopping by.
Hey Carol!!! Very cool on getting to eat from your garden. I would love to be able to do that one time. Thos sweet potato fries sound yummy. Will definitely have to try making those sometime. Thanks for stopping by!!!
Hi Maria! I like brats too (no idea how to spell it either… 😉 ). We debated about those this year. But the ribs won out.
Thanks a ton to all those for stopping by and answering. I really do appreciate it.
*big wave to Alicia who wasn’t able to leave a comment here but did leave one on Facebook. Thanks girl!!!
Tami
I love doing both! But this year, we just did chicken and some barbecue on a stick. We grilled corns too. ehe. 😛
This year I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted a grilled hot dog!!! But, we can’t afford a BBQ grill, so . . . I got a nuked one. YUCK!!!!!!! BLAH!!!!!!!
Oh well. Something to look forward to in the future?? Wow, what a dream!!!! LOL!!!
Hope everyone DID have a GREAT 4th!!! If you ask me, I think the 4th comes TOOOO soon after the kids get out of school! We NEED to extend Summer!!! Winter is soooooo long!!! Or, let’s make ANOTHER holidsy!!! YAY!!!
Laurie Carlson
Hi Danah! Never thought of the BBQ on a stick. Sounds yummy. The Kid and I went to the Ren fair this past month and he had steak on a stick. That would be fun to try to make. Definitely going on the menu for next year… 😉
Hi Laurie! We had a terrific fourth with family out from Wyoming. Was very nice. I agree on the extended summer. Would love to have a few extra weeks to enjoy. Hope you had a wonderful fourth, too.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Tami