July 4Th Games and Food

Water balloon toss, three legged race, wheelbarrow race, egg on a spoon race, egg toss. We've also set up a relay race before where you start at a kiddy pool, fill up a cup and race down and drop the water in a bucket. Each team has the same size bucket and the first to fill it wins!

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/patriotic-poke-cake/Detail....

I just found this recipe for a patriotic poke cake and plan to make it for July 4th. Thought you might enjoy the recipe.

UPDATE: Made this cake for 7/4/10...it was a big hit at the party.

This year we are having a hot dog bar - hot dogs and keilbassi with the typical toppings as well as sauerkraut and chili. The rest is pot luck. Some menu items that have been a hit at other parties are green bean and tomato salad and a fruit salad made with instant pudding. Send me a message if you'd like the recipes. Generally we try to find foods that can be made ahead of time as well as ones that can be left warming in a crock pot so we can spend more time with our guests.

Our family barbecues hot dogs and hamburgers. We have potato salad. The rest is pot luck; whatever anyone wants to bring. When the previous generation was around we went to someone's home. There were several with large yards. Now we go to a park where the kids can play on the equipment. We don't do special games or anything special.

However, my grandkids have sparklers, and we fire off fountains in the street at home once it's dark.

Lots of people do hot dogs and burgers but who wants to stand over a hot grill in the heat . . . we do nachos and they are a huge hit (and cheap)! We buy the big bag of nacho chips and the big can of nacho chees from Wal Mart (or Costco or Sams) and heat the cheese in a big crock pot. We also good ground beef the night before and just heat it up the next day (also in a crock pot if you have more than one or can borrow) and open a couple cans of ranch style beans (crock pot or low heat in kitchen). We do everything outside so I try to keep everything I can in a crock pot, then just add all the fixins like sour cream, salsa, onions, jalapenos, guacamole, etc. Everyone can build their own and even the kids love to dip their chips in cheese. We also play washers and bolo - both are available at Target or Walmart or check with friends and family to see if they have any fun outdoor games to bring. Add a watermelon or two and you've got dessert! We also have a pool so we can stay cool but there are mist hoses you can get and hang up on a pop up shade or on the trees if you have them. Good luck!

The latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens has some July 4th activites and decorations. Check it out!

Depends on how fancy you want to get - hamburgers and hot dogs are always easy and popular. My family loves BBQ ribs. I buy the country style pork ribs. You boil them for about an hour (til the meat pulls away from the bone) in water with garlic salt, pepper and meat tenderizer. This can be done a day ahead of time. Then put them in baggies with your favorite BBQ sauce and put them in the refrigerator to marinate. When ready to eat, put the ribs on the grill for about 10 - 15 minutes. Also good with roasted corn. Take corn on the cob and peel most of the husk, but not all. Place directly on the grill to cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. Or clean corn and wrap in foil and place on the grill. Add baked beans and a salad and you have a yummy meal!

The games would depend on the ages. Our family has always enjoyed fireworks and we are usually at the lake or somewhere that we can shoot them legally. With the heat, I think the water games would be popular - water balloons, squirt guns, water relays,etc. Happy 4th!