Red White and Blue Recipes for 4th of July, All-American Patriotic Foods

For Memorial Day, how about red white and blue recipes and creative American patriotic foods?

Here's RWB appetizer-to-dessert menu. It's perfect for July 4th, BBQs, Father's Day and summer

picnics and parties.

* Red White and Blue Chip Mixer. Make chips swing American. Blend any combination of blue corn

chips, red corn chips (available at specialty and holiday food stores) red BBQ chips, pink taro chips

(available in Terra's root vegetable chip blends), homemade parsnip chips (white) and beet chips. For

white, use white corn chips, popcorn or white cheddar cheese puffs.

* Old Glory Veggie Platter:</b> Use a tri-section platter for crudites (cut vegetables) or arrange them in

stars and stripes. For red use red pepper strips, tomato wedges, radish roses. For blue, cut purple

pepper strips, purple brocciflower, egg plant slices or shredded purple cabbage. For white veggies,

use parsnip slices, cauliflower, water chestnuts. Cut some peppers and parsnips into star shapes (with

star cookie cutter).

* Stars and Stripes Fruit Kebobs: On skewers, alternate any combination of watermelon chunks,

blueberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, pale green honeydew, apple stars, banana slices (dash

of pineapple or lemon juice prevents browning).

* Americana Lemonade Spritzer: Color lemonade blue with purple cabbage or blueberry juice. Or

leave plain. Garnish by spearing strawberries or colored, star-shaped marshmallows on straws. Make

star-shaped ice cubes with clear or grape soda or red pop. For clear ice cubes, put a blueberry in

each.

* All-American Cocktails and Coolers: Buy Seagram's blue coolers. Garnish with strawberry-blueberry

bow-tie (stick berries on toothpick). Use these for clear cocktails with gin or vodka. Serve blue

curacao or Blue Hawaiian Schnapps with grenadine, Raspberry or Strawberry Pucker (DeKuyers') or

Jagermeister ice cubes. Partially freeze liqueurs to make colored liquid layers.

* RBW Pinwheels:Flatten four pieces of white bread thin. Spread one with strawberry jam, another

with cream cheese and another with grape jam. Stack in alternate colors. Roll into log. Slice through

all layers to make pinwheels.

* Patriotic Cole Slaw: Mix chopped purple cabbage, red peppers and radishes. Dress with vinegar,

olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, horseradish and sugar. Cut peppers like stars if desired.

* American Flag Grill: Grill red smoked sausage, hotdogs, burgers (with beet juice added), or pink

salmon. Garnish with purple cabbage shreds, purple and red pepper stars and mayonnaise. Poke tiny

flag toothpicks in burgers.

* Festive American Fries: Julienne potatoes or use frozen French fries. Coat some in paprika or

Louisiana red pepper and leave others white. Dye mayonnaise blue (naturalistas, use purple cabbage

juice). Serve with red ketchup, plain and blue mayo. Dieters, use olive oil mayo.

* Lady Liberty Sundaes: Serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with strawberry and blueberry syrup. Mix

colored gelatin for syrup. Decorate with blue and red candies (M&Ms, Nerds, Runts). Make fruit

sundaes with blueberries and strawberries. Serve strawberry or spumoni ice cream topped with blue

colored topping. Serve Blue Moon ice cream with red and blue gummy worms, sprinkles, mini

marshmallows and red fruit snacks. Or made a RWB ice cream buffet and let guest decorate their

own.

* Star Cookies. Make star-shaped cookies easy using refrigerated sugar cookie dough. If you don't

have star-shaped cookie cutter, cut into thin circles. Cut each circle into five pie-shaped wedges.

Arrange in a circle, point side out. Place red or blue M&M or hard candy in the center. Hard candy will

melt to clear "stained-glass" look. Or sprinkle with colored sugar. Or draw stars on cookie with colored

spray frosting. Frost with strawberry cream cheese

Decadently Diet Dessert Recipes for Summer Picnics, Parties, Holidays

Yep, you read that correctly. Decadent and diet dessert recipes for summer. And no, they're not just fruit. Although fruit is a yummy healthy treat any time. These desserts feature food swaps from refined sugar and flour and high saturated/transfat, to low calorie, healthy fatty acids, whole grain flour and natural sweeteners. Serve at graduation open houses, wedding receptions, bridal and baby showers, BBQs, holiday entertaining, beach bashes and backyard cookouts. You can have 2-die-4 and 2-diet-for in the same dessert. Decadently Diet Dessert Recipes for Summer Picnics, Parties, Holidays

Patriotic Foods, Red-White-and-Blue Recipes for Memorial Day Picnics

I love party planning, particularly the cheap, homemade kind. I'm not much for spending big. My fetes are DIY and I specialize in themed food. For Memorial Day, how about creative, patriotic foods and red-white-and-blue recipes? Load your picnic table or buffet with foods from this all-American menu--appetizer to dessert. Patriotic Foods, Red-White-and-Blue Recipes for Memorial Day Parties

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Disney's 'Frozen' Party Food Recipes, Winter-Themed Snacks

 If you see one movie this winter, make it "Frozen." It's an arctic adventure like Hans Christian Andersen's "Fairy Snow Queen." It's the top-grossing cartoon of all times. Disney's Frozen is a perfect theme for a winter birthday or just-because party. Here's a menu of Frozen-inspired snacks kids will love. BTW, Olaf is probably my favorite Disney sidekick ever. 

Disney Frozen is the perfect theme for Halloween, winter, birthday, solstice or just

because party. Here's a menu for a Disney Frozen party with Olaf the Snowman snacks, recipes and

beverages kids will love!

Olaf the Snowman snowballs: Let kids help make this snack. Melt marshmallows and add popped

popcorn. Have kids rub light margarine on hands and form popcorn (snow) balls. Roll in sprinkles if

desired.

Disney Frozen party: Melted Olaf the Snowman : Uh-uh, Olaf's melted. But fear not, like with Frosty

the Snowman, he'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy this yummy melted Olaf beverage. Mix 2% milk,

melted white chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman cookies: Have kids roll sugar cookie dough in three

different balls for snowman body parts (good for fine motor skills). Attach in snowman shape and

bake. Frost with vanilla frosting. Add stick pretzel arms, candy corn nose, black jelly bean eyes, red

frosting mouth and Chiklets gum for teeth. This will melt the heart of Queen Elsa!

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman malts. Mix vanilla ice cream, milk, French vanilla pudding

and malt powder. Top with mini marshmallows arranged like a snow man and colored sprinkles for

eyes, mouth and nose.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman snacks: Here's another interactive snack craft featuring our

favorite snowman, Olaf. Make popcorn balls above in different sizes: small for head, medium for

middle, large for snowman base. Use raisins for buttons and eyes and matchstick carrots for nose.

Cut Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll-Up for scarf and smile. Add candy corn cob pipe. For hat, place round

chocolate candy like Brach's Star on head. For hat top, affix gumdrop, Hershey's Kiss, or Reese's

Peanut Butter cup with dab of frosting

20+ Easy, cheap Graduation Open House Appetizers and Snacks recipes

Oh, oh! You've been too busy and put off planning that graduation open house until the last minute? Or maybe you've been thinking about it for months and can't decide what to serve? Even if you need some last minute fillers for your graduation open house buffet, it's a good thing you clicked this article. Here are 25+ easy appetizers hors d’oeuvres, foods, snacks and recipes to make a nice graduation open house buffet. These can be used for wedding bridal shower recipes, first Communion receptions and other open house buffets also.  

cheese cubes with pretzels sticks poked in

nut cups--fill mini muffin papers  in school colors, with a nut assortment

trail mix cups--mix colored candies in school colors and serve in paper cups

rollups--spread tortilla with cream cheese, place large romaine leaf, cheese slices and deli meat flat and roll. Slice through roll to make pinwheels. 

PBJ pinwheels. Spread peanut butter and jelly on a pinwheel and voila! 

rainbow cut veggie tray with hummus--arrange baby cucumbers, radishes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, mini peppers and grape tomatoes on tray. super easy. See my recipe for homemade hummus. 

olives and feta cheese cubes (or any cheese cubes). Mix Spanish, Greek and black olives with chunk cheese

Puttin on the Ritz. Back the the 70s Ritz crackers put suggestions for dozens of Hors d’oeuvres made from Ritz crackers. Easy Ritz appetizers (or any cracker appetizers) feature a cheese spread or slice with pepperoni or lunchmeat circle and a veggie slice, or olive. 

Mini tea sandwiches. Make sandwiches with whatever filling or bread you like, and cut diagonally in triangles. You can use little deli rye bread too. 

Relish tray--serve in separated tray, different olives, pickles, cheese triangles and meat slices (Italian dry salami, prosciutto, pepperoni)

cocktail wienies--heat cocktail wieners and or mini smoky links in BBQ sauce (fruit jam, salsa, lime juice, smoked paprika or liquid smoke) 

Fairy cakes--make your favorite cupcake mix in school colors, in little mini muffin tins. Frost with a rosette of colored frosting using a disposable cake decorating tube with rose tip. 

fruit kebabs--using fancy toothpicks, spear watermelon or cantaloupe cubes, berries, grapes, pineapple chunks, canned  mandarin oranges, apple pieces, etc. 

hotdog penny kebabs--super easy dad recipe. Skewer pickle and hotdog slices plus cheese cubes on toothpick. Make hedgehog if desired (see below recipe)

open house hedgehogs: This comes from the UK Christmas traditions. Cover a large potato, or half melon with foil or colored plastic wrap. Poke your kebabs in to make quills. Make eyes and nose with frosting, raisins, whatever. Use matchstick veggies for whiskers. 

egg muffins or muffin cup frittatas. Mix different omelet addins with eggs and bake in muffin cups. My favorite is onions, mushrooms, colored peppers and bacon pieces topped with cheddar cheese. 

walking tacos--serve individual bags of Fritos or Doritos with cooked taco meat and toppings. Or mix into salad so guests can add to chips. 

graduation cap or mortarboard hat cookies (see recipe). 

deviled eggs--Cook hard boil eggs with salt. Shock eggs in ice water to loosen shells. Carefully peel and neatly cut lengthwise. Gently remove yolk. Mash with mayo and dijon mustard. Refill yolk cavity. Season with paprika and black pepper. Garnish with fresh dill and cilantro. 

Polish roses. Super easy: spread round lunchmeat (ham or turkey) with cream cheese and roll around a trimmed scallion. Fringe ends. 

Ants on a log. Fill cut celery with cream cheese or peanut butter and top with raisins or dried cranberries. 

Hostess Twinkies Minions Cupcakes for Despicable Me Party

"Despicable Me", "Despicable Me 2" and "Minions" are huge hit movies with kids and adults. Gru's yellow capsule-shaped minions are especially popular. Need ideas for Despicable Me or Minions birthday cakes? Here are recipes for Despicable Me birthday cakes, using Hostess Twinkies to make Minions. You can actually make Twinkie cake Minions recipes as party games or crafts. Use Twinkies Minions for party favors or edible decorations (eating the party decorations would be very Minion-like indeed!) Here are recipes for Despicable Me Twinkie cake Minions.

Hostess Twinkies: Party guests should get to decorate their own Twinkies Minions to eat.

Bowls of frosting or spray cans of decorator frosting in these colors: blue, black and white

Pep-O-Mint Lifesavers or other small round white candies with holes. If you can find candy necklaces or bracelets, cut the string apart and remove the candies. Cheerios or Alpha-bits cereal would work for Twinkie cake Minions.

blue Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups, blue fruit leather or blue frosting

string black licorice

yellow licorice, cylinder Good n Fruity, Runts or Mike 'n Ike Candies or cylinder cookies (for arms)

Tootsie Roll midgets

To make Despicable Me minions birthday cakes, unwrap Hostess Twinkies. For Minions' safety goggles, attach white candies to front with frosting. Fill in with white frosting then black dots in the center. You can also make a ring of silver frosting with white frosting inside and tiny black dots of frosting in the center. Use black frosting to draw goggles band around the Twinkie cake Minions heads.

Make Minions overalls by wrapping a strip of blue Fruit Roll-Ups wrap around base of Twinkie cake Minions. Draw overall straps with blue spray frosting. If you wish, you can also make overalls entirely from blue frosting. Poke yellow cylinder candies or cookies in sides for arms. Put dabs of frosting on the end for gloves. Attach two unwrapped Tootsie Roll midgets on bottom for feet. Poke bits of licorice in the top for hair.

Guests might name their Twinkies Minions and give them personas. You can also arrange decorated Despicable Me Minions upright on their Tootsie Roll feet and place atop birthday cakes. Or make them into Minions army birthday cakes! Children will love making their own Despicable Me minions treats.

Graduation Cap Candies and Cookies

Graduation Party Mortarboard Hat Cookies and Favors Recipes Sheet cakes for graduation open house parties are very expensive. And pretty though the cake may be, they usually taste like cardboard and sweetened shortening. So how

about a recipe for cheap, easy graduation hat cookies? Graduation hat cookies, also called mortarboard cookies, are the perfect graduation open house party dessert alternative to cakes. Make

enough for two per guest.

Graduation Mortarboard Cookies ingredients

small Reese's' Peanut Butter cups or any 1-inch diameter chocolate cup-type candies (mix it up with

caramel cups). Rolos work well too.

small square vanilla or chocolate covered cookies: chocolate mint cookies, Keebler Fudge Shoppe

Deluxe Grahams, Lorna Doone, Pepperidge Farm Chessmen or generic equivalent.

M&Ms in one of graduate's school colors

can of decorator cake frosting in the other school color

To Make Graduation Mortarboard Hat Cookies

Remove wrappers from peanut butter cups.

Invert peanut butter candy and "glue" cookie to base of candy with a dab of frosting.

Make frosting tassels with by using narrowest round tip on frosting can.

Place M&M on frosting tassel for center button of mortarboard hat.

Options:--Buy M&Ms and frosting in both school colors and alternate.--Frost plain square cookies in school colors.

--Add candy numbers in school year. Write numbers with frosting.--Use graduation hat cookies as edible place cards.--Use large Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Mallo Cups and frosted graham cracker halves

Easy, Inexpensive Graduation Open House Party Planner

Hosting a graduation open house and need easy, budget-friendly tips? Use this party planning guide

to throw a cheap, nice backyard bash for your graduate! Here are recipes, tips shopping lists for

groceries, supplies, decorations and equipment. DIY alternatives save you money and hassle!

Graduation open house menu: Buy enough food for one serving per guest. Shop dollar stores, Aldi's,

Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Gordon Food Service and Target. Don't fuss with outdoor electrical

outlets. Prep ahead, chill or warm, and serve. Here's a cheap graduation open house buffet menu

under $100.

* Diploma roll-ups appetizers--flour tortilla shells --cream cheese --sliced ham --spray cheese

Spread cream cheese on tortillas, Place ham on top. Roll thin. Slice in half lengthwise. Draw "tie" with

spray cheese (or use licorice ropes). Arrange on serving tray. Chill.

* Watermelon basket: Cut watermelon in basket shape. Make two cuts two inches apart in center. Cut

one-third of the way down on each side. Cut a horizontal line around each side (connecting with the

vertical. Remove cutaway portions, leaving handle. Clean out fruit with melon baller (save melon

balls). Cut a scalloped or zigzag edge if desired. Carve "Congratulations Class of ____" on side. Mix

melon balls with partially thawed 4# bag Walmart frozen tropical fruit (reserve two cups). Fill basket.

* Hawaiian meatballs. Blend and heat in large disposable foil pan:--16 ounces ketchup --5# frozen meatballs --16 ounces grape jelly 

--reserved tropical fruit

* Veggie tray:--baby carrots --celery stalk --cucumbers --green peppers --dip

* Mac and cheese: Mix in large disposable aluminum pan and bake:--3# cooked mini seashell pasta --2 large cans mushroom soup --2# Velveeta cheese (cubed) --French friend onions (top with)

* Mortarboard graduation hat cookies (in lieu of cake).These went over crazy-well at our youngest

son's open house. Here's my tutorial and recipe for graduation cap cookies. You'll need:--peanut butter cups (Reese's, Palmer, generic) --chocolate covered graham cookies --M&Ms (school colors) Set extras out for party favors. --spray frosting (in one school color)

Additional groceries and supplies: For dual purpose decorations/ utensils, buy serving supplies and

paper products in school colors.--assorted chips/pretzels --assorted 2-litre bottles of soda (clear, cola, fruit-flavored, diet, caffeine-free) --water --instant coffee --tea assortment --creamer --sweetener --2 disposable rectangle aluminum pan (turkey size) for meatballs and mac and cheese --2 large plastic serving trays (for veggies and Diploma roll-ups) --large plastic bowls (for chips or pretzels) --2 plastic tablecloths (for buffet and gift table-guests don't need to sit at tables) --plastic spoons and forks --napkins --paper plates --congratulations banner 

--streamers (hang in trees) --balloon bouquet (cheap at Dollar Tree)

On-hand or borrowed supplies--2 picnic or outdoor buffet tables --folding chairs (campfire chairs work great) --portable awning or large umbrella (for food) --30-cup coffee pot or large carafe (for hot water) --2-gallon insulated beverage cooler --2 coolers (for ice, pop)

Decorations:

Make a memory table of your graduate. Arrange memorabilia, artwork, photos, projects, mementos,

awards, instruments, sports equipment, ribbons, trophies, scrapbooks, baby pictures. Place box

discreetly for cards.

And now, you wonderful parents you, relax, visit and enjoy. You've earned it! 

4th of July Picnic and Buffet Food Tips

4th of July Picnic or Party Buffet Tips
4th of July means independence for party hosts, too! Here's a diy party guide for your holiday buffet or picnic.
Read on...

Patriotic Party Foods for Memorial Day

How to Make Patriotic Salads and Finger Food Veggies for the Fourth of July! Bet you didn't know you could have your patriotic theme, your healthy vegetables and eat them too!Recipes for Memorial Day BBQ, cook-out, open house or party! Red, white and blue!
Click here...

Graduation Open House Buffet Recipes for Bridal or Baby Shower too

May and June are busy with graduation open houses. If you have a graduating child, here's a guide to plan a graduation open house party cheap and easy. This festive budget graduation party guide has tips on purchasing, preparation, serving and clean-up tips for a perfect open house that even a busy DIY parents can enjoy!

--Set up self-maintaining buffet and drink areas.

--Serve simple appetizers and finger foods that people can graze from and don't require you to manage (aside from putting out a fresh tray possibly).

--Beverage bar: arrange variety of pop, water or juice, ice bucket and cups. Or buy canned soda in bulk cheap and fill a cooler. Set a box lined with plastic for returnable cans. Serve one each: cola product (Coke, Pepsi, RC), clear soda (7-Up, Sprite, Squirt), diet soda, non-caffeinated pop (root beer), bottled water, lemonade and juice boxes. If you serve alcohol, have a bar tender. Put bottled or canned beer in cooler. Monitor casually but carefully.

--Use disposable utensils, plates, cups and napkins. Get cheap paper products at Dollar Tree, Walmart or Family Dollar in your school colors. Serve food from large disposable foil roasting pans. Use the turkey size. Buy rectangular pans as they store in the refrigerator better. Fill roaster pans the night before and reheat before serving

--Cheap, easy open house buffet foods: These don't need to be reheated.

BBQ meatballs: Mix and heat thoroughly: 5# bag of Armour frozen meatballs and 16 oz jam or frozen fruit, 16 oz ketchup, envelope French onion soup mix, cup molasses, smoked paprika, garlic and lime juice.

Sausage and Sauerkraut: three 32 oz bags of refrigerated sauerkraut and 4# fresh bratwurst, sweet Italian or Polish sausage. Bake until sausage is thoroughly cooked about an hour.

Tuna Salad: Mix 2# cooked small seashell pasta, four 12 oz. or eight 6 oz. cans of drained tuna, 1 whole stalk of celery pared, cleaned and sliced, 1 large sweet or Vidalia onion, cleaned and chopped, 3 T. dill, 32 oz jar mayonnaise, 4 hard cooked eggs sliced and arranged on top, pepper or paprika for garnish

Chicken Salad: Mix 2# cooked small seashell pasta, four 12 oz cans cooked chicken, 32 oz jar mayonnaise, 1 # chopped walnuts, 1 stalk cleaned, pared chopped celery, 2# washed seedless purple grapes, 1/2 c. chopped sweet onion (optional), parsley for garnish.

Baked Beans: Mix 8 cans of pork and beans or 3 jars of great northern beans, two 3# bacon cut into bite-sized pieces, 32 oz ketchup, 2# brown sugar. Bake on low until beans and bacon are browned and bubbly.

Vegetable tray: For color variety use: cucumbers, grape tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, yellow pepper strips, mini ir baby portobella fresh mushrooms, cauliflower. Serve dish in hollowed out green pepper or use ranch dressing for dip.

Fruit bowl: canned pineapple chunks, fresh strawberries (washed and pared), fresh washed green grapes, canned mandarin oranges, fresh blueberries. Serve individually in disposable drink cups topped with whipped cream for a smaller party. You can also make a watermelon boat.I don't care for all the cutting up of a melons, though.

Cupcakes: Cupcakes are much easier to manage than a huge cake that messy and ends up all over your yard. You can buy bulk decorations like little diplomas, Class year or graduation. You can buy them from any party supply store or Walmart. Put one on each cupcake. Our local Meijer grocery superstore makes decorated graduation cupcakes. I paid $30 for 72 cupcakes, a big savings over a cake.