The Case of the Missing Sparklers

4th of July Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Trifle from TheKitchn

When it comes to the 4th of July, I'm a sparkler sorta gal. Big fireworks are nice for viewing, but I don't want things on fire blowing up in my yard. Neither does my Jack Russell, Guinness, who has to wear his Thundershirt just to get through the night. See more about that here. So, weeks ago I squirreled away my box of sparklers and set about making plans to host a 4th of July celebration with friends.

I love to end dinner parties with a memorable dessert so I chose a wonderful, (patriotically correct!?) English trifle for the finale. The recipe comes from my favorite foodie blog, The Kitchn with Faith Durand. You can find this amazing recipe for 4th of July Red, White, and Blue Trifle here.

This show-stopping dessert takes a little effort but the "WOW" factor is well worth it.
You begin by making a vanilla pudding from scratch. No Jello-o pudding here please! If you have never made your own pudding, this recipe is a good place to begin. Just remember, when making the pudding, Do Not Stop Stirring, especially as the pudding thickens, and watch your heat (brown scorched bits are not pretty).

Once you've made the pudding, basically this is a "no-cook" ice-box dessert, it's all about the layering. The first layer, a combo of cubed angel food cake and half of the warm pudding, takes an hour to set up in the fridge. It is the infrastructure that keeps all of layers from mushing together. While the pudding layer is chilling you prep the fruit and make the whipped topping.

Let the layering begin! Red fruit on top of the chilled layer, half the whipped topping, another layer of cake, then the remaining vanilla pudding, the blue fruit and then the remaining whipped topping. A final decorative layer of fruit is the finishing touch.

 Best made the day you serve it, so be sure to plan for three hours of chilling time.

What I LOVE about this recipe? It is NOT sweet. Surprising, I know! It looks heavy but it is light and refreshing and has a creamy, unctuousness. It's everything a summer dessert should be and it feeds a crowd. But don't let the size stop you. Everyone went back for seconds!! At the end of the evening I scooped generous helpings into "to-go" boxes for my guests. Mike and I enjoyed French toast smothered in berries and cream for breakfast the next morning. This is a trifle that keeps on giving!!

Oh...and the sparklers? The plan was to put them in the trifle and light them as a spectacular finale to a great 4th but could this squirrel find them? Sigh... No doubt they will resurface sometime in December!! A wee American flag did a perfect job as stand-in. Happy summer and Bon Appetite everyone!

A Prayer for Independence Day

This  beautiful prayer came to me from my dear friend Gloria Drayer. Thank you Gloria. Have a safe and fun 4th of July everyone, God Bless and protect our troops! 

A Prayer for Independence Day and Every Day
By Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson, edited by Maggie Oman

May we as a nation be guided by the Divine
to rediscover the sacred flame of our national heritage,
which so many have given their lives to safeguard;

Let the wounds of separation and division be healed
by opening our hearts to listen to the truth on all sides,
allowing us to find a higher truth that includes all;

May we learn to honor and enjoy our diversity
and differences as a people, even as we
more deeply touch our fundamental unity;

May we, as a people, undergo a transformation
that will draw forth individuals to lead our nation
who embody courage, compassion, and a higher vision;

May our leaders inspire us, and we so inspire
each other with our potential as individuals
and as a nation, that a new spirit of forgiveness,
caring, and honesty be born in our nation;

May we, as a united people, move with clear,
directed purpose to take our place within
the community of nations to help build
a better future for all humankind;

May we as a nation rededicate ourselves
to truly living as one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And may God's Will be done for the United States,
as we, the people, align with that Will.

Campari + Mojito = Bliss

I have totally swiped this recipe from "in The Kitchn" and I am unashamed to say I did not change one thing, this cocktail is perfection. This recipe originated in London, where they know Campari! If you are having an outdoor shindig this week make this for your guests and they will rave! It is not too sweet, not too minty, not too potent...the perfect cocktail to cool a hot summer's day. I served this in 12 oz. Ball canning jars to tone down the "fancy" factor so we could enjoy with no worries. The straw is a must and if you have glass straws, well it's a real party now! Enjoy!

Campari Mojito
Recipes from The Kitchn
Campari Mojito for One
Serves 1

1/4 ounce (about 4 large sprigs) fresh mint, plus additional for garnish
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce white rum
1 1/2 ounce Campari
Crushed ice
2 lime wedges
2 to 4 ounces good tonic water, such as Fevertree or Q Tonic (I used Canada Dry and it was fine)

Place the mint sprigs in a large glass or cocktail shaker, and add the lime juice and rum. Muddle with a muddler or a wooden spoon for several minutes, crushing the mint and releasing its aroma. Add the Campari and a few cubes of ice, and shake or stir until well chilled. (I muddle up some base in my metal shaker in the morning and pop it in the fridge so it's icy cold at cocktail time)
Fill a 12-ounce highball glass with crushed ice and squeeze a lime wedge over top. Pour in enough tonic water to fill the glass a quarter full, then pour in the strained Campari mixture. Garnish with a little more tonic water, the second lime wedge, and mint. Best with a straw!


A Pitcher of Campari Mojitos for a Crowd
Serves 8

3 packed cups mint leaves, plus more to garnish
1 cup lime juice
1 cup white rum
1 1/2 cups Campari
Crushed ice
16 lime wedges
3 to 4 cups good tonic water, such as Fevertree or Q Tonic

Place the mint leaves with the lime juice and rum in a pitcher. Muddle with a muddler or a wooden spoon for several minutes, crushing the mint and releasing its aroma. Stir in the Campari and refrigerate overnight or until chilled. (I chilled overnight and the mixture was icy cold wonderful)
To serve, fill 12-ounce highball glasses with crushed ice and squeeze a lime wedge over top. Pour in enough tonic water to fill the glass a quarter full, then pour in the strained Campari mixture. Garnish with a little more tonic water, the second lime wedge, and mint. Best with a straw!

Have a wonderful and SAFE 4th of July everyone and remember not to drink and dive...or drive!