Preparing for July 4th Celebration

A “Ham-Fam” Celebration is on our calendar for next Monday! That’s what we call a Cunningham Family get-together! Here was a vacation. Here was a holiday. Everyone was invited to come for the day. Let me share some of our plans with you as we make preparations for a fun day together.

The guest list – We enjoy being together as a family, and as I said, everyone was invited, but let me stop right here and tell you about my expectations as far as my adult daughters and their families are concerned.

I have no expectations and I make no demands.

That simply means,

• I don’t expect them to come. They are always welcome, but if the offer is refused, I have no right to ask why.
• I won’t get mad if they don’t come. They have their own lives.
• I don’t expect them to bring something. If they offer to bring part of the meal, I’m happy with whatever they want to contribute.
• They are free to stay for the whole “party” or part of it without having to explain their reasons.

You know what this does? It makes everyone free to live like adults. They are no longer under our roof, so if they can come, it’s great. If part of them can join us, that’s good, too. If no one can come, then we will enjoy ourselves as a couple on the Scenic Route who love one another enough that we can have a great time on our own! My own parents modeled this for me and my sisters, and the result was such freedom! Okay, let’s move on to more details of our celebration!

We eat all our meals on our back porch in the summertime, so that means I can start setting the table for next week and work on it a little at a time! It’s all very low-key, using what I have on hand.

I’m using my Hydrangeas for the flowers, and will add some to these three containers. I popped little flags into the tiered stand and put pinwheels in the Mason jars that will also hold Hydrangeas. I made pinwheels with square cloth napkins and placed them on the white plates. Woven round chargers are under the plates (two are being used elsewhere right now!).

I’ll also use greenery from other bushes to fill out the Hydrangea arrangements. It’s amazing how much that adds to an already pretty bouquet.

I like to look through my cabinets and find anything red, white or blue and see if I can fit it into the table or bar counter decor. It’s fun to get creative and just use what I already have. It’s challenging to think outside the box. Some things that you would only use as a “Christmas red” tray could be pulled out to put the hamburgers or dessert on. Look through your cupboards. You may be surprised what you already have in patriotic colors!

After my girls said they were coming, we made a menu together. Here’s what we’re planning on having~

Barbecued Chicken on the grill
Triple Bean Bake
Mac and Cheese
Cole Slaw
Deviled Eggs
Crock Pot Cobbler
Homemade Ice Cream

Here’s my family’s Vanilla ice cream recipe:

Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs
2 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T vanilla
2 quarts fat free Half and Half
Whole Milk

Beat eggs until thick. Slowly add the sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix in Half and Half. Pour into ice cream freezer container (standard size). Add the whole milk up to the “fill” line on freezer.

Follow ice cream maker’s directions for freezing. Give it plenty of time to “cure” so it will firm up. I like to make many layers of ice and Rock Salt to fill around the canister. When it is frozen, I pack it with towels in a cool place to cure.

Here’s a list of our favorite summer foods, perfect for July 4th!

What are your plans for the 4th of July?