Tag Archives: holidays

Celebrate Independence Day with Patriotic Sweets!

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The 4th of July is just around the corner and many Americans celebrate with candy, fireworks and family activities such as parades. Independence Day is the only federal holiday that commemorates the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted in 1776 on July 4th. This document declares the U.S. independence from Great Britain and it is one of the most historic and fun holidays of the year.

In order to get the most out of the 4th of July this year, consider some of the various patriotic candies that you can buy for parades, parties and family gatherings. There are plenty of options.

Patriotic Bubble Gun Coins are one of the most popular candy options for Independence Day. These coins come in red, white and blue foil in large bags with 100 pieces or more. Not only are they tasty and fun for kids, but they can also be thrown into a bowl for a centerpiece at a barbeque.

Shop JellyBelly.com Today!Jelly beans are another great choice when it comes to patriotic candy. Jelly beans come in large assortments of flavors and colors, but for the 4th of July, it is fun to mix red, white and blue options. You can get flavors like cherry, strawberry and fruit punch in the red color or you can choose blueberry and coconut flavors from the blue and white jelly beans. The mixture is patriotic and easy to pass around at a party.

There are even popsicles made in a patriotic style. You can find American flags on sticks, liberty bells, Uncle Sam, stars and plenty of other variations. The flavors vary but any child will love these popsicles on Independence Day or any other day of the year. Patriotic suckers are great to throw out at parades since they will not melt if the day is warm.

Hard candies are another great option for parades and there are wonderful choices. You can simply get hard candies in the American colors or you can go all out and get candy that has a patriotic flag design on it for added flair.

If you want to take things a step further, consider making caramel apples and dipping them in red, white and blue sprinkles before the caramel dries. You could also make chocolate covered strawberries in the same sprinkled manner to catch your guests` eyes and taste buds at the same time.

There are plenty of American themed options when it comes to candy for the 4th of July celebrations. Don`t forget the retro sweets that have been around for decades. These treats are not only patriotic, but also memorable and fun for those who remember when they ate them as a child.

Festive Recipe Ideas

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Vegan Sugar Cookies by Renee on FlickrThe holidays are a time when you choose a variety of ways to celebrate your family and what you have been given in life. One small way you might choose to do that is by preparing a hearty meal with treats to match. You probably also decorate your home with festive ornaments. Well, why not meld the two together and make your treats decorative too? The easiest foods to make festive are desserts, though you can implement the idea in other ways too.

A simple and tasty chocolate snowman shaped cake is easy to make and highly festive. Best with Dutch cocoa, you can use coconut flakes to create the coating. You can use black licorice sticks for the arms, black licorice drops for the eyes and peppermints for buttons with gum drops on top. For the mouth, you can use a piece of red shoestring style licorice. Fruit leather makes a great decorative scarf.

Alternatively, or in addition to, you can create a Christmas tree cake with equal festivity. By creating individual cake squares, you can stack these to create a tree-like shape with green frosting and other colored frostings to your liking. You can use candies for ornaments and smaller cake squares decorated with colored frosting to make presents under the tree.

Gingerbread houses are a classic way of creating decorative treats. However, there are more creative ways to make artistic gingerbread treats. One less known design is the gingerbread lantern, created by four rectangular pieces of gingerbread connected by frosting. You can cut holes in the pieces to let the light out, such as stars or hearts. Once settled, you can place candles inside these and use them as actual lanterns.

Another creative design is the gingerbread train. You have a great amount of creative license with this, in that there is room to decide how intricate you want to get with the design. However, there is a minimum amount of intricacy involved. The frosting is used for piping and a combination of circular and rectangular gingerbread cookies create the body. You can use candies, licorice and frosting to decorate it anyway you like. Gum drops work well to top the train while licorice works well for the pistons. You can also decide how long you want to make the train.

If you are looking to go more gourmet than flashy, you can make chocolate espresso snowballs with fair trade coffee. Using cocoa, pecans and sugar you can have a treat both decedent and decorative. There are plenty of ways to brighten up holiday cheer just with culinary creativity.

Festive Cooking Tips

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The Dessert by Iryna Yeroshko on Flickr

The Dessert by Iryna Yeroshko on Flickr

For many people, cooking for the holidays can be frustrating and stressful. This year, though, instead of rushing around in a frenzy, try out these festive holiday cooking tips.

Plan Ahead

Instead of rushing around the day of your holiday dinner, plan ahead. Since most of the stores in your area will be closed on the holiday, make sure you have everything you need a few days in advance. This can include spices, vegetables, condiments and beverages.

Making a few dishes ahead of time can also save you the hassle of preparing them on the holiday. Baked dishes, like pies and rolls, for example, can usually be made a day or two before your holiday meal and stored in airtight containers. Dishes like mashed potatoes can also be made up to three days before your meal and stored in a refrigerator or freezer.

Keep it Simple

Remember that the most important thing about the holidays is family and friends. While a huge, fancy, extravagant holiday dinner is nice sometimes, ask yourself if it’s really worth the stress. Prepare the traditional turkey or ham, but keep the side dishes simple. If your dinner guests will be arriving early, a simple vegetable or cold cut tray can also be put out as an appetizer.

Also, don’t think you have to go it alone. If one of your guests offers to bring a dish or help out, by all means, accept the help.

Have Fun

It’s the holidays, so have fun. No one ever said that cooking a holiday meal had to be boring. Put on some festive holiday music and rock out! If your kitchen is big enough, try to get your family to join you. Not only will you get some free helpers, but you’ll also have a blast.

Count Your Dishes and Cutlery

This may seem like an odd festive cooking tip, but don’t dismiss it. Always make sure that you will have enough plates, bowls, platters and cutlery for your holiday dinner. Running out of clean silverware or not having an adequate number of plates for your guests can be very frustrating.

Stash Extra Chairs and Tables

Even if you’re expecting only six people at your holiday table, always plan for more. Any number of things could happen and there is always a possibility of unexpected guests showing up. To accommodate them, borrow or buy some inexpensive folding tables and chairs and keep them stored until they are needed.

Make Serving Easy

Forgo passing the dishes around the table this year and opt for a buffet-style holiday dinner instead. Set up a long table with plates at one end and the food spread out in a line along the table. Doing this allows your guests to choose their own food in an orderly fashion and it keeps messy dishes off your table. Most food can be kept warm with the help of slow cookers, electric roasters and electric skillets. If you are hosting a very large holiday dinner and do so frequently, you may want to consider purchasing or renting some catering equipment, such as chafing dishes and serving platters.